winter wonders

Houston's coolest winter break activities, from real snow days to 3D dinosaurs

Houston families looking for things to do over the school break have no shortage of holiday fun this month. From movies, museums, to immersive experiences, there's plenty to delight the young and the young at heart.

Museums

Children's Museum Houston
Polar Palooza continues through January 7, 2024, bringing with it a winter wonderland kinds will love. They can frolic in real snow in the museum's courtyard, making snow angels and taking part in other activities. Admission is included with a museum entry ticket.

Houston Museum of Natural Science
The museum is open Monday through Sunday from 9am to 6pm through January 1, 2024, with free admission on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm. Dinosaur Discoveries is the marquee attraction in the Wortham Giant Screen Theatre. The immersive experience takes audiences into the world of dinosaurs using 3D holographic technology. Admission to the film is $18.

Dinosaur Discoveries Houston Museum of Natural Science HMNS Have a dino-mite holiday with Dinosaur Discoveries at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.Rendering courtesy of Dinosaur Discoveries/Houston Museum of Natural Science

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The art museum hosts its annual Winter Break at the Museum programming from December 26 through 29, 2023 and January 2 through 5, 2024. Designed for children ages five to 12, the sessions are free with museum admission and include activities such as checking out the "Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence" exhibit and creating original artworks inspired by it.

Immersive experiences

Houston Botanic Garden
Radiant Nature is a dazzling array of more than 50 larger-than-life Chinese lantern installations that come to life in stunning displays showcasing the beauty of nature and celebrating the promise of the Lunar New Year. Check out the 200-foot-long dragon and the 12-foot-tall peacock, and an interactive zone buzzing with illuminated swings, whimsical seesaws, and more. Tickets start at $28.50.

Radiant Nature presented by Reliant A 200-foot dragon is one of 50 jaw-dropping installations at the Houston Botanic Garden's Radiant Nature holiday lantern festival. Photo courtesy of Tianyu Arts & Culture

Houston Zoo
The zoo lights up the night with its popular Zoo Lights exhibit, where families can wander the zoo's trails, which are decked out in colored lights. It all makes for plenty of Insta-worthy moments, from posing in front of a giant Christmas tree to wandering through an enchanted forest. Tickets during winter break start at $31.50.

Ice skating

The Ice at Discovery Green
Presented by Green Mountain Energy, this popular attraction lets guests glide around the ice under the Houston skyline in Discovery Green Park. Skating sessions are 75 minutes and skate rentals are included. Admission is $17 and reservations can be made online. From December 26 to 29 and January 2 to 5, operating hours are 11 am to 11 pm.

The Ice Rink at Woodlands Town Center
North of Houston is this family-friendly spot where skating and fun go hand in hand. Each skate session is two hours, and the cost is $15 including skate rentals. Those who bring their own skates get a discount. After showing off skating skills, pick up a hot chocolate and seasonal treats at the concession stand.

Ice skating at Memorial City Mall
With its location near the food court, this ice rink is a great place to chill out and enjoy time with family and friends. The cost is $10, and those who need skates can rent them for $5 more. Check the calendar for times during winter break.

Performances, plays, and stage shows

Alley Theatre
Catch the last performances of A Christmas Carol, the enduring story of the miserly Scrooge, who learns the meaning of Christmas after visits by three ghosts. The show runs through December 30 and tickets start at $29.

Houston Ballet
The Ballet's production of The Nutcracker runs through December 27. The beloved story has some of the most-recognizable music anywhere, and will delight audiences of all ages. Tickets start at $30.

The Nutcracker Houston Ballet The Nutcracker is a holiday classic. Photo courtesy of Houston Ballet

Mannheim Steamroller
The iconic 1980s rock sensation brings its unique interpretation to Christmas and holiday classics in a concert to delight all ages. Showtime is at 8pm and tickets start at $45.

J Vince Photography

Ice skating at Discovery Green is Winter Break fun for the whole family.

