FOR THE KIDS : Vacation Fillers : A number of not so run-of-the-mill activities are available over the Christmas break.

It’s Christmas Eve and by this time tomorrow, the new roller-blading Barbie doll will be unwrapped. The electronic battleship will be getting oohs and aahs.

That takes care of Christmas Day. But what about the rest of school vacation. Wondering what to do with the kids?

Well, here’s a few suggestions you might not have thought of. Some will cost you. Some won’t. And they’re all right here in Ventura County.

Bicycling

Here’s another outing with impressive views.

For a family biking jaunt, try the Ojai Valley Trail. It’s a nine-mile stretch of paved trail that runs from the outskirts of Ventura to downtown Ojai. The first five miles are more secluded, rising gently with views of the valley. As it gets closer to Ojai, the trail parallels California 33, and bikers must cross a few busy streets.

The trail begins at Foster Park, just off California 33, where you can park. It stops at Fox Street in Ojai. And for planning purposes, the trip back down is faster and easier.

Ice-Skating

How about ice-skating? Yes, you can ice skate in Southern California. The Conejo Valley Ice Skating Center is an indoor rink in Newbury Park that isn’t well-known outside serious skating circles.

During Christmas vacation, the rink expands its hours for public skating. Through Jan. 3, it’s open daily from 1:30 to 4 p.m.--even on Christmas and New Year’s. Evening hours are 7 to 9 p.m., except those two holidays and Jan. 3.

The public skating session costs $6.25 for adults and $5 for kids; skate rental is $2. On Christmas and New Year’s, it’s cheaper--only $3 for adults and $2 for kids.

The rink is at 510 N. Ventu Park Road. For information, call 498-6669. Now all you have to do is round up some mittens for everyone and muster enough courage to get out on the ice yourself.

Paint Pals Clubhouse

Want something a little tamer?

Paint Pals Clubhouse in Simi Valley has a little of everything for kids. They can make sand paintings, paint plaster statues of fish, flowers or Ninja turtles, sing “Old MacDonald” along with the karaoke machine, play in the “shadow room” or fool around with fluorescent light in the “dark room.”

The cost is a real bargain. For $1, a child has unlimited time in the clubhouse. For an extra 50 cents, he or she can use the karaoke machine, and statues for painting cost $1 on up.

Owner Val Simon will let parents drop off older children. They are allowed to call home when they want to leave, or kids can receive phone calls at the clubhouse from their parents.

Hours at Paint Pals Clubhouse, 1716 Erringer Road, are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. For information, call 581-4676.

Hiking

Here’s one activity that won’t cost anything: Take a hike.

Wildwood Park in Thousand Oaks is a jewel of a hiking spot in the heart of suburbia. It’s 1,600 acres of wooded country with peaks and valleys and spectacular views.

Managed by the Conejo Recreation and Park District, it has hiking trails for all levels, but the most popular is a 2.5-mile round-trip trek to Paradise Falls. There, you’ll see a 55-foot waterfall and along the way, you might run into deer, bobcats, coyotes and rabbits.

At the heart of the park is the nature center, which is equipped with bathrooms and water fountains, but rangers suggest bringing your own water too.

Park at the lot at Avenida de los Arboles and Big Sky Drive. The lot is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the park generally is open from sunrise to sunset. For information, call 496-3185.

Exotic Animals

If your kids are into baboons rather than bikes, here’s a way to fill your Sunday afternoon.

Take them to a show featuring wild, exotic animals. Students at Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training Compound bring out 10 to 14 animals every Sunday for an hourlong performance beginning at 3 p.m.

The show is in the college’s outdoor wildlife theater, where the students tell the audience a bit about each animal--everything from camels to snakes--as they are brought out. Some of the animals, including the sea lion Schmoo, do tricks.

For 45 minutes prior to the show, you can walk around the animal compound, and take a look at the animals and talk to the student trainers.

All this costs $3 for adults and $2 for children. Moorpark College is off the west end of the Simi Valley Freeway at College View Drive, and the wildlife theater is on University Drive within the campus. For information, call 378-1441.

Fishing

Do your kids like to fish--but only if they catch something?

Take them to Lake Casitas, just outside Ojai. Last week, rangers dropped in 2,000 pounds of trout, about a pound apiece. And on Wednesday, they’re dumping in a pile of catfish.

What better time to drop a line. Kids can fish from two fishing docks and two piers with railings. If they’re 15 and under, they don’t need a license. The bait shop at the lake sells licenses, bait and tackle, including a setup for kids that includes rod, reel, hooks, etc., for $14.

You can rent a boat, but it isn’t cheap. The smallest is $21 for the first hour.

The entrance to Lake Casitas is off California 150. The lake is open every day--including Christmas-- from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entry fee for each car is $3.