Five Kid-Friendly Staycations for February School Vacation Week

There’s “Playtime with Paddington” at the Langham, Boston. / Courtesy P&Co. Ltd.

Forget the flight; there’s plenty to do during the upcoming school vacation that’s just a short drive away. From (literal) horseplay in Maine to a Harry Potter week at the Cape, these five New England hotel experiences are kid-approved adventures the whole family won’t soon forget.

White Barn Inn’s Spring Creek Farm program
Kennebunk Beach, Maine

Your kids don’t have to know how to ride a horse to participate in the equine-based wellness program offered by the White Barn Inn. At nearby Spring Creek Farm, the whole family will have the opportunity to groom and exercise the steeds, not to mention take them on meditative walks. Back at the hotel, cozy up by the fireplace for a night of board games before tucking the crew in at one of the waterside cottages. Collective exhale.

37 Beach Ave., Kennebunk, Maine, aubergeresorts.com/whitebarninn

Photo by Chip Riegel

Photo by Chip Riegel

Ocean House’s Bemelmans Suite
Watch Hill, Rhode Island

Is Madeline on repeat at bedtime? Your little one will relish a stay at the Ocean House in Rhode Island, home to the largest permanent, private collection of author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans’s work open to the public in North America. Art aficionados of any age will enjoy a stay in the nearly 850-square-foot oceanfront Bemelmans Suite, where the artist’s work—including eight originals—is on display. Of course, you don’t have to be a Bemelmans buff to enjoy your stay here: Cozy up in the private screening room for a movie night (complete with freshly popped popcorn) or take a family-oriented culinary class.

1 Bluff Ave., Watch Hill, Rhode Island, oceanhouseri.com

Courtesy P&Co. Ltd.

The Langham, Boston’s “Playtime with Paddington”
Boston

It’s always an adventure with Paddington Bear, and now at the Langham, Boston, you can stay in a family-friendly room that brims with décor featuring the beloved British bruin. Kids can camp out in a tent, cuddle up with a plush bear, don a Paddington bathrobe and slippers, and satisfy their sweet tooth with a Paddington-themed cookie-decorating kit from the hotel’s culinary team. Outside of the room, splash around in the hotel’s 40-foot heated indoor pool, then dig into Italian family-style fare at Grana for brunch, including the “Big Meatball” topped with fried spaghetti.

250 Franklin St., Boston, LanghamHotels.com

Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club’s “Wizarding Week”
Brewster

School may be closed, but class has commenced at Ocean Edge’s own Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Starting Friday, February 16, the Cape Cod resort resumes its “Wizarding Week,” where your little sorcerer in training will be on his or her way to becoming a Gryffindor with a full schedule of Harry Potter–themed activities, including a meet-and-greet with Dumbledore, cloak- and wand-making, potion mixing, themed trivia, and daily screenings of the Harry Potter series. Alohomora! Vacation mode: unlocked.

2907 Main St., Brewster, Oceanedge.com

Photo by James Baigrie

The Whitney’s Museum of Science package
Boston

Junior won’t stop asking, “why?” Book the Whitney Hotel’s Museum of Science package, which includes admission to the museum for two adults and one child. Inquisitive kids can get a close look at a 65-million-year-old triceratops fossil, be transported to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, or warm up to tarantulas and scorpions in the tropical Garden Walk & Insect Zoo. The discovery continues back at the hotel with a space-exploration cookie-decorating kit. When it’s time to hit the lights, your little one can crawl into a rocket-ship play tent with solar-system glow-in-the-dark sheets; the Sky Lite star and galaxy projector will keep him reaching for the stars.

170 Charles St., Boston, WhitneyHotelBoston.com