Sign up for our FREE newsletters to get posts like this delivered to your inbox.

Click through to our listings for all the details, including times, prices, and locations.

Yuletide Factory is a joyful production featuring the amazing acrobats, aerialists and jugglers of Cirque Mechanics playing at the New Victory Theater. Photo by Maike Schulz

1. Yuletide Factory – Midtown West

Saturday, November 23-Sunday, December 29, 2024
Ages 5 and older
As always, the New Victory celebrates the holiday season with a circus spectacle—although Cirque Mechanics is no ordinary big top. This Las Vegas troupe puts on some of the most visually stunning and ingenious circus shows I’ve ever seen, a mix of evocative aesthetics and wonderful, wordless stories. For Cirque Mechanics’ sixth production at the New Victory, the talented acrobats, aerialists, and jugglers transform an oppressive workshop into a fun, feat-filled Christmas factory that would make elves envious. For individuals on the autism spectrum, with sensory sensitivities, or anyone who may benefit from a relaxed theater experience, there will be a sensory-friendly performance on Saturday, December 7 at 5pm.

2. Mary Poppins – Upper East Side

Saturday, November 30-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Ages 4 to 11
Families are sure to have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time at 92NY Theater for Young Audiences' mounting of Mary Poppins, about the life-changing impact of a magical nanny. "A Spoonful of Sugar," "Step in Time" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" are just some of the classic tunes from this cherished favorite, which makes an excellent introduction to live theater for very young audiences!

3. Annie – Midtown West

Wednesday, December 4, 2024-Sunday, January 5, 2025
Ages 6 and older
The fun'll come out this season with a revival of the musical Annie. Set at Christmastime during the Great Depression, it's about a plucky orphan pining for her missing parents who's picked to spend the holidays with billionaire Daddy Warbucks in his NYC mansion, where she wins hearts, even FDR's. Starting Wednesday, December 11, Whoopi Goldberg stars as the little girl-loathing villain Miss Hannigan alongside a cast of cute kids in this heartwarming classic featuring a cavalcade of beloved songs, including "It's the Hard-Knock Life," "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here," "Easy Street," "Maybe," and "Tomorrow."

RELATED: Must-Do Christmas Events in New York City for Kids

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater puts on special Saturday matinees perfect for families. Photo by Paul Kolnik

4. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Midtown West

Wednesday, December 4, 2024-Sunday, January 5, 2025
Ages 5 and older
Every holiday season, New York's venerable Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs at New York City Center. While grown-ups can go on any date to see works by the troupe's namesake dance-maker, the Saturday matinees are the way to go for families. The programs are little-kid friendly and include a performance of Ailey's celebratory Revelations and a post-show Q&A with some of the dancers.

RELATED: Breakfast with Santa in NYC

A play on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Seven in One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid leaves audiences with lessons of kindness and love. Photo by Pavel Antonov

5. Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid – West Village

Friday, December 6-Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ages 4 to 10
An offbeat stage riff on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this annual Axis Theatre Company production follows the misadventures of Kid, a young child who kills seven flies in one shot and gets caught in a tangle of lies surrounding the feat. In the end, Kid learns about love and kindness with help from the children in the audience and his mom, played by Debbie Harry (yes, from Blondie!), who appears on video. Tickets are pay-what-you-can starting at $5.

6. A Christmas Carol: A Neurodiverse Re-telling – Midtown West

Tuesday, December 10-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Ages 8 and older
There's a cornucopia of Christmas Carols playing around town, but EPIC Players' mounting of Charles Dickens' holiday ghost story is undoubtedly the most inclusive. Featuring a cast of talented performers, many of whom have autism or physical disabilities, this promises to be a powerful production of the Christmas classic, as the miserly Scrooge learns to become more generous with his money and empathy.

RELATED: 15 Picture-Perfect Holiday Day Trips near NYC

The Metropolitan Opera mounts its annual, kid-friendly production of The Magic Flute. Photo by Evan Zimmerman

7. The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute – Lincoln Center

Thursday, December 12, 2024-January 4, 2025
Ages 6 and older
For the holidays, the Metropolitan Opera revives its family-friendly version of Mozart's masterpiece. Director Julie Taymor (of Broadway's The Lion King fame) incorporates fantastical costumes and puppets into the production, which is sung in English and whittled down to just under two hours. It's played the Met many times and always receives rave reviews from critics and, more importantly, kids. It's an ideal introduction to opera for kids. Bonus: the Saturday, December 14 matinee is part of the Met's annual Holiday Open House, which includes hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes demos by the production's musicians, performers, and costume shop workers.

