Keep kids busy during winter break

Welcome to winter break. The holidays can be a joyful time, but they can also be a challenge when you’re cooped up with kids. If you’re worried about cabin fever, don’t fear. There’s plenty going on over the break. We’ve put together a list to help keep your kids — and you — happy.

Glow: More than 1 million lights will come aglow at Warm Beach’s Lights of Christmas. The event includes live music, storytelling, a petting farm, pony rides and more from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 29. $10 to $15. More information.

Winter animals: Bundle up and visit Woodland Park Zoo to see animals who thrive in cold. It’s open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost is $8.75 to $12.75. Then, sparkling LED lights will transform the zoo during WildLights, featuring indoor and outdoor light displays, reindeer and other animals and carolers. The event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. daily through Jan. 4. Tickets are $6.50 to $9.50. More.

Holiday snacks: Elephants and other animals will munch on fish- or fruit-trimmed wreaths, evergreen trees with ornamental fruit or wrapped boxes with snacks. It’s part of the zoo’s Winter Celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 23. Free with admission. More.

Lights: Stroll through more than half a million dazzling lights during Point Defiance Zoo’s ZooLights, including animal-themed and 3D displays. It’s open from 5 to 9 p.m. through Jan. 5 (closed Dec. 24). Tickets are $4.25 to $8.75 or, if you also want to visit the zoo, $13 to $16.25. More.

Ships: Sail through the Sound on a festive Argosy Christmas Ship. Trips include onboard carolers and pre-cruise celebrations. The last Christmas ship parade is Dec. 23. A family holiday brunch cruise is Dec. 28. More.

Train: Take a tractor-pulled train ride on the Merrysville Express through 30 light displays. The event features a bonfire, hot chocolate, s’mores and visits from Santa. Suggested donations are $3 to $5 or $20 for a family. More.

Tradition: Sing along to “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Sunrise Sunset,” “To Life,” and “Tradition” at the Seattle International Film Festival’s presentation of Fiddler on the Roof. The event is at 1 p.m. on Dec. 25 and includes free Chinese food and live klezmer music before the show. Tickets are $15 to $20. More.

Ball drop: Bring in the new year with family at Imagine Children’s Museum’s New Year’s Eve Nighttime Party. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 31, including a ball drop, scavenger hunt, fishing, face painting, entertainment from Cowboy Buck and Elizabeth and more. Pre-registration required. More.

Sno-Isle Libraries has a ton of events planned for the break. Here’s a roundup of what’s going on. Get more information and see the whole calendar.

Monday

Fun with chemistry, 2 p.m. Monday, Snohomish Library: See exploding toothpaste. Discover if raisins can dance. Experiment with bouncing blobs.
Festive Candy Art, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Lake Stevens Library: Drop by to create works of art using candy.
Let it Snow, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Langley Library: Make your own snow, create a snow globe and decorate snowflakes.
Mini gingerbread houses, 1 p.m. Monday, Arlington Library: Make your own little gingerbread house.
Duct-tape crafts, 1 p.m. Monday, Mukilteo Library: Have fun discovering the many uses of duct tape while learning to make wallets, flowers, and more. For teens. Snacks provided.
Candy experiments, 1-2 p.m. Monday, Granite Falls Library: Melt it, blow it up, try secret ingredients. Test out fun new uses for candy. For school-aged children.
Gingerbread stories, 2 p.m. Monday, Mill Creek Library: Hear about the sometimes sweet and sometimes scary stories of gingerbread. You’ll also get to create your own gingerbread design. For ages 5-11.

Tuesday

Gingerbread architecture, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Freeland Library: Make a gingerbread structure. The library will supply gingerbread, icing and some candy. Please bring some building materials to share. Registration is requested.

Thursday

Potpourri crafts, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Thursday Lake Stevens Library: Try out a wide variety of craft projects. The library is going to clean out its craft closet.
“Monsters University,” 1-4:30 p.m., Thursday, Mukilteo Library. Also 2 p.m. Thursday at the Arlington Library: Watch the story of how Mike Wazowski and Sulley got their start.
Gingerbread stories, 2 p.m. Thursday, Lynnwood Library: Hear about the sometimes sweet and sometimes scary stories of gingerbread. You’ll also get to create your own gingerbread design. For ages 5-11.
Fun with chemistry, 2 p.m. Thursday, Darrington Library: See exploding toothpaste. Discover if raisins can dance. Experiment with bouncing blobs.
Crafternoon: Spiral Notebooks, 2 p.m. Thursday, Snohomish Library: Develop your creativity and artistic talent. Decorate a spiral notebook to use when you return to school.

