Looking for fun activities to keep the kids busy this holiday season? Here is our guide with the latest and greatest recommendations for Winter Break 2024 in Santa Barbara.
Festive Seasonal Activities
Zoo Lights at the Santa Barbara Zoo
Enjoy this immersive holiday experience featuring thousands of handcrafted silk-covered lanterns aglow with more than 50,000 LED bulbs. Walk through the Zoo and enjoy the illuminated lanterns showcasing animal and nature scenes that represent wild places from around the world.
Let your children dive into a world of holiday wonder at Helena Avenue Bakery, decorating a gingerbread house, dancing with elves, listening to festive stories, and capping it off with a magical visit to Miracle at Pearl Social. It’s an afternoon of holiday enchantment you won’t want to miss! All children are welcome, but this event is thoughtfully tailored for ages 4 to 9.
Get Outside
Monarch butterflies migrate to Goleta each October through February and are best viewed at the Ellwood Main monarch grove. The monarch population at Ellwood Mesa generally peaks in mid-December as the butterflies gather there from nearby groves. Unfortunately, this year, butterfly populations are severely depleted. Please visit this link to find ways to support this critically threatened species: https://www.fws.gov/story/2024-12/monarch-butterflies-california
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden showcases 78 acres of California's biological diversity. Come with the kids to explore the Backcountry, a 4.5-acre section of the Garden opened every day. Designed for kids of all ages, this ever-evolving space invites guests to hike through different habitats as they climb on fallen trees, rock hop, look for critters under logs, build forts out of natural materials, and even navigate a maze.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Newly renovated in 2018, the Museum boasts state-of-the-art interactive exhibits for all ages, paired with the Central Coast’s only planetarium, on 17 acres of oak woodland along Mission Creek. Guests learn about the Santa Barbara region’s unique and diverse natural history and then go outside to explore nature in the Museum Backyard.
Good on a Rainy Day
Ice in Paradise is a recreational ice skating facility offering recreational fun for families in the greater Santa Barbara Community.
Moxi, The Wold Museum of Exploration + Innovation
MOXI is an interactive science museum for all ages. The three floors are filled with loads of interactive experiences, organized around seven themes that all relate to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.
Family Friendly Day Trip
Every year from the end of November through the end of December, Hearst Castle is decked out in holiday splendor. View the estate as Mr. Hearst’s guests enjoyed it during the 1920s and 1930s during the Christmas season. From the large outdoor wreaths to towering trees in the large social rooms, you will enjoy this winter wonderland during the month of December.
