There is a new area for safe outdoor skating at Old Sturbridge Village this winter (weather permitting, of course). Enjoy a spin or two (bring your own skates), then be sure to follow your fun with a stop at the Miner Grant Store or the Village Cafe for hot cider or cocoa and a cookie.  

"[W]hen a boy, I used often to go... to some ... pond closely frozen over, and pass the greater part of the day in skating. [Then] we would ...sit down to our meal, with more enjoyment than a king ever sat down to a feast." -- Robin Carver, 1833

Early New Englanders enjoyed skating on frozen ponds or lakes, but had to concern themselves with falling through thin ice. Old Sturbridge Village quells any fears by providing a safe area for skating right in the Center Village.

Skates not handy? Head to the hill beyond the Cooper Shop and try out the kind of sled enjoyed by kids in the 1830s.  OSV provides a number of sleds for visitors' use.

And if there's snow enough for sledding, look for the horse-drawn sleigh offering a spin around the Common (on weekends).

Special events this month include Fire & Ice on January 31; also, the Village will be open on King Day (January 19).  Next month brings Home School Day (February 4) and School Vacation Week (February 14-22).