Top Things to Do with Kids in Suffolk County, Long Island this December
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The Thirtieth Anniversary Production of The Nutcracker is produced by Frank Ohman and features performers who have worked under George Balanchine and others at Lincoln Center and at the Performing Arts Center in Brooklyn. December 10 and 17, 12pm and 5pm; December 11 and 18, 1pm. $35; $28 seniors and children younger than 12.
John Cranford Adams Playhouse, Hofstra University, Hempstead Turnpike, Hempstead. 888-695-0888. www.ohmanballet.org.
Frosty the Snowman comes back, this time in a live staged production. December 10, 11am and 2pm; December 11, 17-18, 23, and 27-29, 11am. $9.
CM Performing Arts Center, 931 Montauk Highway, Oakdale. 631-218-2810. www.cmpac.com.
Nutcracker in a Nutshell is perfect for a fidgety audience. It is a shortened version of Tchaikovsky's holiday classic, complete with mice, soldiers, dolls, angels, flowers, snowflakes, and the Sugar Plum Fairy. December 14-15, 11am and 12:15pm. $25; $16 children and seniors.
Islip town Hall West, 401 Main Street, Islip. 631-737-1964. www.theballetcenter.org.
The Ballet Center is at it again, this time with a full-length version of The Nutcracker. December 16 at 7pm; December 17 at 3pm; December 18 at 3pm and 6pm. $25; $16 children and seniors.
Islip Town Hall West, 401 Main Street, Islip. 631-737-1964. www.theballetcenter.org.
In Barnaby Saves Christmas, Barnaby and friends set off on a journey to rescue Christmas and learn the true meaning of the December holidays. December 3, 10, 17, 24, and 26-27 at 11am. $10.
Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson. 631-928-9100. www.theatrethree.com.
At Holiday Hop, ring in the new year with festive hits and classics by Motown legends. December 31. 7:30pm and 10pm. Call for prices.
Patchogue Theatre, 71 East Main Street, Patchogue. 631-207-1313. www.gatewayplayhouse.com.
Frosty glides onto the stage, magic hat, corncob pipe, and all, in this live version of the cartoon playing through January 15 (check www.johnwengemantheater.com for show times). $15.
John W. Engeman Theatre, 250 Main Street, Northport. 631-261-2900. www.johnwengemantheater.com.
Look and Learn
Give your child's brain some exercise over the holidays at In the Mind's Eye, a presentation that shows kids how the eye works. Learn about light, color, and optics, and how light can be reflected, refracted, and filtered through lenses, prisms, and spectrometers. Make an optic craft to take home. December 27-30. 11am-4pm. $5.
Long Island Science Center, 11 West Main Street, Riverhead. 631-208-8000. www.lisciencecenter.org.
No Thin Mints Here
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County get into the holiday spirit with a Holiday Light Show. Visitors drive through a mile-long wooded train filled with a dazzling display of lights and holiday vignettes. Afterwards, warm up at the Holiday Village for photos, snacks, and hot cocoa. Proceeds benefit Girl Scouts programs and outreach services. December 1-30 (closed December 24-25). 4-9pm. $12 Monday-Thursday; $15 Friday-Sunday.
Lakeview Avenue, Bayport. 631-472-1625. www.holidaylightshow.org.
Schlep to the Mensch Exhibit
Mensch is the Yiddish word for someone with integrity. In The Alef Bet of Being a Mensch, the Suffolk Y JCC encourages families to explore an interactive exhibit that teaches patience, tolerance, and inner peace, among other worthy traits. Sundays through September 20, 2012. 1-4pm. $5; $18 per family; free children younger than 2.
Suffolk Y JCC, 74 Hauppuage Road, Commack. 631-462-9800. www.suffolkyjcc.org.
