During the winter, kids can become restless and bored by staying cooped up in the house for months. But there are some ideas you can do with them to keep them active and happy even when it's cold and dreary outside. So if you're searching for ways to keep your children warm and entertained, look no further. Our team at Apple BMW has compiled a list of four fun indoor activities to keep your kids busy on a gray day.
Explore Keystone Kidspace
If you have teens and kids, Keystone Kidspace is an excellent place for every age to enjoy. Keystone Kidspace is a nonprofit organization that encourages children to make a mess and tinker with objects because it helps them with their creativity and encourages learning. Here, there are endless activities for kids to enjoy, such as painting, working with power tools in a safe environment, and 3D printing in the Digital Lab. There are classes and camps for exploring art skills and encouraging children to move their bodies. You may even enroll your kid in cooking and coding classes.
This place also offers an area for adults to spend time in The Hangout section. There's Wi-Fi and coffee, so you can get some work done while the kids are learning and playing. Purchase day passes or become members online or in person when you arrive at the facility. The day passes give you access to all the exhibits and activities for the entire day. Children younger than 15 require a guardian with them at all times, and each child must have a signed waiver on file. You may also schedule your visit or drop in during operation hours.
Hours: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Address: 10 Hamilton Ave., York
Spend the Day at Hickory Falls Family Entertainment Center
Your kids can have endless fun at Hickory Falls Family Entertainment Center. This family center is about a 40-minute drive to Hanover, Pennsylvania, and it can keep the children occupied all day. There are several fun activities the whole family can enjoy together, from playing arcade games to spending time with your younger children in the designated indoor play area with age-appropriate activities. Additionally, if the family gets hungry, there's plenty of kid-friendly food, like hot dogs, chicken tenders, and French fries. For those with dietary restrictions, there are also gluten-free pizza options.
Some attractions you can do here include:
- Go-kart rides.
- Virtual reality experiences.
- Mini golf games.
- Indoor play area for toddlers.
- Laser tag games.
- Arcade games.
Prices vary based on the activities you'd like to do, such as having an all-day pass that grants unlimited access to all the attractions and activities. You can buy tickets online using the family fun center's website or purchase them in person when you arrive.
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Address: 110 Hickory Lane, Hanover
Get Creative at Color Me Mine
Roll up your sleeves and express your creativity with your kids at Color Me Mine in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, about a 30-minute drive. Painting your pottery is perfect for a gray day because kids can still get out of the house and make a bit of a mess while expressing their creativity and making memories. This painting studio offers children the chance to pick out something to paint, like mugs, plates, or fun figurines, that they can display proudly at home. This studio also offers classes you can sign up for, such as holiday-themed activities.
When you arrive, select the piece you want to paint and choose the paint colors. You can choose as many colors as you like as you prefer. Kids can paint it, however they wish or use technique instructions to learn fun art skills. Color Me Mine welcomes walk-ins as long as there's enough space. You'll also get your pottery up to two weeks later when you're finished.
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Address: 3508 Capital City Mall Drive, Camp Hill
Go Bowling at Laser Alleys Family Fun Center
Get the family together for bowling at Laser Alleys Family Fun Center. Laser Alleys has 24 lanes, laser tag games, arcade games with prizes, Lazer Frenzy Mazes, and a snack bar. From 6 p.m. until closing, you can do glow-in-the-dark bowling. Additionally, there are over 30 arcades and video games for kids of all ages to play and earn tickets to cash in at the prize center. If the family works up an appetite after a fierce bowling competition, the snack bar has plenty of yummy food choices, such as pizza slices, tacos, and chicken wings.
Prices can vary based on the attraction you want to play, such as bowling and laser tag games. The facility doesn't include bowling shoe rental prices in the bowling game prices. You can purchase your tickets in person at the family fun center.
Hours:
- Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday from 9 a.m. to midnight.
- Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight.
- Sunday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Address: 3905 E. Market St., York
So there you have it, our team's choices for indoor activities to keep kids busy on a gray day. What do you think of our list? Did we miss an exciting kid-approved idea? Contact us, and tell us about it.
Visit our dealership in York, Pennsylvania, to drop your car off for a maintenance service while you and your children have fun at one of these fun places. Here at Apple BMW, we value our customers and have an expert team working on your vehicles with the utmost care.
Image by Katie Emslie is licensed with Unsplash License