The aftermath of Christmas can leave you feeling us a little flat. The presents have been opened, played with and discarded, and soon it will be time to take down the decorations. I bet you’ve also imbibed quite a bit of the grape and the grain and over-indulged on Christmas pud.

If you’re lucky enough to have an extended holiday, there are still plenty of things to do until well into January. But even if you have gone back to work already you’re sure to be able to fit in an outing or two.

You could work off that Christmas excess by getting your skates on and heading for one of the open-air ice rinks that have taken temporary refuge in the area. Open until January 4 are rinks right in the heart of Halifax, Huddersfield and York. Huddersfield On Ice, in the Piazza, doesn’t have a nursery rink, but there are special sessions with a group instructor at the weekends at 11.30am. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced freestyle or speed skater you can take to the ice on Friday nights from 6pm to 8pm.

The Rink, set in the courtyard of the historic Piece Hall – is under the protection of a giant marquee, which means you can take to the ice, whatever the weather.

York’s ice rink, set against the spectacular backdrop of Clifford’s Tower in the centre of York, is a 600sqm ice rink centred around the illuminated oak tree in the Eye of York, with a viewing area, heated café and skate hire marquees.

A cold front will be settling in Leeds later in January, when Millennium Square is transformed into a winter wonderland from January 17 to March 8. Ice Cube is returning to the city for an eighth consecutive season, and is UK’s largest outdoor ice skating rink, with more than 1,200 sqm of real ice. Visitors of all ages and skill levels are welcome.

Weather permitting, the rink will be open every day with trained ice marshalls on hand, plus a nursery rink for those taking to the ice for the first time.

Non-skaters and spectators are welcome too, with loads of space around the rink where you can watch the action, plus a skater’s café to warm-up.

So get your skates on, shake off those mid-winter blues, and be sure not to miss out on all the fun at Yorkshire’s most popular winter attractions.

If that sounds like far too much exercise, these towns and cities have much to recommend them. In fact, you could happily spend a day just investigating what’s on offer.

Art galleries, museums, great houses and civic buildings abound in Leeds. Museums include the new Leeds Museum and the Royal Armouries – both of which are free – and extremely entertaining for all ages. Then there’s the Thackray Medical Museum, also entertaining, but perhaps not for the squeamish, plus Tropical World and Temple Newsam, which are great destinations for animal lovers.

Halifax has all the ingredients for an entertaining visit, from Eureka!, the award-winning discovery museum for children, to People’s Park, which is a beautifully-restored Victorian park complete with pavilion, lakes, fountains and a children’s play area.

Also designed to stimulate all of the senses, Manor Heath Park & Jungle Experience offers perfect conditions for the exotic creatures, insects and plants that call this place home.

There is also a thriving cultural life with contemporary galleries including the Halifax Visitor Centre & Art Gallery, Dean Clough’s eight galleries and the craft-selling Marble Gallery at Bankfield, plus some private galleries.

Also on the outskirts is Shibden Hall, where the building’s stunning black and white façade conceals 600 years of history, and the surrounding formal gardens are home to a host of activities such as orienteering, rowing and pitch-and-putt.

Dominating the skyline of Huddersfield is Castle Hill, inhabited since the Stone Age and crowned by the Victoria Tower which was build-in 1898/9. From the tower there are panoramic views of the town and the surrounding countryside.

Other visitor attractions include Tolson Memorial Museum, with displays of Huddersfield’s past, including the years of prehistoric hunters, the Colne Valley Museum and Huddersfield Art Gallery.

As well as the many canal walks around the town along the Huddersfield Broad Canal and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal, there is another transport attraction – the Kirklees Light Railway, which is a narrow gauge line running through the South Pennines from Clayton West to Shelley.

I don’t have enough space here to mention all that York has to offer, but you probably know them better than I.

There’s a surfeit of museums, galleries and tours – more than 30, in fact. From the well-known National Railway Museum, the Minster, Clifford’s Tower and the Jorvik Museum, to those a little off the beaten track like some of the medieval churches.

In whatever direction you choose to explore, you are sure to feel history beneath your feet.