Tons of holiday events continue this weekend! Happy Weekend and Happy Holidays!
Ongoing:
Wildlights – see fantastic light displays, special visitors and performances from 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM each night through January 1, 2018.
Twelve Elves of Dublin – this is the last week for the 12 Elves of Dublin scavenger hunt! Pick up your 12 Elves Card and hunt for an elf at each of the participating locations. This is a free activity and at each stop your kids will receive a prize when they find it!
Gardens Aglow – Gardens Aglow offers special holiday decorations, performances and evening hours at Franklin Park Conservatory. Throughout the season live music and special events are scheduled and the Conservatory is decorated for the holidays. From December 1-31 (except for the 24th and 25th) they are open until 9:00 PM. There will be special family-friendly activities happening all through the season!
Christmas Corner at State Auto Insurance – walk through a life-sized nativity following the Christmas story! Choirs are scheduled on Friday and Saturday evenings through December 23rd and free hot chocolate (donations accepted!) will be available on those evenings!
Think Outside the Brick – visit the Columbus Museum of Art for a huge LEGO display, special LEGO open build hours on Saturdays and LEGO Holiday decorations!
Downtown Lights – visit Columbus Commons and Bicentennial Park for festive light displays!
Holiday Parties at Columbus Recreation and Parks – check the link for all the dates for the Holiday Parties at each Columbus Recreation Center!
Friday:
10:00 AM – Storytime with Kara at Me and the Moon – enjoy a Welcome Winter! Storytime with tea and a pop up book sale afterwards!
10:30 AM – 614 Holiday Card Project at peapod play cafe – help make Christmas Cards for the 614 Holiday Card Project and learn how Christmas activities can promote the development of fine motor skills!
11:00 AM – Sounds of the Season at Polaris Fashion Place – there will be several performances from local musicians and choirs throughout the day!
5:30 – Columbus Historical Society Holiday Party & Open House – celebrate Columbus holidays throughout history, enjoy refreshments and learn about the Columbus Historical Society!
6:00 PM – Holiday Carriage Rides at Easton Town Center – take a carriage ride through the Town Center, $10/person. Children under 15 are free with a paying adult! Happening all weekend – check the link for times.
7:00 PM – Christmas in Columbus: A Holiday Adventure hosted by Short North Stage – celebrate the holidays in Columbus with an original performance by some of Columbus’ favorite performers. This is a family friendly performances filled with songs and dancing. Several performance times are available throughout the weekend.
7:30 PM – Polar Express Weekends at COSI – watch Polar Express on the big screen at COSI. Several times available throughout the weekend.
8:00 PM – Matchgirl 2017 at Lincoln Theatre – Columbus Dance Theatre presents Matchgirl featuring a full orchestra and choir. 3 performances throughout the weekend.
Saturday:
9:00 AM – Holiday Open House at Hoover Gardens & Gift Center – enjoy hot apple cider and cookies and enjoy the gardens while you pick out your Christmas Tree. Happening on Sunday, too!
9:00 AM – Waffle Bar at Coffee Connections of Hilliard – $5/person gets you a waffle with unlimited trimmings, juice and drip coffee!
9:00 AM – Visit with Santa at the Herb Center! – meet with Santa at the Ohio Herb Education Center, write a letter to Santa and get your photo taken with him, make a gift with Mrs. Claus.
9:00 AM – Market Sprouts at the Worthington Farmers Market – kids under the age of 12 can stop by the information table at the Worthington Farmers Market for a kid-friendly activity.
9:30 AM – Santa & Mrs. Claus Visit Rhoads at Rhoads Garden Center – free photos with Santa (you take them), pick out a Christmas Tree and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
9:30 AM – Family Improv Class at Hilltop YMCA – the whole family can enjoy improv and acting games with CATCO is Kids.
10:00 AM – All Natural Cookie Decorating at Stratford Ecological Center – anyone age 6 and up can learn how to make natural food coloring for decorating cookies! Decorate cookies to bring home! Registration required.
10:00 AM – Kid’s Holiday Art Camp at Rhoads Garden Center – kids age 6-12 can paint a reindeer canvas. Register in advance.
10:00 AM – PBJ & Jazz Family Concert – Tony Monaco Trio: “Songs of the Season” at Lincoln Theatre – $5/person ($20/family) includes a PB&J sandwich, juice and a cookie for the kids and a 1 hour long jazz concert. Two show times are available: 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM.
10:00 AM – Elf – Holiday Film Series at Drexel Theatre – watch the movie ELF in your PJ’s. There will also be a showing at 2:00 PM on Sunday.
