50+ Things to Do: Winter Break Bucket List

The kids are out of school for the next couple of weeks, so we’ve put together a huge list of over 50 things in Greenville, SC that you can do with your kids during the winter break. This list includes not just fun activities in Greenville but also some easy day trip ideas (all under two hours’ drive). If you have any more suggestions of ways to keep your children busy while school is out let us know in the comments!

Be sure to check out our Holiday Guide, Winter Camps 2022-2023 & our December Events, but here are some things to do this winter break that we know you won’t want to miss!

This list contains affiliate links and may include non-paid mentions of KAG sponsors.

1. Go ice skating at Ice on Main, Greenville Rec’s Pavilion, or on the Big Ice at The Well at Bon Secours Wellness Arena
2. Stroll through amazing lights at Holidays at the Zoo at the Greenville Zoo
3. Get into the Hot Chocolate Bomb craze
4. Try minigolf + holiday lights at Takeoff Minigolf the week of December 18th
5. Go sock skating at the Shiele Museum in NC
6. Enroll your kid(s) in any of these great Winter Camps in the area.
7. Play pinball and other old school arcade games at the Upstate Pinball & Arcade Museum
8. Mice on Main scavenger hunt
9. Go roller skating
10. Toads on Trade scavenger hunt in Greer
11. Take a self-guided tour of Split Creek Farm and see lots of goats
12. Festival of Trees (throughout December 26, 2022)
13. Visit your local library
14. Fly through the air on the ropes and zip lines at Flying Rabbit Adventures in Greenville
15. Enjoy any of these free/cheap things to do this winter
16. Upstate Holiday Light Show (ends December 31, 2022)
17. Have fun at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
18. Sign up for a music class at a local studio such as Piano Central Studios.
19. Cheer on the Swamp Rabbits at a hockey game
20. Go out for hot chocolate (try one of our reader’s favorite spots for hot chocolate)
21. Head to Family Fun Gym at Acrosmith Gymnastics (the 10:15 am Family Fun Gym are open to kids up to 12 years old)
22. Get outdoors and try a hike at Lake Conestee Nature Preserve
23. Go skiing or snow tubing at any of these area resorts/winter fun places
24. Try a Christmas-themed escape room challenge
25. Get out all your holiday frustrations by smashing things at the Mad Smash Rage Room in Taylors Mill (kids ages 8+ can participate!)
26. Try a new pizza place! (Of course, KAG readers have some recommendations.)
27. Road trip up to Christmas Town, USA
28. Play arcades or climb the indoor playground at Frankie’s Fun Park
29. See local wildlife at the WNC Nature Center in Asheville
30. See one of Greenville’s fantastic home light displays (see our list of Holiday Lights for more details)
31. Travel out to the Biltmore in nearby Asheville
32. Make some art and shop local at TR Maker Co.
33. Grab coffee, stecca, or a delicious sandwich at Swamp Rabbit Cafe
34. Chase some waterfalls – here are great hikes with waterfalls, which could be partially frozen this time of year (so cool!)
35. Or take a driving tour of NC waterfalls that involve little to no hiking
36. Visit the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock
37. Plan a park play date with the friends your kids are missing from school
38. Volunteer together as a family
39. Take an epic road trip to Winterfest in Pigeon Forge, TN
40. Go on an amazing tour of Lake Jocassee with Jocassee Lake Tours (Cool season tours run from November through April)
41. Story Time at Barnes and Noble (Saturdays at the Shops at Greenridge)
42. Load the kids in the car, queue up your favorite holiday music playlist, and take a driving tour of local light displays
43. Have a night of cupcake or cookie decorating with a kit from a local bakery
44. Find one of these trains near Greenville
45. Play with a unicorn at Hidden Pasture Farms’ Yuletide Unicorn Christmas Festival in Fountain Inn
46. Take a day trip to Hendersonville to see the Hands On Children’s Museum
47. Follow the Sheep Trail through downtown Greenville
48. Ride bikes at one of these top places to ride bikes in Greenville
49. See the Christmas lights at Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (ends January 1, 2023)
50. Visit alpacas at Winchester Creek Farm in NC
51. Visit a trampoline park such as DEFY, Big Air, Urban Air, or Sky Zone
52. Do the zoo!
53. Explore caverns half a mile inside a mountain
54. Cozy up in a winter vacation rental
55. Get crafty and paint pottery at Color Clay Cafe
56. Check out the Charlotte Motor Speedway Christmas Lights (closes January 8, 2023)
57. $5 Skate Night at Ice on Main (Every Tuesday in December)
58. Schedule some kid-free time and go on a date
59. Get in a visit with Santa
60. Check out the model train display at Taylors Mill
61. Take the family to a huge indoor waterpark like Wilderness at the Smokies, the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, or Great Wolf Lodge.
62. Visit a family-friendly brewery like Double Stamp Brewery or Southernside Brewery which is thoroughly decorated for the holidays.

RELATED: Winter Camps 2022-2023