Need ideas for things to do this winter break? Greenville and Upstate students are out of school for the next couple of weeks, so we’ve put together a huge list of over 50 things to do in the Upstate over winter break. You’ll find fun activities, day trip ideas, and ways to have a great time and keep your kids busy while school is out.
If you have any other suggestions for activities that will keep kids busy while school is out, let us know in the comments!
This list contains affiliate links and may include non-paid mentions of KAG sponsors.
Don’t let the cold bring you down.
Our KA Winter Guide to Greenville, SC will help you plan the best day ever!
Have fun this winter with these FREE and cheap things to do near Greenville, SC.
Keep your kids busy at one of these winter break camps near Greenville, SC.
Stuck on what to do? Our events calendar is full of the best events for families in the Upstate!
Fun Things to Do This Winter Break: Greenville, SC and Nearby
- Go ice skating at Ice on Main, Greenville Rec’s Pavilion, or on the Big Ice at The Well at Bon Secours Wellness Arena
- Stroll through amazing lights at Holidays at the Zoo at the Greenville Zoo
- Try minigolf + holiday lights at Takeoff Minigolf through December 27th, 2025
- Enroll your kid(s) in any of these great Winter Camps in the area.
- See free holiday movies at NCG Cinemas
- Go see a discounted holiday movie at Regal Cinemas.
- Play pinball and other old-school arcade games at the Upstate Pinball & Arcade Museum
- Mice on Main Scavenger Hunt
- Go roller skating
- Grab some coffee and paint at TReehouse Cafe
- Toads on Trade scavenger hunt in Greer
- Take a self-guided tour of Split Creek Farm and see lots of goats
- Festival of Trees (through December 25th, 2025)
- Visit your local library
- Fly through the air on the ropes and zip lines at Flying Rabbit Adventures in Greenville
- Enjoy any of these free or cheap things to do this winter
- Upstate Holiday Light Show at District Park in Easley through December 31st, 2025.
- Have fun at The Children’s Museum of the Upstate
- Sign up for a music class at a local studio such as Piano Central Studios
- Cheer on the Swamp Rabbits at a hockey game
- Go out for hot chocolate (try one of our reader’s favorite spots for hot chocolate)
- Go on the Kidding Around Greenville Bike Taxi Holiday Tour
- Head to the Nights of Lights at Heritage Park in Simpsonville (open through December 31st, 2025).
Take the kids ice skating in Downtown Greenville at Ice on Main.
Enjoy over 50 light displays, many of which run until January 2026.
Holidays at the Zoo run through January 3rd, 2026!
- Show some support for Lake Conestee Nature Preserve and check out their open trails.
- Go skiing or snow tubing at any of these area resorts/winter fun places
- Enjoy playing in the snow at the sledding hill in Beech Mountain.
- Try a Christmas-themed escape room challenge
- Get out all your holiday frustrations by smashing things at the Mad Smash Rage Room in Taylors Mill (kid friendly for ages 8+!)
- Head to Main Event and have a perfect time of arcade fun!
- Try a new pizza place! (Of course, KAG readers have some recommendations.)
- Road trip up to Christmas Town, USA
- Play arcades or climb the indoor playground at Frankie’s Fun Park
- See one of Greenville’s fantastic home light displays (see our list of Holiday Lights for more details)
- Travel out to the Biltmore in nearby Asheville
- Make some art and shop local at TR Maker Co.
- Grab coffee, stecca, or a delicious sandwich while your kids play at Swamp Rabbit Cafe
- Chase some waterfalls. Here are great hikes with waterfalls, which could be partially frozen this time of year (so cool!)
- Let your kids literally climb the walls at one of these indoor rock-climbing venues
- Take a driving tour of NC waterfalls that involve little to no hiking
- Visit the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC
- Plan a park play date with the friends your kids are missing from school
- Volunteer together as a family
- Take an epic road trip to Winterfest in Pigeon Forge, TN
- Go on an amazing tour of Lake Jocassee with Jocassee Lake Tours (cool season tours run from November through April)
- Take the kids to Kids Play & Cafe in Easley for an indoor day of fun!
Explore Lake Conestee Nature Preserve and enjoy a winter hike, bike ride, or birdwatching.
Be mesmerized by the Biltmore Estate during the winter season.
This indoor play place is three stories tall and is perfect for a winter day.
- Check out our Indoor Guide for ideas of indoor play and fun!
- Load the kids in the car, queue up your favorite holiday music playlist, and take a driving tour of local light displays before they are all taken down.
- Find one of these trains near Greenville
- Play with a unicorn at Hidden Pasture Farms’ Yuletide Unicorn Christmas Festival in Fountain Inn
- Take a day trip to Hendersonville to see the Hands On Children’s Museum
- Follow the Sheep Trail through downtown Greenville
- Ride bikes at one of these top places to ride bikes in Greenville
- See the Christmas lights at Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (ends January 3rd, 2026)
- Book a tour to see alpacas at Winchester Creek Farm in NC
- Visit a trampoline park such as DEFY, Big Air, Urban Air, or Sky Zone
- Explore the zoo!
- Explore caverns half a mile inside a mountain
- Cozy up in a winter vacation rental
- Get crafty and paint pottery at Color Clay Cafe
- Check out the Charlotte Motor Speedway Christmas Lights (closes January 4th, 2026)
- $5 Skate Night at Ice on Main (Every Tuesday in December)
- Schedule some kid-free time and go on a date
- Get in a visit with Santa
- Check out the holiday set up of the model train display at Taylors Mill
- Take the family to a huge indoor waterpark like Wilderness at the Smokies, the Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort, or Great Wolf Lodge.
- Visit a family-friendly brewery like Double Stamp Brewery or Southernside Brewery which is thoroughly decorated for the holidays.
- Check out one of these New Year’s Eve events for kids.
When winter break starts, are you ready for some fun break activities?
[…] See the full list here (and get out your calendar). […]
The Spartanburg Library has great online programming and storytimes to rewatch again and again!