Nine Holiday Activities for Kids in New York City

New York City is a magical place any time of year but the holiday season is an especially wonderful time to visit with kids. There are the famous window displays and decorations on every street corner and building, and countless pop up shops and restaurants, but most children will tire of just “looking” pretty quickly.  This week, we’re sharing (early because tickets for many events just went on sale and will sell out quickly!) nine holiday activities for kids in New York City and we promise adults will want to do them, too!

Must Do Kid-Friendly Holiday Activities in New York City:

1. See the Christmas Spectacle featuring the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall: The 90 minute show features 40 of the world famous Rockettes dancing to about a dozen choreographed numbers. Be sure to look for real life animals in some of the scenes, and use the 3D glasses to see Santa’s trek to New York.  The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission.
   Travel Tips: Get tickets early- shows run from mid November through January 1st; Go to the first show of the day, when crowds and lines are shorter; There are 4 levels of seating at Radio City Music Hall and usually there are 4-5 shows a day; Try and splurge to get as close as you can- the third mezzanine makes it hard for little ones to see much; There are plenty of souvenirs and snacks available for purchase; Ask for a booster seat to smaller children; Children under the age of two are allowed to sit on a parent’s lap and don’t need their own ticket.
   Read our full post featuring Radio City Music Hall here.

2. Watch the Nutcracker, performed by the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center: Tiny dancers (and non dancers) will love seeing the 90+ ballerinas performing in beautiful Lincoln Center (with 60+ musicians) and all children will love the costumes, music, and special effects like the 40 foot Christmas tree that emerges from the floor, the dancers that come from under Mother Ginger’s costume, and the sword fight scenes with the mice. The show runs about 2 hours, with a twenty five minute intermission. 
   Travel Tips: The show runs from Thanksgiving weekend through the end of December; There are 5 levels of seating at the Koch Theater and there are no booster seats; try and purchase seats in the first balconies and sit toward the ends of the center rows.  In addition to nightly performances, there are afternoon performances on Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, and a few Fridays; plenty of souvenirs and snacks available for purchase; before the show and during intermission. 

3. Ice skating at Rockefeller Center: One of the most famous places in America (the world?), the base of Rockefeller Plaza turns into an ice skating rink every winter and is open to the public for 75 minute sessions. Visitors can beat the majority of crowds and go in October or early November, or wait for the iconic tree to arrive in mid November, or postpone even further until the tree is officially decorated in early December. The rink stays open through mid March. The earlier sessions are far less crowded than popular mid day times.
   Travel Tips: Reserve tickets online here; There are a variety of packages, including lessons and memberships with unlimited skating; There is a separate fee for renting skates; Younger/ more novice skaters might want to rent a penguin skate aid; There are lockers available for rent and restrooms located in the skate rental space next to the rink. 
   Bonus: There are several other places to ice skate throughout Manhattan, including Bryant Park and Central park- get more info here. 

4. Visit Santa at SantaLand at Macy’s Herald Square: To recreate a scene from any number of holiday films, head to Macy’s Herald Square. There’s no charge to visit with Santa, and even though there are elves selling photo packages, if you ask nicely the elves will take a photo with your camera. There are plenty of photo opts throughout SantaLand, which begins with a pretend train ride to the North Pole filled with displays of stuffed animals, toys, decorated trees, and a sleigh of wrapped gifts. The elves are known for being super patient and super friendly with children.  SantaLand usually opens the day after Thanksgiving, and on some days in December, can open as early as 7am. Be sure to check out the famous window displays as you walk into Macy’s.
   Travel Tips: If you only want a photo with Santa and don’t mind skipping most of Santaland, you can reserve a spot online and skip most of the wait; Bring the stroller to keep the kids close at hand, and bring dry snacks and books to keep everyone entertained; Macy’s is also a great place to play “I Spy” while in line.

