Solutions for Stir-Crazy Kids

It's Day Three of winter break and the kids are already bored.

The Christmas presents and Hannukah gifts have been tossed aside, and they've taken to painting the dog with chocolate pudding.

Never fear, help is here.

We've compiled a list of fun things to do around the region with the little ones the next few days. Check out these ideas - they're better than hunkering down in the corner, rocking back and forth, praying for Jan. 3 to hurry up and come already.

The Nutcracker

The lush holiday extravaganza that is The Nutcracker runs through Dec. 31, and tickets are still available. Pennsylvania Ballet's production of George Balanchine's choreography is stunning in its beauty, from the grace of the principal dancers to the antics of the pint-sized cast members, to the lush costumes and sets.

I took my 5-year-old daughter to the Monday matinee, where we were lucky enough to get to see perform as a mouse and a candy cane. Sierra is scheduled to perform in the 2 p.m. shows on Wednesday, Dec. 28, and Friday, Dec. 30, as well as at noon on Saturday, Dec. 31.

To make the trip even more of an adventure, take the SEPTA train from Doylestown to Suburban Station, then walk the five blocks to the theater. Here's a great reference map.

The Academy of Natural Sciences

It's All-Star Week at the Academy, as it celebrates its most popular attractions with live animal shows, museum specimens, craft-making and storytelling.

Exhibits range from bugs to butterflies, and include the wildly popular dinosaurs, too.

The special attractions run now through Friday. Adult tickets are $12, kids 3 to 12 are $10.

To get there, you could also take the train from Doylestown to Suburban Station, then walk a few blocks to the museum.

The Bucks County Children's Museum

Skip the trip into the city and drive to New Hope instead.

The Bucks County Children's Museum is open and ready for you. Exhibits there let kids dig for artifacts, build a covered bridge or take a simulated hot air balloon ride over Bucks County.

Admission is $7 and the museum will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. now through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Toy Exhibits at the Mercer

Show your kids what toys made of wood looked like, or just indulge in the nostalgia of a time when toys didn't beep or whir or need batteries.

Two exhibits at the Mercer Museum, Toy Time and Under the Tree, run now through April 1 and January 31, respectively.

The Mercer is open through Saturday (closed Sunday for New Year's Day). Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for kids 6 to 17; 5 and under are free.

Sciencetelling: Dragons & Dreams

What happens when you mix kids with science and stories? Something pretty cool, apparently.

Piccirillo Sciencetelling is making the rounds of the Bucks County libraries this week, and will be at the Doylestown branch Thursday night.

Kids will learn the science behind fire and ice through a story that includes castles, kings, villagers, a Dragon Keeper and an Ice Sorceress. (My kids are gonna love this!)

The free program starts at 7 p.m. in the Pearl S. Buck room; no advance registration is necessary.