8 The Toy Maker's Child – Midtown West

Friday, December 13-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Ages 5 to 12
The family theater collective Chickenshed NYC is behind this sweet original musical about a Toymaker who 3D prints an android companion for his lonely only child, Sadie. Together, Sadie and her high-tech pal go on wild New York City adventures as they learn about friendship, family and the power of imagination.

9. Third Bird by Isaac Mizrahi and Nico Muhly – Upper East Side

Saturday, December 14, 2024
Ages 5 and older
Isaac Mizrahi's annual holiday presentation of Sergei Prokofiev's children's classic Peter and the Wolf is practically sold out. But you can still snag tickets to his enchanting companion piece, Third Bird. With a story written and narrated by Mizrahi and set to a score by Nico Muhly, it's a musical celebration of individuality and diversity in the bird world and beyond. At just 30 minutes with a colorful cast of avian characters, it's an excellent introduction to classical music for kids.

RELATED: Where to See The Nutcracker in NYC in 2024

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo brings its humor-infused, ballet to The Joyce. Photo by Giovanni Daniotti

10. The Joyce Theater: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo – Chelsea

Tuesday, December 17, 2024-Sunday, January 5, 2025
Ages 6 and older
What's taller and sparklier than the grandest Christmas tree? The drag queen ballerinas of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo! This venerable troupe is made up entirely of men who dance on pointe in tutus. I've been with my daughter and even though it's a comical company, these dudes can really dance. In between laughing, you'll find yourself marveling at their technique. Although they're performing seven times a week at The Joyce Theater, they're hosting a special family matinee on Saturday, December 21.

11. La MaMa Kids: Winter Wonderland – East Village

Saturday, December 21, 2024
Ages 4 and older
The legendary avant-garde arts center celebrates the season with an offbeat interactive experience created by some of its kookiest artists. This immersive performance features site-specific works, all inspired by the winter wonderland theme. Leave your expectations at the door: This genre-busting installation includes acting, puppetry, storytelling, and music.

12. Elf The Musical – Midtown West

Through Saturday, January 4, 2025
Ages 6 and older
Based on the 2003 Will Ferrell comedy of the same name, this musical debuted on Broadway in 2010 and returns for a special holiday engagement. Like the film, the show follows the journey of Buddy (Mean Girls Tony nominee Grey Henson, who's delightful), a young human boy raised as one of Santa's elves. Once grown, he realizes he doesn't fit in, so he leaves the North Pole and heads to NYC to find his birth father and himself. I saw the original production with my then-young daughter and found it charming with funny, old-fashioned songs and great dancing. This mounting is even better thanks to fresh choreography, incredible special effects (Santa's sleigh rivals Back to the Future's DeLorean), and a charming cast, including Sean Astin from The Lord of the Rings as the Big Red Guy himself!

13. Big Apple Circus: Hometown Playground – Lincoln Center

Through Sunday, January 5, 2025
All ages
There are multiple circuses in town over the holidays, but NYC's homegrown Big Apple Circus is a decades-old seasonal favorite. For its 47th anniversary season, the troupe celebrates NYC with acts that take place against the backdrop of famous landmarks. See trained dogs bound through Times Square, aerialists fly through the air by the Brooklyn Bridge, and daredevils risk their lives in the Wheel of Destiny at Coney Island! Plus there are jugglers, contortionists, and some very street-smart clowns.

RELATED: Why Seeing the Radio City Rockettes is a Holiday Favorite

The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes is filled with as much Christmas charm as ever. Photo courtesy of MSG Entertainment

14. Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – Midtown West

Through Sunday, January 5, 2025
Ages 3 and older
What can I say about this legendary holiday extravaganza that you don't already know? Santa, Midtown Manhattan, and the superb synchronized dancing of the Rockettes all take center stage. In recent years, there have been some high-tech additions, such as flying fairy drones. But the magic is in the old-school numbers and the Living Nativity, which have been wowing tourists and natives alike since 1933!

A version of this post first published in 2021.