The Top 10 Things to Do With Kids in Philly This November
Get a head start on holiday fun, celebrate the Giant Heart’s reopening, see a show, go skating, and much more.
Skating at Dilworth Park / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
So you’ve made it past spooky season, only to turn around and see that Christmas decorations are already going up! What? November is kind of this in-between time before the holidays are in full swing, but they creep up earlier and earlier as you work your way through your kids’ Halloween stash. There’s plenty of holiday and non-holiday things to keep you busy this month, so here are the best of the best to add to your calendar.
Winter in Dilworth Park
Visit Dilworth Park for skating on Rothman Rink, frolicking though a garden maze of reindeer topiaries and twinkle lights, and cozy après-skate eats in the cabin. The rink will be open daily (including on Thanksgiving and Christmas) from November 15th through March 9th. Skating sessions are available in 90-minute timeslots online. There are also adorable penguin skate aids you can rent. The Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market is also happening at Dilworth Park, featuring only Philly-area makers, so it’s a great place to do your holiday shopping while also supporting local businesses.
Body Odyssey — and the Return of the Giant Heart! — at the Franklin Institute
Body Odyssey / Rendering courtesy of the Franklin Institute
After months of being closed for renovation — heartlessness, if you will — the Giant Heart will be open once more at the Franklin Institute on November 23rd. And around it? A brand-new permanent exhibit focused on the human body. The highly interactive exhibit is part of the museum’s massive makeover for its 200th anniversary. So, what to expect? “Travel through the circulatory system, explore the complexity of senses and perception, and see firsthand how the latest technology and data push the boundaries of medicine and human performance.” Stay tuned for our preview later this month!
Winter in Franklin Square
The Electrical Spectacle Light Show returns to Franklin Square / Photograph by J. Fusco
Franklin Square’s holiday extravaganza opens for the season on November 21st. Their Philly-themed mini golf transforms into Chilly Philly Mini Golf for the season with decorations, lights and other fun surprises. They’re also bringing back street curling from last year.
While you’re there, you can also ride the carousel, hit the playground and watch the Electrical Spectacle light show around the fountain. Light shows run every 30 minutes from 5 p.m. to closing, and feature holiday songs and more than 200,000 lights. (New song for this year: “Baby Please Come Home” by Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata from their blockbuster Christmas album.) Plus, warm up by the outdoor fire pits with hot chocolate (or spiked hot chocolate) from the Ben on the Rocks tent.
Stop by on the evening of November 24th for a special Nutcracker performance by Philadelphia Dance Academy, and on November 29th and 30th when Santa will be there! Winter in Franklin Square runs through February 23rd.
On Stage
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! plays the Miller beginning November 26th.
For older kids, the Broadway smash Hamilton continues at the Academy of Music through November 23rd. If my ten-year-old and her friends are any indication, it’s gonna be tween central up in there. So, do not throw away your shot, be in the room where it happens, WORK! and all that. (You get it.)
And later in the month, the holiday performances get started! The musical version of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! opens at the Miller Theater on November 26th, and it’s a lot of fun. Meanwhile, another holiday movie classic gets the musical treatment at Walnut Street Theatre even sooner: Elf opens on November 19th.
If you’re not ready for holiday stuff yet, the Arden is planning a clever retelling of Peter Pan, opening on November 27th.
And for something less … theatrical, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone will screen at the Kimmel Center on Thanksgiving weekend (November 29th and 30th) with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing the iconic score.
The National Dog Show
Photograph courtesy of National Dog Show
Thousands of the country’s most fancified dogs descend on the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. They’ll compete for Best of Breed, First in Group, and of course Best in Show — and also for treats, I assume. I’m guessing they care more about the treats. The show will be broadcast on Thanksgiving nationwide in case you can’t make it in person. That filming takes place the first day of the show’s weekend (November 16th). Want more family-friendly activities and less “show” atmosphere? Come on Sunday, November 17th, for “more canine competitions, enhanced athletic dog exhibitions plus family-friendly activities and hands-on fun.” Note that strollers are not allowed at the show. (Though kids age three and under get in free, so wear them, I guess?) Get tickets here.
LumiNature
LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo / Photograph by Winnie Chung
The Philadelphia Zoo lights up for the holidays with larger-than-life illuminated zones and installations throughout the zoo. Favorites like the 25-foot-tall pink-flamingo tree and the the “Penguin Prismatic” light show — featuring a glowing 40-foot-tall penguin surrounded by a colony of little light-up penguins on the zoo’s Bird Lake — return. Joining them will be new installations like “Polar Play,” filled with fun puppet friends like an arctic fox and penguin, plus “Beary Sweet,” which will feature light-up gummy bears, shimmery photo ops, and a sweet shop! Be aware that you won’t see zoo animals during LumiNature — it’s too dark, and most of them are sleeping! LumiNature opens on November 17th and runs through January 4th. Pre-purchase timed-tickets online.
Thanksgiving Day Parade
Daniel Tiger has never been so intimidating. / Photograph by Jeff Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
Bundle up and get the kids to the Parkway early for a holiday tradition — our country’s first Thanksgiving Day parade, in fact. Giant balloons, bands, live Broadway-style musical performances, and even Santa’s sleigh will start your morning (and holiday season) off with so much festiveness. Pre-show begins at 8:3o a.m., and the parade begins at 9 a.m. at 20th Street and JFK Boulevard, then heads east on JFK, left on 16th Street, then down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway before ending at the Art Museum with performances. You can also watch it on 6ABC from the warm comfort of your home, but where’s the fun in that?
And while you’re coming off the parade route, stop by LOVE Park for …
Christmas Village
Christmas Village returns to LOVE Park and the courtyard of City Hall for its 17th season. / Photograph by Christin Kalff
Yes, Christmas Village also opens in November, because Thanksgiving is a mirage. The market returns for its 17th season on November 23rd, running through December 24th. Modeled after the traditional Christmas Markets in Germany, it features dozens of unique vendors in wooden booths selling gifts, ornaments, crafts, clothing and more from all over the world. They also have great food, from brats to raclette to strudel to mulled wine (buy the commemorative mug for discount refills!); and rides including a giant Ferris wheel, a kiddie train, and a double-decker carousel in City Hall courtyard.
Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest
Winterfest at the RiverRink. / Photograph by Matt Stanley
With its cozy lodge, fun and games, and river views, skating at Penn’s Landing’s Blue Cross RiverRink is definitely a holiday must-do. This year, it’s set to open on November 29th. And even if you’re not planning to lace up a pair of skates, you can snuggle up by the fire pits and make some s’mores, see the city lit up from atop the Ferris wheel, play arcade games, and take lots of festive photos surrounded by lights.
XOXO: An Exhibit About Love & Forgiveness
XOXO at the Please Touch Museum / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Because everyone could use a little bit of that right about now. The Please Touch Museum’s special exhibit gives kids the opportunity to think about and explore feelings through a variety of interactive activities designed to help them understand, appreciate, and express their emotions. The exhibit also focuses on mindfulness, cooperation, and kindness. “Empathy Blocks” let little ones build and explore different facial expressions, while speaking into the “Tone Phones” show how your voice affects shapes projected on a screen. XOXO runs through January 12th, and is included in the price of admission.
