School Closings: How to Know if it's a Snow Day in New York City

Snow days are the stuff of childhood magic during the winter. Photo by Anita Gregorio Marsault

How do you find out if your kid's New York City school is closed because of snow? In short, snow days are unlikely for public school students during the 2021-22 school year. The mayor made waves by announcing there will be no snow days this school year at all, instead public schools are expected to host remote lessons on stormy days. Still, you'll want to know if you need to bundle up and head to a school building, or hunker down and sign on.

If you've got children in the city's private schools and nursery schools, they tend to close more often.

Here are the best resources for finding out if New York City schools are closing for a snow day, as well as ideas for what to do in the event of snowmageddon, like NYC's Top Sledding Hills and snow day boredom busters to do indoors.

Yellowstone National Park with Kids: A Year-Round Guide

Visit beautiful and family-friendly Yellowstone National Park all year long. Photo courtesy of NPS

Yellowstone National Park (the world's first national park) encompasses 2.2 million acres of wild and unrivaled natural beauty. With canyons, gushing geysers, hot springs, lush forests, and a plethora of wildlife, there is no better place for children to learn about nature and watch the buffalo roam.

As a parent, it can be daunting to plan a trip that's "out in the wild." To help you, we've created this handy guide to visiting Yellowstone National Park with kids in any season. No matter when you visit, you'll see breathtaking natural wonders and plenty of animals, so don't forget your camera and binoculars, as well as sturdy shoes for hiking.

If your family's been bitten by the national park bug, see our guide to visiting Acadia National Park with kids. And be sure to visit our Family Travel Guide for more family vacation ideas.

Lumagica Transforms Harvest Moon Orchards Into a Dazzling Winter Wonderland

Lumagica packs plenty of twinkling holiday cheer into the grounds at Harvest Moon Orchard.

If you’ve ever gone apple picking at Harvest Moon Orchards in North Salem, New York, it's worth revisiting this holiday season. You'll be astonished by the orchard's transformation into the region's newest holiday attraction, Lumagica. The orchard’s winding trails and slopes have been repurposed to provide a pastoral setting for a twinkling holiday lights display. In fact, with apples still clinging to some trees, the combination of fall harvest and winter wonderland converge almost surreally.

Read on to learn more about the magic of Lumagica and find more attractions to get your glow on at these drive-thru holiday light shows. We've got more magical picks to carry you through the season in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events.

30+ Awesome Santa Activities in New Jersey

Meet Scuba Santa at the Adventure Aquarium. Photo courtesy of the Aquarium

Santa Claus is making his rounds throughout the Garden State, and we've found up more than 30 fun ways to see him this Christmas season. These Santa sightings are a far cry from sitting on his lap at your local mall. Instead, jolly old St. Nick can be found aboard holiday trains, lighting up small-town trees, sitting on a Christmas-red tractor, and stopping by dazzling light displays. You can even wave to him during a stunning holiday light drive-thru or see him swimming with sharks.

Read on for awesome Santa activities in New Jersey this December, and find more Santa meet-and-greet opportunities in our Holiday Fun Guide, including where to take Santa pictures and where to have breakfast with Santa.

You're Invited to Join the Mommy Poppins Operation Santa Project

Help us give back this holiday season by adopting a letter to Santa.

Our families and communities have been hit hard in 2021. For us at Mommy Poppins, much of this year has been turned inward as we’ve struggled with activities and schools shut down and families in various states of personal turmoil. After almost two years of this, we really felt the need to shift our focus outward this holiday season, both to uplift our communities and ourselves. We thought the best way to help parents this holiday season would be to bring joy to kids, so we’ve put together a team of volunteer Mommy Poppins Elves to fulfill the wishes of children in need through letters to Operation Santa.

We'll do all the shopping, wrapping, and shipping, making it super easy for busy parents to give without the schlep. We'll also purchase our gifts at small businesses, to help support our local business communities. Read on to learn more about this project and see how you can help with a $2 donation. 

Where to See Holiday Concerts and Sing Christmas Carols in NYC This Season

Sing Christmas carols during the annual winter edition of Make Music New York this holiday season. Photo courtesy of Make Music New York

Crooning Christmas carols on a brisk evening in the company of neighbors, pals, or friendly strangers is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season. Carolers of all levels mingle at these events—even the occasional Broadway star has been spotted from time to time—to serenade the city with a message of peace and joy. We've rounded up more than a dozen gatherings where you can literally sing in the holidays, and don't forget to check out all of the Christmas tree lightings—they often include caroling in their programs, too

If you'd rather just listen, consider booking tickets to a holiday concert to get everyone in the spirit. We've got our top picks for those, plus, we couldn't resist including a collection of NYC's many salutes to Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

However you spend the holidays, we wish you all the joy of the season. Don't forget to check our Family Activity Calendar and Guide to Holiday Events for more seasonal picks.

35+ Christmas and Holiday Events for NJ Toddlers and Preschoolers

Go on a hayride to see sparkling Christmas lights at Johnson's Corner Farm. Photo courtesy of the farm

Sometimes they're naughty, sometimes they're nice, but no matter the mood, the holiday season is always a magical time for toddlers and preschoolers. New Jersey is home to dozens of jolly holiday events geared toward the younger set. Get wowed by animal-shaped Christmas lights at the stroller-friendly Turtle Back Zoo. Indulge in cookies and cocoa on a Polar Express train ride. And give your wish list to Santa Claus himself at a local meet and greet or catch his visit to Imagine That.

So, take a break from wrapping gifts and hiding elves on shelves to enjoy one of these 35+ preschooler-friendly Christmas activities guaranteed to put little ones in the holiday spirit. For more holiday fun, bookmark our Guide to Christmas for New Jersey Families.

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