This festive time of year includes a long holiday break from school -- time at home that is simultaneously rejoiced and, for some parents, a tiny bit dreaded. What do we do all week?!
Our local activities listings will keep your kids entertained and enriched and perhaps a bit exhausted through the holiday break and all year long!
First things first...check our EVENT CALENDAR to see all the local fun activities happening over the next couple of weeks.
Next, here's an A to Z list of our favorite places in the Merrimack Valley (and a few beyond) for kid-friendly fun!
A - Amazing holiday lights in the Merrimack Valley Light Show.
B - Bowling at Academy Lanes in Haverhill or Riverwalk Lanes in Amesbury
C - Cedarland's aMAZEment Action Playcenter in Haverhill for active indoor fun
D - Drive to the Museum of Science, New England Aquarium or Children's Museum in Boston
E - Edaville's Festival of Lights! See gorgeous light displays, take a train ride, and enjoy the amusement park rides
F - Find a favorite movie at the library or streaming service and have a movie night.
G - Games! Host a family game night, teach the kids some card games, or try out new board games.
H - Have fun at an in-person or online New Year's Eve family event
I - Ice skating at Veterans Memorial Skating Rink in Haverhill
J - Jumping fun at Launch Trampoline Park in Methuen
K - Kids love to play outside; explore a park, take a hike or try skiing at Ski Bradford!
L - Learn about local history at the Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitors Center
M - Magic Brush Pottery & Fused Glass in Tewksbury has lots of fun craft projects to do
N - New Year's Eve Celebration: Make New Years' Eve Poppers or a Memory Jar!
O - Organize a cooking session or two and try out some of the many Recipes on our site
P - Put away and organize all those new gifts and toys. Make a game out of it!
Q - Quality time at the library. Find great books to read or participate in a special library program.
R - Register for holiday week art programs at Art's Cool in Middleton
S - See a movie at AMC Methuen or Cinemark Rockingham Park
T - Tastebuds Kitchen North Andover: Learn to cook a yummy treat!
U - Unplug and make something crafty from one of our many Crafts articles
V - Venture on a day trip to one of the museums, zoos, historical sites, railroads or other locations listed in our Day Trip Guide
W - Wamesit Lanes Family Entertainment Center in Tewksbury has state-of-the-art bowling lanes, an amazing arcade, and indoor golf simulators
X - eXtreme Laser Tag at Merrimack Valley Pavilion in Tewksbury
Y - Yarn, markers, beads, cake decorating -- stop by Michaels or Joann Fabrics for some craft supplies and get crafting!
Z - Zip to Plaster Fun Time in Haverhill
Have a fun and relaxing vacation week!
Macaroni Kid Merrimack Valley is a free weekly newsletter and website focused on fun family events and information in the Merrimack Valley area.
We gather together all kinds of local family events and activities each week, and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more. We proudly serve 4,300+ families in Andover, Methuen, North Andover, Lawrence, Haverhill, Groveland, Georgetown, Boxford, Middleton, and other surrounding communities.
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