Veterans Day Weekend 2024 in San Francisco: 10 Best Things To Do With Kids

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Glowfari glistens throughout the Oakland Zoo. Photo courtesy of the Oakland County Zoo

Looking for the best things to do in San Francisco and the Bay Area this Veterans Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long weekend!

Saturday is Veterans Day, and some honorable events are happening all over the Bay Area. Celebrate the holiday at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco with free admission or to San Jose for the Veterans Day Parade to honor all who have served. You could also take advantage of Free National Park Day with a day trip to Yosemite or Muir Woods. Or, head over to the Oakland Zoo for the opening weekend of Glowfari. 

Enjoy local fall fun with fabulous family road trips, and discover more autumn adventures in our Fall Fun Guide for San Francisco Bay Area Families. 

Veterans Day Weekend 2024 in Los Angeles: 13 Best Things To Do With Kids

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Veterans Day celebrations take place across LA. Photo courtesy of Canva

Looking for the best things to do in Los Angeles this Veterans Day weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this long weekend!

We owe so much to our veterans—those who have put themselves in harm's way to defend the liberties we hold dear. This weekend also marks the start of several limited experiences and holiday-favorite events, such as Lite-Brite Worlds of Wonder in Santa Monica, Kidspace Winter Frolic, and the new Friends-themed Warner Brother Studio Tour. 

Art and science collide with a three-day weekend at the PST ART + Science Family Festival at La Brea Tar Pits. Guests can make a California pollinator puppet, build with Adobe (the mud, not the software), make a colorful stop-motion animation, craft LED flowers & eco-friendly bracelets, look at the sun through solar telescopes, and so much more. Kid's favorite music makers performing include Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Jazzy Ash and the Leaping Lizards, and Rhythm Child Network. Sounds good to us! 

With a three-day Veterans Day holiday ahead, more upcoming holidays are top of mind, like restaurants open on Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, and holiday and Christmas events in Los Angeles to book now. Plan for more holiday fun in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Los Angeles Families. 

See the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation with Kids

Jody Mercier's picture Submitted by Jody Mercier on

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation is an event unto itself. See the larger-than-life balloons come to life the night before the parade. Photo by Anthony Quintano/CC BY 2.0

Thanksgiving in New York City wouldn’t be what it is without the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. If you're eager to take your kids to glimpse those giant balloons and don’t want to rise before dawn, visit the area near the American Museum of Natural History on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, to watch the giants come to life during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation.

While the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation is far from crowd-free, it’s an only-in-New York event all its own—and one of our must-do holiday events for families. Read on for tips on when to go and where to eat. In need of more holiday inspiration? Visit our NYC Kids Thanksgiving Fun Guide.

How To Find Free Toys for Kids this Christmas and Holiday Season—Apply Soon!

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Sometimes you can lend a helping hand, sometimes you need a helping hand. Because every kid deserves presents on Christmas. Photo by Jaime Sumersille

With the holidays right around the corner, many nonprofits are gearing up to ensure that the 2024 holiday season is joyful for all families. If you need a little extra help this season, here is a list of organizations that are distributing free toys to kids in need. 

If you aren't struggling and want your family to start a tradition of giving back, reach out to one of these groups to see how you can donate free toys or offer other assistance. Not sure what gifts to donate? Our Gift Guide has recommendations for kids of all ages at all price points for toys and gifts that kids adore.

For more ways to save money this holiday season, try giving homemade gifts that kids can make themselves, like bookmarks made from recycled holiday cards or salt dough handprint ornaments. Our Christmas Activities and Hanukkah Guide also includes lots of free ways to have fun with your family this holiday season.

Awesome Field Trip Destinations in NYC for Kids

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Field trips at Cricket's Candy Creations let kids of all ages craft edible masterpieces. Photo by Jody Mercier

The incredible number of cultural institutions in NYC makes for some awesome field trip destinations for local schools. While raising kids in NYC isn't always easy, one huge perk is the wide-ranging choice of kid-friendly museums, incredible zoos, and other cultural institutions that are just a subway ride away. With kid-friendly, educational programming, many of these local spots make excellent field trip destinations in NYC for classes, troops, home-schoolers, camps, and other groups.

While the zoos and larger museums are obvious field trip destinations in NYC, we've rounded up some lesser-known gems below. These NYC field trip destinations are a bit more off-the-beaten-path. From historic houses to on-the-water classrooms and soaring cathedrals, we've got you covered for your next NYC field trip. Read on for the 12 of the coolest field trip destinations in NYC, and happy exploring!

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