(Photo by: Bryan Dickerson, https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1669554, CC0 Public Domain)

With the holidays coming soon and a long break on the horizon for many students, days that used to be filled with school can now be filled with holiday activities.

Here are a few things you can do this break to fill your time:

Crown Center 

Crown Center offers many holiday activities to fill your time during break, including “ice-skating beneath the towering Mayor’s Christmas Tree to visiting Santa at Destination North Pole,” according to their website. You can also join them to experience those classic Hallmark movie feels at the Hallmark Christmas Experience at no charge. You can also buy the Mayor’s Christmas ornament of the year, which are priced at $19.95 and can be found on the second level of the Crown Center Customer Service’s Crown Center Shops. The funds from the ornaments will go to the Mayor’s Christmas Tree fund. Hours can be found on their website.

The Luminary Walk 

The Luminary Walk, located at the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, is going on its 26th year. According to The Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park, you can “wander through garden paths aglow with sparkling lights, enjoy live music, luminary candles in the woods, gnome and fairy villages, and capture a photo with Santa.” This event is held on the weekends, and there are two weekends left: Dec. 12-13 and 19-20. General admission tickets are $17, and children under five get in for free. There are other events as well, including an adults-only candlelight stroll (18+) on Dec. 11-18 and Electric Glow on Dec. 10, 17, 22, 23, 26, 27, 29 and 30.

Ice Skating

There are many locations in the Kansas City area to go ice skating, including Crown Center and The Ice at Park Place.

• Crown Center Ice Terrace: According to their website, this is their 53rd season of outdoor skating fun. For adults and children over the age of 4, admission is $10 with an additional $6 skate rental. Hours are listed below.
  • November, December and January
    • Sunday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
    • Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.

• February and March
  • Sunday, 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
  • Friday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Saturday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

• Holiday Hours
  • Christmas Eve, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • Christmas Day, CLOSED
  • New Year’s Eve, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
  • New Year’s Day, Noon – 9 p.m.

• The Ice at Park Place: Leawood’s only skating rink is open every day through March 1. According to their website, “the Ice is surrounded by seasonal festivities, amazing restaurants, and local, specialty shopping.” Tickets are $12 for adults and children over four, with a skate rental of $4. Hours are listed below.
  • Open skate hours 2025-2026 (11/29 – 12/19, 1/6 – 3/1 – excluding holiday breaks below)
    • Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.
    • Friday, 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
    • Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
    • Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

• Holiday hours 2025-2026 (12/20 – 1/5, 1/19, 2/13, 2/16):
  • Monday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
  • Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

• The Rink at Zona Rosa: According to their website, visitors can “enjoy shopping from local and national retailers, an eclectic mix of restaurant options and the magical essence of ice skating under the lights at Zona Rosa.” Reservations are recommended but aren’t required. For ages 4 and up, tickets with the skate rental included are $18. Hours are listed below.
  • OPEN PUBLIC SKATE HOURS/SCHEDULE (While School in Session)
    • Mon – Thurs: 3pm – 9pm
    • Fri: 3pm – 11pm
    • Sat: 11am – 11pm
    • Sun: 11am – 9pm
  • SCHOOL BREAK HOURS
    • Effective Mon-Fri. Nov 24 – 28, Dec 20 – Jan 4, Jan 19
    • 11am – 9pm: Open Public Skate
  • HOLIDAY HOURS
    • Christmas Eve,  11am – 8pm:
    • Christmas Day, 3pm – 8:50pm: Public Skate
    • Also open on: New Year’s Eve/Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Union Station

Union Station has so much to offer during the holiday season. According to their website, the “Holiday Reflections Walk-Thru Village is an immersive, magical Holiday experience – voted Kansas City’s “Best Christmas Attraction.”

Here are some of the activities that are included:

• Visit Santa daily through Dec. 24.
• Visit the new animated singing snowman and sing some carols.
• Visit the Vintage Shasta Trailer Scene.
• See the NEW Holiday Gingerbread village that has life-sized candy canes, gingerbread characters and more.
• Ride down the New Holiday Tree Slide (for children only).

Pricing varies depending on the day you visit. Tickets can be purchased on their website.

Magic Tree 

The Magic Tree is a free tree that is covered in all sorts of Christmas lights. “Capture memories with the stunning lights, and immerse yourself in the holiday spirit. The Magic Tree is more than just a beautiful display — it’s a symbol of joy, hope, and community,” says their website. The tree has been a family tradition for more than a decade, bringing communities together to celebrate the holiday season.

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Deanna Rose offers a holiday light show that goes along with your favorite holiday songs. The show’s admission is free and is shown at the main entrance of the farmstead. “Bring some cocoa, cookies and blankets as you view the lights and hear the music from the warmth of your car in the Farmstead’s parking lot,” Overland Park posted on their website. The show will run until Dec. 31 and can be seen from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Christmas in the Park

Last but certainly not least, Christmas in the Park is a drive-through light show, with more than half a million lights and 200 animated displays that were all designed by their team. This show is at Longview Lake, and admission is free. That being said, you can choose to donate at the end of the show. It’s open every night until Dec. 31. To avoid long lines, they recommend coming during the week, earlier rather than later. Hours are listed below.

• Sunday- Thursday 5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
• Friday- Saturday 5:30 – 11:00 p.m.