Featured in our recent roundup of holiday shows other than The Nutcracker, Boston Children's Theatre's production of The Velveteen Rabbit is a fantastic experience for even the youngest theatergoers.

The adaptation of the classic story by Margery Williams absolutely captivates. The actors, lively puppets, and adorable set bring to life the stuffed toy and the boy who makes him real. Child and teen actors add an authentic feel, quite possibly with the added effect of infecting young audience members with the acting bug. In fact, I might need to check out some local acting and theater classes now that my girls have seen other kids on the big stage!

More than 75 oversized puppets will help bring classic children's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other works by famed author Eric Carle to an off-Broadway New York theater this January.

Jonathan Rockefeller's The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show comes to NYC from Australia where it debuted in January 2015 and continues to tour the country. Rockefeller's adaption stands out with its large, colorful puppets and lively storytelling of a caterpillar's metamorphosis geared specifically to first-time theatergoers, including toddlers and preschoolers. While we've told you about previous NYC productions of this iconic early childhood classic, including just last year, we're excited to welcome a new entrant—especially given its seemingly ambitious scope.

Watch a preview clip of the show below!

Winter break is around the corner, and your kids are about to be off school for weeks! If you can’t spare the vacation time to stay home with them or you don’t fancy the idea of being stuck indoors playing the entertainer during the whole break, vacation camps are a great option. Kids can play sports, games, create art projects, and learn new skills that will keep their minds ready to go when they head back to school in January.

Let’s face it, sometimes our kids grow too quickly. Those dreaded growth spurts can leave us needing to furnish our children with a new wardrobe all too soon! I have a solution which has been a well kept secret until now; check out one of these local New Haven consignment shops and events for kids. They offer tons of gently used children’s clothing to keep your kids well dressed until the next time your child seems to jump two sizes in a matter of a month.

It’s always a great feeling when you find something unexpected and beautiful on the streets of New York. A new art installation in the Flatiron District feels like a little bit of holiday magic dropped onto the busy city intersection.

Nova by SOFTlab is a large aluminum pavilion that pedestrians can walk around and into all holiday season. It feels like being inside a life-sized kaleidoscope, making it an interactive experience that kids and adults will have a blast exploring.

It's easy to slip into the winter blues once the weather outside turns frightful, but there's still plenty of cultural events across the island to keep the whole family entertained and out of the home. From theater to music, these holiday-themed shows are sure to light up the faces of both mom and dad and the kiddies. Of course folks can also enjoy The Nutcracker on several stages across Long Island.

Although the challenges and escapades of Minecraft take place in a digital realm, in the real world, the game presents a nice opportunity for like-minded fans to form friendships. Local Minecraft clubs and classes serve as a good starting spot for young and teen-age fans to meet up.

Minecraft receives accolades for youth-based STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) learning because the online game promotes creativity as players construct block-like structures or interact with online gatherings. The following classes and clubs in the Boston area let kids swing their virtual pickaxes with peers:

The holidays are here. Regardless of how or what your family celebrates, I think we can all agree that festivities are bountiful in Los Angeles in December. It’s hard to choose just one thing to do each day, because there is so much going on. Every night this week is Hanukkah, which means tree lightings are outnumbered by menorah lighting ceremonies around town this week, mostly in convenient shopping locations like Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade or the infamous Sherman Oaks Galleria—handy for grabbing a last minute toy or holiday batch of socks and underwear.

A few major shows are opening, including Cirque du Soleil's KURIOS at Dodger Stadium, two different Lythgoe Family Pantos (Peter Pan and Tinkerbell in Pasadena and Snow White in Laguna), and Disney on Ice finally brings its Frozen tour to LA. And we are not even close to running out of Nutcrackers yet.

For those dissatisfied Angelenos dreaming of a white Christmas, I say go with what you got. How cool is it that we can ride an open air train in Griffith Park or see a drive-in double feature in the middle of December? It’s a festive time of year with myriad opportunities for merriment, including one super wacky chance to be included in the world’s biggest baby portrait. Best to keep up with these shenanigans and more by checking our Daily Events Calendar, December Go List and Holiday Guide.