The Best Holiday Break Activities in NYC!

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The Best Holiday Break Activities in NYC!

New York City kids are about to start their holiday break, which means they will be able to spend some much needed time relaxing, making memories with family, and just having fun! Make this holiday break worthwhile with these fun activities you can do around NYC.

Add something sweet to your holiday season by checking out the Best Holiday Cookies to Make with Your Kids!

The PAW Patrol™ Experience at CAMP’s Hudson Yards

Suite up and get ready to help out your favorite pack of pups at The PAW Patrol Experience! Visit the CAMP Store at Hudson Yard to explore this one-of-a-kind shopping experience that your kids will love. Kids of all ages will explore different themed environments that are from PAW Patrol and will take part in a wide variety of games and activities.

Meatpacking District Holiday Light Display

For the first time ever, the Meatpacking District will be lighting up their cobblestone streets for the holiday season! Walk around the district with the family to find 10 different light displays that are made with colorful neon lights, larger-than-life snowmen and so much more.

Watch Sing 2

One of the most highly anticipated kids movies of the year will be hitting the big screen during the winter break! Sing 2 brings back Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers as they get ready to take the stage at the entertainment capital of the world. The movie comes out everywhere on December 22nd and tickets are on sale now.

Sign up for A Holiday Break Camp

This break is a great time for kids to participate in some fun activities and signing them up for a camp is just a way to achieve that! All across the city, different companies and organizations are putting on holiday break camps that will suit all different kinds of interests your kids might have while keeping them occupied all week long.

The Rock and Roll Playhouse Plays Music of Phish for Kids & More

Bring the kids to this family concert series that is sure to get them up and dancing! The Rock and Roll Playhouse puts on shows to target families with kids of all ages and gives them an experience that is not only fun, but also teaches them the history of rock music! The show will take place at Brooklyn Bowl on January 2nd at 12pm. Tickets are $15 for all guests, Children under 1 are free.

Stream Holiday Movies

Sometimes during the break, you and your kids are not going to want to leave the house, yet want to find something fun to do at home. The best way to have fun while also relaxing is by turning on your favorite streaming service and watching a holiday movie! Pick from the many holiday favorites and enjoy one last watch before the season is over.

Explore the LuminoCity Festival

This holiday lights art park is sure to add some much needed happiness to your holiday break. LuminoCity Festival is open until January 9th and gives your family the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the many beautiful light sculptures. These larger than life light art displays are not only fun for kids to observe, but it also brings parents back to when they were kids and how they were enchanted by the thoughts of the holiday season.

Visit Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Explore the Brooklyn Botanic Garden like you never have before. Once the sun goes down, the magical lights of Lightscape illuminate the garden to celebrate the beauty of nature in winter. Not only are you able to admire the light displays but you will also be able to take a look at pieces from local artists. Lightscape is open until January 9th and tickets are $34 for adults and $18 for kids.

Donate to the CAMP x Ally Toy Vault

It’s the season of giving and there is no better time to teach your kids the importance of spreading kindness and giving back to their community. CAMP Stores are partnering with Ally for their 2nd annual CAMP x Ally Toy Vault! This interactive experience at the company’s 5th Avenue location allows your kids to purchase a toy from a preselect group that they will donate to the Toy Vault. Those toys will be distributed to organizations around the country that help children in need.

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Play On! Studios

<p>Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games!</p> <p>Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun!</p> <p>Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show!</p> <p>During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we’ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us.</p> <p> </p>

Yuletide Factory

<p>Fill your hearts with circus cheer—the merry daredevils of Cirque Mechanics (Zephyr, 2023) are back with an industrial-strength spectacular for you and your kin. Sparkling with holiday spirit, the ever energetic ensemble of acrobats transforms a drab assembly plant into a holly jolly Yuletide Factory! From the wonder of the German wheel to festive flips from the trampoline wall, they dash and dance through a pageant of powerhouse stunts with grins and goodwill. It’s high-flying fun, comfort and joy for the whole family!</p>

Penguin Coding School

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Penguin Coding School believes that </span><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anyone can code</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The most compelling motivation for learning to code is that it enables building something kids can call their own. What makes this approach "worth it" for the kids is that at the end of the road, they see that their code actually does things in the real world. Not in some playpen, but in the real Internet where anyone can access it. </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Programs:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong> </strong>Penguin Coding School </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">provides comprehensive coding education to kids ages 5-18. In-person & Online classes are available in Scratch, Minecraft, Roblox, Python, Javascript, Java, Robotics, and Mobile Apps. Their small class size, award winning teachers and age-appropriate curriculum ensure every child will learn coding with a smile. Penguin Coding has in-person classes and summer camps in Cobble Hill and Park Slope, as well as three Massachusetts locations. </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Free Trial Classes: </span></strong></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-115c8d0a-7fff-6ffb-9ee2-4fd4aa248c0a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; text-align: justify; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sign up for our award-winning</span><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://penguincodingschool.com/freetrial?utm_campaign=FreeTrials&utm_source=NYF&utm_medium=Directory"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">free trial classes</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. They offer a 60 minute free trial class in Scratch, Python, Roblox, Java, Robotics and much more! Appropriate for absolute beginners as well as those with some experience (trial classes are used to place students in the right level).</span></p>