Winter Fun
Last updated 2020
Completely Free Resources
Libraries
Playgroups & Parent Groups
Here are some fun, kid-friendly options for getting out and about during the winter months! Have something you’d like to share with other parents? You can submit an event to our online calendar.
We emphasize free or low cost activities and also include ‘hidden gems’ or ‘insider tips’ that we learn about from other parents in the community. Every family is different; please exercise discretion and common sense in determining whether an activity is right for your family.
Dance, Sing, & Jump Around
Other Indoor Destinations & Events
Outdoor Destinations and Activities
Low or Some Cost Involved
Completely Free Resources
174 River Street, Montpelier
(802) 595-7953 info@goodbeginningscentralvt.org
The Nest is here for you to take a break from the action, rest between errands, meet with friends, or enjoy playtime in a cozy, warm child-friendly setting. Free coffee, tea, and parenting lending library. Weekly group meetings are welcome, please let Good Beginnings know if you are interested in setting up a regular meeting time for your parent group.
Drop in hours:
9-3 on Wednesday, Thursdays, and Friday
2nd Friday of the month from 9:30-11:30 am at Imagine Yoga,14 North Main Street
Mamas join us for a sanity-saving, self-care centered mama gathering. Friday Baby Circle is a Mama-hosted, mellow meet-up for parents and their babies. We are delighted to bring this circle to our amazing Barre families!
Parents are busy and overwhelmed – we know! It can help so much to know we aren’t alone in our journey through sleepless nights, poop explosions, strained resources, mountains of laundry, midnight feedings… the list goes on and on. At Friday Baby Circle, parents with babies are invited to enjoy some social time and FREE refreshments.
The Circle brings moms together to foster a sense of community so we all feel connected and less alone in our unique-but-shared experiences. Come as you are, when you can, for as long as you can. Judgment-free zone. Leave with your cup refilled.
*A coupon for a free yoga class will be given to each new parent that attends Mama’s Circle Barre thanks to the wonderful folks at Imagine Yoga!
Brookside Primary School, 47 Stowe Street, Waterbury (802) 244-5605
Indoor play room. Craft materials, toys for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Weekly open gym and music and movement classes. Comfortable seating for parents, snack area, free coffee and tea, and parenting lending library.
Monday, through Friday 9:00-3:00pm (when school is in session)
Libraries
Library Story Hours
Many area libraries offer story hours and other events throughout the year. Call ahead or check their websites for details.
Aldrich Public Library
6 Washington Street Barre
Brown Public Library
93 South Main Street
Jaquith Public Library
122 School St, Marshfield
Kellogg Hubbard Children’s Library
135 Main Street, Montpelier
Waterbury Public Library
28 North Main Street, Waterbury
Playgroups & Parent Groups
Fourth Mondays from 5:45- 7:15pm
174 River Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 (upstairs in the loft)
Babywearers of Central Vermont is an educational non-profit that teaches families how to use carriers effectively and safely. Our monthly meeting is free and open to all. They are a great way to learn about babywearing, connect with others, and support each other as parents and caregivers.
Check out the calendar below for schedules, locations, and contact information for facilitators. Playgroups usually follow the school calendar for its respective community. Playgroups are typically closed on snow days and during school vacation weeks. Contact the facilitators for specific information about the playgroup you are interested in attending.
Organized through the Orange County Parent Child Center (OCPPC)
693 VT Route 110 Tunbridge (802) 685-2264 info@orangecountypcc.org
The OCPPC facilitates free, weekly playgroups for families and caregivers with children birth to age five. They provide large and small motor activities, crafts, stories,manipulatives as well as a snack. Playgroups are a great way for connect with other families, find out about other resources in the area, and begin conversations about child development and parenting. (For a complete list of all Orange County playgroups, see the OCPPC website.)
Dance, Sing, & Jump Around
Capital City Grange, Route 12 South, Berlin VT
Call (831) 337-8632 or email birthsinnerlight@yahoo.com
A clothing exchange at the Central Vermont Capitol City Grange. Kids clothes newborn to Junior size 12, as well as toys and books. Three dollar fee per family.
Monthly: Second Saturday of every month, 9:30-11:30am
Montpelier Rec Center, Barre St. Montpelier, Vermont
The Recreation Center Gym is available on Wednesdays from 9 – 11 am for preschool age children with their parents or day care provider. Mats, balls, and other play equipment are available for use.
40 Bridge Street, Waitsfield.
Montpelier Recreation Center Gym, 55 Barre St., Montpelier
Good Beginnings is hosting Mama Says Open Gym this year! Starting Sunday, January 5th and meeting weekly, 11 AM – noon, through the month of March.
