8 Christmas Trees That Are Sure To Get Your Family In The Holiday Spirit

rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting-ceremony-2012 — Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree; Photo by newyorksightseeingtours.files.wordpress.com

New York City is the best place to be over the holidays, when Christmas tree lightings and department store window displays grace Manhattan with their cheery presence. Finding the closest and most notable tree lightings near you can be overwhelming, so we compiled a list of lightings that you and your family won’t want to miss!

Origami Holiday Tree

NOVEMBER 21-MID JANUARY

Decorated with handmade origami models inspired by items in current museum exhibitions, this unique tree lighting will delight and inspire your creative side. Enjoy its magic and learn about the art of origami folding! Free with museum admission, 10am-5pm. Grand Gallery, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West and 79^th Street, amnh.org

Neapolitan Baroque Crèche

NOVEMBER 24-JANUARY 4

This traditional, annual Christmas installation is complete with an eighteenth-century Neapolitan Nativity scene. The scene includes life-like attendants in silk robes, music, and a candlelit Spruce tree. There’s nothing like an elegant nativity Christmas tree lighting to get you in the holiday spirit! Free with museum admission, 10am-5:30am. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, metmuseum.org

84^th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting

NOVEMBER 30-JANUARY 7

You’ll want to bring your little ones to see one of the best tree lightings in the city! The 84^th annual tree lighting lasts until January 7^th, so stop by Rockefeller Plaza at night to see it lit up. Go ice skating or check out the department store light shows! You won’t want to miss this. Free. Rockefeller Center, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, rockefellercenter.com

The Park Avenue Tree Lighting

DECEMBER 4-MID JANUARY

Originally erected to honor the men and women who died in WWII, 70 years later the tree remains a symbol of peace. Stop by Park Avenue to marvel at the beauty of this tree, which still serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made in WWII! Free. Brick Presbyterian Church, Park Avenue and 91^st Street, fundforparkavenue.org

Washington Square Tree Lighting

DECEMBER 7-DECEMBER 24

It’s time to celebrate under Washington Square’s 45-foot Christmas tree under the arch! The lighting lasts until Christmas. Stop by the display on Christmas Eve at 5pm for some holiday caroling. The whole family can admire the tree and enjoy some Christmas songs. Free, 4pm-1am. Washington Square, West 4^th Street, Greenwich Village, washingtonsquarenyc.org

Christmas at the Square

DECEMBER 16

Hot chocolate and presents abound at Christmas at the Square. Bring your family to Owen F. Dolen Park for a Santa meet-and-greet, Christmas music, and the lighting of the Westchester Square Christmas tree. Free, 5pm-8pm. Owen F. Dolen Park, 2551 Westchester Square, Bronx, nycgovparks.org

Holiday Party with Santa in Hudson Park

DECEMBER 17

Your little ones will love partying with Santa at Hudson Park! Take a photo with Santa or enjoy a carriage ride around the park. The event will end with the lighting of a holiday tree. It’s Christmas fun you don’t want to miss. Free, 2-5pm. Hudson Park Fountains, West 34^th Street and 10^th avenue, nycgovparks.org

Second Annual Tree Lighting at Railroad Park

DECEMBER 21

The whole family can enjoy this epic tree lighting at Railroad Park in the Bronx. Watch the tree come to life while enjoying hot cocoa, snacks, and holiday spirit! Free, 5-6pm. Railroad Park, Courtland Avenue and East 161st, Bronx, nycgovparks.org

Once Upon A Mattress

Bring your kids. Bring your parents. Bring your favorite pajamas! Once Upon a Mattress is back on Broadway, and it&rsquo;s &ldquo;pure let&rsquo;s-be-kids entertainment&rdquo; (New Yorker) fit for ages 7 to 107! Two-time Tony&reg; winner Sutton Foster stars as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, alongside royalty of stage and screen Michael Urie and Queen of Comedy Ana Gasteyer. Adapted for a new generation by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), this uproarious retelling of The Princess and the Pea introduces the unapologetically eccentric Winnifred to an uptight kingdom, where she charms, delights, and dances her way to the top&hellip; of a stack of mattresses. So give the babysitter the night off and your kids a night on the town &ndash; you'll all live happily ever laughter! Get tickets at&nbsp;<a href="https://onceuponamattressnyc.com/">https://onceuponamattressnyc.com/</a>

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.