34 Best Things To Do in NYC December 2023 with Kids

The Magic Flute takes the stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Photos courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera
The Magic Flute takes the stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Photos courtesy of The Metropolitan Opera
12/1/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Holiday lights, sights, and celebrations abound in NYC this December. Read on for our top things to do with kids to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.

We're still plowing through the leftover turkey, and suddenly Santa is popping up all over town for family-friendly Christmas tree lightingsChristmas carols are being sung, Nutcrackers are battling mouse kings, toy trains are dazzling young engineers, and Hanukkah gelt and doughnuts are being passed out in abundance. The year 2023 takes its final bow with a spectacular array of kid-friendly things to do.

The month kicks off with top picks like our own Gingerbread House Decorating event and Holiday Hub at City Point. There are awesome seasonal shows ranging from the Met Opera's The Magic Flute to the New Vic's circus, White Gold, and even the cacophony of sounds at the participatory Unsilent Night. All that and we're sending the month, season, and year out with a bang during the New Year's Eve Fireworks in Prospect Park.

Keep our top picks for holiday must-do's handy all month long, too, and bookmark our NYC Kids' Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for easy access to all the holiday hullabaloo that pops up!

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Places featured in this article:


BASIS Independent Manhattan (Lower School)

Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Prospect Park (at Grand Army Plaza)

Industry City Courtyard