Family activities at the holidays will have young eyes all aglow

There's no shortage of family-friendly happenings to explore in the Chicago area this holiday season.

From twinkling light displays to heartwarming musicals, these festive events are sure to light up kiddos' faces — and you might just walk away feeling a little less Grinch-y too.

Lights

Lightscape: The beauty of the Chicago Botanic Garden reaches a whole new level during the holiday season, radiant with lights, art, music and more. This year, new light installations will debut in the U.S., adding to an already spectacular stroll along the garden’s trail. To Jan. 5. Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Rd., Glencoe. Children 2 & under are free, tickets $17-$75; chicagobotanicgarden.org.

ZooLights Presented by ComEd and Invesco QQQ: The Lincoln Park Zoo is celebrating 30 years of ZooLights, featuring 3 million bulbs. Patrons are invited to marvel at dazzling holiday scenes and stop along the way for festive treats, Ferris wheel rides, the new light lounge and carolers and ice carvers on select nights. To Jan. 5. Lincoln Park Zoo, 2001 N. Clark St. Free admission select Mondays, tickets $7-$10; lpzoo.org.

Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum: Marvel at the majesty of winter trees across 50 acres and 17 light and music displays, including fairy lights, LED grass, illuminated trees and a new interactive installation that syncs to different instruments. To Jan. 4. Illumination Sensory Evening on Dec. 3. The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. Tickets $15.40-$60; mortonarb.org.

Millennium Park Tree: The 111th Annual City of Chicago Christmas Tree — this year, a 53-foot Colorado Blue Spruce — illuminates Millennium Park through Jan. 8. Holiday Sing-Alongs pop up on Dec. 6, 13 & 20. Millennium Park, 11 N. Michigan Ave. Free; millenniumpark.org.

Holiday Magic and more: The longest-running light festival in the Chicago area returns to Brookfield Zoo with over 2 million LED lights, 900 decorated trees and sparkling wintery scenes. Explore a new immersive area — including Candy Cane Lane, Sparkling Coast and the holiday market. To Dec. 31. Brookfield Zoo, North Gate at 8400 31st St., South Gate at 3300 Golf Rd., Brookfield. Tickets $20.95-$34.95. Parking $15.18-$17.86; brookfieldzoo.org. Visit brookfieldzoo.org/Events for more information.

GLOW Holiday Festival: Expanding from St. Paul, Minnesota, GLOW Holiday Festival will light up Slammers Stadium with over a million lights this season. Take the whole family on a journey through the Twinkle Tunnel, Candy Cane Lane, a Fairy Tale Castle, Reindeer Runway, the Enchanted Forest and more, refueling with food truck provisions and s’mores. To Jan. 5. Slammers Stadium, 1 Mayor Art Schultz Dr., Joliet. Children 3 and under are free, tickets $12.75 for children 4-12 and $19.75 for adults; glowholiday.com.

Light Up the Lake: Enjoy skyline views as you walk along a sparkling Navy Pier at this free outdoor light display, and amp up holiday fun with a meet and greet with Santa, Centennial Wheel rides, axe throwing, firepits in the Beer Garden, craft workshops, a holiday artist market, and — new this year — holiday-themed drone shows and an ice slide. To Jan. 5. Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. Free entry, ride and activity tickets $5-$36; navypier.org.

Performance

The Beatrix Potter Holiday Party: The Chicago Children’s Theatre’s annual holiday tradition returns with a trunk and puppet show catered toward kids 8 and under. Storytellers bring four Beatrix Potter animal stories to life. Stick around after the hourlong show for holiday treats. To Dec. 29. Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine St. Lap seat tickets are available for children 18 months and under for $12.25, tickets $45.25. Call CCT Guest Services at (312) 374-8835, or email boxoffice@chicagochildrenstheatre.org for discounted group rates; chicagochildrenstheatre.org.

