Holiday lights, sights, and celebrations abound in NYC this December. Read on for our top things to do with kids to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.

We're still plowing through the leftover turkey, and we have to start prepping for Christmas, Hanukkah, and 2024's final bow. Luckily, there's a spectacular array of kid-friendly things to do in December.

The month kicks off with Annie at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and Whoopi Goldberg takes on a starring role. The Met Opera's The Magic Flute is a can't-miss at Lincoln Center, plus the month brings tons of holiday fun, including the cacophony of musical madness that is Unsilent Night.

Keep our top picks for holiday must-do's handy all month long, too, and bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for easy access to all the holiday hullabaloo that pops up!

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 2024 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 Let It Glow: A Holiday Lantern Spectacular at the Bergen County Zoo. 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.

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 absolutely sparkle during the holiday season, with light displays and fun celebrations for the whole family. We are kicking off the month with Frosty Day in Armonk, the birthplace of the song "Frosty the Snowman," featuring a parade, tree lighting, entertainers, and kids' activities.

Other festive celebrations this month include Tuckahoe's Winterfest, the Kingston Snowflake Festival, and plenty of opportunities to meet Santa, including at Brunch with Santa at the Bear Mountain Inn.  

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

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this Thanksgiving Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

Families are invited to get a pre-turkey workout at one of the many turkey trots held on Thanksgiving Day throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley, including the Westchester Turkey Trot in Valhalla, which also includes a kids' dash and free donuts at the finish line. 

Other awesome things to do this Thanksgiving weekend include Frosty Day in Armonk, Rye's Mistletoe Magic, and the weekend-long Holiday Kickoff at the Hudson River Museum, with storytelling, a magic show, and a special holiday planetarium show.

Looking for more holiday options? Browse our Westchester Kids Guide to Christmas and the Holidays, which is full of our top picks for holiday events.

Looking for the best things to do on Long Island this Thanksgiving weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Work up an appetite for your Thanksgiving feast by participating in a family-friendly turkey trot on Thursday morning. Or, get some activity in by driving through the Jones Beach Magic of Lights.  For a throwback feel, check out how Christmas was celebrated in 1863 at the Old Bethpage Village Restoration.

Find more seasonal fun in our Long Island Kids Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events!

Looking for the best things to do in New Jersey this Thanksgiving Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for the holiday weekend.

Thanksgiving has arrived, so gobble up all the fun and festivities this long weekend has to offer. Annual winter festivals kick off the weekend, including Bergen County Winter Wonderland, featuring ice skating, train rides, and bumper cars. Santa makes his grand arrival at tree-lighting celebrations in Red Bank and Point Pleasant Beach.

Check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for NJ Families for more holiday season happenings this weekend, including Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights in New Jersey.

Looking for the best things to do in New York City on Thanksgiving weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this Thanksgiving weekend.

We're grateful for so much this weekend, including two behind-the-scenes Thanksgiving Day Parade peeks: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation and Marching Bands Practice at the Seaport Museum. Then, Thursday brings the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy's Santaland opens Friday, serving as the gateway to the sparkly NYC holiday season.

We're anticipating classic holiday fun, like the New York City Ballet's Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, plus new holiday happenings, including the brilliant Lektrik light show setting the Queens Botanical Garden aglow. Read on for all our top picks for Thanksgiving Day weekend fun in NYC.

December brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles with Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve. Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in Los Angeles this month.

Top things to do in Los Angeles and unwrap this December include Wicked at the Pantages, Manhattan Beach Annual Holiday Fireworks Festival (snow and fireworks!), an entire fleet of boat parades, including Dana Point's Boat Parade of Lights, and LA County's Annual Holiday Celebration. Mirabel, Tiana, and Moana skate into the Southland with a new Disney on Ice show that finds the Magic in the Stars. 2024 brings us a true Chrismukkah miracle as the first night of Hanukkah coincides with Christmas Day. However, some local celebrations occur earlier, such as the Skirball's annual Hanukkah Festival.

To end the month in style, ring in the New Year at Gloria Molina Grand Park—or Noon Year at the Southern California Children's Museum—depending on your bedtime, as we look forward to all the fun we'll have in 2025. Keep reading to discover the best things to do in Los Angeles this December.

For even more fun things to do in LA this season, check out our Holiday and Christmas Activities Guide for LA Families—which includes a roundup of the Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus, Walk-Thrus, and Christmas Light Shows in Los Angeles, where to see The Nutcracker and other holiday shows in LA, and more.