This year, 2018, has the earliest possible date for Thanksgiving: November 22. What we lost in turkey prep time, we'll make up for in a lovely, elongated holiday season on the road to Christmas and New Year's. In between your Christmas shopping and holiday to-dos, we've assembled our annual list of activities kids will love—and won't cost an arm and a leg. From holiday light shows to breakfast with Santa to Christmas trains, we’ve compiled 12 great memory-making activities for this month.

Check out our full calendar of events and our holiday guide for even more options.

The holidays are a special time for all children, but toddlers and preschoolers help keep the rest of us young with their awe and delight at simple holiday pleasures. No matter what holiday you celebrate, it’s a wonderful age to share family traditions—or introduce new ones.  

We’ve rounded up 25 things you can do with your toddler or preschooler this holiday season, many of which are FREE! Looking for more ideas? Consult our Event Calendar and follow us on Facebook—we've got many, many more! 

This time of year, holiday markets are springing up all around the greater Boston area, from church fairs to school bazaars to high-end artist markets. We’ve highlighted 12 fun finds that feature the handiwork of artisans from both near and far. Many have extras like food and live entertainment, and some even have Santa on hand for sharing holiday wishes! Take this opportunity to get into the holiday spirit; and find one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones, too. Stay tuned for 2019 updates!

'Tis the season to get the gang all dressed up to see some holiday shows. While there are plenty of spectacles to splurge on, like the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and all those beautiful Nutcrackers, if you've got young children you may not want to blow all of your bucks on theater tickets.

That's why our roundup of Christmas-season family theater includes a range of productions, from inexpensive, low-key offerings perfect for fidgety preschoolers, to extravaganzas that are worth the investment.

From live stage adaptations of classics such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to seasonal musicals based on popular picture books, to amazing circus feats and offbeat spectacles (like drag queen ballerinas and performing-arts activists), here are our top 18 holiday shows for NYC families.

Brace yourself; whether or not you have lice, your head is about to start itching.

Maybe you've heard a rumor that lice are running amok at your school or - worse still - you've just received word that your kid is the one who's got them; either way, you need to know how to prevent or get rid of lice. Larger class sizes, fewer school nurses, and increasingly resistant strains of louse are making these itch-inducing parasites a much bigger part of our lives now than when we were kids. And boy can lice louse up your day.

The Billy Johnson Playground in Central Park has reopened after a months-long rehabilitation and reconstruction project, bringing with it not only the re-opening of the iconic, long, curving granite slide, but also a second granite slide that's accessible for smaller kids. The playground now sports a rustic new net climber with slides and a rope bridge, and a new water feature as well.

While the original slide helped land the playground on our list of 100 things to do with city kids before they grow up, the renovation adds a few new noteworthy features to one of our favorite playgrounds in Central Park.

Bloomingdale's, the iconic department store known for its dazzling holiday window displays, has a Santa's-sack-worth of festive delights in store this season. After marveling at the Grinch-themed holiday windows, just unveiled last week, and taking a turn on the Who-ville karaoke microphone to belt out a round or two of "Jingle Bells," head inside for even more fun and surprises.

This year, the store has opened an adorable, FREE indoor skating rink (complete with a hot chocolate bar), as well as a life-sized gingerbread house display, and a virtual reality experience that lets you take a ride on Santa's sleigh. For a peek inside this pop-up winter wonderland, read on.

Last week, Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers opened a brand-new, free play area, the centerpiece of which is the area's first Luckey Climber.

The outdoor climbing structure—part jungle gym, part work of art—was designed by Hartford, CT–based "kid architect" Spencer Luckey, whose distinctive climbers can be found in public spaces and private institutions around the world, including Liberty Science Center in Newark, NJ; The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia; and the Long Island Children's Museum in Garden City, NY.