Four Things to Do in Winter with Families in Bristol 

January 24, 2023 9:38 am

During the winter it can be harder to entertain the whole family with the weather, limited daylight, and stuffy noses. While Bristol, New Hampshire is close to the mountains for skiing, sledding and other outdoor winter activities, we put together a list of places in the heart of Bristol to engage the whole family. 

Fran’s Ceramics & Gifts

If you’re looking for a place to take the kids on a cold, snowy or rainy winter day, take the family to Fran’s Ceramics & Gifts. This locally owned ceramics shop located on Central Square in Bristol, offers classes and ceramics painting to all ages. Spend an afternoon bringing a planter, a vase, sculpture or even a car to life with color. Kids will love picking out their own ceramic piece and designing it how they like. 
Fran’s Ceramics & Gifts is open everyday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., unless otherwise noted on their Facebook page. They also offer group classes and birthday parties year round.

Get a closer look at Fran’s Ceramics in this video:

Slim Baker Foundation

For the more outdoorsy family, spend a day at Slim Baker Foundation on Little Roundtop Mountain in Bristol. This 135- acre tract of conserved land opened in 1953 and serves as a memorial to Everett “Slim” Baker, who dreamed of a “school for outdoor living.” Take the family on a StoryWalk where kids can experience reading in a whole new way by following a foot path guided by pages of a children’s book. Although StoryWalk events are held from late summer through early fall, all of the walking trails are open year-round to hiking and snowshoeing.

The land is maintained by the foundation and is open year-round. Memberships are available for access to perks and discounts.

Newfound Lake

Newfound Lake is a hotspot in the spring and summer with kayaking, swimming, water skiing and so many more water sports, but it’s also a hotspot during the winter season as well. In the off season, Newfound Lake has a host of events that are family friendly including guided learning tours to identify birds and animal tracks, as well as an educational story time. In addition to educational events and tours,  the trails surrounding the lake are also open year-round for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. 

Educational events are run by the Newfound Lake Region Association (NLRA) and occur year-round. The full schedule of events can be found on their website. 

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza! 

There’s only one way to end a day out in the snow or a day spent doing arts and crafts—pizza. Bristol has not one, not two, but three pizza parlors to choose from to fill your family up after a day of fun. At Village Pizza of Bristol and Bristol House of Pizza you can get your classic American-style pizzas, calzones, pasta dinners, sandwiches and subs. Or if you’re feeling a little more fancy, Pizza Béne offers only Italian style brick oven pizzas, featuring house-made crust and sauces. All other entrees and sides are made from family recipes. 

For more information about Bristol and things to do, check out our website here.