There’s a reason our roads, restaurants and everything else fill up this time of year. South Florida is the best place to be in winter. And as parents, it’s no small privilege that our kids get to play outside year-round.

A few ideas for taking advantage of it:

• The South Florida Fair is running through Jan. 29 in West Palm Beach. Besides all the big rides and the usual pig races and fried Twinkies, there is a long line-up of concerts. Get the full schedule and coupons for tickets at the fair’s website.

• It’s also a great time to head to the local you-pick produce markets. Our favorite is The Girls in Delray Beach. When you’re done picking strawberries from the hydrponic planters, you can tour the grounds and see tropical birds, swans and other creatures. The store is full of unique candy and an ice cream counter. You can hang out in the shady picnic area to savor your treats. Get the details at The Girls website. Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market west of Boynton Beach also has you-pick fields. Call before you head out, though. On busy weekends, the strawberry patches can get picked clean.

• You couldn’t ask for better bike-riding weather. Some of the big county parks have lots of paved trails, including South County Regional Park off Glades Road west of U.S. 441; Quiet Waters on Powerline Road south of Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach (you can camp there, too); and Tradewinds Park at Sample Road and Florida’s Turnpike in Coconut Creek.

What are your favorite things to do outside this time of year? Post in the comments.

MORE FAMILY FUN

Find more ideas for classes, events and other activities in Things to Do.

- CHARLENE PACENTI

EDITOR’S NOTE: This was originally posted on March 21, 2010.

One of the very best ways to spend a gorgeous afternoon this time of year is to hit one of the local you-pick strawberry stands.

In fact, the Florida harvest is a little later this year because of the unusually cold winter. But growers say the berries are coming in now, and the cold made them sweeter.

Our favorite place to pick is a short hop over to the The Girls in Delray Beach (just south of The Boys produce market on Military Trail, north of Atlantic Avenue).

Kids love to run between the rows and rows of strawberry plants grown in hydroponic containers, plucking the ripe ones to fill their little red buckets. But The Girls is also like a tiny farm, with mini-donkeys, swans, a barn, tropical birds, gardens, windmills, and a giant tortoise named Lightning.

You could spend a whole afternoon there. It’s open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (They host kids’ birthday parties, too). Visit its website here.

We also paid a visit to Harvest Time Market a few miles north in Lake Worth (Hypoluxo Road and Military Trail). The berries were picked out for the weekend, but they expected to have more ready to harvest by Tuesday. But the barbecue pit was serving up some great ribs and quail, and the fruit shake stand was open. It was still worth the drive.

Harvest Time also has fresh-squeezed orange juice and a bountiful vegetable stand. It’s open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Visit its website here.

What are your favorite ideas for family fun? Post in the comments.