Top ten things to do with the kids while they are on Christmas break

By J. Amanda Ferry, Boston.com staff, 12/17/02

		Kids acting like wild animals? A trip to Ipswich to see the wolves might pique their interest. (Globe photo / Josh Reynolds)  Sturbridge Village really cooks  Upcoming events at the Village  Vermont sleigh rides and rallies  Walks through the Mass. woods  The art of Queens: MoMA, Noguchi  Baby steps at Mass MoCA  Ben and Jerry's more fun than a barrel of Chunky Monkey

On the first day of Christmas vacation, the kids are still playing with their new toys. On the second day of Christmas vacation, in-laws are still visiting and can take them out to lunch. But by the third day of Christmas vacation, the kids are hyped up on too much sugar, the presents are mostly broken, and the kids are screaming "I'm bored!"

Don't lose your cool. Toss the tots in the car and head out on one of these kid-friendly, post-Christmas day trips.

1. The Boston Children's Museum
   Boston's premiere destination for bored kids and their parents, the Children's Museum is chock-full of exhibits gears specifically for the pre-teen set. Between December 22 and January 3, the museum will be hosting "Feel the Spirit," the Holiday Boston Black Performance Series.
    Official Web site: www.bostonkids.org

2. Old Sturbridge Village
   Your kids think they have it tough with their chores? Take 'em to Old Sturbridge Village and discover what life was like more than 150 years ago. December 26-31 is "Family Vacation Week," with musical performances, storytelling, puppets, sleigh rides, candlemaking demonstrations. There's also a "Families Cook" event on Dec. 28, which lets families make dinner the really old-fashioned way. Not only are there no microwaves, there are no stoves! It's all done on an open hearth.
    Boston Globe: Upcoming events at the Village (12/15/02)
    Boston Globe: Sturbridge Village really cooks in winter (12/15/02)
    Official Web-site: www.osv.org

3. A one-horse open sleigh
   Check out the horse-drawn sleigh rallies in Vermont and discover why cars aren't necessarily the best way to go on snow. There's a Green Mountain Horse Association sleigh rally on the Saturday after Christmas.
    Boston Globe: Vermont sleigh rides and rallies (12/08/02)
    Photo gallery: Sleigh ride photos
    Official Web site: www.gmhainc.org/

4. Go for a walk
   Cabin fever got you down? Bundle the kids up and go for a walk in the woods. It's sure to burn some energy and it helps them get away from all the sensory overload of the past week.
    Boston Globe: Walks through the Massachusetts woods (11/10/02)
    Official Web site: Mohawk Trail State Forest

5. Go to New York City
   For older kids, sensory overload isn't as much of a problem. Catch a train with your teens and have a bonding day as you take a bite out of the Big Apple together.
    Boston Globe: Noshing across New York (12/11/02)
    Boston Globe: The art in Queens: MoMA, Noguchi, and more (10/13/02)

6. See the wolves
   Kids love wild animals (probably because they so closely resemble each other). Take them up to Ipswich to get an up-close-and-personal look at wolves.
    Boston Globe: They're wild about wolves in Ipswich (10/27/02)
    Official Web site: www.wolfhollowipswich.org

7. Mass MoCA
   Kids' art often looks more like Jackson Pollock than Rembrandt. So why not expose them to contemporary art, instead of flooding them with Old Masters? Plus, the North Adams museum has a special "Kidspace" which is now open on weekends to the public.
    Boston Globe: Baby steps at Mass MoCA (09/15/02)
    Official Web site: www.massmoca.org

8. The New England Aquarium
   Sea lions and otters and sharks, oh my! There's something utterly fascinating — to both kids and adults — about deep-sea life. Check out the special Family First Night day on Sun., Dec. 29.
    Boston.com's A&E section: The New England Aquarium
    Official Web site: www.neaq.org

9. Tour Ben & Jerry's
   Didn't have enough sugar during the holiday? Think December has been balmy thus far? Tuck the little ones (and your appetite) into the car and head up to Vermont's most famous purveyors of ice cream for a tour. They've got a special snowshoe-factory combination tour this winter, so you can work off some of the calories you're about to consume.
    Boston Globe: Ben and Jerry's more fun than a barrel of Chunky Monkey (09/15/02)
    Official Web site: www.benjerry.com
   

10. The Museum of Science
    With extended hours between Christmas and New Year, and an exhibit featuring mummies, pyramids, and ancient Egyptian mysteries (not to mention a really big T-Rex!), the Museum of Science is tailor-made to entertain kids. Be sure to check out the shows in the Omni theater and the Planetarium.
     Boston.com's A&E section: Events at the Museum of Science
     Official Web site: www.mos.org