11:00 AM – JCPenney Kids Zone Christmas party! at Indian Mound Mall – this event includes games, crafts, face painting, snacks and the live “Elf on the Shelf”
12:00 PM – Christmas Time Open House at Central Ohio Model Railroad Club – visit the Central Ohio Model Railroad Club to see model railroad train layouts including a Thomas the Train display!
11:00 AM – Hot Chocolate Bar at Lucky’s Market Columbus – shop for artisan gifts and hot chocolate to support Columbus North International School.
11:00 AM – Paint with Santa! at Flutterby Ceramics – paint a ceramic piece with Santa! Photos welcome!
11:30 AM – Santa & the Symphony (sensory friendly) at Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts – this event is a sensory-friendly symphony performance for the whole family. Tickets are $8 at the door.
12:00 PM – Santa Visit at Smith Farm Market and Bakery – Santa is coming to the Market! For $5 kids can visit with Santa, make a craft and decorate a cookie.
12:00 PM – The columbus holiday pop-up shop at The Hart Room – 4 local businesses are coming together for your holiday shopping needs including kids clothes by mrly.
12:00 PM – Scarlet and Grey Meet at St. John Arena – this is a free opportunity to watch the OSU Women’s Gymnastics Team!
3:00 PM – Sensory Friendly Visit with Santa! at Ohio Herb Education Center – visit Santa in a relaxed, accessible environment. Visit includes a photo. Register in advance.
12:00 PM – Sensory-Friendly Visits with Santa at Coffee Connections of Hilliard – visit with Santa in a quiet, low light environment. Sign up online.
12:00 PM – Letters To Santa 2017 – Day 3 at Ohio Railway Museum – Kids can write a letter to Santa and mail it in the Railway Post Office Car, visit with Mrs. Claus, make christmas crafts and ornaments and take a train ride!
12:30 PM – Uptown Scrooge in Uptown Westerville – this walking tour of Uptown Westerville takes place on Saturday and Sunday and includes a performance of Dicken’s The Christmas Carol.
2:30 PM – Black Nativity at King Arts Complex – there are 2 performance times for this live nativity performance based not he Langston Hughes classic. A Holiday Marketplace opens one hour before and after each performance. Tickets required.
3:00 PM – Winter Wildlife at Sunbury Urban Farm – this program is geared toward ages 2-5 and includes a story time and hands-on activities related to Winter Wildlife. Kids will make a bird feeder to take home. $5/child.
Sat Dec 16 · Sunbury Urban Farm
5:00 PM – Holiday Lights Trolley Tour at Rickenbacker Woods Learning Center – take a trolley ride to tour the holiday lights in surrounding communities. From 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM there will be a Holiday Bazaar inside the Center. Both events are free.
Sunday:
8:00 AM – Das Kaffeehaus Pancake Breakfast at Das KaffeeHaus von Frau Burkhart – all you can eat pancake breakfast plus coffee is $9.99 and benefits CD102.5 for the Kids. Other food will be available as well.
10:00 AM – Doc McStuffins Toy PARTY – Holiday Toy Drive at PARTY Like It’s Your Birthday – bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate and receive free admission. Doc McStuffins will be collecting the toys! There will be crafts, snacks and a visit from Santa.
11:00 AM – Sensory Friendly Films: The Secret of NIMH (1982) at Gateway Film Center – watch The Secret of Nimh in a sensory friendly environment with lower volume and lights up. This is a free event.
Sun Dec 17 · Gateway Film Center
11:00 AM – Family Gluten Free Gingerbread House Decorating Party at Bake Me Happy – decorate a gluten free Gingerbread House. A pre-assembled house and all decorations will be provided. Tickets available online.
2:00 PM – Christmas Open House at Orange Johnson House – Enjoy “An Old Time Christmas” at the Orange Johnson House which includes a musical ensemble and light refreshments.
2:00 PM – German Village Holiday Pet Parade at German Village Society – bring your pet all decked out for the holidays. There will be judges and awards for pets in costume!
A big Thank You to The SIMPLR STEAM Playground for sponsoring this post!
Our goal at The SIMPLR STEAM Playground (located at 710 Cross Pointe Rd. in Gahanna, OH) is to prepare your child for the future. That means that our classes, which we call labs, are designed to expose your child to the technologies, concepts, and ideas that will impact their lives. These technologies include (but are not limited to): drones, virtual reality, computer science, augmented reality, and 3D printing.
Beyond these technologies, we focus on mental development using STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). STEAM is more than simply the content areas that make up the acronym. When children engage in “STEAM activities” they establish and increase their spatial intelligence, which is key in understanding and excelling in ALL aspects of life. Our philosophy centers around the following key areas: spatial intelligence, innovation, making, play, literacy, reasoning.
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