Most of the time in the Winter, it’s nice to hunker down and stay home. These are the times when baking cookies or treats is a plus. But during Winter there are times when you & your child have had enough of the four walls and want—need—to get out. Here’s a list of things to start your brainstorming session on places to go in the Winter.

My first thoughts are to stay warm. Some of the following ideas may encourage a good afternoon or even a full day of exploring, while others are more on the order of an outing of an hour or so. Some will need prior planning while others can be done on the spur of the moment. I've used my own home town of Fort Worth to help me with this list. I know you may not have as many options where you live, but think outside the box. You may find out that you have more in your own backyard than you first think.

Museum or Art Gallery

Even small towns are known to have a museum of one sort or another. See if they have anything set up for small tours. I know that some will give guided tours without worrying about a minimum number of participants. Another advantage of homeschooling is our ability to go while school is in session and while schools may not have their own tours going on. A little prior planning can be helpful, but going to a museum can happen any time. So often we forget what is in our own backyard and only think of these kind of venues when we have out of town visitors.

Find out what your local museum or art gallery has to help you plan on your trip. For example, we have the Sid Richardson Museum which has an extensive collection of Western Art located in downtown Fort Worth, and has free admission. We could talk about the Old West, cowboy and American Indian life, geography, and wildlife found in the West before going.

Botanic Garden (Conservatory)

Here in Fort Worth, we have a wonderful Botanic Garden. They have a Conservatory (large greenhouse) and in March it has an exhibition of tropical butterflies from around the world. Even though we’re in North Texas, we have been known to have snow as late as March 10th. Many times the Botanic Garden hosts special shows and activities inside, so even though you may not think of going to the Gardens in the Winter, there may be something inside in the warm in which you & your child may have interest.

Library

Most homeschoolers have this location on the top of their list at all times. I know for myself and my son, we can spend hours in a library (or bookstore) without even realizing how long we’ve been there. Most bookstores or libraries provide comfortable chairs and can be wonderful places to spend a cold afternoon.

Courthouse or City Hall

Many courthouses or city halls have paintings or photographs of previous mayors or of historic events. Tarrant County’s Courthouse has free tours just for the asking. North of Fort Worth, Denton County’s Courthouse has a free museum inside its 1896 courthouse building. Call ahead to your city hall and see if they have tours or if anyone can meet & greet you and your child to learn more about your city or town. Your local chamber of commerce might be helpful in giving you free material pertaining to the history of your area, as well as a visitor’s guide to things to do in your area.

Police Station or Fire Department

Call beforehand, but I know that children bearing cookies are almost always welcomed at local Fire Departments, and most likely at the Police Station also. They might provide a quick tour or offer to fingerprint your child while you are there. At one field trip to see a court judge, the children in my homeschool group were fingerprinted and even had the court reporter type their name on the stenotype machine and were given the slip of paper to keep.

Zoo

This might not be the first thing you think of for a Winter visit, but many zoos have aquariums or reptile houses that are kept warm. You may have a quick jog in the cold to get to them, but it can break up a cold day at home. Also, even if your prime thought is to get out of the house to go somewhere warm, a brisk walk in a zoo or park can warm up bodies, helping us all to get some exercise. Keep your eyes open while you walk and discover which animals at your zoo might even prefer the nippy weather.

The Mall or Go Shopping

Ok, this might not be the best field trip, but you can get some exercise and let the kiddo walk off some energy. A trip to the grocery store (or the mall) can incorporate economics and math. Or you can have a scavenger hunt where you make a list of things that might be found while you are walking around. Your child can be looking for certain colors or a particular number of the same items, using a tablet of paper to mark each item off as you walk.

What places are in your own backyard that you can take advantage of in the colder weather? Start brainstorming!