New York City

Christmas Weekend 2025 in NYC Top Things To Do: Caroling, Kwanzaa, and More

The eye-popping displays of the Dyker Lights are a holiday must-see in NYC. Photo by Jody Mercier

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this Christmas weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for this weekend.

You may still have gifts to wrap (or—gulp—shop for) and stockings to hang, but there's festive fun to be had all weekend and beyond. Some of my annual Christmas favorites include singing carols under the Washington Square Arch, catching a holiday show, and checking out the Dyker Lights.

Plus, families can celebrate Kwanzaa at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, have an intergalactic Space Glide at NYSCI, or catch the Nefesh Mountain Family Concert at the Jewish Museum.

No matter how you celebrate, Happy Holidays from the Mommy Poppins team!

MoMath Is Getting a Glow-Up and We Got a Sneak Peek of the Hands-On Fun That's Coming

Math is all around you at MoMath, including on the spiral staircase that surrounds a parabola!

My family has been longtime fans of the Museum of Math, meeting the team behind this hands-on museum long before it had a brick-and-mortar location on the Math Midway during the old days of the World Science Festival, so we were thrilled to visit it's original location on 26th Street and couldn't be more excited for what's in store for this inventive, hands-on museum in 2026.

Mark your calendars for a February opening of MoMath 2.0—a sprawling new permanent location for this mecca of problem-solving, puzzles, and interactive learning. I got a behind-the-scenes look on a hard-hat tour last week and can't wait to return with my kids! Read on for a look at the fun in store and find more hands-on fun in our NYC Kids' Guide to Museums and Galleries.

What’s Open on Christmas Day 2025? Stores, Grocery Stores & Family-Friendly Places for Parents in NYC

NYC's dazzlng department store windows glow on Christmas Day and make for an enchanting holiday walk. Photo by Jody Mercier

What's open on Christmas Day in New York City? Maybe you need last-minute supplies or all the presents have been ripped open by 10am, and you need to get the kids out of the apartment. After all, dinner won't be ready for hours, and the kids are full of holiday energy.

Some families have a Christmas Day tradition of enjoying Chinese food and a movie. But, there are other fun things to do that are open on Christmas Day in NYC, whether you celebrate Christmas or not. Here are some fun things to do on Thursday, December 25, 2025. You can also pair an outing with a reservation at one of these restaurants open on Christmas—just make sure to book soon!

Find even more seasonal activities in our Holiday Fun Guide or Family Activity Calendar.

Best Snow Tubing near NYC for Families

Galactic snow tubing at Camelback offers an LED light show come nightfall.

When there's no snow in NYC, or your favorite neighborhood sledding hills are worn down to dirt, you can still go snow tubing near NYC. So, bundle up the kids and hop in the car for a short drive to one of the many ski resorts in upstate New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that offer tubing. Most are less than a 2-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan—perfect for a quick day trip or weekend getaway. If you're looking for more than a day trip, we've found many destination-worthy ski resorts for your next vacation and have plenty more spots to seek out fresh powder in our Skiing, Snowboarding, and Snow Sports Guide.

Make Music, Hanukkah, and More Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Kids can enjoy hands-on Hanukkah fun at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Photo courtesy of CMOM

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

It's the weekend before Christmas, and NYC is ready to make a joyful noise during Sunday's Make Music New York festivities, which bring a cacophony to city streets, including the Bell by Bell performance at Astor Place, the Flatfoot Flatbush in Brooklyn, and more events citywide.

It's your last chance to see Santa and get those gift requests in, so consider a visit to Passport to Santa, or swing by the Paley Center for a Holiday Paw-ty with Paris and Pups.

Keep reading for all our top picks for the weekend ahead!

We Slept on the Intrepid—Here’s Everything to Know About Operation Slumber

Touring the flight deck after dark during Operation Slumber is a highlight my daughter and I won't soon forget.

The Intrepid Museum is a long-time favorite at my house. Though my son is grown and in college, it's still his favorite NYC museum given its collection of military history and the unique vessel it calls home—a decommissioned Essex-class aircraft carrier dating to the Second World War. So, when my younger daughter and I were invited to join a recent Operation Slumber overnight experience, we excitedly packed our bags and shipped out for an all-night adventure at one of the handful of museums offering sleepover experiences in NYC.

Ultimate Winter Bucket List: 47 Best Things To Do with Kids in NYC

Bryant Park's Bumper Cars are a mainstay of late-winter fun in the park. Photo by Janet Bloom

When it comes to the best things to do this winter in NYC, one thing is certain: Being cooped up in a tiny apartment with your kids hanging off the furniture (and you) is no way to spend the season. We know it can be hard to put on all that winter gear, head out into the cold, and hit up one of the dozens of daily kid-friendly events happening in NYC, but we're here to help. To inspire winter fun, we've compiled this list of 47 awesome things to do in NYC this winter. Our winter bucket list picks include spots where kids can run, jump, bounce, learn, create, and get cultured.

Of course, you can find more fun, seasonal ideas in our Guide to Indoor Family Fun or enjoy the great outdoors with the picks in our NYC Kids' Guide to Winter Fun.

New York City's Top Things To Do Between Christmas and New Year’s with Kids

The Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo shine brightly into the new year. Photo by Terria Clay/Bronx Zoo

Few places rival New York City for holiday activities, and the upcoming Christmas vacation in NYC offers families plenty of free time to sample them all. We’ve rounded up all of our favorite staycation ideas for winter break in NYC, most of which can be accessed with a subway ride.

Fill your kids' winter break in NYC with awesome museum outings, live holiday stage shows, fancy Christmas meals, and magical must-do holiday experiences. Your family might even be up for braving the crowds at popular tourist attractions like the Rockefeller Center tree and department store holiday windows.

NYC public school students are on Christmas vacation from Wednesday, December 24, 2025, through Friday, January 2, 2026. If you need more fun things to do over the holiday break in NYC, bookmark our Family Activity Calendar, which is continuously updated as we learn about new, kid-friendly happenings.

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