Trying to find fun things to do with kids during the pandemic is tricky, especially as the seasons change, but Christmas lights shows are coming to the rescue. There are tons of drive-thru options ranging from elaborate home displays to large-scale professional extravaganzas nearby. While some of these light shows are newcomers, the Skylands Stadium Christmas Light Show in Augusta, New Jersey, is a long-running drive-thru display that's already deep into its 2020 run. Boasting more than 2 million sparkling lights and some interactive outdoor elements, we had to check it out for ourselves. 

Read on for our full review of the Skylands Stadium Christmas Light Show, and find more safe, seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide for New Jersey Families.

Planning holiday celebrations and activities might take some extra imagination this year. But doing things a little differently doesn’t mean sacrificing any of the joy, traditions, or family memories that come with Christmas celebrations. In fact, let the limitations on travel and gatherings in 2020 spur your creativity to greater heights. From festive fun with grandparents to innovative ways to keep annual traditions going with friends, we have rounded-up our favorite socially distant ways to celebrate the season. With traditional gingerbread decorating, a newly imagined Christmas lights caravan, and even a Nailed It! challenge kids adore, these ideas are so crowd-pleasing, we bet a few become new family holiday traditions.

For more great ways to celebrate the season together, don’t forget about these 10 fabulous any-day zoom activities for kids and grandparents, the most fun games kids can play virtually with friends, and all the best virtual holiday events for families!

Sometimes you just need a break from crowded subways and sidewalks. New Yorkers in search of outdoor adventure and wide-open spaces can find plenty of both in the Bronx at Van Cortlandt Park. At 1,146 acres, the sprawling green space is about as outside of the city as you can get without crossing the border to Westchester, and it offers tons of all-season fun.

An infusion of recent improvements provides plenty of reasons to visit this marquee green space, which belongs in the conversation with Central Park, Prospect Park, and Flushing Meadows Corona Park as one of the city's top outdoor destinations.

Here are 14 of our favorite things to do with kids in Van Cortlandt Park.

Your holiday table may not be full of family and friends this year, but it can still be packed with delicious food made with love by a professional chef. These Connecticut restaurants will prepare a meal for Christmas or Hanukkah takeout (or in some cases, delivery) so you can kick back, relax, and tuck into prime rib, an Italian fish dinner, peppermint cheesecake or other treats while staying safe at home.

Might we suggest pairing holiday takeout with one our all-time favorite family Christmas movies? If you are in the mood to spread even more holiday cheer, check out out our Holiday and Christmas Fun Guide for Connecticut Kids.

If you’d rather kick back and relax than spend hours preparing a holiday spread, consider ordering your Christmas dinner in from one of these Long Island restaurants open and serving takeout dinner on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Several are even accepting reservations to dine indoors or out over the holidays.

Once you've placed your Christmas dinner order or booked your reservations, you'll have plenty of time to enjoy a must-do holiday event, check out Long Island's most spectacularly decorated houses, enjoy a drive-thru light show, or explore one of the other options in our jam-packed Holiday Fun Guide.

Boston is home to some beloved zoos as well as some spectacular holiday light displays, but a local tradition combines the two: ZooLights! This 26-acre winter wonderland at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham features tens of thousands of sparkling lights and lantern-lit sculptures, but what makes it unique from some other Christmas light experiences are the (real) animals roaming among the sparkling exhibits: black bears, Canada lynx, arctic foxes, reindeer, and more. My nine-year-old son and I explored ZooLights on an early December Wednesday evening, and were totally enchanted by the glowing colors and exotic animals.

Take a detour to check out these home Christmas light displays before or after your visit, and as always, keep tabs on our Boston Holiday Fun Guide for more ideas for socially distant festivites all season long.

While 2020 is shaping up to be a simpler holiday season, there's no reason to skimp on your favorite holiday foods. Forgo the heavy cooking and treat the family to a delicious takeout Christmas dinner or Christmas Eve meal to-go from a New Jersey restaurant or market. We've rounded up a handful of options for your Christmas meal, whether you want to have the whole meal catered or just need a few a la carte entrees, sides, and desserts to round out your holiday spread.

Check out these no-fuss Christmas dinner takeout options throughout New Jersey. While making your holiday preparations, consider visiting one of these Garden State Christmas tree farms, and catch up with St. Nick himself at one of these awesome Santa encounters.

Few things are more quintessential than picking out the perfect Christmas tree. The smell of a fresh-cut pine is even sweeter when you've trekked to the farm, found the perfect Christmas tree for your family, chopped it down, loaded it on your car, and brought it home as a labor of love. The experience offers a chance for family bonding, fun seasonal photo opportunities, lots of laughs, and a diversion from the everyday.

We've rounded up eight cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. If you're not quite sure you're up to the challenge of chopping down your tree, many also offer fresh-cut trees to choose from.

So, load up the family station wagon and start a new holiday tradition this season. For more seasonal fun, visit our Holiday Fun Guide.