Friday

Lego Lab, 2 p.m. Friday, Snohomish Library: Be the architect of your own creation, using Legos and Roylco Straws. This is a fun way to spark interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Mantis and the Moon, 11-11:45 a.m. Friday, Coupeville Library; also plays at 2 p.m. at Oak Harbor Library: See a play telling the story of Mantis who wants to capture the moon.
Candy experiments, 11 a.m. Friday, Brier Library: Try out experiments on candy and other treat. For ages 5-11.
Fun with chemistry, 11 a.m. Friday, Lake Stevens Library: See exploding toothpaste. Discover if raisins can dance. Experiment with bouncing blobs.
Gingerbread stories, 2 p.m. Friday, Edmonds Library: Hear about the sometimes sweet and sometimes scary stories of gingerbread. You’ll also get to create your own gingerbread design. For ages 5-11.
“Monsters University,” 2 p.m., Friday, Arlington Library: Watch the story of how Mike Wazowski and Sulley got their start.
Unravel the mysteries of light, 4 p.m. Friday, Darrington Library: How does a prism work? What is a diffraction grating? What exactly is a neon sign, anyway? Explore all of these questions and more.

Saturday

Mantis and the Moon, 11 a.m.-noon. Saturday, Freeland Library; also plays at 3 p.m. at Edmonds Library: See a play telling the story of Mantis who wants to capture the moon.
Animation, noon and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oak Harbor Library: Use stop-motion animation to create your own movie with Legos or clay in a 2-hour workshop. Register in advance. For ages 7 and up.
Game time, 2 p.m. Saturday, Mukilteo Library: Video games, board games, card games and more for teens. Snacks provided.
Eric Owl “Dr. Owl’s Silly Science,” 2 p.m. Saturday, Snohomish Library: Discover how air pressure affects the world around us through demonstrations of Magdeburg’s hemispheres, Bernoulli’s principle, and generating vortexes. For school-aged children.
Candy experiments, 2 p.m. Saturday, Lynnwood Library: Try out experiments on candy and other treats. For ages 5-11.
Gingerbread stories, 2 p.m. Saturday, Mountlake Terrace Library: Hear about the sometimes sweet and sometimes scary stories of gingerbread. You’ll also get to create your own gingerbread design. For ages 5-11.

Monday (Dec. 30)

Crafternoon: Pencil Cases, 2 p.m. Dec. 30, Snohomish Library: Decorate a pencil case to use when you return to school.
Fun with chemistry, 11 a.m. Dec. 30, Sultan Library: See exploding toothpaste. Discover if raisins can dance. Experiment with bouncing blobs. Ages 6-12.
Mantis and the Moon, 1 p.m. Dec. 30, Marysville; also shows at 4 p.m. at Darrington Library: See a play telling the story of Mantis who wants to capture the moon.
Owls, 1 p.m., Dec. 30, Freeland Library: Explore the world of birds of prey with Brian Raven. Compare the different feeding habits of hawks, eagles, and owls. You even get to dissect an owl pellet and discover what it had for dinner. Register in advance. Ages 7 and older.
Mimic clinic, 2-3 p.m. Dec. 30, Oak Harbor Library: Charlie the Noiseguy presents a show full of impressions, where kids and their families will laugh and learn to make noise and voice imitations, and how to put them into reading, writing, speech and pranks.
Candy experiments, 2 p.m. Dec. 30, Mill Creek Library: Try out experiments on candy and other treats. For ages 5-11.
Pinata party, 2 p.m. Dec. 30, Arlington Library: Make a papier-mache shell and then come back on Jan. 3 to break it open.
Riddles and tricks, 6-7 p.m. Dec. 30, Langley Library: Try your brain on folk riddles and tales from all over the world.

Tuesday (Dec. 31)

Potpourri crafts, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 31, Lake Stevens Library: Try out a wide variety of craft projects. The library is going to clean out their craft closet.
“Brave,” 2 p.m. Dec. 31, Arlington Library: Watch the movie and enjoy some popcorn.

Look back: Take a look at our list of 22 places to take kids on dull winter days from earlier this year and find more local businesses in our list of places to have a kid’s birthday party.

Want more? Find other events in our calendar.