LAUSD schools are closed from December 22, 2025, through January 9, 2026, for the holiday break. If you're taking advantage of this long Christmas vacation to travel, check our other cities for the coolest things to do all over the US. We’ve got whole sites dedicated to the best things to do with kids in most major US cities, complete with calendars filled with events for every day of the week. Heck, even if you’re traveling abroad, we’ve got you covered! 

What are the Best Things to Do with Kids Between Christmas and New Year's in Los Angeles?

When December 25th has come and gone, LA does not move on quickly. We like to do everything big here. So, you can rest assured that Angelinos will be celebrating the season well into January, with plenty of light experiences, ice skating rinks, and amazing attractions carrying through the winter break. Some of our personal favorites are experiences at the CAMP Store at Westfield Century City, LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow at the LA Zoo, and the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad Christmas Train. Whether you are looking for an epic Christmas break highlight, or an affordable activity, we've got you covered. 

Tips for Enjoying Christmas Break in LA

I absolutely love Christmas break in LA. As mentioned above, there is little to no traffic. Also, as per usual, most of Christmas break is just "another day of sun" and you're likely to encounter beautiful weather while the rest of the country is freezing. It's the perfect time to work in an outdoor hike, a zoo trip, or a beach day. Angelinos love to dress in layers in the winter, as the mornings and evenings can be chilly, but the afternoons tend to warm up. Bring along a jacket for the nightly chill. 

If you're planning to head out to a theme park during break, just be warned that the crowds will be dense. Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, and other local parks tend to attract a lot of out-of-towners during the break. While I wouldn't say to steer clear, especially if you want to get it one more dose of holiday magic, I would caution you to consider the crowd index, especially if you are local and could wait until next week to plan a trip when the tourists are back at home. 

More Holiday Guides for LA 

If you want to make your holiday season magical, check out a few of our amazing guides:

• Best Christmas Lights in Los Angeles 
• Top Free Holiday Events in LA 
• Things to Do on New Years with Kids in Los Angeles 
• Most Festive Christmas Towns Near LA 

Things to do with Kids During Christmas Vacation in Los Angeles 

 
Entertainment over Christmas vacation awaits at Pretend City. Photo courtesy of Pretend City

1. Pretend City — Irvine 

Yes, this is always a fabulous museum for the under-seven set. However, one of the reasons we recommend visiting during Christmas vacation is that the museum is fabulous at holiday programming. Whatever your family celebrates, this little hands-on museum has an event for you, from Christmas countdowns to Kwanzaa celebrations to Noon Year’s Eve and more. 

2.  Kidspace Children's Museum — Pasadena

Pasadena's kid heaven is a must for anyone growing up in LA. During Christmas vacation, kids can take part in the annual Winter Frolic, complete with a Sock Skating Rink. 

3. Enchanted Forest of Light — La Canada-Flintridge

Wander the woods of Descanso Gardens in the evening and get lost in this enchanting light display. Bring your camera for lots of photo opportunities. This one is an annual tradition for our family. 

4. Glow or Go: Los Angeles - Beverly Hills 

This brand-new immersive experience in LA is like stepping into a video game, with epic challenges all along the way to promote teamwork and generate a ton of fun. This experience is better for older kiddos. Groups without an adult are not permitted unless kids are at least 13 years old. 

5. Pixar Putt — Anaiem

Get your golf on at this unique mini-golf course themed after everyone's favorite Pixar movies, such as Toy Story, Up, Monsters Inc., Coco, and more. This experience leaves the Paradise Pier Hotel at the Disneyland Resort soon, so go during break if you haven't checked it out yet. It's a perfect dose of Disney without the theme park price tag (theme park admission is not required to play the course). 

6. Sloomoo Insititute — Mid-City

Don't get your kids slime for Christmas—get them tickets to Sloomoo Institute, where they can squish, stretch, and squelch slime to their hearts' desire without getting it all over your carpet! 

RELATED: Best Children's Museums in Los Angeles and Orange County

 
Take flight at the Balloon Museum. Photo courtesy of the Balloon Museum and Lux Entertainment

7. Museum of Illusions: World of Illusions - Hollywod

Grab some mindbending photos for the 'gram, or let the kids stare in awe at the wild illusions waiting to be discovered inside this slightly hokey but oh so fun museum. The Giant's House will have you feeling all too small, while the upside down house will have you topsy-turvy! The Museum of Illusions is open daily from 10am - 11pm. The fun is located right next to Musso & Frank's, so it's the perfect spot to take visiting family and friends for a full Hollywood experience. 