Laurie Berkner: A Live Holiday Concert: “The queen of kids’ music” performs a lively, interactive concert with songs from her holiday albums, familiar tunes and hits like “We Are the Dinosaurs” and “Waiting for the Elevator.” Kids are encouraged to dance and sing along — and bring a stuffed animal. VIP tickets included preferred seating and a Meet & Greet with Laurie. Dec. 7. Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston. Lap infants/ children under 2 are free; tickets $25.50 - $59.50; evanstonspacemusic.com. 

Mr. Dave’s 8th Annual Holiday Jamboree: Put on your dancing shoes for jingles and joyful vibes with kid’s musician Mr. Dave! And don’t miss the mini wonder holiday pop-up while you’re there. Dec. 7. Lincoln Hall, 2424 N. Lincoln Ave. Free for children 1 and under, tickets $17; lh-st.com.

The Let It Snow Show!: Duo Anne-Marie Akin and Bill Brickey host a holiday sing-along for kids of all ages. The whole family is encouraged to sing along to familiar classics and listen to heartwarming new holiday music. Dec. 8. The Myron R. Szold Music & Dance Hall, 4545 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets $13-$15; oldtownschool.org.

'Elf' in Concert: Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play a live score to this cherished and chuckle-worthy Christmas movie, which depicts Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf on his quest from the North Pole to New York City to find his dad. Dec. 13-15. Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets $65-$150; cso.org.

'Manual Cinema’s Christmas Carol': This spin on the classic Dickens story uses hundreds of handmade puppets, 3D sounds and live music. As “Scrooge” Aunt Trudy recreates her late husband’s "Christmas Carol" puppet show, she becomes immersed in the ghost story. This production is rated PG for dark themes and ghosts. Dec. 13-29. Studebaker Theater, 410 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets $26-$74.50; fineartsbuilding.com. 

The Chicago Tap Allstars’ 'Winter Wonderland': Professional and novice tappers from M.A.D.D. Rhythms, the Chicago Tap Theatre and more are accompanied by Bronzeville jazz musicians for a two-hour holiday performance with old favorites and new numbers. VIP tickets include a pre-show reception with refreshments and a private guided tour of Reggio "The Hoofer" McLaughlin's Tap Dance archival museum. Dec. 14. Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Tickets $30-$75; Our.Show/cta2024.

'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical': Your kiddos will be tapping their hooves to this joyful musical, complete with their favorite tunes and characters from the TV adaptation. See Rudolph himself, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and Sam the Snowman. Dec. 22. Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. Groups of 15 or more get 10% off. Call (847) 263-6300 or email tickets@geneseetheatre.com to inquire. Tickets $40-$75; geneseetheatre.com.

Action

Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon: This iconic, quarter-mile ice skating rink is open seven days a week through the winter. When you need a break or warm-up, visit the nearby Rink Café and its special winter menu. To March 9. Maggie Daley Park, 337 E. Randolph St. Bring your own skates for free to $5, or rent skates for $17-$23; maggiedaleypark.com.

LondonHouse Chicago’s Holiday Afternoon Tea Service: Treat the kids or out-of-own guests to a very special holiday tea service — reserved for those on your nice list! Tea service includes a curated pastry basket, delicate treats, premium teas and bites for kids. To Jan. 12. Bridges Lobby Bar at LondonHouse Chicago, 85 E. Wacker Dr. Holiday Afternoon tea service $95 per person; londonhousechicago.com.

Christkindlmarkets: A seasonal tradition for many Chicagoans, this German-style Christmas market is sure to get you in the holiday spirit, with cozy food, music, family-friendly entertainment, trinkets and more. Don’t miss out on collecting this year’s souvenir mug, complete with a cheeky mulled wine (for you parents) or NA hot cocoa for the kiddos. To Dec. 24. In Aurora at RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, and Chicago at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St. (The market will not run in Wrigleyville this year.) Free admission; christkindlmarket.com.

Vintage Holidays: Named one of the “10 best Christmas towns in America,” historic Long Grove recalls old-world charm with a small-town, vintage-inspired atmosphere. Horse-drawn carriage rides, visits with Santa, promotions and carolers continue on through Dec. 24. 145 Old McHenry Rd., Long Grove. Free admission, carriage rides $15; longgrove.org.