Check out budget-friendly activities for families in Wichita during the winter break

If you thought you were finished with lists after compiling your holiday gift list, think again. The holidays also mean finding things to do while school’s out. Fortunately, there are several budget-friendly things to do in the area.

Here are some suggestions that range from visiting historical sites and learning more about local history to scanning sculptures to burning off excess energy or stress caused by the holidays and more.

Free for all

Experience some historical fun with several free activities at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum this month. Thanks to a benefactor, it’s free to visit the museum — housed in Wichita’s original city hall at 204 S. Main — on Sundays. Since the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays fall on Sundays, plan your visit for Dec. 11 or 18. Hours are 1-5 p.m. Exhibits include a replica of the mayor’s office, a rare 1916 Jones Six automobile built by a Wichitan, examples of art deco on the Plains and a recreated Victorian cottage, plus the museum is decorated for the holidays. The museum also has some free weekday afternoon programming during the holiday break. On Dec. 20, the focus is on holiday trees, so drop by to make an ornament and explore the history of holiday trees. Then on Dec. 21, learn about how the Victorians celebrated Christmas and make a Victorian-inspired card. On Dec. 27, the focus is on good old-fashioned play, like games of jacks and marbles, making crafts and eating gingersnap cookies. The afternoon programming runs from 1 to 3 p.m. On Dec. 23, music will be in the air from noon to 1 p.m. around the museum, when an organist climbs the museum’s tower to play the annual Christmas carillon concert. Pack a thermos of hot chocolate, park near the museum and enjoy the concert.

It’s always free on Saturdays to visit the Wichita Art Museum, 1400 Museum Drive. The theme for the museum’s last ArtVenture for 2022 — that happens from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31 — is New Year’s Cheer, so there will be countdown celebrations as well as artmaking and music.

Bundle up and check out some great art on the Wichita State campus. It’s always free to check out the growing Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection that features works by Rodin, Botero. Tom Otterness and other notable artists. Three more sculptures — all near the new Woolsey Hall housing WSU’s business school on the Innovation Campus — were added in recent months. The sculptures are fun backdrops for selfies. If you use the Smartify: Arts and Culture app to scan the sculptures during your visit, you can get more information on the works.

Check out Rufus the bobcat, Chapa the beaver, Chuck the turkey vulture, Pokey the opossum and the other animals that live at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit at Central Riverside Park, the former site of Wichita’s first zoo. If you go at noon, you can catch the staff doing feedings.

Another place to learn more about Kansas and local animals is The Great Plains Nature Center, which is free to visit. Located near 29th North and Woodlawn, it has ecosystem exhibits and a 2,200-gallon aquarium featuring local fish, plus rotating live animal exhibits. It’s open Mondays through Saturdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. but during the holidays it will close at noon Dec. 24 and 31 and will be closed Dec. 26 and Jan. 2. While there, walk through Chisholm Creek Park, where you might spot more wildlife.

Board games are awesome family activities so check out the free Friday, Dec. 16, board game night from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 7001 W. 21st St. Bonding through Board Games is a regularly occurring event hosted by the K-State Research and Extension Office throughout the year but the December one includes a visit from Santa. It’s a come-and-go event, and some games can be played in as little as 15 minutes. It’s also a great time to try games before committing to buy them if you’re looking for gift ideas.

More fun and games

All three Wichita bowling centers now owned by Bowlero — The Alley, Northrock Lanes and West Acres Bowl — are offering various specials, including Sunday Funday nights where bowling is $3.99 a game and you can buy a $6 arcade card for $3.99, and half-price arcade games all day Wednesdays.

Kids and families can get some air — the kind created when you jump around at Aviate, 2668 N. Greenwich Road — through several specials including a family night on Sunday for $35 for an hour; $5 per person per hour on Monday nights; two-for-one admission on Tuesday nights; and even a teen night on Saturdays.

Indulge your inner nostalgic video gamer at the Arcade, 139 N. Mead, where the array of ‘80s and 90s vintage games are set on unlimited free play. It costs $10 for ages 11 and older and $8 for kids 10 and under to get unlimited free play. Pinball machines cost 50 cents a play.

Burn off some extra energy and stress by hitting one of Wichita’s two rage rooms or one of its three axe-throwing businesses. The minimum age to play at most of these businesses is 10, but Let’s Smash, 917 W. Douglas, does offer a fruit smash option for kids under 10. Both ICT Rage Room, 2952 N. Arkansas, and Let’s Smash offer different smash packages based on what you want to break. For axe-throwing, you have three options, all located near downtown: Kiss My Axe!, 216 N. Washington; Blade & Timber, 535 W. Douglas; and Axe to Grind, 220 S. Commerce.

Lace up skates at either the Wichita Ice Center, 505 W. Maple; Chicken N Pickle, 1240 N. Greenwich; or Carousel Skate, 312 N. West. For a wallet-friendly option, the Wichita Ice Center reduces its Tuesday night admission to $2; at other times admission ranges from $5 to $7. Skate rental is extra.

Carousel Skate offers a la carte roller skating or play zone pricing, starting at $3.99 for the play zone and $7.99 for skating, or discounted ultimate pass bundles that include skating, skate rental, play zone and an arcade card for $14.99 on weekdays and $22.99 for weekends. Through its Coupon Club, a monthly emailed newsletter, Carousel Skate is offering a 22% off coupon for December. Along with extended holiday break hours between Dec. 16 and Jan. 3, it also offers adult skate for those 21 and older from 9 a.m.-midnight on Fridays.

Chicken N Pickle’s ice pond is open daily, depending on the weather, with an $11 skate pass, $4 skate rental. Kids 3 and under are free.

Other good deals

Visit the zoo on Wednesday to take advantage of Winter Wednesdays, when admission is just $3 a person. It’s open 9 a.m.-5 p.m and is one of the few Wichita attractions open on Christmas and New Year’s days.

The entire family can visit the Kansas Aviation Museum for $25 on Thursdays. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Housed in Wichita’s first municipal airport that operated at 3350 S. George Washington Blvd. from 1935-54, the museum has a new exhibit focusing on women in aviation.