Weekly Wrap Up: Hanukkah Events, Holiday Break Camps, Pop-Up Shops

12/15/11 - By Raven Snook

All of NYC seems to be illuminated in honor of the holidays. While there are some really spectacular light displays in the outer boroughs, you can find a few fun ones in Manhattan, too. (Our photo was snapped on 117th Street and Madison Avenue.)

Like last week, we were very holiday heavy this week, with posts about Hanukkah celebrations, awesome pop-up shops, winter break camps and other holiday fun.

This is the season for giving, and we've been really moved by how much our readers have given to our holiday food drive. We are less than $500 from our $2,500 goal, which will feed 10,000 hungry NYC children this holiday. Our drive ends on Monday, December 19. We hope as you dash around town buying cool gifts and having fun that you'll consider helping us meet our goal.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

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New York City

We expanded our Holiday Gift Guide this week with posts about our favorite pop-up shops and a roundup of experience gifts for NYC kids (think museum sleepovers and karaoke parties). We also compiled a list of non-electronic gifts for preschoolers.

Hanukkah starts at sundown next Tuesday, but the family festivities begin this weekend.

If you're still figuring out what to do with the kids over school recess, we've got details about a bunch of wonderful holiday break camps.

Other activity suggestions for break include the amusement-park-like exhibit Carsten Höller: Experience at the New Museum, and Radio City Music Hall's super-fun Stage Door Tour.

We continued our series of posts by NYPL librarians with a roundup of cool picture books about winter.

Best bets for the weekend include Elizabeth Mitchell at Symphony Space, a Mexican Christmas Family Celebration at the Museum of the City of New York and a host of Hanukkah parties.

New Jersey

Across the Hudson, we rounded up our favorite ice-skating rinks in the state.

Over cooking? We've got no-bake treats to help get you through the holidays.

Books make great gifts. We compiled our top titles for kids, organized by reading level.

We also shared a heartwarming tale about NJ kids who are encouraging families to adopt shelter animals this season.

Weekend events include sundaes with Santa in Cranford, the Laser Nutcracker Spectacular 3D in Trenton and the Hanukkah Family Olympics in West Orange.

Long Island

Over in LI, we spotlighted 9 holiday shows for families.

Things to do this weekend include a Hanukkah Celebration at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center, Winter Wonderland at the Clark Botanic Garden and Breakfast with Santa at the Long Island Aquarium.

Connecticut

In CT, we told you where you can meet Santa. We also have an additional roundup of Santas specifically in Hartford County.

If you're in Fairfield County, we shared plenty of activities to do with kids over school break.

In case eating out is one of your holiday traditions, we compiled a list of restaurants in Litchfield County that are open this season.

Weekend highlights include the North Pole Express Train Ride in Essex, Christmas By the Sea at Mystic Seaport and the Vintage Train to Santa's Toyland at the Danbury Railway Museum.

Los Angeles & Boston

If you're heading to LA for the holidays, we rounded up restaurants open on Christmas day.

Up in Boston, we shared kid-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations.