No more I’m bored or winter blues! Here are more than 100 things to do during winter in Northeast Wisconsin including the Fox Cities, Oshkosh, and Green Bay. These ideas will help you get out of the house and have fun!
Explore Nature
- Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve, Appleton
bubolzpreserve.org - Heckrodt Nature Preserve, Menasha
Read more about our visit here or visit heckrodtnaturecenter.org for more info. - 1000 Islands Nature Preserve, Kaukauna
Visit 1000islandsenvironmentalcenter.org for more info. - Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, Green Bay
We LOVE feeding the ducks, check out our visit here or visit baybeachwildlife.com for more info. - NEW Zoo, Suamico
Did you know the NEW zoo is open in year-round? Visit newzoo.org for more info. - Milwaukee Zoo
Visit the winter-loving animals, stroll through our warm indoor exhibits and see the new tiger cubs! Open from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm weekdays and from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm on weekends. Enjoy FREE admission on Family Free Days throughout the winter. - Barlow Planetarium
Check out the moon, stars and more! Visit uwfox.uwc.edu/barlow for more info. - Petsmart, 923 N Westhill Blvd, Grand Chute and Just Pets, 2009 N Richmond St in Appleton.
When we need to get out of the house for a little bit sometimes we head to the pet store to check out the animals! - Pawffee Shop Cat Cafe, Appleton
Enjoy a cup of coffee and cat snuggles! Learn more about our visit here.
Consider making a reservation – we expect this place to be busy for the holidays! pawffeeshop.com
Swim
- Go Valley Kid’s Indoor Pool Roundup
Check out our roundup of the best swimming spots around here.
Bowl
- Super Bowl, Appleton
Check for specials throughout the week including $2 Tuesdays!
superbowlsluggers.com - Sabre Lanes, Menasha
sabrelanes.com - 10th Frame, Appleton
the10thframeappleton.com - Classic Lanes, Neenah
classicfoxvalley.com - Electric Lanes, Kaukauna
electriccitylanes.com
Run Around, Jump, Climb & Play
- FREE open gym at Ferber Elementary School & McKinley Elementary School, Appleton
Saturdays; November 20, 2021 through February 26, 2022, and December 28, 29, and 30. - Go Valley Kid’s Indoor Playground Guide
Includes free restaurant playgrounds and more. - Luv 2 Play
- Enjoy three stories of climbing, crawling, sliding, and zipping! Cafe and grill available and fun games available to pay!
govalleykids.com/luv-2-play - Badger Sports Park
- Escape room, VR games, laser tag, mini bowling, arcade games, and more!
badgersportspark.com - Funset Boulevard
Laser tag, playground, train, carousel, bumper cars, games, and more at www.funset.com - Urban Air, Appleton
govalleykids.com/urban-air-adventure-park - Altitude Trampoline Park, Appleton
altitudeappleton.com - Extreme Air
xtremeairfun.com - Monkey Joe’s
monkeyjoes.com - Chuck E Cheese, Green Bay
chuckecheese.com - Tri-County Gymnastics & Cheer
Visit website for Open Gym hours tcgymnastics.com - Oshkosh Gymnastics & Cheer
Visit website for Open Gym hours ogcgym.com - Heart of the Valley YMCA Gymnastics Center
Members only currently due to Covid. More info at ymcafoxcities.org - Downtown Appleton YMCA Treehouse (Family Fun Center Play Area)
Members only currently due to Covid. More info here ymcafoxcities.org - The Kroc Center, Green Bay
Day passes available. More info here gbkroccenter.org - Yoga for Kids
Check out Sunny Side Up Yoga.
Sports
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
packers.com/lambeau-field/hall-of-fame/visit.html - Green Bay Gamblers
gamblershockey.com - Wisconsin Herd, Oshkosh
The official NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks. - UW-Green Bay Phoenix
greenbayphoenix.com - UW-Oshkosh Titans
uwoshkoshtitans.com - Ice Dogs Hockey
foxcitiesicedogs.com
Ice Skating & Roller Skating
- Oshkosh YMCA Open Skate
oshkoshymca.org/programs/ice/open-skate.html - Appleton Ice
appletonice.org - Skate City, Kimberly
skatecityusa.com - Skaters Edge, Grand Chute
skatersedgerr.com - Roundup of where to ice skate
- Roundup of where to roller skate
Outdoor Snow Activities
- Go Sledding
Check out our favorite spots here. - Go Tubing
Find tips and where to go here. - Snowshoeing
Here are some places to try. - Go Ice Skating
Find tips and where to skate here. - Cross Country Skiing
- Hit the Slopes
Where and how here.
