Fun Things to Do with Kids in Manhattan this December

Fun and low-cost (and free!) things to do with kids in Manhattan this December, including holiday shows, sledding, ice-skating, and more in Lincoln Center, Midtown, SoHo, Upper East Side, and Upper West Side.

The Nutcracker

If gathering your brood to watch this classic ballet is a holiday season tradition for your family (or a tradition you’d like to start this year), you’ve got plenty of options. Check out our full roundup of The Nutcracker performances in NYC.

Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair

Grand Central Terminal, Midtown

Through Dec. 24

Arguably the most famous of the city’s fleeting holiday markets is the Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair, which currently has its 76 vendors spread out across the historic, 12,000-square-feet Vanderbilt Hall. The fair features goods that can’t be found anywhere else in the city, and it’s the only holiday market held entirely indoors. Browse for gifts underneath the 48-foot ceiling and its five gold chandeliers, then stroll out to the adjacent main concourse to watch the holiday laser light show on the terminal ceiling.

Got a lot of gifts to get? Visit nymetroparents.com/markets for details on all the big holiday markets, including Bryant Park, Columbus Circle, and Union Square.

Circus Oz Holiday Show

New Victory Theater, Midtown

Through Dec. 30

December is traditionally the most festive month of the year, but sometimes all that holiday cheer can get tiring. It’s okay to want to do some “regular” events during the month of December (good luck finding the time!), to help you wind down from the holiday sprint. We can’t promise that the Circus Oz Holiday Show is “regular” at all, but because it’s filled with jaunty jugglers, astounding acrobats, teasing trapeze artists, sassy ringleaders, and fantastic Australian accents, we can promise that this show will be a ton of fun.

The Barber of Seville

The Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center

Dec. 18 – Jan. 5

Don’t let the word “opera” scare you away from taking the whole family to see Bartlett Sher’s production of Rossini’s comedic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville—yes, you should even bring the kids! The holiday presentation of the almost-200-year-old show runs for an abridged two hours, and the performance is sung entirely in English, so even the tiniest of audience members won’t be intimidated or confused. The perfect beginner opera for both kids and adults, the story contains all the elements of a captivating tale: true love, deception, a bad guy, slapstick comedy, and of course, a happy ending.