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Free in December: 21 Things To Do in NYC with Kids

The Luminaries Return to light up the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Place
The Luminaries Return to light up the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. Photo courtesy of Brookfield Place
12/1/22 - By Rosalind Muggeridge

We've got the best antidote to holiday spending: This list of free things to do in December with kids. While our picks include everything from the goofy/glamorous Wreath exhibit at the Arsenal to free holiday break fun in Prospect Park, consider this just the tip of the iceberg, because beyond these 21 free things to do in December, we've got a whole other post on the best free holiday events.

Read on for all our top picks for free fun this December—non-holiday edition—and bookmark our Family Activity Calendar for fun things to do any day of the month.

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Wreaths get creative in the Arsenal's annual show. Photo courtesy NYC Parks.
Wreaths get creative in the Arsenal's annual show. Photo courtesy NYC Parks.

Free Things To Do in December in NYC

Light up the Village Block Party

Greenwich Village
Friday, December 1
NYC’s legendary Brass Queens, the Village’s legendary Tree Riders, craft vendors, and more are part of the festivities as the street lights with holiday lights. Hot drinks are on deck, too.   READ MORE

Up Goes the Skyscraper

Battery
Saturday, December 2
Constructing a skyscraper from foundation to spire requires years of planning and lots of hard work! Learn about all the steps by reading Gail Gibbons’ "Up Goes the Skyscraper," then apply the knowledge to build skyscrapers collaboratively. READ MORE

Holiday Hub at City Point

Downtown Brooklyn
Saturdays & Sundays, December 2- December 17
Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host three weekends of holiday happenings that include Santa portraits, menorah making, cookie decorating, holiday crafts, elf selfies, and more. READ MORE

The Gift of Fifth Open Streets

Midtown East
Sundays December 3, 10, and 17
Fifth Avenue, from 48th Street to 59th Street, transforms into a pedestrians-only holiday haven, with live entertainment, shopping fun, and dining experiences.   READ MORE

Make Your Own Glow Workshop

Flatiron
Tuesday, December 5
Create your own illuminated artworks, adding a personal touch to the winter festivities at the Flatiron District's Winter Glow. Stop by for a free, family-friendly night of glowy tape art making by Kuki Tape Artist and live DJ music at the Flatiron North Plaza. READ MORE

Free Yogi Beans Yoga Class at Hudson Yards

Midtown West
Saturday, December 9
Celebrate the festive season by practicing yoga with Yogi Beans. Classes end with a calm, relaxing environment for beans and their parents to share a restful moment together. No adult yoga experience is necessary. Please bring your own yoga mat or towel for each family member. READ MORE

Lenfest Kids: "The Princess Bride"

Upper West Side
Saturday, December 9
Columbia University School of Arts' monthly series of films for the whole family offers a free screening of The Princess Bride (PG).  READ MORE

Holiday Reading: The Gift of the Magi at Queens County Farm

Glen Oaks, Queens
Saturday, December 16
Grab your fleece, hats, gloves, coats, and woolies, and throw on your winter boots! The Queens County Farm Museum hosts a special outdoor holiday reading of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. READ MORE

Broadway Under the Stars at the Shops at Columbus Circle

Columbus Circle
Thursdays through December 14
Broadway and The Shops at Columbus Circle team up for the annual return of Broadway Under the Stars, a four-week series of free public concerts and performances taking place this holiday season.  READ MORE

Reading of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Washington Heights
Sunday, December 17
The Church of the Intercession continues its time-honored tradition of reading the classic poem, A Visit from St. Nicholas, by Clement Clarke Moore. This year marks the 113th anniversary of the annual reading at the church. READ MORE

Family Holiday Bird Count in Prospect Park

Prospect Park
Saturday, December 16
The Prospect Park Audubon Center hosts this annual event, where all ages can participate in a tradition more than 100 years in the making. This nationwide bird census helps conservation researchers track the long-term health of bird populations.  READ MORE

Unsilent Night 2024

Washington Square Park
Sunday, December 17
Each year, composer Phil Kline leads a massive chorus of boomboxes from the West Village to the East Village in the annual holiday presentation of Unsilent Night. READ MORE

Family Program - Multi-Media Art

West Bronx
Sunday, December 17
Tour the exhibition, Framing the Female Gaze: Women Artists and the New Historicism, and create a multi-media piece based on the work of Fay Ku in Lehman's dedicated Gallery Studio. READ MORE

Holiday Songs from the Stoop of the Tilden Mansion

Gramercy
Monday, December 18
The National Arts Club's holiday concert features songs and carols performed by the principal quintet of the Gramercy Brass Orchestra, under the direction of trumpeter John Henry Lambert Jr. READ MORE

Make Music Winter Event: Pilgrimage

Upper West Side
Thursday, December 21
Under the guidance of conductor James John, artistic director of the Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble, headlamp-clad singers walk a route along Riverside Park, making stops along the way to sing medieval melodies once sung on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. READ MORE

Make Music Winter Event: Harmonica Holiday Jam

Midtown West
Thursday, December 21
Harmonica virtuoso Jiayi He leads a crash course in how to play the harmonica and then leads participants in a jam session to showcase their new skills with performances of holiday classics such as Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, Here Comes Santa Claus, Silent Night, and more.  READ MORE

Make Music Winter Event: Bell by Bell

East Village
Thursday, December 21
“Bell by Bell” is a fun Make Music Winter tradition, designed to transform first time participants and non-musicians into Music Makers — a perfect program for kids and families. READ MORE

Festival of Lights: Winter Solstice

Marine Park
Thursday, December 21
The Urban Park Rangers teach young astronomers (and old) how the winter solstice turns the Northern Hemisphere toward longer days. READ MORE

Winter Recess in Prospect Park

Prospect Park
Tuesday, December 26-Sunday, December 31
Make the most of winter break. The Prospect Park Alliance offers family-friendly programming every day during winter recess. READ MORE

Prospect Park's New Year's Eve Drone Show

Prospect Park
Sunday, December 31
Brooklyn's most spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration morphs into a drone show this year, in deference to drought conditions. Expect a lot of sparkle and showstopping renditions of classic NYC Landmarks, like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty up in the midnight sky. READ MORE

Annual Wreath Interpretations Exhibit at the Arsenal

Midtown East
Monday-Friday, through Thursday, January 4
Celebrate the holiday season at the 42nd annual exhibition of inventive, unconventional wreaths crafted by a diverse selection of fine artists, designers, and other creative contributors. READ MORE

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