As we wind down from the craziness of the holiday season, simple and budget-friendly activities are on tap this first full week of the year. An assortment of fun library freebies include National Spaghetti Day Craft, a complimentary Music Together Demo Class, Afternoon Lego Club and Old & New Video Games. Start the new year on an active note with Baby & Me Hike and Yoga Storytime. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

Kiss 2015 goodbye and give a warm welcome to 2016 this week! While the kids are on winter break, make their last week of the year a memorable one, with fun activities like Morris Museum’s Toyland Family Festival and Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Then, New Year’s Eve, plus the next day, are family affairs at festivities including New Year’s Eve at iPlay America, New Year’s Eve Splash at Adventure Aquarium and New Year’s Day Kids Party. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

Are you ready for the hustle and bustle of this crazy, long-awaited week? Christmas is finally here, and so is the start of winter break. Keeping your family busy, while keeping your sanity in check, is our top priority this week. Get revved up for Christmas at State Theatre’s production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Berkeley Heights Library’s Gingerbread Cookie Decoration and New Jersey State Museum’s Laser Holiday Magic. Plan a day of fun on a day off from school at Sahara Sam’s Winter Break and JCC’s Vacation Day Program. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

It’s hard to believe winter’s around the corner with this almost-balmy December weather. Take advantage of this unseasonably mild late-fall with some outdoor fun. Get outside for holiday festivities that include Turtle Back Zoo Holiday Lights, Manalapan's Holiday Concert & Christmas Tree Lighting and Red Bank’s Twelve Days of Christmas Holiday Hunt. Outdoor nature activities are also in the spotlight with Growing in the Garden and Winter Solstice Celebration. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in New Jersey, with local holiday celebrations throughout the state. Enjoy tree lighting extravaganzas in Galloway, Stone Harbor and Cranbury, plus a Festival of Trees in Basking Ridge. Warm up at some museum events this week, including MAM Park Bench and Morris Museum’s Tot Tours. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

It’s that shopping time of year. While hitting the stores alone sounds ideal, it’s likely you’ll have to shop with the kids in tow at some point. And we all know shopping with kids can be challenging, if not downright chaotic. Having experienced a five alarm meltdown in a home improvement store a while back (I have yet to return), I tend to dodge stores that have no toy aisle.

While there are plenty of book and toy stores that have train tables and other fun activities, sometimes we can’t avoid dragging the kids to clothing, jewelry, grocery and other adult-oriented shops. Fortunately, we’ve discovered some non-children stores that offer play spaces and other tantrum-preventing distractions. So if you plan to shop as a family, check out some of these child-friendly non-child stores. Multi-location stores may not offer the play features in every branch, so you may want to contact your local destination ahead of time. Hopefully-happy shopping!

December has arrived, and so has the official start of the holiday season. Get in the holiday spirit at sensational, seasonal events that include Christmas Celebration: Scuba Santa, Skylands Stadium Christmas Lights Show and Gingerbread Wonderland. Treat the family to kid-friendly theatrical performances of Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, A Christmas Story and Peppa Pig’s Big Splash. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

It’s Thanksgiving week! Gobble up all the Turkey-centric fun at holiday-themed events that include Tyke Hikes: Totally Turkeys, Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts and Turkeys Always Gobble. Looking for some non-shopping fun for the no-school days? Catch a performance of State Theatre’s Disney Live! or get a start on your holiday light expeditions at Historic Smithville Light Show. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options.