‘Tis the season for the merriest of memories, tantrum-free traditions, and all-the-gang outings that everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re looking for new things to do with the kids– or a new spin on some tried-and-true favorites, here our our top picks for family-friendly holiday fun close to home.
Make and Bake for the Holidays: Set the kids up at Chef Central’s Gingerbread House Making Class where junior chefs get to decorate and take home their frosted and candy-adorned creations. ($30/class, ages 3 and up, Chef Central , 240 Rt. 17 North, Paramus) More advanced bakers can test their skills at Carlo’s Bakery’s holiday-themed cake decorating classes, where students decorate snowman or snowflake cakes. ($125/child, ages 10 and up, check schedule for dates, 12 Wilsey Square, Ridgewood)
Meet Santa: Santa is everywhere and you’ve got tons of places to see him. From his “house” in Ridgewood’s Memorial Park, to the malls: Garden State Plaza, The Shops at Riverside, Paramus Park and Bergen Towne Center, and now your favorite pooch can get in on the action with special “pet portraits” too.
Head into NYC for the Holiday Windows: This year's windows are really over the top. Whether its live ice carving or a holiday light show after dark find out where to feel festive in NYC this season.
Give Back: Want to connect the holiday with feeling thankful and giving back? Ditch the internet for the day and check out these local places where you can give back as a family.
Be Entertained: Whether you’re an annual Nutcracker-goer or love local productions of beloved classics, this season’s Broadway and local theater has got something for everyone in your house- little or big. So get ready to snag tickets to these best seats in the house. Or check out Kaplen JCC on the Palisades family-friendly Mish Mash with Jonathan Geffner, Ventriloquist on Christmas Day.(tickets starting at $10, click here to register)
See the Lights: Holiday time = twinkling lights (and cocoa of course). Whether you hit up Skylands Stadium Christmas Light Show which includes more than 2 million lights displayed on a 1 mile drive through course plus a Christmas village with live entertainment, Santa visits and vendors or Turtle Back Zoo's Holiday Lights Display including 50 animal and holiday-themed figures plus some live animal exhibits to visit, your weekend nights with the kiddos can be festive and bright.
Get Laughs with the Harlem Globetrotters: Everyone's favorite ballers are heading to the Prudential Center on New Years Day. Snag tickets and be entertained or enter to win a family 4 pack of tickets in our giveaway here!
Celebrate the Classics: Nestle in to the cozy confines of the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow for “A Christmas Carol” and let master storyteller Jonathan Kruk, complete with musical accompaniment, regale you with his adaptation of this Charles Dickens classic.
Go for Tea: After an exhausting shopping jaunt with the kiddos , you’ll be forgiven big time when you treat them to the stylish holiday Eloise Tea at the Plaza Hotel in NYC where tea sandwiches, scones and kid-friendly tea varieties are served in the gorgeous Palm Court. (Adult/$60, Child/$45, The Plaza, NYC) Or for a quick trip in, book a table at Saturday’s Madeline Tea at the Carlyle Hotel for civilized eats, treats, singalongs and storytime. ($35/child $75/adult, 10:30am and 1pm, The Carlyle Hotel, NYC, 212 744 1600)
Learn Something: Climb upon Liberty Science Center’s Infinity Climber suspended multi-story play space that dares you to climb, crawl, and balance your way through pathways as high as 35 feet above the atrium floor. Then hit the Dora & Diego exhibition and Polar Express IMAX for a fun filled day (tickets start at $19.75, Liberty State Park 222 Jersey City Boulevard Jersey City). Head to Manhattan’s UWS to visit the famed Origami Holiday Tree at the Museum of Natural History, then learn tricks from origami pros who are there throughout the holiday season. (through 1/10/16, $22, AMNH, Central Park West at 79th Street)
Skate Outside: A newly updated public outdoor skating rink in Fort Lee (located at Palisades Interstate Park on Hudson Terrace off Central Road and behind the Fort Lee High School football field) and the rink at Memorial Park in Rutherford make it as easy as bringing your own skates and helmet to get out on the ice as a family. Or head over the bridge to Bank America’s Winter Village at Bryant Park, ride the carrousel, snag free photos, and shop the boutiques for everyone on your list! (see rates/times for skating, Bryant Park, NYC)
Get Spooked: If your resident thrill-seekers didn’t get over to Brighton Asylum for Halloween, don’t freak out. NJ’s “scariest haunted house” has transformed their tour into a Santa Slay theme where visitors can stroll through Santa’s workshop and see lobotomized elves mindlessly packing demented toys. Caution: this is a “full contact” event and not suited for young children (or squeamish teens). (tickets $25/each, 12/19 & 12/26, 2 Brighton Ave, Passaic)
View (and eat) the World’s Biggest Gingerbread House: Wanna really get in the spirit? Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses at NYSCI's Ginger Lane, where a huge edible village is drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. Then return on January 10th for the dismantling and take a piece home with you! (through 1/9/16, free with admission, NY Hall of Science, 47-01 111st Street, Corona, NY)
Hang with the Animals: Visit with the Critters, Santa and Characters at the Bergen County Zoo at their annual Holiday with the Animals program where kids can watch the animals open their presents (awww) and ride the train for free. (Saturday, December 13th,12:30-3pm, Bergen County Zoo, Paramus)
Visit a Real Life Ice Castle: Elsa's castle has nothing on this real life version in Lincoln, NH. The look on your kids' faces as they wind through the frozen paradise will be worth the drive.
