Looking for the perfect family vacation in the mountains? My Florida-based family loves Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, home to endless family-friendly attractions and outdoor recreation opportunities. We've visited this beautiful southern vacation spot several times and always find new things to do in Gatlinburg and new kids' activities in Pigeon Forge for all ages to enjoy.

It helps that both of these Tennessee towns are just moments away from two of the area's top attractions: Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Dollywood. And with so many family-friendly Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge hotels, plus cabins in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, you won’t have trouble finding a great place to stay.

Read on for our extensive list of things to do in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN with kids. Our Southern States Vacation Guide also includes our lists of the best Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg hotels for families and our guide to visiting Dollywood with kids.

Elf on the Shelf is back! It's almost the holidays, so it's almost time for Elf on the Shelf. Elves typically arrive sometime after Thanksgiving and return to the North Pole on Christmas Day, giving families about a month to fill with hilarious Elf on the Shelf ideas.

Like any good house guest, your elf should be able to keep mischievous acts mostly mess-free and easy to set up. We've put together a list of 50 easy ideas that are also impressive elf antics that delight kids— including funny Elf on the Shelf ideas, easy Elf on the Shelf ideas, and last-minute Elf on the Shelf ideas for hectic mornings. Did we mention they don't take a lot of time to set up and require very few props?

Find more Christmas activities and crafts for kids, plus other fun things to do this season, in our Christmas and Holiday Fun Guide.

Take pictures with Santa Claus without having to travel to the North Pole! St. Nick is all over Atlanta to usher in this magical holiday season with photo ops, meet-and-greets, and Santa breakfasts with your little ones. Dress your kids in cute holiday outfits and take pictures with Santa for lasting memories. Capture candid photos with Santa at tree lightings, holiday festivals, or mealtimes; or reserve a professional Santa photo shoot at a local mall. In some instances, you can even bring Fido for a Santa photo! 

Those eight crazy nights are approaching and we’ve got everything you need to make your Hanukkah a whole latke (sorry) fun. For my family, Hanukkah is more than the Jewish footprint in the holiday season. Mixed in with those dreidel spins are lessons to be learned about having pride in our Jewish identity. From the songs and stories to the gifts and gelt, here are eight awesome ways to celebrate Hanukkah and make your Jewish festival of lights lit. (Again, sorry!)

For more ways to celebrate this holiday season with your family at home, creating new traditions and memories that last a lifetime, check out our Guide to Holiday Fun for Kids.

Cooking and cleaning for Thanksgiving dinner feels like a marathon of chores, and bored kids will definitely slow you down. If you’re looking for some festive, screen-free ways to occupy our children, a stack of free Thanksgiving coloring pages could be your new best friend.

We found a variety of printable Thanksgiving coloring sheets that are easy to download, print, and share, and will keep kids calm and busy for a good long while. Best of all, many sites offer great Thanksgiving Day coloring pages for FREE.

If you’re looking to build a library of free printable coloring pages, don’t miss our ultimate collection of 1,000 Coloring Pages and Printable Activity Sheets for Kids. It includes our big list of printable, free coloring pages for kids!

A double-decker Christmas Carousel is set to start spinning in Midtown Manhattan this Christmas season, and we can't wait to give it a whirl! Located in Greeley Square, between 32nd and 33rd Streets, it's right outside Macy's Herald Square, and guaranteed to add more seasonal magic to one of NYC's most famous addresses.

Located just steps from Macy's Santaland, and surrounded by the enchanting Macy's Holiday Square Market that debuted last season, it's a magical addition to a holiday outing. Find all of our top picks for seasonal fun on our NYC Kids Guide to Christmas and the Holidays.

Pokémon-loving New Yorkers have something new to be excited about: A brand-new store has opened to the public, where Poké fans, young and old, can get their fix. Poké Court just opened a 2,000-square-foot flagship store in the Meatpacking District, and it's stocked with goodies for fans of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and beyond.

As a lifelong fan of the franchise (currently working my way through Pokémon Legends: Z-A), I stopped by to check out what the new store has to offer for adults and kids, and it seems destined for a place on our list of NYC stores where you can play for free.