It can be tough to keep a kid entertained during the winter breaks in Worcester. There just isn’t that much in the area that feels worth it for the amount it costs. And there’s almost nothing thats free outside of sledding and playing at a park. If you’re up for a bit of driving you’ll have more options.

Things we have done to keep busy (some these may not be entirely appropriate for the 3 year old):

Trampolines at Launch

Bowling

Tubing at Ward - isn’t cheap, but fun.

Art museum

Ecotarium

Dave and Busters at the Natick Mall

Discovery museum in Acton (11 and 13 y/o might think this is lame - depends on their personalities)

West Boylston cinemas - is cheap, still fun

Ice skating at the oval

Free options:

If it snows, sledding at green hill park or Quinsigamond CC

If it’s not too cold go kick a soccer ball around at a park while the 3 year old plays on the playground. If they prefer basketball head to Dean park in Shrewsbury, the basketball court is right near the playground.

Tower hill lights in Boylston. College basketball game?

Apex at Marlborough

First Sunday of every month is free at Worcester Art Museum

There's a horror movie about santa, maybe you can watch that

“The School Yahd” in West Boylston is a lot of fun! We love it there!

There’s a visit with Santa at Stearns Tavern, 12/21 from 11am to 1pm. No admission charge.

There's Christmas carol at the Hanover, possibly too scary for the 3 year old but otherwise fits the bill.

Tons of ice skating options in and around town if that's your thing, great for all ages imo (and if you're worried about the 3 year old, honestly, start em young!!! I started skating at 4 years old and honestly it helped build me into a confident skater).

There's the Worcester Ice Center, the Buffone Arena, and there's the rink outdoors at the Worcester Common this time of year that's small but sort of chaotic if it's at a peak busy time, but is very cute and quaint. I grew up going to the Horgan Arena in Auburn as a kid, so I'm biased toward them, but haven't gone in years + it's farther away than these other options in town. All locations should have rentable skates.

Check the websites for these places when public skating is and if they might have extended public skate hours cause of the holiday.

also want to add that what I'd do with my family in winter time is go to the Auburn rink and skate for a while, then we had inner tubes and would go sledding on the hill behind the rink, to make a whole fun wintery day out of that location, so if it snows during the holiday, you're golden for a perfect day. I have so many fun memories doing that growing up.