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1. Sleepover at TADA! Youth Theater – Chelsea

Saturday, November 22-Sunday, December 14, 2025
Ages 5 and older
For four decades, TADA! Youth Theater has presented original family musicals starring talented NYC tykes ages 8 to 18—Jordan Peele, Kerry Washington, and Ricki Lake are all alums! This holiday season, the troupe revives one of its favorites, Sleepover, about boys crashing an all-girls slumber party. This G-rated show is very sweet and a bit silly, and perfect for short attention spans, clocking in at just under an hour. While there's nothing objectionable for preschoolers, children who are old enough to go on sleepovers (and understand their pitfalls and politics, like who gets invited) will enjoy it most.

2. A Christmas Carol at the Perelman Performing Arts Center – Financial District

Sunday, November 23, 2025-January 4, 2026
Ages 6 and older
There are several Christmas Carols playing over the holidays, including a musicalization for little kids and a solo show performed in a historic house. But my pick is this lovely London import (seen on Broadway in 2019), which is joyful, charming, and incredibly moving. Even before the show officially starts, the performers fill you with holiday cheer as an onstage band plays Christmas carols, and cast members hand out clementines and bags of cookies. Ebenezer Scrooge's redemption journey is smartly adapted by Jack Thorne (playwright of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), who leans into the story's class politics without sullying its magic and uplift. And the bits of audience interaction are absolutely delightful. Since the show is two acts and narration-heavy, this version is best for tweens and teens. Note: There are lots of accessibility offerings, including a relaxed performance on Wednesday, December 10, at 1pm, as well as ASL interpretation, audio description, and captioning at specific performances. Visit the website for more info.

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas – Flatbush, Brooklyn

Friday, November 28, 2025
Ages 4 and older
The classic animated TV special comes alive onstage at Brooklyn's glorious Kings Theatre for one night only! Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the gang as they perform Vince Guaraldi's iconic songs and celebrate the true spirit of the holiday.

4. Disney's The Little Mermaid at 92NY – Upper East Side

Friday, November 28-December 20, 2025
Ages 3 to 11
92NY Theater for Young Audiences presents Disney's The Little Mermaid, a stage musical based on the beloved animated film inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s admittedly much darker fairy tale. Featuring all the fabulous songs from the movie, including "Under the Sea," "Kiss the Girl," and "Part of Your World," this powerful tale of a mermaid who longs to be human is best for elementary and middle schoolers. For younger kids, consider the interactive Little Mermaid Character Party on Sunday, December 7, with singing, dancing, and crafts with Ariel and the cast.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater puts on special Saturday matinees perfect for families. Photo by Paul Kolnik

5. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Midtown West

Wednesday, December 3, 2025-Sunday, January 4, 2026
Ages 5 and older
Every holiday season, New York's venerable Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs at New York City Center. While grown-ups can go on any date to see works by the troupe's namesake dance-maker, the Saturday matinees are the way to go for families. These programs are little-kid friendly and include a performance of Ailey's celebrated Revelations and a post-show Q&A with some of the dancers.

6. Bread & Puppet Theater at Theater for the New City – East Village

Wednesday, December 3-Sunday, December 14, 2025
Ages 12 and older
The legendary Bread & Puppet Theater, famous for its oversize puppet shows infused with circus feats and progressive politics, presents two shows in rep this holiday season that are best for teens. Our Domestic Resurrection Revolution in Progress Circus is a radical performance piece about protestors on their way to DC to replace POTUS with poop, while The Christmas Story is a class-conscious retelling of the Nativity story. Both are great choices for older, socially conscious kids!

7. Cirque du Soleil's Twas the Night Before… – Midtown West

Thursday, December 4-Sunday, December 28, 2025
Ages 6 and older
Cirque du Soleil's Christmas extravaganza Twas the Night Before… returns. The show follows a young seasonal cynic named Isabella who's transported to a magical land where she meets characters from Clement Clarke Moore's beloved poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." But that's beside the point—families go to see Cirque for the performers and eye-popping design, not the plot. Thankfully, there are plenty of fabulous feats in this magical holiday confection featuring aerialists, contortionists, jugglers, and high-energy elves.

A riff on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Seven in One Blow, or The Brave Little Kid leaves audiences with lessons of kindness and love. Photo by Pavel Antonov

8. Seven in One Blow, or the Brave Little Kid – West Village

Friday, December 5-Sunday, December 21, 2025
Ages 4 to 10
An offbeat stage riff on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this annual Axis Theatre Company production follows the misadventures of Kid, a young child who kills seven flies in one shot and gets caught in a tangle of lies surrounding the feat. In the end, Kid learns about love and kindness with help from the children in the audience and his mom, played by Debbie Harry (yes, from Blondie!), who appears on video. Tickets are pay-what-you-can starting at $5.

