A busy holiday week is upon us with NYC schools and many preschools and daycares headed for winter break on Thursday, December 24, and then Christmas on Friday. Luckily, we're sharing our annual list of 35 Things to Do Over Holiday Break for families, as well as a separate kid activity list for Christmas Eve. 

If you haven't seen Santa, the stunning department store windows, incredible public art and the over-the-top holiday displays—you better hurry! The same goes for getting your Christmas tree; whether you cut it down yourself or have it delivered, time is running out.

Take a hot cocoa crawl with the kids in Brooklyn or Manhattan, see some top-notch holiday theater productions or one the many Nutcrackers around town. You can even head out of town for a one day or weekend winter getaway. Hershey Park looks particularly festive this time of year.

Other highlights for the week of December 21-25 include two winter solstice celebrations, the Make Music Winter parade and the collaborative math/art project with MoMath; a fun chocolate and cocoa lesson; an interactive kids concert with Oran Etkin; and Christmas Caroling on Christmas Eve.

As always, you can find more family activities in our Event Calendar and Holiday Fun Guide.

Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas from the moms and dads at Mommy Poppins!

I love Christmas, but the week leading up to Christmas? That's always been a particular challenge for me: so many last minute errands to do and so many children under foot (okay, only two children, but sometimes it seems like more).  Happily, this week Kids U in Stamford is offering a Winter Wonderland Camp that is sure to buy you the extra hours you need to make things merry and bright.

If you're looking to expand your holiday traditions, the caroling at the God's Acre in New Canaan is a gorgeous family friendly event, as are the holiday lights at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven (which will be lit on Christmas Day). For more options check out our frequently updated Event Calendar and Holiday Guide for all sorts of fun. 

Have a wonderful Christmas week!

Come Christmas time, tourists and locals alike head to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn to check out amazing holiday lights and decorations.  

However, for those who don't have a car, there are other pockets in Brooklyn of wonderful and creative holiday decorations, including among the pretty brownstones of Carroll Gardens, a onetime Italian-American stronghold where churches and funeral homes, along with Italian bakeries and restaurants are equally plentiful. While it might not be as famous as Dyker Heights, Carroll Gardens can be easier to access for Brooklyn families from nearby Park Slope, Fort Greene and even Manhattan. 

Traditionally there are two types of day camps: Specialty camps that allow kids to focus on one thing (soccer, theater, robotics, art, etc.) and general interest camps, where participants spend their days rotating through a schedule of sports, swimming and arts. Lately, some general programs have started to offer more specialization, allowing kids to pick a "major" of sorts and then spend the rest of the day participating in traditional camp activities.

These kinds of customizable camps are great for kids who are really into a particular activity but don't want to give up traditional day camp fun like swimming, sports and time outdoors. It also gives children more control over their schedules.

The countdown is on. Christmas is almost here, and winter break is even closer than that. Philly families can find ways to get into the holiday spirit and keep the kids happy by turning to our Events Calendar which is filled almost as full as Santa's sleigh!

See a Christmas show, go ice skating, watch a Nutcracker performance, or experience Wells Fargo Center's Disney on Ice. Consider planning a getaway to the Sweetest Place on Earth and be sure to download some kid shows for the ride. On the other hand, if your focus is still on last minute shopping, check out our Round Up of Holiday Drop and Shop opportunities.

Read on to see our top weekday picks and have a very Merry Christmas!

If your budding thespians or tiny dancers want to continue (or discover!) their stage presence through the summer, you'll be happy to know that a variety of summer camps in the Hartford area are geared toward performing arts. These venues provide a great way to channel creative energy and spend the summer doing what children enjoy. Check out this list of camps with a fine arts focus, including drama, dance, theater, and music.

It may seem like you've seen all there is to see this holiday season — decorated Christmas trees, holiday lights, gingerbread houses, and enchanting displays — but don't hang up your Santa hat just yet. Head on down to the South Shore with your kids and catch a glimpse of some really unique and beautiful Christmas decorations. 

What’s 122-feet long, weighs as much as 10 African elephants and is totally vegetarian? A Titanosaur, of course! Dino-lovers rejoice as the American Museum of Natural History (known for its amazing must-see exhibits including The Secret World Inside You and Life at the Limits) gears up to introduce this gargantuan dinosaur in a brand-new exhibit. The massive new dinosaur cast will be unveiled in January, settling in for a three-year stay on the museum’s dinosaur floor. We've gathered some fun facts about this newly discovered dinosaur group, as well as details on the upcoming exhibit and even a very cool digital rendering of this giant find.