COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK WITH KIDS

by Alex Millsupdated on October 22, 2024October 22, 2024Leave a Comment

Are you planning a magical Christmas in New York with kids this year? We have been lucky enough to spend three holiday seasons in NYC and it is really an amazing time of year to visit! In this post, I’m going to be sharing all the things to do when spending Christmas in New York with kids!

From extravagant window displays, to visiting Santa and of course, the iconic giant Christmas tree in Rockefeller Centre. There is a lot to do in New York over the Holiday Season and I’ll be sharing it all with you. Grab yourself a glass of prosecco (or a cup of coffee) and read on!

Please note: all photos are our own from our time living in New York. Most decorations were the same or very similar each year. I can’t guarantee the decorations will remain the same every year but it will be magical!

THINGS TO DO WHEN SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK WITH KIDS

ADMIRE NEW YORK CITY’S HOLIDAY DECORATIONS

New York City goes all out with its holiday decor and just looking at it is a fun activity for both kids and grownups! So let me share with you the best decorations to visit in New York City.

HOTELS

Many of New York’s hotels decorate for Christmas, you don’t have to be a guest to enjoy their decorations! I’ve listed them below:

The Peninsula New York – 700 5th Avenue – the main decorations are inside and they welcome you to come in and look around!
Lotte New York Palace – 455 Madison Avenue – their courtyard has the most fabulous display. This is also home to The Vander Woodsens in Series 1 (if any Gossip Girl fans are reading this!)
The Plaza, New York – 768 5th Avenue (we went in one Christmas without a booking, another they weren’t letting people in without a reservation for the hotel or bar.)
The Mark – 25 East 77th Street

Staying in one of these hotels would be a magical experience! Or search for other hotels below:

The Lotte New York Palace Christmas Tree

The Lotte New York Palace – The Peninsular – The Mark – The Plaza

SHOPS

Again, lots of shops go all out with their holiday decorations. While shopping with kids is not my favourite activity, they did enjoy all the decorations.

Macy’s – Herald Square West 34th Street. Macy’s is fully decorated inside and out. The window displays were amazing and interactive, perfect for children to enjoy. The inside is also beautifully decorated. Kids will enjoy the Toys R Us department on the 7th floor and the opportunity to visit Santa. More about that is below.
Oculus World Trade Center – 185 Greenwich Street, Downtown Manhattan. The downstairs is decorated for Christmas. I wouldn’t make a special trip here but I would stop by if you’re passing. It’s located close to One World Observatory and the Twin Towers memorial.
Hudson Yards – The hot air balloon-shaped lights here are really magical and a must-see. Hudson Yards also has a lot of places to eat and a Dylan’s Candy Bar (sweet shop) which kids will love!
FAO Schwartz – 30 Rockefeller Plaza. This is New York’s huge toy shop. If you take your kids here, be prepared they will be picking out many, many Christmas presents for themselves.
Saks Fith Avenue – I’ll talk more about Fifth Avenue in general below but Sacks deserves a special mention. Do not miss their light show, it is really something special to see when you’re spending Christmas in New York.

Looking at the Macy’s Christmas Windows – Hudson Yards – Saks Fifth Avenue Light Display

STREETS & HOUSES

Some streets in New York are extremely festive and well worth checking out. There are also some individual houses that are really spectacular and worth checking out if you can. This is a perfect fun and free thing to do if you’re spending Christmas in New York with kids.

Fifth Avenue – a lot of the shops on Fifth Avenue will be decorated for Christmas. The street is also decorated. Bergdorf Goodman usually has fabulous window displays. Also, check out Cartier, Ralphs Coffee and St. Patricks Cathedral. Saks Fith Avenue really goes all out, their light display is a must-see, ideally both in the day and in the dark! They also do an amazing window display.
Rockefeller Plaza – Of course, The giant Rockefeller Christmas Tree is a must-see but there are also a lot of other great decorations around this area and Radio City.
East 64th Street – Between Fifth and Madison. There is an incredible house here which always does something special for Christmas.
East 76th Street – Between Fifth and Madison. The most amazing house EVER! The giant nutcrackers and other decorations here are the perfect backdrop for photos.

Fifth Avenue – East 64th Street – East 76th Street – Rockefeller Plaza

NEW YORK’S GIANT CHRISTMAS TREES

I think the most iconic symbol of New York at Christmas is the extravagant Rockefeller Christmas tree. It really is amazing but New York also has many other options.

