For many throughout the Delaware Valley, the first weekend in December means preparing for the winter holidays with special family traditions. Cutting down your own Christmas tree, sharing Hanukkah stories, taking in a Nutcracker performance, and attending the town's tree lighting ceremony are all ways Philly families get into the spirit of the season.

Even though traditions are important in making the holiday familiar, consider creating a new one this year. Schedule breakfast with Santa. Climb aboard for a winter train ride. Attend the annual Dickens Festival. Or, celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa at a benefit concert.

Read on to find our top picks for the weekend, and be sure to stay connected with Mommy Poppins Philly on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Have fun making memories with old and new traditions alike!

This weekend marks the beginning of Hanukkah and continues our travels through the holiday season toward Christmas. Our top picks for Westchester and Hudson Valley families are celebrations of this season.

Many towns and villages come alive with holiday tree-lighting celebrations, such as Tuckahoe's Winterfest. The appeal of period charm enhances several events at historic sites, including the St. Nicholas Day Celebration, and a multicultural spin is offered at Newpoli: A Traditional Italian Christmas. For more rousing holiday fun, take in A West Point Holiday, while options for Hanukkah fun include Lights on Ice Chanukah Celebration.

Read on for further details, visit our December GoList for our top picks of the month, and be sure to consult our Event Calendar, which is bursting with fun events every day of the week! 

December nights are made for dazzling lights, and plenty of them are twinkling across the state. An annual tradition in the New Haven area is the Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park. Drive through a mile-long display featuring dancing bears, penguins, dragons, turtles, ducks, and so much more. Not only will you enjoy the show, but your admission fee will benefit charity. If you’re not close to the shoreline, check out the (free!) Festival of Silver Lights in Meriden, Holiday Light Fantasia in Hartford, or The Christmas House in Torrington.

Snowshoeing and cross country skiing are wonderful ways to get out into a snowy landscape while enjoying nature with the kids. Both of these activities allow you to see areas that otherwise you wouldn't be exposed to. It's a great form of exercise and creates a sense of adventure. In Litchfield County there are many beautiful areas to snowshoe and cross country ski. Make sure to bring water and a snack and to always stay on the trail. Wearing layers is a good idea too, since you can work up quite a sweat once you get going. We've also featured great places for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in Hartford and Fairfield Counties.

By now, we’ve all stuffed ourselves silly with leftover turkey, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes! Now that Thanksgiving weekend has come and gone, it’s time to really get into the holiday spirit, with Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner. Get ready for the 1st night of Hanukkah with a menorah lighting during the Holiday Nature Craft Show at Trailside Nature Center or the Hooray for Hanukkah festival at the Garden State Discovery Museum. And you’ll find plenty of Christmas cheer in every corner of our state from the Laser Holiday Magic Show at the NJ State Museum to the Definitely Dickens Christmas Carolers in downtown Chester to the Downtown Millburn Snowflake Parade. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, we hope you enjoy it with family and friends. For even more activity options, check out our Event Calendar.

When it’s 20 degrees out and your kids are “trying on” their summer swim suits you may think they are going crazy or have cabin fever!  Well, I’m not an expert, but I’m guessing the latter is the case.  Make their day and take them to one of the indoor swimming options we have found in New Haven County.  More indoor pools can be found in Hartford and Fairfield Counties. Your kids will thank you!

As of January 1, 2016, California becomes one of just three states (along with Mississippi and West Virginia) with mandatory vaccination requirements. This means that personal or religious belief exemptions will no longer be allowed for children entering school at the following three points: Childcare/Preschool, Kindergarten, and 7th grade. This affects many more families than just those who oppose vaccines, and probably many who don't yet realize they are affected. Parents who have made use of the personal belief exemption as a means to buy time (perhaps because they fully intend to vaccinate their kids, but not on the same schedule as their school district), need to know that this strategy is no longer an option. Complete proof of vaccination must be presented at the time of enrollment, which may be several months prior to the start of the actual school year.

It’s that shopping time of year. While hitting the stores alone sounds ideal, it’s likely you’ll have to shop with the kids in tow at some point. And we all know shopping with kids can be challenging, if not downright chaotic. Having experienced a five alarm meltdown in a home improvement store a while back (I have yet to return), I tend to dodge stores that have no toy aisle.

While there are plenty of book and toy stores that have train tables and other fun activities, sometimes we can’t avoid dragging the kids to clothing, jewelry, grocery and other adult-oriented shops. Fortunately, we’ve discovered some non-children stores that offer play spaces and other tantrum-preventing distractions. So if you plan to shop as a family, check out some of these child-friendly non-child stores. Multi-location stores may not offer the play features in every branch, so you may want to contact your local destination ahead of time. Hopefully-happy shopping!