Jake Branch County Park Nature Center - 10:00 AM Pick
Pier A Park - 9:00 AM
Barnes & Noble of Bridgewater - 10:00 AM
The Escape Game New Jersey at American Dream - various times
Cotsen Children's Library at Princeton University Library - 11:00 AM Pick
Pier A Park - 9:00 AM
Barnes & Noble Livingston - 10:00 AM
Barnes & Noble East Brunswick - 11:00 AM
The Escape Game New Jersey at American Dream - various times
Pier A Park - 9:00 AM
Ramsey Free Public Library - 10:00 AM
The Escape Game New Jersey at American Dream - various times
Virtual - various times
Pier A Park - 9:00 AM
Barnes & Noble Livingston - 10:00 AM
Cape May - various times
The Escape Game New Jersey at American Dream - various times
Virtual - various times
Pier A Park - 9:00 AM
St Thomas the Apostle Lot - 4:00 PM
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Weekday Fun: NYC Fireworks, Puppet Show, Crafting, Free Museum Visits
The countdown is on! It's the last week of 2015 and the kids in NYC are school-free through New Year's Day, so we've rounded up some great family events and other kid-friendly happenings to help you enter 2016 on a high note, including our favorite new attractions that opened over the last year like the new Whitney Museum and the incredible SeaGlass Carousel.
Other highlights for the week of December 28-January 1 include watching the annual Polar Bear Plunge in Coney Island, taking in one of city's three New Year's Eve firework displays, enjoying a lovely puppet production, visiting the Staten Island Children's Museum for FREE and participating in hands-on maker workshops at the New York Hall of Science.
As always, you can find more family activities in our Event Calendar and Holiday Fun Guide. Best wishes for 2016!
OUR LATEST VIDEOS
Monday, December 28
Cool School Holiday — Staten Island
If you're looking for a nudge to visit Staten Island with the kids, then here it is: FREE admission on Monday at the Children's Museum. Explore the museum's three floors of interactive exhibits for tots and preschoolers. If you haven't been to the isle before, find out what else there is to do in the area in our Staten Island Kids Guide. FREE
See all Monday events.
Tuesday, December 29
Nutcracker Sweet and The Steadfast Tin Soldier — Park Slope
See Nicolas Coppola's incredible handcrafted marionettes in a double bill featuring excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and scenes from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale love story.
Wednesday, December 30
ReMake the Holidays — Corona
Visit the New York Hall of Science for four days of hands-on maker workshops during school break. On Wednesday, kids will repurpose plastic bottles into masks, self-watering planters and other cool stuff. The workshops take place Sunday through Wednesday; each day features a different type of material including metal, paper and textiles. Visitors can also enjoy the daily ice carving demos. Free with paid admission.
Fireworks ringing in the New Year over Brooklyn's iconic Grand Army Plaza. Photo courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance.
Thursday, December 31
New Years Eve Fireworks — Coney Island, Park Slope, Central Park
If you don't want to brave the Times Square Ball Drop head to the Coney Island boardwalk, Central Park or Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza to ring in 2016 with some of the city's biggest fireworks of the year. You can also choose one of these family-friendly options for daytime and evening New Years Eve celebrations.
Friday, January 1
New Year's Day Swim — Coney Island
Happy New Year! Watch (or join in with) the Coney Island Polar Bears plunge into the Atlantic Ocean on New Year's Day to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for families with children battling life threatening illnesses. Who knows, with this wonky weather the swimmers may not be "freezing for a reason." FREE for spectators.
Find even more FREE and low-cost kid activities in our Event Calendar.
Top image: Times Square on New Year's Eve. Photo by Anthony Quintano via Flickr.
