22 Best Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley December 2023 with Kids

Untermyer Garden's Grand Holiday Illumination runs nightly from Friday, December 8, 2023-Monday, January 1, 2024. Photo courtesy of Untermyer Gardens

Christmas lights and holiday activities are back this December, and that's just the beginning of all there is to see and do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this month.

Westchester and the Hudson Valley are going all out for the holidays with the return of festive annual traditions like Santa's sensational helicopter arrival at Museum Village in Monroe. Meanwhile, all are invited to celebrate Hanukkah at the Fire on Ice Menorah Lighting and Gelt Drop on the Dobbs Ferry waterfront. 

Be sure to bookmark our Holiday Activity Guide, which features tons of articles on things like our favorite Christmas and holiday events.

17 Best Things To Do in New Jersey December 2023 with Kids

Check out more than 50 illuminated winter scenes and animal characters at Turtle Back Zoo's holiday lights display.  Photo courtesy of the zoo

Looking for the best things to do in New Jersey in December? Christmas lights and holiday activities are among our top picks this month. 

The last month of 2023 boasts full-on holiday fun in the Garden State, and we can't wait to see the holiday lights at drive-thrus and walk-throughs like Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights in West Orange. Santa Claus is also all over town in December– catch him at festive events like his stroll through Chester.

Find more top December fun in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events in New Jersey, like our guide to the top New Jersey Christmas Towns.

Visit National Parks in 2024 on Free National Park Entrance Days: Yellowstone, Zion, Acadia, and More

Visit Joshua Tree National Park on one of the free admission days!

For a budget-friendly getaway, check out the upcoming FREE admission days at some of the country's largest and most gorgeous national parks. Courtesy of the National Park Service, there are six free national park days in 2024.

Those waiving admission in 2024 include some iconic, bucket list spots like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, Rocky Mountain, the Everglades, Acadia, Shenandoah, Cape Cod Seashore, Death Valley, and Joshua Tree National Park. Find even more kid-friendly park trips with our U.S. National Parks Travel Guide.

25 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Atlanta for Kids

Lace up those running shoes for the Jingle Jog Fun Run in Virginia-Highland. Photo courtesy of the event

We've gathered the best free holiday activities and Christmas events in Atlanta happening this season. Let's face it —the holiday season in Atlanta is magical but creating family memories isn't always cheap (like holiday showsphoto keepsakes with Santa, and more). Mommy Poppins to the rescue! There are lots of great FREE Christmas events in Atlanta. Our list has lightings (both menorahs and Christmas trees), festivals, and holiday markets. We even found free places to pose with Santa and drive-thru light shows!

For more seasonal highlights, be sure to check out our Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for Atlanta Kids, and of course, our always-up-to-date Family Activity Calendar.

63 Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Orlando for Kids

The holidays have arrived at Disney Springs! Stroll through the Tree Trail and nightly snow flurries for free. Photo courtesy of Disney

Take a break from holiday spending with FREE Christmas events in Orlando! The holidays in Orlando are absolutely magical, with nice weather and festive decor all over town, and sometimes no money is needed! From tree lightings and holiday parades to Christmas movies and Hanukkah events, get in the spirit with these free holiday events suitable for all ages. Read on for all the details about these awesome free holiday and Christmas events in Orlando!

For more holiday activities, visit our Orlando Christmas Activities and Holiday Guide for countless ideas to spend quality time with your family this holiday season. We've got everything from Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows and Breakfast with Santa in Orlando to The Nutcracker and Holiday Performances.

A Guide to Wollman Rink in Central Park: What to Know Before Ice Skating with Kids

An evening ice skating session at Central Park's Wollman Rink makes for a fun winter outing. Photo by Jody Mercier

When it comes to winter fun in NYC, ice skating at Wollman Rink in Central Park is a timeless classic. As soon as the seasons start to change, my kids can't wait to conquer our winter fun list. Of course, many of these activities involve ice and snow, and if you know anything about the past few NYC winters; Mother Nature hasn't exactly delivered.

The good news is Central Park’s iconic Wollman Rink—one of our favorite outdoor ice skating rinks in NYC—is available no matter what Mother Nature sends our way. Here, locals and tourists alike can go ice skating all winter long. A trip also puts visitors smack dab in the activity-packed Central Park, so a day of ice skating can turn into an entire afternoon of family fun.

How To Play Dreidel and Other Dreidel Games

There are so many fun ways to incorporate dreidels into your Hanukkah festivities.

Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel! Whether you make it out of clay or buy it online, a dreidel is more than just a spinning top with a catchy song. Get some more mileage out of this classic Hanukkah toy by making dreidel decor, dreidel desserts, dreidel spin art, and of course learning how to play the game that children have enjoyed for thousands of years (really!).

We've got the rundown on the rules for dreidel, plus more ideas on how to put a fresh “spin” on your holiday season.

For more Hanukkah fun, check our our list of eight ways to celebrate Hanukkah with kids, which includes a kid-friendly history of the holiday plus gift ideas, children's books, festive crafts, and more. All of our favorite ways to make this holiday season a memorable one can be found in our Guide to Holiday Fun for Kids.

Winter Fest OC is an Old Fashioned Fair with a Holiday Twist

Costa Mesa's holiday tradition at the OC Fairgrounds, Winter Fest OC, is back—and better than ever. With a new Snow Play tent and an even better ice tubing hill, the traditional county fair with holiday flair is a blast for kids of all ages. There are plenty of rides perfect for the preschool pack, enough thrilling and upside-down rides for your teens, and then some rides that parents can't resist that offer up great photo ops, like the Merry-Go-Round and Ferris wheel.

Speaking of photo ops, there are enough throughout the fair grounds and in the North Pole Journey that you'll be able to grab a great family holiday card picture, too. With snow flurries, a holiday parade, and a holiday show, this throw-back to your childhood county fair is a perfect family outing for any of those myriad vacation days we have coming up!

For more holiday outings and adventures in the Los Angeles area from Santa meet-and-greets to dazzling holiday lights, visit our Guide to Christmas Activities and Holiday Events for LA Kids!

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