Winterthur Museum and Country Estate provides a majestic place to walk, stroll, and entertain the kids.

The spot to hit is the Enchanted Woods, a three-acre children's garden with a fairy-tale design. It features a Faerie Cottage, Acorn Tearoom, and Tulip Tree House, all organized to encourage creative play - and indeed it does! The highlight of the visit is usually the Forbidden Fairy Ring which is a circle of mushrooms that send out a gentle spray of mist when someone steps into it. The Troll Bridge and lots of little canals and statues never fail to delight children of all ages.

Among the other garden areas, open fields and small paths abound, appealing to the explorer in every child. Be sure to pick up the garden map at the information stand. There are paths to stroll along within the gardens, and a thirty minute tram ride tour of the grounds is available.

Within the museum, there are many areas that will appeal to children, including tours of the period rooms and discussions on how children once lived within the house. Kids can journey to days gone by and imagine what daily life was like in the past in the Touch-It Room, a hands-on area for children of all ages. The Touch-It Room is open on Saturdays and Sundays year-round from 12:30pm to 4:30pm; Tuesday through Friday from 12:30pm to 4:30pm from June to August, and from 2:30pm to 4:30pm September to December and March to May.

For the especially curious, the Once Upon a Family tour introduces children to the Winterthur Estate as the home of the du Pont family. While exploring the mansion and grounds of the family home, participants learn from a guide about what it was like to live there at the turn of the century. The tour, designed for families with children ages four to 12, costs $5 per person.

Dining is plentiful and cash and credit cards are accepted. The Cappuccino Cafe offers gourmet coffee, tea, cold beverages, salads, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods. The Pavilion offers cafeteria style dining, including hot entrees, pasta, soups, desserts, and beverages.

Family membership is $70/year. The museum is open on holiday Mondays, and on Mondays from mid-November to early January for the annual Yuletide tour (check the website for specific dates).

Philadelphia celebrates the holiday season in a big way, and we've compiled an extensive list of seasonal kids' events and activities happening throughout the area (check out our pages for holiday displays and Hanukkah events, too!), including plenty of opportunities for face time with Santa Claus!

11/14-12/31 - Santa and his reindeer are part of Hersheypark's annual Christmas Candylane festivities. Hours vary by day. Dauphin County

11/21-12/6 - Mr. Claus greets children at Giggleberry Fair in Peddler's Village on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays. Hours vary by day. Central Bucks County

11/21-12/6 - The man in red is part of the old-fashioned holiday fun at Johnson's Corner Farm on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-3pm. New Jersey

11/27-12/24 - Santa's House, located inside the Christmas Village in Philadelphia outdoor holiday market, features visits and photos with St. Nick daily from 11am-8pm. Center City

11/28-12/21 - Fishmas at Adventure Aquarium includes a scuba diving Santa in the aquarium's Ocean Realm exhibit, a Letters to Scuba Santa letter-writing station, and more on select dates from 9:30am-5pm. Camden

11/29 - Santa and his friends arrive at Suburban Square amid 20 tons of real snow at 11am. Visits and free photos with the jolly old elf are available at Macy's from 11:30am-2pm.

11/29-12/21 - Children can share their holiday wish lists with Father Christmas in Franklin Square on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-2pm. Old City

11/29-12/21 - Linvilla Orchards is decorated for the season and kids can visit with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm-2pm. Delaware County

12/5 - The jolly old elf is on hand for visits after the holiday parade in downtown Ambler. Montgomery County

12/6 - Breakfast with Santa at Macy's includes photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, face painting, and an appearance by the Mouse King from Pennsylvania Ballet's production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at 9am. Advance reservations are required. Center City

12/6-12/7 - Hersheypark's Tudor Grill hosts a family buffet breakfast featuring visits from Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their friends at 8:30am and 11am. Advance reservations are required. Dauphin County

12/6-12/7 - Santa gives treats to the animals in various exhibits at the Philadelphia Zoo from 11am-3pm. University City

12/6 & 12/13-12/14 - The Crayola Factory hosts a holiday event that features visits with Kris Kringle, Crayola gifts for kids, and a healthy breakfast on 12/6, 12/13, and 12/14 from 9am-10am. Advance reservations are required. Northern Suburbs

12/6-12/20 - Families can enjoy a delicious buffet breakfast and visits with Kris Kringle at the Winterthur Museum and Country Estate on Saturdays from 9am-11:30am. Advance reservations are required. Wilmington/Delaware

12/6-12/21 - The West Chester Railroad invites families to visit with Santa during a ride on a cozy, decorated train on Saturdays and Sundays. Departure times vary. Chester County

12/7 - The man in red makes an appearance at a free Holiday Family Open House hosted by the Fonthill Museum and the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works from noon-4pm. Central Bucks County

12/9 - St. Nick takes children's requests and hands out keepsake ornaments during the Mercer Museum's annual Holiday Open House from 7pm-9pm.