Come play inside with us at the Montpelier Recreation Department. We’ll open up the gym with mats to jump on, balls to toss, toys to ride and space to RUN! We’ve found that this is best for kids preschool and younger.
This event is only possible with the support from volunteers. Please let us know if you are able to volunteer your time to help host. Contact Good Beginnings at info@goodbeginningscentralvt.org or 802-595-7953.
The purpose of Dance, Sing, and Jump Around! is to provide an affordable (free!) and joyful venue in which children and adults can dance and sing together. We hope people will have so much fun that they will want to sing and dance more and more! The dances are very easy but also use traditional circle, square, and contra dance moves.
Other Indoor Destinations & Events
282 Berlin Mall Road, Berlin
The Mall is not just for shopping! For high-energy kiddos, it can be a nice option for gross motor play on cold or rainy days. Toddlers can climb on the kiddie rides and carousel (with or without a quarter) and there’s plenty of open space to run. Plus if Real Bounce is open, you may be able to get some energy out after paying admission.
89 Main Street, Montpelier
Open 9 am until 8 pm on weekdays, this indoor courtyard has saved the sanity of many a Montpellier-area parent on cold, wet, rainy days. Grab a coffee from either La Brioche or Skinny Pancake and sit for a while while the kids blow off steam in the big, echo-y space. During the work day, kids can watch the La Brioche bakers make cakes.
Today’s families have incredible demands on their time. Long work hours, household chores, keeping up with a child’s busy schedule – all of this can make for a tricky balancing act. At the Y, they create opportunities for your family to spend time together through special family events as well as several hours set aside each week for family gym and family swim
162 N Main St, Suite 100, Barre 802-476-3114 info@nextchapterbooksvt.com
Every Saturday at 10:30 am.
201 North Main Street, Barre (802) 479-7069
Galleries and opening receptions are kid friendly and free to the public. A wonderful place to connect with the art culture and spend time with your child.
Valley Glow Yoga, 8 RT 17, Downtown Waitsfield, Vermont (corner of RT 100/RT 17, above Sage Restaurant)
Come connect with your body, your breath, and fellow parents/caregivers at Valley Glow Yoga‘s FREE Baby & Me class. The class happens every Thursday and includes gentle strengthening, stretching, yoga poses, and relaxation with space to nurse before, during or after class. Tea, water, mats and blankets are all offered free of charge.
Outdoor Destinations & Activities
Park at Barre Town Middle and Elementary School
Curtis Pond, Calais
Popular local destination for pick up ice-hockey and skating. Older toddlers can try out skating (bring your own equipment) or babies can get a ride pushed in a milk crate over the ice, fun!
Many of these mountain biking trails also make for good rambles or walks. On some sections of trail, be on the lookout for cool sculptures carved by local artists!
FREE shuttle bus around downtown Montpelier. Runs hourly during the week. Nothing like a bus ride to entertain a toddler!
Low or Some Cost Involved
80 Commercial Drive, Waterbury
Open Gym 6 & Under: Monday & Friday 10-11:30AM. Cost is $7 per kiddo! 802-882-8324
7 Main Street, 2nd and 3rd floors, Montpelier
Move and breathe…with your baby! Amy offers a relaxed class environment providing self-care techniques and lots of options for the different stages of postpartum. She shares her knowledge of pelvic floor health, core awareness, stress relief and therapeutic functional movement. This class is a great opportunity to come together with other new parents to nurture, strengthen and support your postpartum journey (and sleep deprived, achy bodies). We welcome you and babes to come as you are (over-tired, in your pj’s, not sure if your little one will be awake, asleep or crying)– to a supportive, safe and caring environment. Come! Get out of the house and be with others, let your little ones meet other babies and remember what it’s like to take a few moments for yourself!
Kid-Friendly Local Restaurants
The following restaurants have features that make them ‘kid-friendly’ such as a collection of children’s books/toys, a play area, or interesting visuals for little ones. They are also doable on a budget (e.g. coffee and a bagel).
- Bagitos, Montpelier
- Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Waterbury
- McDonalds, Berlin (as another playground option on cold days)
- Red Hen Bakery, Middlesex
- Manghi’s Bakery, Montpelier This local bakery is a favorite among families for its 5 cent rolls for kiddos.
654 Granger Road, Berlin
Can be crowded on Sundays and during school vacations. For the younger set, the best times to go are weekdays when school is in session. They even have a Mommy and Me class in addition to Open Gym. Check out their website for pricing and schedule.
An indoor play space for families and friends to come play together. Romp around in sock feet in our bounce castle, tunnel climber and pedal go-carts, or relax with a top notch espresso beverage and Wi-Fi access in our sitting area, with excellent visibility of the playground. Healthy snacks available for kids and their adults. Play structures and equipment are for ages 10 and under.