5. Sip hot cocoa (and shop! and skate! and ride bumper cars!) outside at Bank of America’s Winter Village at Bryant Park: There is so much to do at Bryant Park all year long (read my seasonal tips here) but it’s definitely worth a visit for the holidays. The whole park transforms into a  Winter Village with a patriotic themed decorated tree, an ice skating rink, enclosed and open air restaurants in the Lodge Bar and Food Hall, and over one hundred boutique pop up shops with tons of unique, handmade clothing, housewares, jewelry, holiday decor, and gifts. The 17,000 ice skating rink is the only one in New York City that is free of charge for skaters. There are charges to rent equipment and lockers, and skate aids. There are also sessions for bumper cars on ice– be sure to reserve ahead of time!
   Travel Tips: Bring a stroller- it’s crowded (more so in the afternoon and evenings) and you’ll want to contain little children (and have a place to store anything you purchase); The rink opens at 8am, which is great if you have early risers and catch a warmer day; Don’t feel like you have to rush there for December- the Rink stays open until early March.

6. Watch Peter and the Wolf at the Guggenheim. Part of the Works and Progress  series, Isaac Mizrahi narrates the 30 minute play that children will love for the costumes, the music, and the story. The play is held in the Lewis Theater, with almost 300 seats, which has a gradual decline making for an unobstructed view from every seat. The show is short, which is perfect for a preschooler’s attention span.
   Travel Tips: Tickets go on sale in August for the show, which typically has several performances each day of the second weekend in December; Info on tickets to the Guggenheim here (kids 12 and under are free and there are tons of kid friendly activities!); Cafe Rebay on site is open for lunch; Info on parking and transportation here.
   Read our full post on the Guggenheim here.

7. See close to 200 replicas of famous landmarks at the annual New York Botanical Garden Train Show.  The entire show is held within the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, which is warm and inviting with sunlight spilling in from every angle. There are dozens of trains zigzagging through the exhibits and hundreds of replicas of famous New York (and International) buildings. Kids will love seeing the Thomas the Tank, ladybug, and bumblebee trains. Train show tickets include admission to the grounds of the Garden. Make sure to explore the entire Conservatory- kids will love the tropical rain forest with the stairs leading to the “treetop” and the desert plants exhibits (so warm in cold months!). Leave time for the tram tour of the property and bring kids to the Children’s Adventure Garden for daily programming.  Officially, the Garden campus is located in the Bronx, but it’s an easy drive from any direction, and there are frequent subway stops within a five minute walk
   Travel Tips: Definitely reserve tickets online early– popular dates sell out quickly; mornings are calmer; you don’t have to rush to get there before the holidays- the exhibit is open through mid January, and it’s much calmer after the first of the new year; They do not allow strollers inside the conservatory; Paid parking lots inside the garden gates and across the street in a garage; there are dining options on site; Plan on 90 minutes to tour the train exhibit; leave time for the tram tour and the Children’s Garden.
   Read more about why we love the New York Botanical Garden here.

8. Explore PaleyLand at The Paley Center. The Paley Center collection includes 160,000 television and radio programs and advertisements from over 70 countries- the largest collection of television and audio media in the world. Paley The curated collection includes news, sports, performing arts, children’s shows, documentaries, comedy shows, and even commercials dating back to the 1940s, all of which have been chosen for their “artistic achievement.” Kids will especially love the 5th floor Gaming Room. During the holiday season, the Paley Center presents “PaleyLand”  which includes four floors of decorations, plenty of photo opts, visits with Santa, and an entire room filled with model train displays.
   Travel Tips: The Paley Center is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12pm to 6pm; The entire center is handicap accessible via elevators; Information on parking garages and close subway stops can be found here; Restrooms are located on 4th, 2nd, and concourse floors; No dining facilities on site; See the up to date calendar here; Plan on 60 minutes to explore the center and add more time for the GX Studio and viewing of films. 
   See our full post here. 

Bonus: LuMagica at Harvest Moon farm in North Salem, New York (one hour north of Manhattan). Lumagica is an international holiday light show with exhibits throughout the world and the American exhibit is displayed at Harvest Moon Farm and Orchard, a 90+ acre farm open year round. LuMagica is a half mile trail that runs through the apple orchards of the farm, which are covered in over half a million LED lights. There are six themed spaces: Sparkling Light, Into the Wonderland, Magical Trees, A Great Celebration, Treats and Sweets, and Beyond the Forest and music is piped in throughout each space.
Read our full post featuring Lumagica here. 

Looking for our other New York City posts? Check out our full City Guide here, our index here, and our recommendations for where to eat with kids here. And follow along on our adventures on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.