Looking for fun and low-cost things to do with kids in Suffolk County, Long Island? We’ve hand-picked the best kids and family events from our December 2011 calendar, including seasonal and holiday shows from “The Nutcracker” to “Frosty,” an eye-popping circus, holiday light shows, and a new family-friendly exhibit at the Suffolk Y JCC.
Find even more upcoming family events on Long Island and in the NYC area in our full, searchable calendar of events.
Not-So-Silent Films
Buster Keaton’s brand of humor never gets old, as seen here in the 1925 silent film Seven Chances, part of the series Anything But Silent: Classics with Live Organ Accompaniment by MoMA’s Ben Model. Seven Chances tells the story of a man who must marry that very day in order to receive a $7 million inheritance. Live organ music adds to the viewing experience of this silent film. Tickets can be purchased online at www.cinemaartscentre.org, at the box office during theatre hours, or by calling Brown Paper Tickets toll free at 800-838-3006. December 6 at 7:30pm. $13.
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Avenue, Huntington. 631-423-7611. www.cinemaartscentre.org.
Balancing Act
Technology and entertainment join forces in Gateway Playhouse’s presentation of Cirque Le Masque’s Noel. Aerialists, contortionists, strong men, and jugglers inject humor, theatrics, and wizardry while demonstrating eye-popping feats. December 15-19. Check website for show times. $51-$57; $25 students and children younger than 25.
Presented at The Patchogue Theatre, 71 E. Main Street, Patchogue. For tickets or more information, contact The Gateway Box Office, 215 South Country Road,
Bellport. 631-286-1133. www.gatewayplayhouse.com.
Holiday Bright
Camp Pa Qua Tuck is a nonprofit organization that provides special needs children with year-round recreational activities that promote personal and social growth. The camp’s A Celebration in Lights allows visitors to see the grounds, which have been decorated with lights. December 9-11, 16-18, 27-30. 6-9pm. $15 per car; proceeds benefit the camp and its programs. For more information: www.celebrationinlightsli.org.
Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, 2 Chet Swezey Road, Center Moriches. 631-878-1070. www.camppaquatuck.com.
Holidays on Stage
Something about the holiday season makes people want to dance and sing, making it easy to find festive options for the whole family to see on stage. In addition to The Nutcracker, there are some non-traditional choices, all sure to put you in the holiday spirit.
Yuletide Family Day with Musician Mike and Santa is an interactive program with songs and dancing. December 4. 1pm. $7 per child; free for chaperones.
Walt Whitman Birthplace, 246 Old Walt Whitman Road, Huntington. 631-427-5240. www.waltwhitman.org.
Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life comes to the stage as A Wonderful Life, a musical in which George Bailey learns the true lessons of life, love, and family. The show features music by Grammy- and Emmy-winner Joe Raposo and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winner Sheldon Harnick. Through January 8, 2012. Check website for dates and time. $60.
John W. Engeman Theatre, 250 Main Street, Northport. 631-261-2900. www.johnwengemantheater.com.
The Nutcracker Act II is an off-beat version of the classic ballet. This one has, in addition to sugarplum fairies, chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, and tea from China. December 7. 11am and 12:15pm. $25; $16 children and seniors.
Ballet Long Island, 1863 Pond Road, Ronkonkoma, 631-737-1964. www.theballetcenter.org.
Sara Jo Strickland choreographed and directs this version of The Nutcracker, performed by the Hampton Ballet Theatre School along with a special guest artist. December 9 at 7pm; December 10 at 1pm and 7pm; December 11 at 2pm. $20, $15 children younger than 12.
Guild Hall, 158 Main Street, John Drew Theater, East Hampton. 631-237-4810. www.guildhall.org.
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.
