You’re off and so are the kids. Family and friends are visiting and need things to do. It’s usually cold, dark, and, worst of all, boring.

Many businesses are closed until New Year’s Day or have shortened hours. So what can you do if you’re getting cabin fever and just need a day away from home or your hotel room? Below are a few things to get you out and about between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

There are several facilities in the Southwestern Illinois area that offer ice skating and roller blading. Indoor ice rinks are often open year-round but others, such as the Grafton Loading Dock Ice Rink, are seasonal and partially outdoors. Both the Granite City Ice Rink and East Alton Ice Arena offer public ice skating on large indoor rinks and have skate rentals at reasonable prices.

Not feeling the cold? Skateway in Pontoon Beach and Tri-Township Park District in Troy have indoor roller-blading. Tri-Township is open by appointment and has open-skate- call ahead of time to reserve skating for up to 10 guests or check the open-skate schedule. Bring your own or rent a pair of blades and zoom around the roller rink instead of your living room for the thousandth time this month!

Bring the kids for family fun at the Edwardsville Children’s Museum, watch for eagles and learn about the mighty Mississippi at the National Great Rivers Museum in East Alton, explore the history of the Mother Road at the Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcome Center, or follow the journey of Lewis & Clark at the Lewis & Clark State Historic Site in Hartford.

Love architecture? Take the self-led Historic Alton Driving Tour or the Alton Historic Kit Homes Tour to see beautiful old homes from the convenience of your car! You can also call to tour the Macoupin County Cannonball Jail or the Macoupin County ‘Million Dollar’ Courthouse in Carlinville, make an appointment to visit the home of jazz legend Miles Davis at House of Miles East St. Louis, and see old-school vehicles at Country Classic Cars in Staunton.

EXTRA FUN: Would you rather spend your day with animals instead? Visit wild native rescues at the Treehouse Wildlife Center in Dow, see rescued horses at the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary in Alhambra, farm animals at Willoughby Heritage Farm in Collinsville, or make an appointment to see animals like kangaroos & camels at Kamaroo Farms in Kampsville!

The annual Jingle Hike Challenge is back!

Explore 12 Southwestern Illinois locations on this winter scavenger hunt. Hidden on the trails and in the parks are 12 trees with red-ribbon jingle bells waiting to be found- find them all, take a photo with the bells as proof, and tag the Heartlands Conservancy Facebook page for a chance to win a prize! Bring the whole family, pack a trail lunch, and enjoy the outdoors while playing I Spy for the bells! Register here.

There’s a certain nostalgia in hearing a bowling ball roll down the alley and knock down pins- and what better activity to do when it’s cold outside than toss a few balls down the lane?

A beloved American pastime, bowling provides hours of entertainment on a modest budget and is fun for adults and kids alike and many of the alleys have alternative entertainment like arcades and offer food and drinks. There are five bowling alleys in Southwestern Illinois- an afternoon out of the house just might strike all the right boxes for you!

Here are some suggestions: Tri-County Bowl- Jerseyville, Bowl Haven Lanes- Alton, Airport Plaza Bowl- Bethalto, SIUE Cougar Lanes- Edwardsville, Edison’s Entertainment Complex- Edwardsville, Camelot Bowl- Collinsville,

Mixing the vibe of a board game with the brain-power of detective-work, escape rooms are a unique activity the whole family can participate in. Try one of the region’s multiple escape rooms and solve timed mysteries using clues.

Escape a Wild West Prison, the Captain’s Quarters of a pirate ship, a failing dam control room, or save the president in one of many themed puzzles. Escape rooms are indoors, fast-paced, and kid-friendly- a perfect thing to do on a boring winter’s day!

Local Escape Rooms: Alton Room Escape; Bailout Escape Rooms

Know what warms you up fast? Getting that heart pumping and those muscles moving! Play outdoor laser tag in Brighton at Mission Ready or indoor at Edison’s Entertainment Complex in Edwardsville. Test your aim at Riverbend Axe Throwing in East Alton or bring the whole family to Altitude Trampoline Park in Glen Carbon for rock climbing, trampoline action, and tumbling! You’ll have so much fun you won’t even realize you’re getting a workout- and that’s really the perfect type of exercise isn’t it?

Always wanted to know how to tie dye? What about paint or create pottery? It’s never too late to learn something new! Whether it be a practical skill or an aesthetic one, we all benefit with more makers in the world!

Learn the art of tie dying or sewing basics at The Macoupin Art Collective in Staunton December 30. Paint your own ceramics at Pottery Hollow in Glen Carbon, learn stained-glass making at the Alton Stained Glass Works, or have an artistic date night at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton.

Reservations, times, age requirements, and class sizes vary by business. Make sure to check out businesses online for class calendars, supply checklists, and information!