What to do with your kids over the Christmas holidays in Miami

From Broadway Director and Cirque Dreams Founder Neil Goldberg comes POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance, an immersive holiday show for all ages combining "the magic of Broadway with the glamour of Hollywood." Based on the eponymous book, the play follows three besties at a secret wintery university who are in the process of mastering their magic and circus skills before putting them on display. The show invloves 360 degree video mapping to bring the book's characters and setting to life, along with acrobats, magicians, singers, dancers and characters changing in and out of 200 elaborate costumes – including an appearance by Santa himself. There are two to three shows a day from afternoon to night and tickets start at $39. 

This is your beloved Nutcracker reimagined for Miami with Art Deco pastel-hued costumes and glittering sets decked with pineapples and lime. Marvel at the scenery and spellbinding dancers (more than 100 of them!) as they express the classic story through movement to music from a live orchestra. It's a colorful, modern adaption but the purists, meanwhile, can put down the pitchforks: It’s still Balanchine and it’s still Tchaikovsky. Tickets for the Nutcracker are available for Miami, Broward and West Palm Beach. 

The fourth annual winter festival at The Berry Farm is a family-friendly holiday event with acres of holiday-themed activies from morning to night. There are meet-and-greets with Santa, hay rides and tons of Instagram-worthy photo backdrops and at night, the farm lights up with thousands of tiny bulbs during their Berry Bright Winter Nights. (Great news: your day and evening tickets are the same). Depending on when you go, you can catch classic holiday flicks on the lawn or live music and as a special gift from mother nature, strawberry-picking season kicks off in December! 13720 SW; 9am-11pm; $21.59, Children $15.41

 Who needs skates when you have your socks? An indoor sock skating rink has popped up at The Miami Children's Museum and they've got an entire month of holiday-focused programming. There's clay ornament making, holiday storytelling, cooking demonstrations and more. There's a special Hannukah celebration on December 10th and a Countdown to Christmas between December 22nd and 24th. To cap off the season, they're throwing a "Noon" Year's Eve, with a big balloon drop for those who miss the big one because it's past bedtime. 

It's never too early to welcome in the Christmas morning feels. The Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove is hosting a North Pole Breakfast on December 17th complete with a Santa wishlist station, storytelling, elf arts-and-crafts and more. Breakfast highlights include an artisanal doughnut wall, fresh baked holiday pastries and a hot chocolate bar, among other AM classics. Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, 3300 SW 17th Ave; Dec 17 9am; Starting at $80 adults, $60 children

Santa's Enchanted Forest may have up and left Tropical Park, but the spirit of Christmas (and carvnival) lives on at this Palmetto-side park, albeit with a more Miami twist. There are rides, rollercoasters and the largest traveling Ferris wheel in North America. Then there are a number of other attractions like 3D-mapped igloo shows, a whole North Pole village and HoliDade, a celebration of the 305 with Instagram-worthy displays. Oh, and the lights. THE LIGHTS! There's a half-mile of holiday displays, light shows, and immersive experiences, including a light show on the hour, every hour where all six worlds of Christmas Wonderland illuminate in a synchronized manner.

Spanning 83 acres of enchanted tropical trails, the full NightGarden experience takes around 60 minutes as visitors explore a neon playground of secret sunken ponds, hidden fairy worlds, giant swaying dandelion fields and the rainbow-colored Orchid Bridge. Chock-full of photo-worthy moments, projection-mapped pitstops and holographic sculptures, NightGarden invites guests to frolic in a magical snowfall experience, and yes, Archie will be there to once again reprise his role as your favorite wise-talking tree. The whimsical holiday spectacle is open four days a week through Sunday, January 7. Tickets can be purchased here and start at $30 for adults and $25 for children ages 10 and younger.

Usually Santa takes to the sky – but not in Wilton Manors. Santa by the Sea is a neighborhood tradition that sees Old Saint Nick and his troup of reindeer sail around the island in a big red sled. He takes off from the Colohatchee Park Boat Ramp at 5:30 PM and stops at parks along the way for pictures. Colohatchee Park, 1975 NE 15th Ave; Dec 19; Free

Through January 1st, you can glide across a 4,000 square foot synthetic ice rink at Las Olas Oceanside Park. The Wonderland Rink is the rink that’ll never melt; it’s composed of self-moisturizing, seamless tongue-and-groove panels for skaters to glide and turn as they would on conventional ice – except in 75 degree weather. The Wonderland Rink is part of a larger family-friendly holiday experience at Las Olas Oceanside Park, which includes a holiday market, movie screenings, visits with Santa and your favorite holiday characters and live music. 3000 E. Las Olas Boulevard; Nov 13–Jan 2; $20 adults, $18 teens, $15 children