Best Toy Stores in NYC: 15 Family Favorites and Destination Toy Shops

Our favorite NYC toy stores encourage curiosity and play. Photo courtesy of Kidding Around

Whether your toy shopping trip is a winter day activity, a pre-birthday party stop, a bit of Santa research, or a special family outing, NYC's toy store options do not disappoint. From painstakingly curated indie experiences to unforgettable big-brand toy extravaganzas, we’ve rounded up over a dozen of our favorite go-to toy stores across New York City, where you’re sure to find the perfect item for your little one or the winning gift for a birthday party

La Salette Shrine: Magical Christmas Lights are a Boston Family Tradition

Some 300,000 lights stretch over 10 acres at this long-beloved Attleboro attraction. Photo by Surunas Burdulis/CC BY 2.0

Boston boasts so many places to captivate kids with the twinkly glow of Christmas lights, from public holiday lights displays to spectacularly decorated private homes. But one local lights display is the most famous of all: La Salette Shrine. This stroller-friendly family attraction in Attleboro, MA, near the Rhode Island border, has enough lights—some 300,000!—to swell even the Grinch’s heart with cheer during the holiday season. We recently visited with kids, and have tips for making the most of this special—and free!—family outing.

Houston Zoo Lights: A Unique Holiday Experience for the Whole Family

The promenade at the Houston Zoo is brilliantly lit during the holidays at Zoo Lights.

Houston Zoo Lights is a unique event the zoo hosts each year. It is appropriate for adults and kids of all ages, and it is a magical adventure through the zoo after dark. Here are our tips and tricks for getting the most out of your visit. Also, for other holiday-themed outings in December, check out our GoList for the month's best events, and our holiday guide for the best things to do this season.

Restaurants Open on Christmas Day in the Fairfield Area

Most Connecticut businesses are closed on December 25th, but lucky for parents looking for an excuse to get out of the house for a few hours (did I say that?), these family-friendly Fairfield County restaurants are open for Christmas day. You'll want to make reservations soon, particularly if you have a large group, and take note that not all prix fixe menus offer a lower-priced children's alternative.

To top off dessert, maybe plan to check out the Christmas lights in one of these towns, or take advantage of these events happening on Christmas day.

CAMP Store and Play Space Opens in Downtown Brooklyn

Sing songs around the campfire at the new Camp store in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Jody Mercier

Brooklyn parents just got a cool new indoor play space, right in time for the long winter months ahead. CAMP, one of our favorite toy stores in NYC (and one of our favorite places where kids can play for free), opened its newest outpost at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn this week.

Take a few steps inside, and you'll quickly realize you're not in an average toy store. A seemingly ordinary wall displaying jars of candy swings opens to reveal a world of interactive fun that is sure to be a hit with children all ages. I stopped by with my kids the other day to check out the new space: Read on for a peek inside.

Empire State Building Debuts New and Improved Visitor Experience

Take kids on an adventure to the revamped 80th floor of the Empire State Building. Photo by Evan Joseph

In the age of gleaming skyscrapers and daring new observation decks in NYC, it's easy to forget the grand dame of them all: the Empire State Building. The art deco beauty and iconic landmark has just finished a four-year, $165 million project to reimagine and refurbish the experience for visitors to the Observation Decks, including a completely redesigned 80th floor, which opened to the public last week. Read on for a look at the breathtaking new space, plus tips for planning a visit to the Empire State Building observatory with kids.

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Sinterklaas Festival, Laurie Berkner, Holiday Train Show

Head to Rhinebeck for Sinterklaas Festival Day on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Sinterklaas Festival

With Thanksgiving so late this year, the holiday fun that would otherwise have been spread across two weekends is now jam-packed in the weekend ahead! There are Santa sightings, breakfasts with Santa, craft fairs, tree and menorah lightings, and a host of other seasonal attractions throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. How to optimize each weekend this month requires some strategy.

Many of the recurring holiday events we've previously listed are now supplemented with a fresh batch of festive fanfare, including the large-scale Sinterklaas Festival Day, Holiday on Huguenot Street (which takes place Friday, as well), and a Dutch celebration of St. Nicholas Day—all of which are FREE. Several holiday performances are scheduled, including Laurie Berkner's holiday concert and an interpretation of The Nutcracker performed by marionettes. 

If you were hoping to catch the stage production of Peter Pan, both performances are sold-out.

Read on for all our top picks—then be sure to consult our Event Calendar for the full panoply of options (and there are many!), including alternatives to holiday-themed activities. Don’t forget to check out our Holiday Fun Guide to plan the remaining days of the season and our December GoList for our top picks for the month. 

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on all kinds of fun!

Things To Do 0n Long Island this Weekend: Dickens Festival, Laurie Berkner, Tree Lightings

Thrill to the Girl Scouts Of Suffolk County's Holiday Light Show. Photo courtesy of Mass Mutual of Greater Long Island

Experience the Chandlery of the 1800s as the Village of Port Jefferson magically transforms into the Dickensian era. Children can learn what it was like to live the privileged life during the 1930s in a Gold Coast mansion – and have fun doing it at the Vanderbilt Museum

View more than 60 trees decorated by different organizations as they light up Stony Brook Village. Best-selling artist Laurie Berkner will perform holiday hits at The Paramount. The unique Holiday Boat Parade showcases festively decorated vessels along Freeport's Nautical Mile.

Santa comes to Greenport; arriving at noon aboard a LIRR Greenport Scoot at the Railroad Museum of Long Island, as part of the village's month-long Holiday Festival.

See our Holiday Family Fun Guide for the best in seasonal entertainment, including our Christmas tree cutting guide, breakfast with Santa events, Hanukkah fun roundupice skating rinks and plenty of FREE events and activities. As always, our Event Calendar and December GoList are loaded with fun, daily happenings for Long Island kids.

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