The holidays bring so many kinds of seasonal fun for families to enjoy and form memories - parades, fireworks, ice skating, family drives to see Christmas lights - and a winter break to fit them all in. There's just one little thing about that winter break: there's no school. None at all. And as much as we love having our kids with us all the time, that doesn't mean we want our kids with us all the time! If winter break poses logistical problems - or even just sanity problems - for your family, time to find a camp. How about one of the 10 camps below? Or check some of the other camps listed in our camp guide to see if your favorite summer camp has a winter vacation plan!

The holiday season is in full swing in NYC and many of our favorite annual seasonal celebrations take place this weekend. See Santa get rescued by some of New York's Bravest at the New York City Fire Museum. Hear a no-cost concert of Christmas carols tooted out at Tuba Christmas. And celebrate Hanukkah with giant menorah lightings in Central and Prospect Parks, and at The Jewish Museum with candles, candy and songs by Yosi and the Superdads.

Other fun on tap this weekend includes a concert by Dan Zanes and Friends, holiday storytime with Mommy Poppins founder Anna Fader at the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Guggenheim's annual production of Peter and the Wolf.

Those are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. Read on for all of our picks. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Holiday Fun Guide.

The holiday countdown is on so you’re bound to see twinkling lights, holly and the Big Red Man everywhere you go. Time to check out the Santa Claus Train Ride, Santa Fly-In Celebration or Hudson Ballet’s Nutcracker! And the first night of Hanukkah is this Saturday, so get in the spirit with Hooray for Hanukkah crafts at the Garden State Museum or the Hanukkah Winter Wonderland at Imagine That! Read on for our top picks and remember you can find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

Our NYC Shopping Local Gift Guide is chock-full of great places to find cool kids' items, from seasonal pop-up shops to holiday markets to year-round family favorites. But in addition to hitting your usual go-to shops, why not try something new?

We've found seven new toy stores that opened in Manhattan and Brooklyn over the past year, many specializing in handcrafted, eco-friendly playthings that you won't find in the big chains. Bonus: Some of these shops also offer classes, sing-alongs and special events for kids, so you may find yourself hitting these spots long after the holidays are over.

Finding affordable and reliable childcare can be an enormous challenge, but there are many options around Long Island.  Below are several well-known locations that offer drop-off options, so that your child can enjoy "date night" as much as you do!  School districts or libraries sometimes also offer these services, so be sure to look there as well.