12/9-12/8 - The Elmwood Park Zoo hosts a holiday brunch with St. Nick on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 10am-11:30am. Montgomery County

12/11 & 12/18 - The Pop Shop Cafe & Creamery hosts dinner with Santa from 5pm-8pm. New Jersey

12/12-12/21 - The Strasburg Rail Road invites families to ride Santa's Paradise Express with the jolly old elf on Friday evenings, Saturdays, and Sundays. Departure times vary. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Lancaster County

12/13 - The Battleship New Jersey hosts a breakfast with Santa at 9am. Camden

12/13 - Families can enjoy a pancake breakfast with Kris Kringle Garden State Discovery Museum at 9:30am, 10:30am, or 11:30am. New Jersey

12/13-12/21 - Guests can visit with Kris Kringle, make crafts, play games, and explore holiday traditions from different cultures at the Philadelphia Zoo from 11am-3pm. University City

12/13-12/21 - The man in red is on hand for a holiday breakfast events at Longwood Gardens on Saturdays and Sundays at 8am and 9:30am. Chester County

12/13 - Families can ice skate with Santa at the Blue Cross RiverRink from 1pm-5pm. Penn's Landing

12/13 - Kids can whip up recipes with St. Nick during a cooking workshop at the Young Chefs Academy of North Wales from 11:30am-1pm. Montgomery County

Visit the GoCityKids/ParentsConnect Local calendar for a complete list of events for kids and families in the Philadelphia area. And if we missed one of your favorite activities, feel free to add it here as a comment!

The Lower Makefield Community Park may be the mother of all community recreation centers. Always clean and well-manicured, the park features four lighted tennis courts, a lighted basketball court, a lighted softball field, three Little League baseball fields, a sand volleyball court, a nature trail, and a picnic area with restrooms.

What is perhaps the jewel in park's crown, however, is the sprawling Kids Kingdom Playground. At its center is a large, wooden, ship-shaped play structure connecting to everything from slides and rope swings to poles and tire bridges. There are lots of places for kids to climb, jump, and swing in the multi-level structure, and many places for children to hide, making it somewhat disconcerting to parents anxious to keep an eye on their kids at all times. The structure has stairways leading up to the top and a few alcoves for playing. There is a sandbox area on one side of the structure, and a separate sandbox and play area for the under five crowd. The playground also offers swings for children of all ages.

The Community Park's restrooms are located directly behind the playground. The playground is handicapped accessible via a ramp at its entrance, which is beside a large, off-street parking lot. Just across the parking lot is the Township of Lower Makefield Community Pool, featuring a lighted, Olympic-sized pool with a diving area, a middle-sized and kiddie pool, and a snack bar.

While access to the township pool facilities requires membership, the rest of the Lower Makefield Community Park is free and open to the public.

The Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1812 "for the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences, and the advancement of useful learning," and opened its doors to the public in 1828.

The museum's dioramas are reminiscent of those at the Museum of Natural History in New York and kids really get a kick out of them. One popular component of the fascinating Dinosaur Hall is The Big Dig, where kids can don goggles and use chisels and brushes to dig for buried fossils just like a paleontologist does. The Academy was the first museum in the world to mount a full cast of Giganotosaurus, the largest meat-eating dinosaur ever to walk the earth! The Time Machine transports visitors to the Mesozoic Era through the wonders of computer animation and film.

The Butterflies! exhibit (an additional $2 fee) is a magical place; the habitat, housing between 50-80 of the tropical jewels, reflects a rainforest setting, complete with vibrant plants. The temperature is rainforest hot and humid - so wear a short sleeved shirt under your coat if your visit to the museum coincides with cool weather.

The Academy also features Outside-In, a special children's musuem geared toward kids ages three to eight. In this hands-on discovery center, young guests can visit a forest, a mountain pond, or an ocean shore; touch a real meteorite; view a stream from underneath, crawl through a fallen log, look for fossil footprints, pan for shark teeth, watch a working beehive, or build a sandcastle. Outside-In is also a great place for kids to meet live animals, including a legless lizard, hissing cockroaches, a tortoise, a cowbird, or a rabbit.

Food is available at the Ecology Cafe, which offers fresh breakfast, lunch, and snack foods and is extremely kid-friendly.

Birthday parties at the museum are designed to coincide with a child's particular interests such as dinosaurs, butterflies, or live animals. The basic package, for children ages three and up, comes with a private party room, crafts and activities, and an Academy guide to lead the way. Prices (based on 20 people) begin at $265 for non-members, and $245 for members, plus $5 per additional child or adult. Parties last two hours and are available at 10:30am or 2pm - on weekends only. To plan a party, or get more information, call 215.299.1060.

The Academy offers the opportunity to "adopt" one of its live animals. Twenty-nine of the Academy's 100 live animals are up for sponsorship. Help an animal and receive a fact sheet, personalized adoption certificate, and special Academy patch.

Safari Overnights, for kids ages seven to 14, offer the chance to investigate the museum, enjoy interactive lessons, and meet live animals under the guidance of the Academy's experienced naturalists. Participants can sleep next to lions, tigers, or Tyrannosaurus Rex, and then wake to breakfast and more exploration. To obtain more information about Safari Overnights, call 215.299.1060.

Membership is available at various price levels - for individuals and families - and benefits include free admission, newsletters, discounts, and more. For further information, visit the website's membership page.

What began as a single toy store is now a rapidly growing retail chain, offering educational books and supplies for all ages and needs, and a fabulous - and huge - selection of art supplies, toys, games, and more.

Lakeshore Learning Store is open to the public, and serves parents, teachers, and schools. All merchandise is backed by an unconditional guarantee.

On Saturdays, staff members are on hand from 11am to 3pm to guide kids (ages three and up) through free arts and crafts projects while their grown-ups shop.