Fun, Free Activities for Kids in January 2025: 30 Free Things To Do in Orlando with Kids

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Visit Disney Springs for a special Kids Club event each Saturday in January, featuring interactive family fun. Photo courtesy of Disney

From New Year's Day to MLK weekend and beyond, January is packed with free activities for Orlando kids. Don’t miss our favorite FREE things to do in Orlando with kids this month!

Our wallets are in need of a breather for January after the great spending sprees of December. Here are fun, FREE events in Orlando this January to enjoy memorable experiences without straining your budget. These awesome, free activities in January 2025 include Three Kings Day in Osceola, Cops 'N Cars for Kids in Oviedo, Get Hook'd on Lake Monroe in Sanford, and more. MLK parades and events are taking place in Downtown Orlando, Kissimmee, Eatonville, Winter Park, Ocoee, and Winter Garden. And that's just the beginning!

These are just some of our favorite things to do in January for Orlando kids—we're adding more events to our Orlando Events Calendar every day.

Free Activities for Kids January 2025: 41 Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

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Visit the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum after hours during Family Free Nights. Photo courtesy of the museum

Looking for FREE things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this January? Read on for dozens of great options.

As spectacular as the holidays are in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, all of the celebrations can take a toll on the family budget. So we've rounded up tons of free activities in January, including Family Free Night at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum, where kids can explore STEM-themed exhibits and try out the new toddler rock wall, and the interactive fun at Safety Sally’s Firetruck Pinewood Derby at FASNY Museum of Firefighting.

January is also the start of the maple-sugaring season in the area, and you can kick it off with a Muscoot Farm backyard sugaring workshop.

24 Awesome and Free Things To Do in New Jersey in January with Kids

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The Cotsen Children's Library offers free storytimes throughout the week. Photo by Lisa Warden

Looking for FREE January events in New Jersey? Read on for dozens of great options. 

January is the perfect time to keep little ones warm and busy on a post-holiday budget with FREE and fun cold-weather festivals, including Mount Holly Fire and Ice Festival, complete with ice sculptures and chili tasting and Wassailing the Apple Trees, with music, wagon rides, and a bonfire. Plus, find plenty of admission-free weekly activities for families like Live Animal Talks at Jake Branch County Park.

Mark your calendars with these great no-cost holiday events that take place nearly every day of the season. For more winter fun, check out our Event Calendar and Winter Activities Guide.

35 Free and Fun Things To Do in NYC in January with Kids

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Join Manhattan Country School for its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March. Photo courtesy of the school

If your bank account needs a rest, fear not: We've found 35 FREE things to do in January to keep New York City families busy all month long.

Though most of the big holiday attractions in NYC are packing up the tinsel this month, January celebrations like the Three Kings Day Parade in East Harlem and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March are just around the corner. Plus, Battery Park City's KindieRock series kicks off at the end of January, so little ones have a warm spot to shake their sillies out, and Lunar New Year fun sizzles at the annual Firecracker Ceremony in Sara Roosevelt Park!

Best Family Travel of 2024: Our Favorite Cities, Beaches, Hotels, and More Vacation Ideas

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Embrace the slow rhythm of a camel ride on a safari adventure. Photo by Diana Kim

While we love to share all of the fun things to do in our own cities with kids, we also enjoy getting out of town and exploring other amazing places. And in 2024, Mommy Poppins writers and editors visited some incredible destinations. We traveled across the US, from California all the way to Florida. We also had some adventures abroad, including in Europe and Toronto.

If you have an animal lover in your family, you've got to check out our posts about our writer's trips to the Galapagos islands and on African safari. She shares all the scoop on how to have these bucket-list experiences with your own kids!

Here are our favorite family vacation destinations of 2024, including fun cities, sunny beach vacays, and kid-friendly hotels and resorts. Check out our Family Travel Guide for even more great places to visit with your family. And, join us in 2025 to see where we'll go next!

Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks and Ponds in Westchester

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Hit the ice at Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. Photo courtesy of Westchester County Department of Parks

Westchester is home to a host of outdoor ice skating rinks. And what these ice skating rinks—ranging from outdoor ice skating rinks to ice skating on local ponds—lack in upscale amenities, they make up for in old-school charm. In most cases, you'll need your own pair of skates to glide across these ice skating rinks in Westchester, plus below-freezing temperatures to ensure it's safe to set foot on the county's frozen ponds.

If you just can't wait for the ice to freeze, you can find plenty more seasonal fun in our Winter Fun Guide for Westchester and the Hudson Valley.

Best Winter Birthday Ideas for Kids on Long Island

Submitted by Jennifer Voit on

Throw a glow-karting or laser tag party for your winter baby at Xplore. Photo by Jaime Sumersille

Having a tough time coming up with winter birthday party ideas for your Long Island kiddo? We've rounded up some great options throughout LI that offer festive fun for kids of all ages.

The party packages we've highlighted accommodate various price points, party themes, food choices, and activity options. Active kids can show off their ninja birthday skills at a family fun center, art-loving kids can celebrate with a paint party extravaganza, or you can sweeten the special day for your little one with a candy-making event. 

Read on for our full list, and check out our Long Island Party Guide for other exciting birthday party ideas. 

Best Things To Do in New Jersey January 2025 with Kids

Submitted by Laurie Rein on

Disney on Ice presents Frozen and Encanto at the Prudential Center this month. Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment

From New Year's Day to MLK weekend, January can be a great time for indoor and outdoor activities. Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in New Jersey this month.

A new year brings a bnew roster of warm and cozy post-holiday fun. Escape the cold and treat the family to warm indoor festivals, including the decadent Dessertopia. Or, layer up and brave the outdoors for maple tree tapping or the Mount Holly Fire and Ice Festival.

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