Kid-Friendly Things to Do in Northern Michigan this Winter
There’s no season like winter in Northern Michigan! And there’s no reason to stay inside and hibernate with all of the incredible outdoor activities at your frozen fingertips. From tubing to dog-sledding to sleigh rides to sauna experiences, there is surely an activity for everyone in your family to fall in love with!
Roast S’mores Around a Campfire
Enjoying s’mores around a bonfire is one of the quintessential Northern Michigan summer activities, but have you tried s’mores in the winter? These places make it easy!
Hop Lot in Suttons Bay offers s’more kits daily to roast around one of their fire pits. Sundays are family days and kids get free hot chocolate and s’mores. Don’t forget to book your heated igloo in advance for a warm up in between roasts!
Chateau Chantal on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City offers s’mores kits to roast around one of their outdoor deck fire pits. They offer warm beverages for adults and hot chocolate for your littles.
The Highlands at Harbor Springs offers s’mores and bonfires on their back lawn all year long.
Shady Lane Cellars in Suttons Bay offers table side s’mores kits that serve 2-4 people to be roasted around a small burner and have hot chocolate for the kiddos.
Make some winter magic with a sleigh ride
Make some Hallmark-worthy winter memories with a horse drawn sleigh ride through some of Michigan’s most beautiful terrain.
Cook Family Farms in Gaylord offers private horse drawn sleigh rides running around 40 minutes, followed by hot chocolate and cookies.
Fantail Farms in Benzonia approximately 45 to 55 minutes long. A hot cocoa kit will be provided for your group to enjoy in the warming sheds at the end of the ride.
Antler Ridge Farms in Williamsburg provides old fashioned sleigh rides out to the woods and enjoy a bonfire along with hot chocolate and marshmallows to roast. You will be pulled by two
Black Horse Farms in Empire uses beautiful Percheron draft horses to pull sleighs of up to 12 people. Enjoy hot cocoa and a warming cabin halfway through the ride.
Tubing
If you’re looking for a winter thrill, look no further than these winter tubing runs. And with the options below, getting to the top of the hill is as simple as clipping in and sitting back to enjoy the ride. Make your reservations early as tickets often sell out.
Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls
Mt. Holiday in Traverse City
Timberlee Hills in Traverse City
Hansen Hills in Grayling
Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire
The Highlands at Harbor Springs
Treetops Resort in Gaylord
Warm up with a sauna experience
Fox and Flame in Traverse City offers a sauna sanctuary nestled in the woods. Their wood-fired sauna is available for a 75 minute session for up to 6 people. Owner Crystal Mason recommends the experience for children ages 5 and up. Kids should spend less time in the sauna and completely cool down and hydrate in between rounds of hot and cold.
TC Sauna Rental delivers their sauna to the location of your choosing, shows you how to operate and enjoy the sauna, then leaves you to a relaxing and revitalizing time.
Dog sledding at Treetops Resort in Gaylord
Meet your sled dogs and then hop on the sled as a Musher takes you on a 1-mile adventure through the beautiful trails at Treetop Resort. One person and two person sleds are available, though each sled must be under 225 pounds total.
Take a Turn on a Fat Tire Bike
Due to the large size and low pressure of their tires, fat tire bikes float over the ground’s surface and maintain greater traction on wet and slippery terrain. This makes them the perfect options for cruisin’ your favorite “Up North” bike trails in the wintertime. Fat tire bike rental options:
Suttons Bay Bikes in Suttons Bay
Sleeping Bear Surf and Kayak in Empire
Einstein Cycles in Traverse City
Crystal Mountain Resort in Thomsponville
Brick Wheels in Traverse City
Visit a Frost Covered Lighthouse
While the insides of most lighthouses in the area are closed for the season, visiting a lighthouse in the wintertime is a unique and beautiful experience. Some of our favorites include:
Point Betsie Lighthouse in Frankfort offers incredible ice formations in the right icy and snowy conditions.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Northport offers beautiful views regardless of the season and the thin layer of ice that forms on the beach in the winter makes for fun slipping and sliding for little ones.
The shallow water surrounding Mission Point Lighthouse in Traverse City (Old Mission Peninsula) means that it’s one of the first parts of Grand Traverse Bay to ice over, and the thick ice close to shore is always a hit for kids of all ages!
Follow along on Instagram at @myupnorthkids for more Northern Michigan kids activities and events