Keep kids active during holiday break

It's the most wonderful time of the year ... or perhaps the most challenging.

The Umstead Express

Many of us are cutting back, but if you're up for a splurge, or another opportunity to dress up your kids in their holiday finery, maybe it's time to try The Umstead Express at The Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary.

The Umstead Express is replacing the upscale property's traditional afternoon tea this month with specialty hot chocolates and other treats, including peppermint bars, mint patties and homemade marshmallows.

It's from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, in the hotel lobby. It ends Dec. 31 and costs $22 per adult and $12 per child under age 10. No reservations required.

It's a splurge. But, when it comes to gifts, I'm high on "experiences" rather than stuff. Tickets for the N.C. Symphony's Young People's Series and the Carrboro ArtsCenter's SuperFun series are on my wish list.

So if Grandma's still looking for gift ideas, just forward this on to her ...

Centennial Campus Center of Wildlife Education

We've all been to the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences (and if you haven't, you should visit the free museum in downtown Raleigh), but not too far away is another little hidden gem on N.C. State's Centennial Campus.

The Centennial Campus Center of Wildlife Education is tucked away in the first floor of an office building that houses the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. It's an unlikely location for a place geared to kids. But it's a great place to spend an hour or more learning about the ecosystem and creatures of the North Carolina Piedmont.

The center is geared toward middle schoolers and up, but my 3-year-old had a great time pressing buttons and listening to the sounds of birds and other animals that live all around us.

If you don't home-school or have kids really interested in environmental education, it's likely you've never heard of the place. The center, one of three in the state, started running programs in 2006. The exhibit hall opened in spring 2007, director Marti Kane says.

The exhibits use technology to teach. Giant touch screen computers, video cameras and state-of-the-art sounds systems help tell the story of the wildlife in the area. Outside, there are lessons about the center's rain garden and man-made wetland.

The center is a popular place for school field trips, but it also offers free programs for kids starting at age 3. Those classes can fill up, so registration is a must.

Or you can do what I did and just drop in anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to check out the exhibits. A gift shop is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and is packed full of some great ideas for last-minute gifts.

The center is closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Dec. 26 and Jan. 1.

Parking is free in the parking garage next to the building at 1751 Varsity Dr. Go to www.ncwildlife.org/fs_index_08_education.htm for more information about the center.

If you're looking for a full day out, the State Farmers Market is just down Centennial Parkway.

Hike Eno River State Park on New Year's Day

Since the 1970s, hikers have been gathering at Eno River State Park in Durham for its New Year's Day Hike. Last year, 500 people, including lots of families, showed up for a 2-mile or 4- to 5-mile guided hike. Return to a picnic shelter with a warm fire, hot chocolate, tea, marshmallows, popcorn and, often, music.

Meet at the Few's Ford Access Area, 6101 Cole Mill Road, Durham, at 2 p.m. for the hike. If you're taking the shorter one, best for families with young children, the event winds down around 4 p.m. It's free. No registration required.