Most kids are at the start of a two-week holiday break and won’t step foot in a classroom until 2025. While the idea of curling up in a cozy cabin with a glowing fire sounds relaxing for adults, not so much for kids.
Don’t let them get cabin fever — check out some of the many seasonal events and activities around the region.
Educational activities
The holidays are a perfect time to cuddle up with a good book. Parents and caretakers can bring their kids to West Pittston Public Library’s Toddler Story time on Friday, Dec. 27. Kids ages 1 to 3 can play and boost their learning time with “books, rhymes, songs, musical instruments, finger plays and puppets.”
Learn more and register at the library’s website. Classes are around 30 minutes long every Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Adult participation is expected.
Make candy canes dance along with other educational activities at the Lackawanna County Children’s Library, 520 Vine St., Scranton. The Curiosity Club: Candy Cane Science will be held Saturday, Dec. 28, at 2 p.m. The event is free and for kids in pre-K through third grade. To register, contact 570-348-3000 x3015.
The Lewisburg Children's Museum is featuring a Celebration of Light. The festive and hands-on display highlights the beauty and traditions of holidays around the world. It runs through Monday, Dec. 30.
On New Year’s Eve — Tuesday, Dec. 31 — the museum at 815 Market St., Lewisburg will host a New Year event in the morning. The event 10 a.m. to noon will be packed with fun activities and a sparkling countdown. Tickets are $15 per person (ages 2+). Reservations are required. Proceeds support the museum’s Count Me In program, which provides reduced admission for underserved families.
Learn about owls and other birds of prey during the Wilderz at Pocono Wildlife's Winter Raptor Program on Saturday, Dec. 28. It will be held at the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge, located at 2138 Croasdale Road, Stroudsburg.
The family-friendly event, which begins at 1 p.m., will be held both indoors and outdoors. After the presentation there will be a create-your-own pinecone bird feeder class and a guided bird walk with Darryl and Jackie Speicher.
The event is free of charge but registration is required as there is limited space for attendees. For more details, contact Jared_Green@fws.gov or 978-440-0280.
Wilkes-Barre Public Square will be a winter wonderland until Feb. 14. Get on a pair of skates and hit the ice skating rink over the holiday season.
The rink is open on weekends from dawn to dusk and skaters can rent a pair of skates in exchange for state-issued ID. Skaters under 18 must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older.
Festivals / shows
Feeling chilly outside? Warm up and grab a seat to watch the Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The theater is closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but Scrooge retakes the stage from the 26th to the 28th to share how he found holiday cheer this season.
Tickets are $35 for adults; $30 for seniors; $25 for young adults; $15 for students; and $10 for Bloomsburg University students.
Catch a showing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m.

The Jewish Discovery Center is hosting the NEPA Chanukah Festival and Concert on Sunday, Dec. 29, beginning at 4 p.m. at the Scranton Hilton Ballroom.
International Jewish pop singer Eli Marcus will take the stage at 6 p.m. The event will feature a menorah lighting ceremony, arcades, local vendors, maccabee photo booth and out of the box Chanukah crafts.
Food options include a slider station, latke bar, Chinese station, Shawarma station and donut decorating. Tickets are $20 for the event.
Need a last-minute gift for the season? The Wayne County Arts Alliance is holding their Art Under $100+ Sale in Honesdale.
Most of the show’s prices are under $100, but a few pieces are slightly above. The arts association boasts that most of its items are “original and one-of-a-kind,” so head over to find that last person on your list the perfect present.
Located at 959 Main St., the sale’s open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Dec. 25 and 26.
Holiday lights
Feeling up for a Lackawanna County roadtrip? Grab a hot chocolate from a local coffee shop and hit the road.
Stop at The Holiday Light Spectacular at Nay Aug Park in Scranton. The light show is free and open to the public from 5 to 10 p.m. each night until Tuesday, Jan. 7. Donations are appreciated.
Next swing by the Holiday House at 638 Moosic St., in Scranton. For more than 30 years the Culkin Family has decorated their home for the community to enjoy. There’s Disney characters, a choir scene, Santa's workshop and live animals in a Nativity.
Finish up at the Peckville Christmas House at 1130 Marion St., Peckville. The display of old-school blow molds and newer decorations is open Monday to Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. The display is free. There is a path that wanders through the property.

Over in Columbia County is the annual Berwick Christmas Boulevard. The Christmas tradition began in the 1940s. The boulevard is a divided highway with plots in the middle. Volunteers from different organizations decorate the middle with various displays that often include moving figures. It’s open nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. The display wraps up for the season on Jan. 1.
For some holiday jingles, take the scenic route through the Masthope Lights in Pike County. Set the radio to 92.1 FM and drive through rows of houses decked in holiday cheer. The display is free and kids can grab do-it-yourself Christmas ornaments on the weekends. The route is open through December every night from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on 105 Constitution Drive, Lackawaxen.
If you’re looking to take a walking tour instead, wander through shimmering arches at St. Nick’s two-acre display at 53 Cemetery Road, Waymart. Hundreds of lights and blow mold decorations line the snowy Wayne County walkway. It's open until Jan. 1 — Sunday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m.