8. 2026 Rose Parade — Pasadena

Attend Rose Parade events before, after, or during this iconic parade. You can even help decorate a Burbank Rose Parade Float!

9. CAMP — Century City

Step behind the magic door to discover the ever-changing fun at Westfield Century City. This winter break, the theme is Gabby's Dollhouse. We checked this one out, and it was a 2025 highlight for my four-year-old daughter. It's the perfect experience to "gift" your kids for the holidays. Pinching in to see Gabby and all her kitty friends? Now that's a memory that little girls will talk about all semester long. 

10. Science of Gingerbread — Santa Ana & Sylmar 

Build and learn holiday-style at Discovery Cube. This is perhaps the greatest holiday museum exhibit in town, and this year, it's at both the OC and LA locations. If you're willing to drive south, the Orange County location has one of the most impressive collections of gingerbread houses on display in the entire southland. 

11. Skypark at Santa's Village — Lake Arrowhead

Take a longer drive up into the mountains (this one is worth it) for Lake Arrowhead's delightful Santa-themed outdoor adventure park.  

RELATED: Snow Play near Los Angeles: Places LA Families Can Pretend It's Winter

 
Noah's Ark at the Skirball is one of the best indoor playgrounds in LA. Photo by Mercie Ghimire

12. Noah's Ark — Brentwood 

Visit the Skirball's wonderful, endlessly entertaining, and interactive play space. Noah's Ark just re-opened on December 2, 2025 after a brief hiatus- be among the first to  check it out in it's newest form! 

13. Sand Sledding — Venice Beach

The famed slopes for beach sledding are meticulously crafted each year by bulldozers. 

14. Mission Inn Festival of Lights — Riverside

See the famous Festival of Lights at Riverside's Mission Inn through Monday, January 6, 2026. 

15. El Dorado Frontier — Long Beach

This small amusement park is a Long Beach gem, open on weekends through February. Grab your cowboy boots for a rootin' tootin' good time. 

16. Holidays at Disneyland — Anaheim

The Happiest Place on Earth becomes the merriest place this holiday season and makes the perfect getaway for a Christmas vacation outing. Yes, it's crowded (it's always crowded), but the festive fun lasts through January 7, 2026 if you want to catch the A Christmas Fantasy parade one more time before it's gone for the season (those chubby little snowmen- I can't). 

RELATED: Disneyland with a baby? All You Need is This Game Plan

 
It's a winter wonderland at Hogwarts. Photo courtesy of Universal Studios

17. Holidays at Universal Studios — Hollywood

At night, Hogwarts Castle is illuminated by a dazzling display of festive lights and music. And the Who-tacular festivities are back with The Grinch, Max, and all the Who-ville denizens. Once again- I'll give a crowd alert for this one- but it is the ultimate Hollywood experience for out-of-towners. 

18. Knott’s Merry Farm — Buena Park

Where else can you see Merry Christmas, Snoopy!, an ice show featuring the Peanuts Gang and a cast of world-class ice skaters?

19. The Strand — Santa Monica

If the kids got new bikes for the holidays, now is the time to test them out on 22 miles of this popular beach bike path! But if they didn’t, several bike rental shops are open along the strand from Santa Monica to the South Bay.

20. LA Zoo — Griffith Park   

LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow shine bright until January 11, 2026. Catch the fun before it's done at this classic holiday event (we love this one!). 

21. Bob Baker’s Nutcracker — Highland Park 

If you haven’t ever seen this marionette show, you simply must. It’s an LA holiday classic. Now running at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, Bob Baker's Nutcracker will take you back to a simpler time with it's charming music and adorable marionettes. My kids were spellbound! The show performs through January 4, 2026. 

22. Griffith Park Southern Railroad Train — Griffith Park

The Holiday Lights Festival train runs through January 11, 2026, and you do not want to miss it! At only $8, this holiday memory is a steal. 

Are There Any Holiday Lights and Outdoor Attractions Still Open After Christmas in LA? 

