The 5 best family Christmas activities in Dallas

The Christmas holidays are almost here – one of the most exciting and fun-filled times of the year for both children and adults. Dallas always does the holiday season right, with tons of awesome things to see and do – but a few events really stand out as the most fun activities for children. We wanted to share our list of favorites, so you can share the fun times and awesome memories with your kids this holiday season.

Dallas Zoo Lights

5-9 pm every weekend and certain weeknights until January 5, 2020

Kids love a trip to the zoo – but the Dallas Zoo is even more amazing at night this holiday season. A ticket for Zoo Lights includes a standard admission ticket for the zoo that day, so you can come early to see all the animals. Once the sun goes down and the animals go to sleep, over a million lights spark on to create a magical landscape complete with animal light sculptures. You can meet Santa, make ornaments, and even join in a scavenger hunt or an animal encounter!

Santa’s Village in Richardson

6-9 pm every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night through December 22

If you’ve never been, Santa’s Village next to Richardson City Hall is an amazing experience – and it’s free! The buildings and houses are all giant gingerbread buildings that you can actually walk through, there’s a mini train to ride, and of course, pictures with Santa. There’s also a musical performance every night by local choirs, bands, or dance groups.

Frisco Square

6-10 pm daily through December 31

The Frisco Square Christmas celebration is definitely worth the drive up north (and just like Santa’s Village in Richardson, it’s free). Over 175,000 lights on the massive tree and in the square are choreographed to music, and there are tons of fun activities. There’s a Christmas tree maze, an outdoor ice rink, train rides, and live entertainment every night – and you definitely don’t want to miss the parachuting Santa. They’ve even got snow flurries every 15 minutes on Fridays and Saturdays!

Prairie Lights

6-9 pm Sunday through Thursday and 6-10 pm Friday and Saturday through December 30, 2019

If your family likes Christmas lights, there’s no better destination in the area. With over FOUR MILLION lights and hundreds of custom displays in just a 2 mile stretch of path, it’s always an amazing sight. There’s also a holiday village with Santa photos, an indoor holiday show, and the largest animated light tunnel in the WORLD.

ICE! at the Gaylord Texan

Daily through January 5, 2020
The ICE! displays at the Gaylord Texan never disappoint, and this year they’ve gone even bigger. The rotating Christmas tree is 54 feet tall and has 15,000 ornaments – and there’s also a life-sized gingerbread house, snow tubing, ice skating, games, and more. But the main attraction is the ICE! exhibit, and this year it’s Charlie Brown themed, recreating famous scenes from A Charlie Brown Christmas.