Play & Explore
- Titletown District, Green Bay
Ice skating, sledding, playground, and field for running and playing open daily from 7 am – 10 pm.
titletown.com - Old World Wisconsin
govalleykids.com/old-world-wisconsin - Building for Kids Children’s Museum, Appleton
Get moving with the Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action™! exhibit.
buildingforkids.org - Children’s Museum of Green Bay
gbchildrensmuseum.org - Kidz Town, Green Bay
kidztowngb.com - Paper Discovery Center, Appleton
Learn more about our visit here. - Neville Public Museum, Green Bay
nevillepublicmuseum.org - EAA Museum
eaa.org/eaa-museum - Oshkosh Public Museum
oshkoshmuseum.org - History Museum at the Castle
myhistorymuseum.org - Weis Earth Science Museum
weismuseum.org - Play on a train table
Caramel Crisp Kids has a neat train tables and lots of neat toys and books to check out when you are there! - See Trains in Kaukauna
Watch the model trains at Paper Valley Model Railroad Club. More info here. Their last open house of the season takes place on December 31, 2021 from 9am to 5pm. - See Trains in Neenah-Menasha
Visit the Neenah-Menasha Railroad Club. More info here. - Watch the Milk Bottling Process
Lamer’s Dairy Country Store Monday – Friday mornings until about 11 am. - Learn How Cheese Curds are Made
Wisconsin’s official state food is Kringle, but we think cheese deserves an honorable mention. Head to Union Star Cheese in Fremont to watch cheese curds being made (and take a bag- or two- of fresh, squeaky curds home with you!) - Ride an Escalator
Another one of our tricks if we need to get out of the house on a winter day! Check out the escalator at the City Center Downtown Appleton or at Macy’s in the Fox River Mall. - Mall Walk
Mall walk at the Fox River Mall. Bring your quarters and let the kids ride the machines (or avoid the Target wing). If the weather is mild check out one of our favorite family-friendly trails here.
Worth the Drive Children’s Museums
- Children’s Museum of Fond du Lac
cmfdl.org - Madison Children’s Museum
madisonchildrensmuseum.org - Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Milwaukee
bbcmkids.org - Above & Beyond Children’s Museum, Sheboygan
abkids.org - Central Wisconsin Children’s Museum, Stevens Point
cwchildrensmuseum.org - Wisconsin Children’s Museums
How many of these have you been to?
Get Crafty, Creative & Artsy
- The Fire, Appleton
thefireartstudio.com - The Fire Escape Art, Oshkosh
fireescapeart.com - Rooster Dreams, Neenah
roosterdreams.com - Painting Pottery or Bead it, De Pere
potteryorbeadit.com - Make Lip Gloss or Bath Gel
For more information or schedule an appointment visit kingdomkutswi.com. - Make a Stuffed Animal
Head to the Build-A-Bear at the Fox River Mall to make a new friend. - Nutcraker at the Castle, Paine Art Center and Gardens, Oshkosh
November 19, 2021 to January 10, 2022
thepaine.org - Trout Museum of Art / Fox Cities Building of the Arts
www.troutmuseum.org - Day Trip to Milwaukee Museum of Art
Kids are FREE! More information here.
Fun Pampering
- Plan a Fun Manicure or Pedicure
Find our list of kid-friendly nail salons here. - Get a Hair Do
Need a haircut? Braids? Special or fun updo? Check out Go Valley Kids’ recommendations here.
Take a Road Trip or a Day Trip
- Milwaukee
Go Valley Kids Day Trip ideas here. - Wisconsin Dells
Weekend Getaway in the Dells at the Wilderness. - Madison
Our favorite spots in Madison here. - Sheboygan
Check out some great recommendations here. - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Family Road Trip to Minneapolis - Discover Something New
Check out these 15 Unexpected Family-Friendly Day Trips - Road Trips: 5 Tips for Traveling with Toddlers
Eat
- Kids Eat FREE Guide
Skip making dinner one night. Check it out here. - Warm up with Hot Cocoa
Find locally-made hot chocolate bombs here. - Eat Ice Cream
Some of our favorite places are open year-round. Find them here. - Get Dessert
Some of our favorites: Happy Bellies, Manderfields, Cake Guru, and Caramel Crisp & Cafe are some of our favorites. - Dine in a Dome
Here are some local spots to enjoy the wintry outdoors from cozy dome!
Movies
- Check out a Movie at Marcus Theatres on Tuesdays for $5 and Students and Educators are just $6 on Thursdays!
Volunteer!
- Check out the Volunteer Center for lots of great options
volunteercenter.net
Things to do for FREE in the Fox Cities, Oshkosh & Green Bay
- Check with the libraries for FREE programs
Many of these events our on our calendar or check out the individual library calendars.
Appleton Public Library
Brown County Library
Kimberly – Little Chute Library
Kaukauna Public Library
Menasha City Library
Neenah Public Library
Oshkosh Public Library - Make, Create, Explore
Science Fair Central is a collaboration between The Home Depot and Discovery Education offering STEM education and project ideas for the classroom and home. - Storytime at Barnes & Noble
In-person storytime is currently suspended, but they do offer virtual storytime. More information at barnesandnoble.com.