Here are some activities to do with your kids over Thanksgiving break

After having almost a full semester of education, some kids are thrown back into their homes with nothing to do for Thanksgiving break. Luckily, Macon doesn’t completely shut down for the holiday.

“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action,” said American journalist W.J. Cameron.

Here are some activities for parents to do with their kids during the week of Thanksgiving break.

1. Ice Skating

The Macon Centerplex offers ice skating everyday on Thanksgiving break except for Thanksgiving Day, according to their website. The times vary:

Saturday: Skating starts after the hockey game is over.

Sunday: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Tuesday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Nov. 24: Skating starts after the hockey game is over.

Admission is $10 per person or $8 with a military ID. Anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver. If a group has 10 or more people, the price is $8 per person, according to their website. To book a group or view additional dates and times, visit the Macon Centerplex’s website.

2. Planes and Trains

Warner Robins’ Museum of Aviation and the Middle Georgia Model Railroad Club are presenting the 10th annual Planes and Trains exhibit, according to the Museum of Aviation’s website.

The event is free and is displayed from Nov. 17 to Nov. 25, except for Thanksgiving Day. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. everyday. The display consists of “large layouts of model railroads in the Century of Flight hangar,” according to the website.

3. Volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to spend time with your family while also giving back to the community.

Parents can pack up their kids in the car and deliver meals to the elderly, disabled and hospice patients on Thanksgiving Day through the Rescue Mission of Middle Georgia.

The cars will leave in two shifts starting at 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., according to the Rescue Mission’s website.

“We ask that you deliver the meal and offer to pray with those that are receiving the meal so they may feel the light of Christ through your love and compassion,” said the Rescue Mission on their website.

The Rescue Mission will also be serving food on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. along with other organizations throughout the week, according to a flyer provided by the Salvation Army.

The Overtyme Bar & Grill will be serving food on Tuesday from noon-2 p.m. Metro Power will serve food on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., and the Salvation Army will serve food on Friday from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

If you would like to volunteer at any of these places, contact the organizations directly.

Naomi Ladson, Social Service Director at the Salvation Army, said they would like all volunteers to be 13 years old or older. She said to call (478) 746-8572 if you would like to sign up.

4. Santa’s Secret Shop

Kids can shop for their parent’s Christmas presents at Santa’s Secret Shop at the Museum of Arts and Sciences which has been going one for around 20 years.

Sherry Singleton, director of communication at the museum, said the shop looks like an elf workshop.

“The kids can go in there and shop secretly without the parent’s intervention,” Singleton said with a laugh.

Singleton said the shop has volunteers that help the kids pick out their gifts and write the recipient’s name on the gift. Once they choose the items, they take them to their parents outside the shop to pay for them. Items are anywhere from $1 to $10.

Singleton said the kids should come in with a list and a budget. Each item is displayed, and if a child wants an item, the child will get it already wrapped to maintain the surprise.

“They’re all high quality gifts,” Singleton said. “Parents can feel good about, you know, about spending that money in there.”

The shop is open during the museum’s regular business hours from 10 a.m. -5 p.m. until Dec. 22.

While the kids are shopping, parents can explore the museum and enjoy the Festival of Trees, Singleton said.

“It’s a unique shopping experience for the kids,” Singleton said. “It takes a load off the parents, and the kids get to have their own personal shopping experience.”

This story was originally published November 16, 2018 at 4:30 PM.