Family Fun Guide to the Holidays in Brooklyn | Festive Things to do with kids throughout NYC
The 2025 Holiday Season in New York
Celebrating the holiday season in New York City can be magical. It can also be every New Yorker’s nightmare. We are built to avoid throngs of tourists, and that can be tricky. I tried to build a comprehensive guide with both bucket-list ideas that will appeal to everyone and more curated local ones.
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Santa Photos Throughout NYC
Free Santa Pictures for Kids
Santa Photo Studio at City Point in Downtown Brooklyn: On December 6th-7th and December 13th-14th, City Point offers free pictures with Santa. It is first-come, first-served, so arrive early. There will also be craft setups, but I expect this one to be crowded!
Photos with Santa Claus at Hudson Yards: Every evening from November 28th to December 3rd, from 5-8 pm, bring your camera to take free photos with Santa.
Selfies with Santa @ Brookfield Plaza: Bring your camera for these free photos. The schedule is a bit confusing, so make sure to check the link. There are lots of hours, but also gaps. The good news here is you can check and walk around while you wait for your number (I’ve heard the skating rink here is excellent.)
Santa’s Corner at Bryant Park Winter Village: Santa is in the park the week of December 15th - December 19th, and you can wait in line for free photos. If you want to guarantee access, there are VIP experiences you can pay for (and also skating with Santa).
Family Santa Pictures
Santa Land @ Atlantic Terminal Mall: Bookings are available now, with Santa visits starting on November 30th. Santa picture Package starts at $20. Family Portraits and special pet days are available, too.
Paleyland at the Paley Museum: These photos are affordable- only a $10 add-on to museum admission. Admission is $20, and kids under 12 are free. Lots of movie screenings and character pop-ups at this one, too.
Santaland at Macy’s: Tickets are released 5 days in advance at 6:30 am (ie Monday morning, and they will be released for Saturdays. These are on a rolling basis from November 29th to December 24th. Even with a reservation, they warn you could wait 30-90 minutes (especially on the weekend).
Santa Photos at the Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Plaza: Combine your Santa photos with a bucket list item of family activities. Santa is available on select weekend dates in December and is included with admission.
Kings Plaza Mall: In Mill Basin, it offers the traditional Santa Mall Experience.
Staten Island Mall: Reservations are available now for another traditional mall Santa experience.
Bloomingdale's Santa: Visit Santaland at Bloomingdale’s for a festive display and an expensive photo package. Available on Saturday/Sunday, December 6th/7th, and every day starting December 13th.
Brunch with Santa
Santa Brunches at Chela: Chela in Park Slope is duper decked out for the holidays and is doing brunch with Santa on December 14th, December 20th, and December 21st. Reservations will sell out, so book now!
Santa Fun Cruise with Kids Activities: These run every Saturday and Sunday starting November 30th. They are a bit pricey, starting at $69/child, but include letters to Santa, hot chocolate, and many other holiday treats for your children. The cruise departs from Pier 40 on the West Side of Manhattan.
Santa Brunch at the American Girl Doll Store: On December 7th, 14th, and 21st, book a Santa Brunch for all the young children in your family. (I couldn’t link directly, but click on events and scroll til you see the event.) Prices start at $60 for adults–I’ve eaten here before, and the food is pretty good.
Radio City Santa Breakfast Spectacular: This is an expensive one, but it includes a premium experience for the show. (I also love a 12 pm showtime for a kids activity- these people know what they’re doing.)
Marriott Marquis Very Merry Santa Brunch: This Santa Brunch includes face painting, crafts, and photos with Santa. Tickets aren’t cheap at $159 per adult but there are free mimosas and bellinis at least.
Hanukkah Family Events
Hanukkah Family Celebration at Kane Street Synagogue: Kane Street Synagogue has a Hanukkah family fest and a dreidel celebration.
Largest Menorah in Grand Army Plaza: Start the first night of Hanukkah, and enjoy the festivities every night. Complete calendar with detailed activities here.
Eight Nights of Lights with Park Slope Jewish Center: Lots of engaging crafts and
Hanukkah Arts Festival at Hannah Senesh: This school in Carroll Gardens hosts an annual Hanukkah arts festival on December 14th.
Christmas Tree Lighting Festivities
Grand Army Plaza Tree Lighting: The Diocese of Brooklyn hosts this and hasn’t published a date yet. Likely December 14th weekend based on past years. (This will look so great now that construction is finally done!)
Dumbo Tree Lighting: On Thursday, December 4th, head to the classic arch for tree lighting at 5:30 pm. Festivities and hot chocolate will be served starting at 4:30 pm.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade Tree Lighting: The tree lighting will take place on Wednesday, December 14th at 5:30pm.
Fort Greene Tree Lighting: Friday, December 5th, at the Myrtle Ave and Saint Edwards Street entrance.
I love that the space car- Prospect Heights landmark- has made it onto Unsplash! (My favorite site for professional photos.)
Holiday Shows for Kids of All Ages
Merry Mayhem at New Victory Theater: Running November 23rd -December 29th, this show is recommended for Ages 5+. It includes performers from Cirque Mechanics with acrobatics, mechanical marvels, and a bit of clowning around.
