5 cool events for Pittsburgh families this weekend, from skiing and RV’ing to riding dinosaurs

Photo above by Maxwell Ingham used by permission via Unsplash.

The holidays may be over, but there are plenty of adventurous events for Pittsburgh-area families happening this weekend. Check out five of our favorites:

Friday, Jan. 7: The Factory at The Andy Warhol Museum
5 p.m.-10 p.m.
The Andy Warhol Museum’s newly renovated Factory art studio, closed since the pandemic, has reopened with a revolving assortment of activities. Join the all-ages, hands-on workshops led by the museum’s artist-educators, where you can create sculptures, collages and paintings inspired by Warhol exhibits. Kids can print silkscreen artworks on paper for free, or add their designs to a tote bag, T-shirt or notebook for an extra charge. A visit to the Factory is included with museum general admission — which is half-price ($5 for kids, $10 for adults, free for members) on Friday nights.

Saturday, Jan. 8: Winter Recreation at Boyce Park
9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Strap on some skis, snowshoes or a snowboard, because the winter fun is underway at Boyce Park. Winter adventurers can rent ski and snowboard equipment and sign up for private ski and snowboard lessons. The lodge has reopened this season with concessions, indoor restrooms and equipment rentals (though the upper level is closed). Lift tickets must be bought online in advance.

Saturday, Jan. 8 and Sunday, Jan. 9: Pittsburgh RV Show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (running through Jan. 16)
RV sales have soared during the pandemic, as adventurers hit the road to combat cabin fever and explore the country via “mobile bubbles.” Whether you’d love to get one or you just feel like spending the day window-shopping and exploring the insides of these vehicles, check out this year’s Pittsburgh RV Show. You can spend the day wandering through nine acres of RVs from 100 exhibitors and 13 dealers, and get info about campgrounds and RV resorts. Buy tickets here. Free for kids 5 and under, $5 for kids 6-16 and $12 for adults.

Saturday, Jan. 8 and Sunday, Jan. 9: Dinosaur Adventure at the Monroeville Convention Center
Sat. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sun. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
For one weekend only, Pittsburghers can travel back 65 million years to the prehistoric age just by driving to Monroeville. Kids of all ages can try a range of dinosaur-themed activities, including fossil searches, Jurassic jeep rides, themed obstacle courses and even riding dinosaurs. (Well, “dinosaurs.”) Get tickets here (this one is fairly expensive: Kids aged 2-12, $30, bigger kids/adults ages 13 and up, $25).

Sunday, Jan. 9: Story Hike: Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep at Frick Environmental Center
10-11:30 a.m.
Squirrels! We see them everywhere, running across fence tops, zipping up trees and stealing seeds from bird feeders. At the Frick Environmental Center’s Story Hike, kiddos ages 3-8 years will learn more about these fluffy-tailed critters through a reading of “Squirrels Leap, Squirrels Sleep” by April Pulley Sayre. Then, they take a hike with a naturalist educator and see how many squirrels are active in Frick Park. Register for free here.

Looking for more cool events for Pittsburgh families? You have all month to go see the GIANT RABBITS Downtown. And check out our full guide to January happenings for kids (and moms)