Yes! There are plenty of fun outdoor attractions for families in Los Angeles after Christmas is over. We love to visit LA Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow after Christmas, or schedule a post-holiday visit to Descanso Gardens to wander through Enchanted: Forest of Light. There are also plenty of open-air ice skating rinks that stay open until mid-January such as ICE at Santa Monica and the rink at Pershing Square. 

What Indoor Activities Can Families Enjoy Between Christmas and New Year's in LA? 

If you're looking for a New Year's Eve celebration, Pretend City, Southern California Children's Museum, and the MOXI in Santa Barbara all throw fantastic bashes for the littles that countdown the New Year at Noon (genius). If you're looking for some family fun for the rest of the week, bigger kids will love LA's brand-new, immersive game experience called Glow and Go: Los Angeles at the Beverly Center. The El Capitan is always open and showing Disney's latest blockbuster (currently Zootopia 2), or you can travel back in time with the fam at a production of Bob Baker's The Nutcracker at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. 

Are there any New Year's Eve or New Year's Weekend Events for Kids in Los Angeles?

Yes! The Gloria Molina Grand Park's New Year's Eve celebration is LA's biggest (and free) bash that rings in the new year with live music performances and tons of fun. For those looking for an earlier celebration, consider attending one of the Noon Year's Eve celebrations at a local kids museum (The Southern California Children's Museum in Pasadena has a great one). The LA Zoo does a special Animals Aglow New Year's Eve party for those who want to ring in the new year with some wildlife, and as always, the Rose Parade will make it's way down Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena with it's flowered floats (it's free to watch). We love checking out Float Fest following the parade, when all of the floats are parked on display and kids can participate in a scavenger hunt throughout the event. Make sure to check out our Things to Do on New Year's Eve in Los Angeles round-up for a full list of fun! 

FAQ: Things to Do Between Christmas and New Year's in LA 

Q: What are the best family-friendly events between Christmas and New Year’s in Los Angeles?

Some of my personal favorite family-friendly events between Christmas and New Year's in LA are the Kidspace Winter Frolic (for littles) and Glow and Go: Los Angeles (for bigger kids). We also love to go sand sledding every year, during the break, and make sure that we get in one last ride on the Griffith Park & Southern Railroad Christmas train. 

Q: Are there any free things to do with kids after Christmas in Los Angeles?

In Newport Beach, the nightly Lighting of the Bay extends into January. The Marina del Rey fireworks show on New Year's Eve is also a free and fun way to ring in 2026.

Q: What indoor activities are open between Christmas and New Year’s?

Many museums, movie theaters, and attractions such as Sloomoo are open during the Christmas break. The Skirball's beloved Noah's Ark has opened back up after a hiatus and will be open that week, as well as Discovery Cube LA and Discovery Cube OC. 

Q: Do holiday light displays stay open after Christmas?

While neighborhoods often start taking down their lights early, some of the big light displays in LA stay open well after Santa has come and gone. Dream Glow in Irvine will remain open until December 31st, and Astra Lumina in Rancho Palos Verdes will remain open until then, as well. You can catch the Mission Inn: Festival of Lights in Riverside all the way until January 6, 2025. 

Q: What family events are happening on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles?

With fireworks in Marina del Rey, Gloria Molina Grand Park's New Year's Eve in Downtown LA, and an epic countdown at OC WinterFest, there are plenty of ways to rung in 2026 as a family in LA. 

Q: Are museums, zoos, or attractions open during winter break in Los Angeles?

Yes, many museums, zoos, and attractions continue with their typical operating hours during winter break. Check with each attraction specifically before arriving to ensure that you have the most updated information. The Los Angeles Zoo is typically open New Year's Day (we've gone as a family on New Year's several times), and museums such as the California Science Center and Kidspace Pasadena should keep their typical hours that week. 

Q: What’s the best day trip from Los Angeles during Christmas break with kids?

If you want to pack in one last dose of festive cheer, head to Skypark Santa's Village in Lake Arrowhead before the Christmas season is over. Lake Arrowhead is a pine-scented, forested wonderland of log cabins and occasional (real) snow. It is also home to the most epic Christmas village in Southern California. There is plenty to do in this wonderful wilderness, and it's the ultimate destination to put an exclamation point on your holiday season. 

Originally published on December 21, 2012

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