60+ Things to Do Over Winter Break in Manhattan

The kids are off of school for a few weeks. What to do with all of that time?! We’re here with ideas for how to stay busy (or not) over winter break.

60+ Things to do Over Winter Break:

1. Go visit a local art gallery like SNW or The Beach Art Museum. 
2. Bake treats and take to emergency responders such as our favorite crew, the fire fighters!
3. Take both a daytime and nighttime tour of Blue Earth Plaza’s lights.
4. Clean out and donate unused toys and clothes. There are many local places around town you can drop stuff off at or try your local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook. 
5. Build a gingerbread house together as a family or have a contest to see who can build the best one! 
6. Take a bike ride. Dress warm and wear bright colors! Look at a local trail, city park or create your own path around your neighborhood.
7. Go outside. Whether it is at the park or in your own backyard, get some sun on your face!
8. Check out books, movies and music from the library.
9. Have a dance party in your living room! Maybe you dress up in costumes, maybe you wear pajamas! The possibilities are endless! 
10. Enjoy a date night with your significant other.
11. Be okay with saying no when the to-do list is too much. Decline an invite and let it be. 
12. Decorate cookies together! Eat cookies together!
13. Do some last-minute local holiday shopping.
14. Stop at Radina’s for some hot coca and drive around and look at lights.
15. Celebrate the New Year as a family at the Discovery Center for a family friendly bedtime!
16. Tryout a family nap. Maybe you sleep, maybe you spend the whole time laughing.  
17. Complete a family puzzle together.
18. Take a winter hike up the Manhattan Hill. The view is so different in the winter!
19. Schedule a Mom’s afternoon out and get a hydrafacial at Glo.
20. While you are already out, schedule a massage at Body First. 
21. Get the family’s haircuts done. Try out Platinum & Company, who is great with both adults and kids! 
22. Get some more use out of the matching pajamas and wear them all day long.
23. Try out some new drinks with friends at Arrow Cocktail Lounge.
24. See who can jump the highest or farthest at Leap and then eat at Powercat right next door! If it’s warm, ask them to get out the outside games.
25. Try out a horse drawn carriage ride around town.
26. Check out the indoor pools and go swimming in either Wamego or Junction City.
27. Make a homemade simmer pot.
28. Take your family to go visit their grandparents. Invite them to you if the trip there won’t work for your family.
29. Enjoy a game night and pizza party.
30. Camp in the living room under the Christmas tree.
31. Have a Yes-Day or Yes-Hour where you just say “Yes!”
32. Invite some friends over to visit. Adult friends, kid friends, family friends. Yes please!
33. Go shopping for new shoes for the family for the spring in the next size up so you are not rushing out the door one morning to find your child’s shoes just don’t fit anymore! 
34. Get tickets to the holiday theater. 
35. Try your balance on the Ice Skating Rink.
36. Cheer on the cats at a K-State women’s and men’s basketball game.
37. Lay on your living room floor and do absolutely nothing. Don’t even think about the laundry that you should be doing.
38. Crank up the Bluetooth speaker and sing along to holiday music on repeat! 
39. Take a glance at the calendar for the next semester and see if there is anything major you need to plan for such as outfits to buy, travel or random things to prep. Do those things now. 
40. Watch the sunset.
41. Make chili and homemade cinnamon rolls. Even better, ask your Mom to do this while you go visit!
42. When it feels too cold to go outside, make your own inside snow out of baking soda and hair conditioner. 
43. Have a lazy movie day or night. Order takeout or eat ice cream.
44. Relax. Put your feet up.
45. Paint inspiration rocks to leave around town.
46. Take turns with your significant other having a night off from the bedtime or morning routine.
47. Get outside and play in the snow! You are never too old to play in the snow.
48. Read together. Maybe everyone sits and listens to one book or maybe everyone reads their own books under the same snuggly blanket.
49. Review your annual finances. No fighting, just reviewing so you know what the past year has been like!
50. Once you have reviewed your annual finances, set your family financial goals for the following year.
51. While you are at it, set your family goals as well. Maybe it’s to only eat out two times per month, exercise four times a week or to read for 20 minutes every day. 
52. Do some deep cleaning.
53. Spend the day in your pajamas. 
54. Find a place to volunteer as a family. 
55. Stock up on your gift closet for the next year while places are having sales. Need a quick gift in a pinch, not to worry because you have things on hand. Replace your gift bags and tissues paper while you’re planning, too!
56. Take a day trip out of town to somewhere new like Wichita or Omaha.
57. Soak in a long bath.
58. Take some random pictures of your family. You will enjoy looking back at them later, even if one or two are a little tired and grumpy at the time.
59. Take a holiday train ride. 
60. Visit Santa!
61. Put on your snow gear to stay warm and walk around the K-State campus while classes aren’t in session. 
62. Check out the Sunset Zoo! It is so different in the winter and definitely worth getting a little cold!  
63. In the middle of the loud, messy day or night, remind yourself how lucky you are to be able to enjoy the holidays with your family!