Rockefeller Tree – a must see as I previously mentioned.
Bryant Park – at Christmas time, Bryant Park transforms into a winter wonderland. With a holiday market, ice skating and a big Christmas tree!
New York Public Library – before we moved to New York, I didnt realize you could go inside the New York Public Library, and it’s completely free. It is extremely beautiful and their huge Christmas tree is decorated with cute woodland birds and other animals. Here, they also have an exhibition displaying the original Winnie the Pooh stuffie, this is a great place to pop by with kids, my son really loved it!
South Street Seaport – downtown in Seaport, there is a great Christmas Tree.
Wall Street – another downtown location with another amazing Christmas tree.
The Lotte New York Palace, The Peninsular and The Plaza Hotels also have huge trees (pictured above).

Wall Street – Rockefeller at night – New York Public Library – Seaport

VISIT SANTA

Anyone spending Christmas in New York with kids will need a visit to Santa! New York has some great options!

MACY’S SANTALAND

This is New York’s most well-known Santa’s Grotto, to make it even more amazing, it’s completely free! We visited twice and really loved the experience. Tickets are released at 6:30 am, 5 days in advance and you should go on to the website at 6:30 ready to snap them up (they go fast!)

You may have to wait a while in the queue to get to Santa but there are plenty of magical things to see on the way around.

In full disclosure, I have heard from some other parents that their children didnt handle the queue well. If you’re concerned about this, it is much quieter in November and gets busier the closer to Christmas you get.

Macy’s also has the option to select, white, black or Hispanic Santa when you book which I think is amazing!

Visiting Macy’s Santaland

BLOOMINGDALES

Santa at Bloomingdales on 59th Street and he has an adorable grotto there. It was advertised as free to meet Santa from Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and Sunday 11 am to 6 pm. However, when we tried to visit on a weekday, Santa was not there.

Staff said he was only actually there and free on the weekends and during the week you had to book. I can’t remember the exact cost but I think it was around $40. Check the website for up-to-date info.

Santa at Bloomingdales

OTHER SANTS’S TO VISIT

Other locations for meet and greets with Santa include:

Hudson Yards – from 5 pm to 8 pm Santa is on the third floor and available for photos. This is first come first served, no booking required and also free.
Bryant Park – located near the Christmas tree, Santa is available for photos at select times. Again, this is a first come first served meeting, no booking is required and also free.
Nordstrom – West 57th Street. From 2 pm to 6 pm, you can meet Santa and his elves, enjoy story time or write a letter to Santa.
Top of The Rock – if you’re planning to visit Top of The Rock (which is my favourite observation deck) you can add a ticket to visit Santa for an additional fee. We didnt do this but it looked like a beautiful set-up. Book Top of the Rock Tickets here.
The Empire State Building – again, you can add tickets to your reservation for the Empire State Building for an additional fee. Book Empire State Building Tickets here.

ICE SKATING

Ice Skating is such a lovely festive activity. Of course, New York has multiple skating rinks for you to choose from. My husband and our eldest son skated twice at Bryant Park. When he was almost 3 (on a very cold day) and almost 4, it was a lot more successful at almost 4. If you’re spending Christmas in New York with older kids, this is an amazing activity!

Also, make sure to have travel insurance. It’s always a good idea but especially when ice skating.

THE MAIN ICE SKATING RINKS IN NEW YORK CITY:

Bryant Park – if you have your own ice skates, you can skate here for free Otherwise, you just pay for skate hire. They also have free skate aids and ice skate seats (see photo below) available for children on a first come first served basis. The prices vary depending on the date and time of day so check times and availability on the Bryant Park website.
The Rink at Rockefeller Centre – skate with a view of the gorgeous Rockefeller Tree. Penguin skate aids available for children however these are hired at an additional fee. Buy tickets on the Rockefeller website here.
The Woolman Rink in Central Park – if anyone is a Gossip Girl fan, this is where Blair’s famous ice skating scene was filmed. Penguin skate aids available for children however these are hired at an additional fee. The prices vary depending on the date and time of day so check times and availability on the Woolman Rink website.

The seat and penguin skate aids at Bryant Park – The Rockefeller Rink

OTHER ICE SKATING RINKS IN NEW YORK CITY:

Most likely, you’ll want to choose one of the three rinks I mentioned above however, there are some other options if those are fully booked.

The Manhattan West Rink – located on the west side on Manhattan. See prices and book on their website here.
The Rink at Brookfield Place – you’ll find this rink in the financial district of Manhattan. Skate aids are available for an additional fee but can’t be reserved online. See all the details on their website here.
Chelsea Piers Sky Rink – this rink is open year-round and offers ice skating lessons. You can also do one-off drop-in sessions by booking here. Skate aids are free before 11:30!