Camps

Armand Bayou Nature Center
The center's Eco Explorers camp for children ages 4 to 11 runs December 27 through 29 and January 3to 5, 2024. Kids will take part in hands-on activities that help them learn more about mammals, reptiles, fantasy animals, and the world around them. $75 per day.

The Artz
Aerial camps for children ages 3 to 15 are offered at the organization's Spring Street location. They'll learn fabric, trapeze, lyra, wall running, harness and other aerial arts. Half-day and full-day options are available. $210 for three sessions January 3 to 5, 2024.

Bailey Oaks Farm
The Alvin equestrian center offers a three-day horseback riding camp from December 27 through 29. Children will learn the basics of riding, along with how to to groom, tack, and care for their animals. No riding experience is necessary. Riding camp is recommended for children 5 to 12 and the cost is $375.

Main Street Theater
In the theater's Winter Break turbo camps, offered through January 5, kids ages 6 to 12 will create an original play, help produce their own costumes and props, and play theater games to sharpen their skills in voice, body, imagination. The cost is $75 per day.

Main Street Theater winter camp Act out at Main Street Theater's winter camp.Photo via Main Street Theater

Movie Review

Daniel Craig shines in Queer, an unapologetic tale of love and loss

Photo courtesy of A24

Drew Starkey and Daniel Craig in Queer.

As recently as the late 2010s, if a movie was made about an LGBTQ+ character, it was more than likely about their coming out experience. Romance, if it existed, was typically chaste, and actual sex was almost completely out of the question. Things have changed dramatically in the 2020s, to the point that a major movie star has no issue starring in a film called Queer.

Based on the 1985 novella by William S. Burroughs, the film features William Lee (Daniel Craig), whom everyone calls just Lee, a writer living in 1950s-era Mexico City who spends most of his time haunting local bars with friends like fellow writer Joe Guidry (Jason Schwartzman) and hitting on younger men. His early interactions in the film seem to indicate that Lee has a bad reputation within the local gay community, as multiple people avoid him or give him odd looks.

Lee senses an opportunity when he encounters a newcomer, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Despite some awkward interactions, the two of them start spending time together, although Lee has much more invested in the relationship than Eugene does. Their hit-and-miss bond continues until Lee, who’s starting to get into drugs in addition to the booze, convinces Eugene to accompany him on a trip to South America.

Directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes (making their second straight film together after Challengers), early on the film seems to be mostly about the divide between an older person who’s grown comfortable in his ways and a younger person who’s living a relatively carefree life. The introduction of drugs into the plot changes things, though, with Lee searching out more ways to open his eyes to what the world has to offer.

Guadagnino and his team use some interesting visual storytelling techniques to introduce ideas that may not be present in the actual script. The most successful, demonstrated in multiple scenes, is the superimposition of movements by Lee over what’s actually taking place in the scene. The subtle overlay gives the audience insight into Lee’s true feelings, showing what he can’t or won’t say out loud.

Music also plays a big part in how the plot is perceived, with the use of anachronistic songs from Nirvana and Prince serving to heighten certain moments. The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is not as in-your-face as the one they did for Challengers, but it complements the film well, especially when the plot starts to get trippy in its final half hour.

Craig, who appears sweaty and disheveled for much of the film, is about as far from the suaveness of James Bond as you can get in this role. He takes multiple risks with his performance and almost all of them pay off. Starkey’s character is subdued by comparison, but still comes off well. Schwartzman and Lesley Manville are given showy roles, with both using altered appearances that make them nearly unrecognizable to deliver memorable performances.

Queer is not as accessible as Challengers was storytelling-wise, but the fact that it tells a story about gay men living their lives as they see fit with no interference or questions shows how far the film world has come in a short period of time. It also continues Guadagnino’s streak of making audacious films in a way that few other filmmakers are willing or able to approach.

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Queer is now playing in theaters.

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