9. Merry Mayhem at the New Victory Theater – Midtown West

Friday, December 5-Sunday, December 28, 2025
Ages 5 and older
As always, the New Victory celebrates the holiday season with a circus spectacle. This year's troupe is Australia's awesome Circus Oz, last seen at the theater more than a decade ago. While the performers present familiar feats—these tumblers from Down Under do acrobatics, aerial, and a few specialty acts—they're an impressive multigenerational ensemble: the seven performers were born across six decades!

10. My First Nutcracker at New York City Children's Theater – Midtown West

Saturday, December 6-Sunday, December 21, 2025
Ages 3 to 8
If your tot's too young to sit through the full-length ballet, New York City Children's Theater is presenting a 50-minute version that serves as an age-appropriate introduction to this seasonal staple. Watch as Clara and her Prince journey to a fantastical kingdom filled with scrumptious treats, dancing flowers, and a meddling Mouse King. All the highlights of The Nutcracker, including Tchaikovsky's breathtaking music, are there, and Clara narrates the whole thing, so young audiences won't lose their way. There are even opportunities for budding ballerinas to get up and dance! Note: Sensory-friendly performances will be offered on Sunday, December 14 at 2:30pm and Saturday, December 20 at 11am.

The Metropolitan Opera mounts its annual, kid-friendly production of The Magic Flute. Photo by Evan Zimmerman

11. The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute – Lincoln Center

Thursday, December 11, 2025-Saturday, January 3, 2026
Ages 6 and older
For the holidays, The Metropolitan Opera revives its family-friendly version of Mozart's masterpiece The Magic Flute. Director Julie Taymor (of Broadway's The Lion King fame) incorporates fantastical costumes and puppets into the production, which is sung in English and whittled down to just under two hours. It's played the Met many times and always receives rave reviews from critics and, more importantly, kids. Bonus: The Sunday, December 14 matinee is part of the Met's annual Holiday Open House, which includes hands-on activities and behind-the-scenes demos by the production's musicians, performers, and costume shop workers.

12. Elephant & Piggie's "We Are in a Play!" at Atlantic for Kids – Chelsea

Saturday, December 13, 2025-Sunday, February 1, 2026
Ages 3 to 7
Mo Willems's cherished Elephant & Piggie children's books are transformed into a little-kid-friendly musical. Watch as these BFFs go on a few fun adventures that will be familiar to the series' fans. Be prepared to do the "Flippy Floppy Floory" dance! It's a wonderful way to introduce preschoolers to live entertainment over the holidays. Note: There will be a relaxed performance on Saturday, January 17 at 4pm.

13. MOMIX: ALICE at the Joyce Theater – Chelsea

Tuesday, December 16, 2025-Sunday, January 4, 2026
Ages 8 and older
Is it magic or is it MOMIX? Moses Pendleton's acrobatic dance company creates eye-popping visuals that will have you wondering, how did they do that?! For its holiday run at the Joyce, the troupe presents ALICE, a 90-minute dance-theater piece inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic Alice in Wonderland books. Fall down the rabbit hole with the inquisitive title character as she meets an undulating Caterpillar, anxious White Rabbits, a mad Queen of Hearts, and other iconic characters. While the special family matinee on Sunday, December 21 is sold out, kids are welcome at any performance.

14. Amahl and the Night Visitors at Lincoln Center Theater – Lincoln Center

Tuesday, December 16, 2025-Sunday, January 4, 2026
Ages 5 and older
In addition to The Met's popular Magic Flute, Lincoln Center Theater is presenting a brand-new mounting of Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors starring award-winning diva Joyce DiDonato. Performed in English and running just 45 minutes, the tale centers on a disabled and destitute boy and his mother, who provide lodging for the Three Kings and are rewarded for their kindness. It's a lovely way of introducing tots to opera as well as celebrating what Christmas is truly about.

15. La MaMa Kids: Winter Wonderland – East Village

Saturday, December 13, 2025
Ages 4 and older
The legendary avant-garde arts center celebrates the season with an offbeat interactive experience created by some of its kookiest artists. This genre-busting performance includes acting, puppetry, storytelling, music, and lots of interaction.

16. Big Apple Circus – Lincoln Center

Through Sunday, January 4, 2026
All ages
NYC's homegrown Big Apple Circus returns for its holiday run. While the producers have changed—circus vets The Vazquez Family are among the new presenters—the high-flying fun remains the same. Marvel at incredible aerialists, acrobats, contortionists, tumblers, and talented dogs under the big top. This has been a seasonal must for my family since I was a kid; now I take my trapeze-loving college student!

The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes is filled with as much Christmas charm as ever. Photo courtesy of MSG Entertainment

17. Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – Midtown West

Through Monday, January 5, 2026
Ages 3 and older
What can I say about this legendary holiday extravaganza that you don't already know? Santa, Midtown Manhattan, and the superb synchronized dancing of the Rockettes all take center stage. In recent years, there have been some high-tech additions, such as flying fairy drones. But the magic is in the old-school numbers and the living nativity, which have been wowing tourists and natives alike since 1933!

READ NEXT: Why Seeing the Radio City Rockettes is My Family's Christmas Tradition

A version of this post was first published in 2021.