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Activities To Keep The Kids Busy During Winter Break

Posted on December 19, 2024   |   Updated on December 23, 2025

Trenae Nuri

The inside of Eremita Cafe.

Grab a coffee and play a game of chess at Eremita Cafe. (City Cast Philly / Trenae Nuri)

Looking for ways to keep your kids busy over winter break? We’ve put together a list of fun and inexpensive things to do to make your kids happy and get them off those screens.

Make Some Eye Contact: Board Games

Eremita Cafe is a cozy Roxborough coffee shop with an array of board games, so parents can sip a latte while playing a few rounds of Connect 4 with the kids. They can also put those piano lessons (that you paid for) to use on the shop’s piano. The shop is open daily until 2 or 3 p.m.

University City’s board game cafe, The Board and Brew, is another great place for families to play — there are over 600 games to pick from.

Keep Things Rolling: Skating

Philly Skate Plex offers a holiday skate schedule from Dec. 23 through Jan. 2. Skate rentals are just $6 and admission is only $3 for non-skating adults. This is great for all ages.

Rolling Thunder, another skating rink in Northeast Philadelphia, is perfect for toddlers. The rink’s holiday schedule runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 2. Admission costs range from $1 to $15, with themed days that include a holiday character parade and a Willy Wonka skate.

A Slam Dunk: Sports

If the kids are having cabin fever, we recommend checking out Elite Sports Factory. There’s pickleball, basketball, and batting cages for children looking to break a sweat – and a video game room to hit before they climb through the Ninja Fun Zone. Elite Sports Factory is open daily at 9 a.m. for $15-an-hour, per kid.

A Real Page-Turner: Books

The Free Library of Philadelphia has always been my favorite go-to place to bring kids during the winter break, mostly because it’s free! There are several events happening at libraries around town, like rock climbing at Cecil B. Moore Library, knitting at Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library, and builder club at Haverford Library.

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