Ten fun and low-cost things to do with kids in Fairfield County, CT this December, including holiday shows, school vacation activities, and kids concerts in Bridgeport, Fairfield, Greenwich, Mystic, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, and Westport.
The Nutcracker
Bridgeport, Fairfield, Ridgefield, Stamford, Westport
The Nutcracker has been enjoyed for generations, and even if you’ve seen it many times before, there’s nothing like swirling snowflakes and a Sugar Plum Fairy to bring back memories and create new ones with your little ones. Here’s where to catch a performance of the classic ballet in Connecticut this year.
Graham Clarke in Concert
Dec. 3: My Favorite Place, Greenwich
Dec. 9: Greenwich Reform Synagogue, Greenwich
Musician Graham Clarke serves up music, humor, stories, and games for little ones during two free performances in Greenwich this month.
Candy House Workshop
Fairfield Museum and History Center, Fairfield
Dec. 8
A sweet tooth and a little imagination go a long way at this workshop, where families can decorate a holiday house with frosty icing, graham-cracker roofs, gumdrop windows, licorice fences, and more.
Visit to Santa’s House
Burr Homestead, Fairfield
Dec. 8-9
The Burr Homestead gets dressed up this month for the 27th annual Visit to Santa’s House. Watch Mrs. Claus bake cookies in her kitchen and enjoy model trains, arts and crafts, and live entertainment. You may even bump into a few holiday characters, including the one-and-only Santa Claus. Newman’s Own and the Junior Women’s Club of Fairfield sponsor this event, which benefits The Thomas Merton House, a Bridgeport-based facility that provides high-risk families with food, clothing, and parental and educational support, as well as the Fairfield Storm Sandy Relief Fund.
Children’s Storybook Day
Bruce Museum, Greenwich
Dec. 9
Head to the Bruce Museum for a family-friendly program that celebrates the current exhibition Let it Snow! Children’s Book Art with a search-and-seek gallery hunt and a craft where visitors make a winter-themed bookmark. At 1pm artist Jennifer Thermes, illustrator of the book The Iciest, Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride Ever, demonstrates her artistic skills and speaks about her work. At 3pm catch Rick Adams (pictured) of Encore Performing Arts as he presents a kid-friendly vaudeville show with winter-themed songs, stories, and just plain silly stuff.
Angelina Ballerina, The Musical
Westport Country Playhouse, Westport
Dec. 9
A little mouse with big ambitions tries to impress a special guest visiting her dance academy in Angelina Ballerina, a musical based on the books by Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig. The show includes a host of familiar characters, including Viki, Gracie, Alice, AZ, and of course, Angelina Mouseling.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour
Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk
Dec. 15
Get an exclusive, in-depth look at the inner workings of the Maritime Aquarium in a Behind-The-Scenes Tour. Stop by the fish kitchen, where 18 tons of fish a year is prepared, and gaze down into the 110,000-gallon Open Ocean tank, which contains several 8-foot-long sand tiger sharks. Participants must be at least 10 years old; children younger than 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Vacation Drop-Off Days
Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford
Dec. 17-19
Vacation Drop-Off Days at the nature center give parents time to holiday shop while their children enjoy visits with live animals, crafts, hikes, and games under the guidance of professional educators.
Vacation Week: Celebrate Russia
Stepping Stones Museum, Norwalk
Dec. 26-28
Each month Stepping Stones Museum introduces young visitors to a different country and its culture. This month the museum has chosen Russia, and during Vacation Week visitors can make a Russian-themed craft (a different craft is featured each day).
Lantern Light Tours
Mystic Seaport, Mystic
Dec. 1, 7-8, 14-16, 21-23, and 26-27
Step back in time to Christmas Eve, 1876, during a Lantern Light Tour. The village of Greenmanville is alive with the bustle of last-minute Christmas activity, preparations for the holiday festivities, and the merry jingle of sleigh bells. Stroll with a townsperson as you take in a one-hour moving performance on a tour that meanders through the museum’s 19th-century maritime village. Recommended for ages 4 and older. Reservations strongly encouraged.
Rudolph and the Reindeer Games
Downtown Cabaret Theatre, Bridgeport
Saturdays and Sundays in December
In this musical, the red-nosed title character and his North Pole friends compete in winter games to see who can “sleigh” the competition and win the title from Donner, the five-time champion.
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