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

To be completely honest, I found some of New York’s Christmas markets a little underwhelming compared to European Christmas Markets. However, you’ll likely pass one and may want to stop by and pick up a memento of your trip. Bryant Park was my favourite option and it can be combined with the ice skating I talked about above.

New York’s Christmas Markets:

Bryant Park – as I previously mentioned, Bryant Park is a lovely place to explore, especially at Christmas.
Columbus Circle – located in the Southwest corner of Central Park and is the largest holiday market in NYC.
Union Square – one to see if you’re passing but I wouldn’t go out of may way to visit here!
Rockefeller Plaza – not quite a market but there are Holiday Chalets, where you can enjoy drinks overlooking the ice rink. These need to be reserved in advance.

Bryant Park Winter Village – Union Square Holiday Market – Rockefeller Holiday Chalets

SEE A SHOW

New York is known for its Broadway Shows but there are also some shows around the holidays which are perfect for if you’re visiting New York at Christmas with kids:

The Rockettes – this is a spectacular show for all the family. I read it wasn’t really suitable for under age 6 but I know that my son who was 3 at the time would have loved it and I wish we’d taken him! Click here to book tickets to The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.
My First Nutcracker – I haven’t been to this personally but friends with daughters have told me it’s really good! Check the New York Children’s Theatre website for more details.

The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular

RIDE A CHRISTMAS-THEMED BUS

Full disclosure, this was a gifted experience but all opinions are my own!

Top View Tours runs a Christmas-themed tour bus. This isn’t the cheapest activity but kids really will love it. There’s singing, dancing elves and even a visit from Santa himself! The tickets also include hot chocolate, biscuits and a cute little jingle bell to take home.

This tour lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes and goes past some of New York’s most beautiful Christmas lights, so you get to see them from a unique perspective.

You can book tickets on the Top View Website, linked here.

Top Tours Christmas-Themed Bus Ride

Another popular tour is to visit Dyker Heights, this area in Brooklyn is known for its extravagant Christmas decorations. Unfortunately, we never made it here ourselves. It’s something to consider depending on how much time you have. You can make this journey on the subway for just $2.90 each way (kids under 44 inches go free). It will take approximately 1 – 1.5 hours from Times Square.

Bus tours also run to this popular area. There are many different options to choose from, most take around 4 hours in total and depart from near Times Square. Click here to see all the tour options and to book.

OTHER TIPS FOR SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK WITH KIDS

PACK WARM CLOTHES AND LAYERS

Winter in New York can get cold but the temperature does vary. Our first Christmas there was freezing, my son wore ski gear and snow boots every day. The other two were much milder. Make sure to check the temperature beforehand and pack accordingly. There’s nothing worse than children moaning they’re cold.

BE PREPARED TO WALK

New York is a huge city and getting around involves a lot of walking, it is common to do at least 20k steps in a day. If you have young children, I would always recommend taking a pushchair (stroller) so they can have a rest. Our son wasn’t much of a napper but if he was suffering from jet lag, then he would. I really love our Joolz Aer+ and always recommend it. You can read my full review here.

We never had a problem taking the Subway in New York. Set your Google Maps to show wheelchair-accessible routes if you want to avoid stations with no elevators. Alternatively, our favourite way to get around was the NYC Ferry.

READ OUR GUIDE ON HOW TO GET AROUND NEW YORK CITY LIKE A LOCAL HERE.

CONSIDER A CITY PASS

NYC is an expensive city. If you’re planning to do lots of the amazing tourist attractions, a New York City Pass might be a good option for you as it can save money.

Again, there are multiple options for this pass. GoCity offers an all-inclusive pass. You can chose the amount of days and visit as many attractions as you like in that time. Including Top of the Rock, The Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty and many more. You can see the full details and which attractions are included by clicking here.

Get Your Guide also offers a pass which includes five top attractions.

AVOID THE CROWDS

New York gets extremely busy at Christmas. At times walking down Fifth Avenue, especially by Sacks was almost impossible. My best advice is to get out early and avoid the crowds. I would also advise booking any activities and restaurant reservations well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Saks Fith Avenue Christmas Display – Lotte New Yorkk Palace Hotel Tree – Decorations on Fifth Avenue

Thank you so much for reading our guide on the best things to do at Christmas in New York with kids. I hope the information has been useful and we’ve helped you to plan your trip!