As the holidays approach thoughts turn to gifts and food, but there are also some activities around town that any Westporter should to do with the family. Take a quick look at our ideas to keep you and the kids excited and busy throughout the holiday season!
ART
When the kids are out of school what better way to entertain them than festive crafts? The Westport Arts Center offers a number programs and workshops for budding craftsmen and artists. With glue and glitter, paint and paste, the little ones will busy creating masterpiece when they are off from school. You might even get a new ornament out of it! 51 Riverside Ave., Westport
COCO
The weather is getting colder and chilling us to the core. One remedy, check out Cocoa Michelle’s amazing hot chocolate! Her hot chocolate and the aroma of delicious truffles on a cold day is sure to warm you up. Stop by her shop, which is across from the Westport train station, to see what we mean. 54 Railroad Place, Westport. Hours: Tues.-Fri. 7 am-5:30 pm; Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm; Sun. 9 am-2 pm; cocoamichelle.com
TREE
Normally, when you go to get your Christmas tree you head to your favorite grocery store to pick one out. Instead, if you and the kids are in an adventurous mood, how about cutting down your own tree. Sure you can buy one, but how much more fun would it be to go to the Connecticut Audubon Society’s Center in Westport to choose one? After taking the quick trip to the center, you and your family are given a saw and shown to an enormous field of Christmas Trees. You can pick any one you want, and they have huge variety to choose from, including Douglas Firs, White Spruces, and Blue Spruces. They also have wreaths, tree stands, and decorations. The season opens the Saturday after Thanksgiving and ends Dec. 23. Sasco Creek Road, Westport, Tues.-Fri. noon-4 pm; Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm
ICE-SKATING
What is a winter in New England without an afternoon skating on the ice? Luckily, Westporters need not worry, much less travel far to enjoy the activity. The Westport PAL Rink at Longshore is open. This regulation-size outdoor rink, right along the edge of the inlet, provides a popular destination to keep kids entertained with a new sport, with the blessings of a heated locker room, equipment rental, and even snack bar with hot coco, hot dogs, and other quick choices. 260 Compo Road, Westportd