Region offers variety of attractions to fill winter break

The kids are out of school. And for three full weeks, if you live in the Modesto school districts.

Maybe some holiday baking and craft-making will keep them occupied the first couple of days. Christmas Eve and Day might fly by with family visits, hearty meals and the opening of gifts. And those gifts should, optimistically, give you another day or two of kids entertaining themselves.

But sooner or later, you’re going to need a break from the winter break blahs. We at The Bee have kids ourselves, so we have heard countless times, “What are we going to do today?” and “I’m bored” and “There’s nothing to do.”

Well, we’re here to help, with some ideas for activities near and a little far, free to low-cost to a bit costly. We hope you’ll find something that appeals to you and, more important, your little ones.

Check out the local library

Most branches of the Stanislaus County Library have fun children’s programs scheduled during winter break. Here are some of them:

▪ The Turlock library kicked off its Ten Days of Winter Break on Monday. Each day it’s open, the branch will offer a different activity to promote imagination and creativity.

Michelle Coxford, regional children’s librarian, offered a few examples. One day, kids can read the book “Boy + Bot” and then draw their own robot and write a couple of sentences (or dictate to an adult) about their creation. The children’s pages will be stapled together into a little book that will be on display for library visitors to read. Another day will be simple origami bookmarks, and yet another will be “name that smell” jars, which kids will open and guess what they’re sniffing. Don’t worry, nothing gross.

▪ The Modesto library will offer All Ages Coloring Week from Dec. 28 through Jan. 2. “We will provide coloring sheets designed for adults and kids of all ages, as well as colored pencils and crayons,” its website says.

▪ At the Denair library, New Year’s will be celebrated at noon Dec. 31 rather than midnight. Kids will make party hats and noisemakers, and snacks will be provided.

▪ In Salida, kids will prepare for the new year with a “makerspace” craft – a clock made from a compact disc. The session at 4 p.m. Dec. 29 will be limited to ages 8 to 12, while supplies last. Age-appropriate games and crafts will be available for younger children.

For the full calendar of children’s activities at Stanislaus County Library branches, go to www.stanislauslibrary.org/tk_kids.shtm and click on “Kids Events.”

Slip into some skates

Thanks to a few area rinks, you can lace up for ice-skating fun without having to head to the hills in search of a frozen-over pond or lake.

Modesto on Ice and Turlock’s Fields of Ice offer public skate sessions, lessons and more.

The 70-by-120-foot Modesto rink is open through Jan. 24 in a tent next to Modesto Centre Plaza, at 11th and K streets. It’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except Sundays when it’s open 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sessions are 90 minutes, and cost is $10 children, $12 adults. To learn more, call 209-846-4334 or go to www.modestoonice.com.

The Turlock rink from R.A.M. Farms is 80 by 120 feet and is two-thirds covered by a tent so that skating can go on during rain. It’s at 716 N. Daubenberger Road and is open through Jan. 18. There are sessions at 10 a.m., noon, and 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. Exceptions are Christmas Eve, when the last session is at 4, and Christmas Day, when the first session is at 2 p.m. Through Jan. 1, weekend rates apply: $10 kids ages 3-12, $12 general. To learn more, call 209-668-2425 or go to http://turlockfieldsofice.com.

A little farther off, Dell’Osso Family Farm off Interstate 5 in Lathrop has a skating rink as part of its Holidays on the Farm attractions open through Jan. 2 (see more in a separate item). The rink is 120 by 60 feet and offers unlimited skating (no timed sessions) during business hours.

Want more of a winter-wonderland feel when you’re skating? Head to the Tuolumne County community of Long Barn. There is ice skating at the Long Barn Lodge every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Jan. 3. The cost for a day of skating is $8.50 if you bring your skates and $11 if you need them. The lodge is about 18 miles east of Sonora off Highway 108 at 25957 Long Barn Road. For more, visit www.long-barn-lodge.com.

For those who prefer to skate on wheels rather than blades, and in a little warmer environment, there’s the Ripon PowerPlay Sports Arena at 1043 S. Acacia Ave. Skating is $6 general, $3 age 5 and under, and skate rentals are $3. For open skate times, go to http://riponrollerhockey.com and click on “Public Skate.” For more information, call 209-599-2479 or email info@riponrollerhockey.com.

Go for the snow

There hasn’t been much snow within day-trip distance the past couple of winters, but that’s not the case this year. Pile into the car and head for the white stuff, if just to throw some snowballs or build a snowman.

The slopes are inviting at the Dodge Ridge Ski Area, and there are tows for tubing at Leland Snow Play in Strawberry. “We are now in the snowmaking business,” the Leland site notes, “with mounds of snow being produced nightly to add to what Mother Nature is giving us!”

Both spots are higher up on Highway 108. For more information, visit www.dodgeridge.com or www.snowplay.com.

Other foothills fun

Columbia State Historic Park is a fun and educational trip anytime. The 1850s-era town has gold panning, stagecoach rides, a working blacksmith shop, old-time photos, candy and ice cream shops, docents in period attire, museums and more. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and most businesses are open until 5. The park museum, at least, is closed Christmas Day. See www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=552 or www.visitcolumbiacalifornia.com.

At Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Arnold, the sixth annual Winter Wonderland Carnival will be held Dec. 29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will include wagon rides, crafts and games, homemade cookies and music. Tickets are $12.50 adults, $8.50 children in advance ($15, $10 at gate plus park admission). See bigtrees.org.

If you’re dreaming of an adventurous Christmas, Moaning Cavern Adventure Park in Vallecito has cave tours and rappelling, zip lines and a climbing tower. It’s open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For more, go to http://caverntours.com or call 209-736-2708.

Keep the learning going

There are a number of museums and galleries in the area to help make learning fun.

There’s the free McHenry Museum at 14th and I streets in downtown Modesto, open noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. The Oakdale Cowboy Museum, also free, is at 355 E. F St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

The Central California Art Association’s Mistlin Gallery has its member show “Home for the Holidays” open through Dec. 23. It’s at 1015 J St., Modesto, and is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays noon to 4 p.m.

Perhaps the coolest exhibit around is “Framed: Step Into Art” at the Haggin Museum in Stockton. “Children enter the special exhibit by stepping through an oversized frame and instantly become immersed in the worlds created by well-known artists,” according to the museum website. “Each work is re-created as a three-dimensional, sensory, walk-in environment that includes a print of the artist’s original work, as well as important facts about the artist’s life and painting style.”

It runs through Jan. 3; see hagginmuseum.org/exhibitions/FramedStepintoArt.

Holidays on the Farm

Dell’Osso Family Farm’s annual event runs through Jan. 2. The activity center has snow tubing, ice skating, zip lining and more. The evening Lights on the Farms shows offer visitors a chance to ride through a 200-foot-long light tunnel. Grounds are open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (different attractions open at different times). Dell’Osso is at 501 Manthey Road, Lathrop. For prices, times and more information, call 209-982-0833 or visit www.dellossofamilyfarm.com.

Keep local businesses busy

The Modesto area has a long list of businesses that prove the complaint “There’s nothing to do” is far from true. Here are just a sampling of them: the McHenry Bowl and Yosemite Lanes bowling alleys, the Rockin’ Jump trampoline center, the Stonehenge indoor climbing gym, Extreme Paintball and Laser Quest laser tag. Oh, and some movie called “The Force Awakens” is playing in movie theaters.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "Region offers variety of attractions to fill winter break."