Weekend Events for NJ Kids Dec. 19-20: Kwanzaa, Crafts and Lights, Lights, Lights!

Done baking? Shopping completed? Holiday parties over? Of COURSE not!  Exactly why you and the kids need a break from the chaos.  Scrap the gift wrap, bundle up and head out to a Kwanzaa festival;  holiday lights at a zoo, aquarium or children’s garden; jump on a holiday train ride with Santa; or just enjoy nature with birds and crafts.  ‘Tis the season, and you’ll be darn sad you missed it playing Betty Crocker if you don’t take advantage of it now!

New York City Kids Weekend Events December 18-20: Free Holiday Movies, Brunch with Santa, a SoHo Christmas Parade and More

The weekend before Christmas is a crazy time in the City—tourists are flocking in, folks are doing last-minute shopping, stores are open ridiculous hours, and kids are anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival. This perfect storm of holiday cheer has also created a weekend bursting with unimaginable events (a hot chocolate crawl!), and we promise you won’t even have to look at Rockefeller Center to take part in all the festivities. 

Read on for info on where you can dine with the jolly man in red, shop for hand-made crafts while your kids are entertained (for free), see the joining of cultures at Little Italy’s and Chinatown’s East Meets West Christmas Parade, and for even more wonderful and surprising events.

Holiday Music: Favorite Christmas and Hanukkah Songs

Selecting good kids holiday music is a lot like going into a giant candy store--there are simply way too many choices and there is always the risk of selecting (and paying for) something way too sweet or worse discovering that a pretty wrapper may cover an outright dud.  With all that in mind, here are some fantastic selections that will get you in the holiday spirit for Christmas, Hanukkah, Chrismakkah or whatever you celebrate. Feel free to share your favorite Holiday music in the comments.

Big Holiday Giveaway: Win Free Tickets to Wintuk!

Robert Y. won the tickets to the They Might Be Giants Concert, but you still have the rest of today (Friday) to enter to win tickets to Sesame Street Live, The Flaming Idiots and Dear Edwina. But before you click over to enter those giveaways read on to find out how you could win one of two family four-packs to see Wintuk, the fabulous Cirque de Soleil Holiday show at Madison Square Garden.

Weekend Events for NJ Kids December 12-13: Myths, Museums and Movies

If you’re up to your two front teeth in Christmas trees and Santa Claus, this is actually a great weekend for a breather!  Catch a reenactment of George Washington’s historic crossing of the Delaware River; hear Native American myths at the Newark Museum; explore a Cezanne exhibit and enjoy a free family event at the Morris Museum; and take your teddy bear for a picnic at your pick of places!  For those who can’t do without a dose of pre-Christmas inspiration, check out the family holiday workshop at Grounds for Sculpture, or watch the movie, “The Polar Express” on the IMAX screen at Liberty Science Center.  Then you’ll be whistling “Merry Chrithmath!”

Weekend Events for Kids on LI, December 11-14: Hanukkah Celebrations and Seasonal Fun on Long Island

This time of year it can be hard to squeeze in family time. Between all the shopping, family and friend get togethers, Holiday decorating, and merriment, you might have forgotten to figure out something fun for you all to do this weekend. IN case you're headed out to get a fresh tree, check out our post of great farms on LI, or if you are looking for Santa, we've shared some ideas for that as well. We also posted this week about great Nutcracker performances to check out. Hanukkah kicks off this weekend, and the Island is full of great celebrations and menorah lightings. We've listed our picks as well as some other great ideas for you to get out and enjoy the Season and the Holidays with your kids this weekend: 

New York City Kids Weekend Events December 11-13: Cheap Babysitting, Caroling, Hanukkah & Christmas Parties, Santa Rescue, More

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas--and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa--here in NYC and there's tons of stuff to do this weekend. But before we get into the events here are some last minute news bits:

Tonight, (Friday) you can get pay-what-you-wish babysitting at Kids for a Cause.  Kids for a Cause hosts monthly date night drop-off evening childcare events run by NYU and Columbia University students to raise money for Baby's First Home, a charity that helps provide shelter for NYC homeless teen mothers. See our original post about Kids for A Cause for more information about this great organization.

Also, we're wrapping up our week of giveaways. Tonight is your last chance to to win tickets to Sesame Street Live, The Flaming Idiots and Dear Edwina and we're posting a Wintuk giveaway later today. So watch out for it.

Now on to caroling, a Swedish Christmas, a Santa rescue, an 80s style boom-box un-silent night celebration (talk about only in NYC), Menorah-making, a sweet way to watch Sunday's meteor shower and much more.

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