Submitted by Kaylynn Chiarel... on
There's more to Thanksgiving family time than turkey. If you're not prepping the main event or if dinner wraps up early, you might be left wondering, "Now what?" Use the time to make some extra-special Thanksgiving memories with the kids. We've rounded up 10 ideas to get you going, including ice skating, hikes, holiday lights displays, and visits with animals at NJ zoos and aquariums.
Submitted by Jody Mercier on
The internet's been buzzing this week with the debut of Disney+, the ad-free streaming service peddling all the family favorites from this entertainment giant, including movies and TV shows from its family of brands: Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.
Read on for details on the new service, whether you're just looking to pass the time until you can catch Frozen 2 in theaters, or you're anxious to introduce the "classics" of your youth to a new generation of viewers. Some lucky Verizon subscribers can even enjoy the new Disney+ for FREE.
Submitted by Siobhan Adcock on
Winter 2019 is shaping up to be an epic season to be a kid in NYC: Aside from all the usual seasonal must-dos around town, there's the world's biggest Lego exhibit in Queens, a toy-testing lab in Flatiron, a brand-new indoor water park and theme park twenty minutes across the Hudson, a holiday lantern show in every borough, and museums dedicated to slime and ice cream. Oh, and there are bumper cars on ice in Brooklyn. Yep: Bumper cars on ice. Is this a great town or what?
You might recognize the colorful ice rink bumper cars from their sold-out run in Bryant Park last winter. This season, they're taking over the indoor rink at Aviator Sports Center at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. Read on for the details on this season's slippery slide-y fun.
Submitted by Donald Eng on
It's time to start gearing up for Thanksgiving! This weekend, there are plenty of ways to celebrate this season of thankfulness and traditions, with a little history and science thrown in. Take the kids to a Colonial Thanksgiving at the Welles Shipman Ward House, complete with hearth-cooked chicken pie and Marlborough pudding. Or, learn about the fascinating (and tasty) science behind Thanksgiving food at the Bruce Museum.
If you just can't wait to get into the Christmas spirit, try the first performance of The Nutcracker this season, or visit the opening weekend of the annual Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point in New Haven.
To make sure that you don't miss any of the fun, subscribe to our free weekly newsletters and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Read on for our highlights of events happening this weekend, and check our frequently updated daily events calendar for even more ideas.
Submitted by Siobhan Adcock on
It's beginning to look a lot like you-know-what around Chicago this weekend, with festive Christmas tree lightings in Bolingbrook and at New City, as well as the dazzling Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light at the Museum of Science and Industry. Christkindlmarket returns to Daley Plaza, and families can tour beautifully decorated homes at the Wheaton Holiday Housewalk. And holiday theatre season kicks off with A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theatre and the Emerald City Theater's production of Corduroy, based on the beloved children's book.
The snow and chilly temps in Chicago have at least one upside: Consider us well-prepped for the release of Frozen 2, coming up at the end of the month. Three fun, Frozen-themed events for kids this weekend set the stage for a deep freeze: a FREE sing-along showing of Frozen in Elmhurst, a kid-friendly live theater production of Elsa and Anna's tale from the Northbrook Theater Youth Company, and a girl-powered Frozen Power Tea Party in celebration of Frozen 2's fearless heroines in Brookfield.
Can't get enough frozen stuff? FREE ice skating at Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Rink starts this weekend, too. For even more fun things to do with kids in Chicago, keep an eye on our event calendar. Stay warm, and pass the hot chocolate.
Submitted by Susan Miele on
All kinds of fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including multiple family-oriented shows, numerous intriguing nature programs, and, of course, ways to get in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Consider this the calm before the storm, because the holiday hullaballoo will be starting soon!
Bring the family to work with clay, catch a sensory-friendly performance by Dan Zanes, get your American Girl doll ready for Thanksgiving, learn about creepy-crawlies at Bugging Out, or explore the different stations at the annual STEAMFest.
These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan the rest of the month, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!
Submitted by Rosalind Muggeridge on
If you were disappointed to hear that the roller rink at Industry City in Brooklyn's Sunset Park closed this fall, take heart: Lola Starr's Dreamland Roller Disco is popping up once again at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn from October 31 until February 15, 2020. Read on to learn more about the new location for this much-loved dance party on wheels.
Submitted by Laurie Rein on
This mid-November weekend sparkles and shines with the debut of holiday light displays throughout New Jersey. Drive though Skyland Stadium's dazzling, musical light displays, and experience Storybook Land's holiday parade, featuring the lighting of the park's tree.
There's plenty of family-friendly theater to choose from this week, including performances of Rumpelstiltskin, Frosty & Rudolph, and Kidz Bop World Tour. And Thanksgiving prep is underway with PAWS Discovery Farm's Gobble Gobble and Fosterfields' Thanksgiving Home & Armistice Observance.
Check out our Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for NJ Families for more options, and look to our November GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.
