Best Family-Friendly Restaurants near Rockefeller Center

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Catch a "show" with your diner classics at Ellen's Stardust Diner. Photo by the author

Rockefeller Center is a top NYC attraction for families and home to the Top of the Rock Observation Deck, NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, and many stores. It especially comes alive during the holiday season when the famed Rockefeller Center Christmas tree goes up.

While food options have near Rockefeller Center have traditionally been limited, the area has undergone a bit of a culinary renaissance, and this list of the best family-friendly restaurants near Rockefeller Center is proof that it now has a little something for everyone.

Whether you're there over the holidays to see tree, ice skate, check out the holiday windows, or enjoy one of the other fun experiences in this action-packed complex, there are a number of family-friendly dining options within a quick walk.

Here are our top picks for family-friendly restaurants near Rockefeller Center. To find more family-friendly dining options in NYC, check out our NYC Kids' Guide to Restaurants.

The German Christmas Market of NJ Could Be Your Family's New Go-To Holiday Tradition

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Tour the Sussex County Fairgrounds in horse-and-carriage during a visit to the German Christmas Market of New Jersey.

Looking to get your family into the spirit of the season? Whisk them away to one of the most feel-good Christmas events around: the German Christmas Market in Sussex County, where the cheeks are rosy, the hot chocolate is steaming, and the holiday vibes are cranked up to 100.

Nothing will enchant them like the whimsy and joy of this annual holiday market, which runs from Friday, December 5-Sunday, December 7, 2025. Here you will find the quaintness of a traditional German Christmas market mixed with local vendors and craftsmen, animals, entertainers, exhibits, holiday displays, and authentic German food and seasonal treats for everyone’s palate. Your family will be transported to a different time and place, outside of the stuffy malls and away from the commercial noise of the season, where kids are surrounded by the true spirit of the season, complete with community, joy, and fun.

Read on for my best tips for keeping a visit to the German Christmas Market of New Jersey stress-free and find all our best things to do this season in our New Jersey Kids' Guide to Holiday and Christmas Activities.

22 Best Things to Do in Los Angeles December 2025 with Kids

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Disney on Ice: Magic in the Stars glides into DTLA. Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment.

December brings plenty of things to do in Los Angeles with Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve. Don’t miss our favorite kid-friendly events and activities in Los Angeles this month.

Top things to do in Los Angeles and unwrap this December include Wicked at the Pantages, Manhattan Beach Annual Holiday Fireworks Festival (snow and fireworks!), and an entire fleet of boat parades, including Dana Point's Boat Parade of Lights, and LA County's Annual Holiday Celebration. Elsa, Ariel, and Moana skate into the Southland with a new Disney on Ice show, and the Skirball's annual Hanukkah Festival kicks off the Festival of Lights in the most kid-friendly way. 

To end the month in style, ring in the new year at Gloria Molina Grand Park—or let the littles have their fun at the Noon Year's Eve Party at the Southern California Children's Museum. Keep reading to discover the best things to do in Los Angeles this December.

For even more fun things to do in LA this season, check out our Holiday and Christmas Activities Guide for LA Families—which includes a roundup of the Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus, Walk-Thrus, and Christmas Light Shows in Los Angeles, where to see The Nutcracker and other holiday shows in LA, and more. 

Best Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows in Dallas-Fort Worth

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The night glows at Tianyu Lights Festival. Photo courtesy Tianyu Lights Festival

Holiday lights are a thing of beauty, and one thing North Texans know is that Dallas-Fort Worth knows how to put on a show. The Dallas Zoo Lights beckon to kids of all ages to see the dinos decked out for the holiday season. The Tianyu Lights Festival illuminates the night in the most magical of ways, and the Dallas Arboretum blends a Victorian Christmas with a holiday light show that'll keep your whole crew entertained.

Whether you're seeking a drive-thru holiday lights extravaganza or a parade filled with dazzling Christmas lights by way of boat or car, we've got one of everything this holiday season. Keep reading to discover the best holiday lights in Dallas-Fort Worth.

35 Best Things To Do in Atlanta with Kids December 2025, According to Mommy Poppins Editors

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Enjoy Halcyon Holiday Magic at this annual Alpharetta event featuring live music, performances, and beloved characters...including Santa! Photo courtesy of Halcyon

Christmas lights, Hanukkah celebrations, and holiday activities are in full effect for December, and that's just the beginning of things to do in Atlanta this month! 

December in Atlanta starts with Christmas tree lightings all over town, including those in Decatur, Sandy Springs, Woodstock, and Brookhaven. As the month continues, Atlanta families get into the holiday spirit with Holiday Lights Drive-Thrus and Christmas Light Shows. Mid-December brings Hanukkah and eight nights of celebrating with events including Chabad Intown's various menorah lightings. After all those holiday and Christmas gifts are ripped open, ring in 2026 with family-friendly, daytime events like the New Year's Eve Bubble Bash at Children's Museum of Atlanta. 

And from all of us at Mommy Poppins, have a happy and healthy holiday season and new year!

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