The Brooklyn Nutcracker at Brooklyn Ballet: A re-imagined holiday classic, The Brooklyn Nutcracker fuses ballet, hip-hop, and a rich tapestry of global dance genres to create a new family tradition for the modern era. This theater is in downtown Brooklyn.
The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center: The classic Nutcracker is a bucket list item for your children at some point. It’s a long one, so plan accordingly. There is a special family Saturday on December 20th with a one-hour performance. When I looked at making this list, it was already sold out. Plan ahead for next year!
Radio City Rockettes: Another bucket-list show performance. The Radio City Rockettes run at least once a day now through December 29th. If you’re not desperate for this, buy tickets for next year before December 1st! We went on Veteran’s Day and paid only $48 per ticket in 2025.
Holiday Lights
Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden: My family visited over Thanksgiving and I thought this was phenomenal. Very beautiful and well done with the music. Maybe a tad hard to push a stroller, but my 5-year-old and 8-year-old were very happy as well.
Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Train Show at New York Botanical Garden
Holiday Movies for Families
Alamo Drafthouse: The Brooklyn (and lower Manhattan) location hosts Elf Movie Parties throughout November and December. There are also several Polar Express Movie Parties and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Movie Parties in December. Warning: These really sell out, and seats are limited for the Elf parties already.
NiteHawk Holiday Show Spectacular: The dates have not been officially announced yet, but Nitehawk Cinema will have holiday movies at both locations, Park Slope and Williamsburg.
It’s a Wonderful Life at IFC Center: This classic will be presented annually at IFC Center starting on December 5th, 2025.
Ice Skating
Roebling Rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park: Roebling Rink opens almost under the Brooklyn Bridge this year. Last year’s rink in a similar location was quite touristy. This year, they are offering select skate sessions for free to locals. The schedule varies by day but plan ahead and enjoy the free time!
Lefrak Center at Prospect Park: They just revamped this rink in time for winter skating. Look for special skate sessions with Santa on some weekends as well!
Brookfield Place Ice Skating Rink: This is one of my mom's friends’ go-to ice skating rinks. She says it’s never too crowded, it’s real ice, and that being outside leads to a more authentic experience.
Domino Square Ice Skating Rink: New this year is an ice skating rink at Domino Park in Williamsburg.
Wollman Rink in Central Park: If you’re looking for an iconic New York City experience, I vote to visit Wollman Rink. This is one of the largest ice skating rinks available and will be far less crowded than Rockefeller Center, plus tickets are only $15/adult!
Rockefeller Center Ice Skating: Rockefeller Center charges surge pricing depending on the time of your visit. (I guess this is better than a crowd of tourists while my seven-year-old is trying to skate.) The max price is $114/adult, so plan accordingly.
Holiday Camps
If you’re working or local this holiday and need some time back to yourself, here are some of my favorite camp vendors that run camps almost every day during the holiday:
Drop-off activities: for parents to have time to get festive
CREA Date Night Drop Off: Every Friday and Saturday evening in Industry City, Brooklyn.
Creatively Wild: Every Saturday morning at 9 am with drop-off art in Dumbo, Brooklyn.
My Gym: My Gym has a parents' night out on Saturday, December 14th, at locations in Downtown Brooklyn and Cobble Hill.
NY Kids Club: On Friday evenings, NY Kids Club has pajama parties at multiple locations throughout Brooklyn.
Fashion Squad School: Drop-in Classes at 10 am or 1 pm on Saturday in Lower Manhattan.
Chelsea Piers: The first Friday of every month, Chelsea Piers hosts a movie night drop-off at the Field House in Brooklyn, NY. Brook now for December 6th if you’re ready to wrap early!
Family Winter Experience Pop-Ups
Skate with Santa: On various weekend sessions, sign up to skate with Santa at the Lefrak ice skating rink.
Paleyland: Paleyland at the Paley Museum in midtown hosts a holiday extravaganza with Santa and a wide array of meet-and-greets with holiday characters. A magical holiday train and free hot chocolate are included, too.
390 Social: This bar in Park Slope is an easy, festive experience for Brooklyn families. They have a holiday cocktail pop-up with a festive drink menu throughout December.
Santa Parade from Santa Land at Atlantic Terminal: This event leaves from Atlantic Terminal on December 7th. There is a parade with inflatables that meanders around Prospect Heights. My children went last year, and it was a bit kitschy but super easy for us. Not worth a tre,k but an easy thing to have on the list if you’re nearby.
Santa Show at Nordstrom: Every day at 2 pm and 6 pm, enjoy the Santa Snow Show for an interactive and fun performance.
I am a Brooklyn Mom. I help families with where to wake up on their Saturday Mornings and how to spend them.
I love exploring everything the city has to offer with my children. (Now 5 & 8 years old, I just love that photo.). I work full-time as a realtor at Decode Real Estate and share weekly ideas of things to do to help all families enjoy this amazing city we call home.
Send me an email or a DM if you’ve got any feedback on what I missed or want to chat about making a move.