Winter with kids in Kootenai County: what families do here, and what it costs

About one in five people in Kootenai County is a kid: 22.3%, or roughly 40,700 people under 18, by the state labor department's count. Here is what families here do once the lake turns cold, what it costs, and what's on the calendar right now.

THE BIG NIGHT: NOV. 27

The downtown Coeur d'Alene Lighting Ceremony Parade is free. It runs Friday, Nov. 27, starting at 5 p.m. This year's theme is "Santa's Workshop." The parade starts at Eighth Street and heads west on Sherman Avenue, then the crowd moves to the Resort lawn for carols and fireworks as more than 1.5 million lights come on. Motorists must remove parked vehicles from Sherman Avenue by 1 p.m., so plan your parking early.

Santa's Sneak Peek Week cruises on Lake Coeur d'Alene start Nov. 13.

ON THE ICE AND ON THE HILL

- Frontier Ice Arena, 3525 W. Seltice Way: public skate on Tuesdays, 5:45 to 7 p.m. It's $5, plus $2 for skate rental.
- Cherry Hill Park, 1718 N. 15th St. in Coeur d'Alene, is the in-town sledding hill.
- Farragut State Park near Athol keeps going in winter, with sledding, snowshoeing and cross-country ski trails. The winter visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SKI DAY MATH

The two closest ski hills sit just over the county line in Shoshone County, and both let little kids ski free.

- Silver Mountain, Kellogg: adults $64 weekday, $76 weekend; ages 7 to 17, $48 and $59. Kids 6 and under ski free. Holiday prices run higher Dec. 19 to Jan. 3.
- Lookout Pass: adults $63 weekday, $75 weekend; ages 7 to 17, $51 and $59. Kids 6 and under ski free with a paying adult.

Those are online and reservation prices for the 2026-27 season. The ticket window costs a little more.

INDOORS WHEN IT'S NASTY OUT

- The Kroc Center in Coeur d'Alene has pools, including a family pool, plus a climbing wall and a game room. Day passes are $18 for adults and $13 for youth.
- Triple Play in Hayden has an indoor waterpark and bowling.

THE LIBRARY IS DOING A LOT

The Community Library Network runs a lot for kids. Our community calendar lists dozens of kids' and family programs at its branches over the next few weeks: preschool storytimes, Toddler Tales, Lego Challenges, tween game nights and teen makerspace nights, and a whole track for homeschool families called Libratory and Fictionology, with escape rooms on the schedule. Santa visits for "Santa and a Story" at New Leaf Nursery in Hayden on Nov. 24.

See every one on the Kalendar, under the Family filter.

FREE, ANY WEEKEND

- Tubbs Hill: a 2.1-mile loop with about 260 feet of climbing, easy enough for kids. It's rugged, so leave the stroller home.
- The North Idaho Centennial Trail: 24 miles from Higgins Point to the Washington line, where it keeps going as the Spokane River Centennial Trail.
- Q'emiln Park in Post Falls: 78.5 acres with a playground, trails and rock climbing. No dogs.

WHAT'S CLOSED UNTIL SPRING

Silverwood and Boulder Beach in Athol run from May through late October, so they're closed for the winter. If you're shopping for gifts, the park is selling 2027 season passes now.