Editor's note: This post is in the process of being updated for 2024. Please check back soon for full details.
Santa Claus is coming to town and New York City kids have plenty of places to take pictures with Santa this season. From the heartwarming experience at Macy's Santaland to appearances at area malls—Santa is popping up and posing all over town.

Read on for our favorite spots to take pictures with Santa all across the five boroughs, including plenty of venues offering FREE pictures with Santa in NYC. Our rundown of Christmas tree lightings in NYC offers more opportunities to see jolly old St. Nick. We've got even more ways to meet the seasonal celebrity at these brunches, teas, and cruises with Santa, and our Guide to Christmas and the Holidays in NYC offers more holiday fun.

Pictures with Santa in Los Angeles aren't your standard snaps: here we have Diving Santa, Shogun Santa, Santa on a train, and so much more.

When it comes to Christmas in Los Angeles, Santa is coming to town in many forms and fashions unique to SoCal. Los Angeles offers some of the best Santas around, including several special versions of Santa you won't find anywhere else. So, snap a few pictures with Santa at one of these fun, funky, and totally LA Santa photo opportunities, from diving Santas to farm Santas, Shogun Santa to the Santa at Disneyland. 

Get our picks for the best holiday activities and Christmas events in Los Angeles, festive Polar Express train rides, and more. Check out tons of festive Christmas fun in our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities in Los Angeles. 

From perpetually wet feet to relentlessly bundling (and unbundling) your kids with layer upon layer, the need to escape grows for many parents as the winter drags on. Even those families who don't live with the finicky four-season cycle might prefer their family vacation with a side of palm trees, rather than fur-trimmed snow boots.

So whether you're seeking to escape the cold or just don't want to spend your holiday season vacation in it, we've rounded up 42 of the best winter vacation ideas in the US and abroad filled with sun, fun, and warmth.

Read on to find great all-inclusive resorts, beaches, and charming cities teeming with culture that will give you a family vacation that’s sunny, not snowy. For even more winter vacation ideas, be sure to check out our Family Travel Destination Guide.

Families all over Westchester deck their houses with Christmas lights, but certain special houses merit a visit all their own.

We’ve rounded up several of our favorite local Christmas light displays for 2024, perfect for getting your crew into the holiday spirit. While most of these displays are of the homegrown variety, you can find plenty of spectacular professional displays in the tristate area, too.

If you're looking for even more holiday happenings, check out our Holiday Fun Guide to hear about all the fun as soon as we do.

'Tis the season to get the gang all dressed up to see some holiday shows in NYC! While the city is lucky to have amazing shows on Broadway for kids all year-round, during the holidays there are a range of joyous seasonal productions for families, from inexpensive, low-key offerings perfect for fidgety preschoolers, to over-the-top spectacles that are worth the investment. And you can book discounted tickets to many of them through Mommy Poppins.

From live stage adaptations of classics to amazing circus, dance, and impossible-to-describe performances, here are our top 15 holiday shows in NYC for families, and that's in addition to all those beautiful Nutcrackers playing at local theaters. You can find additional theater picks in our Guide to Children's Theater in NYC and more seasonal outings in our Holiday Fun Guide for NYC Kids.

Santa Claus is coming to the Garden State, and we’ve found 11 New Jersey Christmas towns that prove it. We're talking about the places where sleigh bells ring, carolers sing, and thousands of Christmas lights sparkle. These local New Jersey Christmas towns are getting into the holiday spirit with decked-out trees, strolling entertainment, and visits with Santa.

So, pull out the warm clothes, cue the holiday music, and take a drive to one of these charming, Christmas-crazed New Jersey towns. Then check out one of these Polar Express trains in New Jersey, plus plenty more ways to be merry in our New Jersey Holiday Fun Guide.

It’s nearly that time of year again: The Rockefeller Center tree is getting spruced up and ready to welcome visitors as one of the most popular attractions of the holiday season in New York City. With its dazzling lights, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree overlooks the ice skating rink, producing a postcard-perfect sight worth seeing at least once. So, don your gloves and holiday spirit because we've done the legwork to provide you with everything you need to know about visiting the Rockefeller Center tree in 2023, from best times to visit to avoid the crowds to the best restaurants near Rockefeller Center.

Find all the seasonal highlights in our Guide to Christmas in NYC, including other Christmas tree lightings and our picks for must-do holiday activities.

Montessori preschools focus on a student-led model of education, and Westchester is home to a number of top-notch institutions. 

Westchester's Montessori preschools are aimed at kids as young as 6 weeks old up through those who are 6 years old. All of the schools on this list also offer a variety of options for parents to choose from, including the number of attendance days per week, as well as additional choices, like before- or after-school care. 

For even more education options for your toddler, check out our Preschools Guide for Westchester Kids.