3 Can't Miss Holiday Experiences For Kids

With all the chaos of shopping, wrapping and cooking during the holidays, don't forget to take some time to really experience the magic of the season with your kids. Here are 3 holiday experiences in the DFW area that are sure to bring a sparkle to your children's eyes, and hopefully help you forget that daunting to-do list.

Highland Park Holiday Light Tours

Driving through holiday light displays is a classic family tradition, no matter where you live, but you can take it up a notch by letting someone else drive you through this beautiful, exclusive Dallas neighborhood.

Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, several companies offer horse drawn carriage rides through Highland Park. These usually last about an hour, and can accommodate anywhere from 2 to 12 people, depending on the carriage that is reserved. And yes, make sure you reserve your spot ahead of time. Here are a few companies that offer this service:

Lotsa Spots Carriage

(903) 268-3290

http://www.lotsaspotscarriage.com/christmas.shtml
Prices start at $165 for up to 6 passengers

Whitehaven Carriage

(214) 664-5221

http://www.vintagecarriage.net/christmas.html

Prices start at $145 for up to 4 passengers

ThreeJays Carriages

(214) 521-6717

http://www.threejayscarriages.com/holidaylinks.htm

Prices start at $175 for up to 6 passengers

Another way to take in the lights as a family with someone else at the wheel is to rent a limousine. Use a website like http://www.limos.com/ to find the best rate.

CBS DFW Insider Tip: you'll usually get a better deal on a weeknight.

For both options, you can lower the price by splitting them with another family. Get a big enough carriage or limo to seat everyone and divide the cost. The more the merrier, right?

Lonestar Christmas at Gaylord Texan Resort
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, TX 76051
(817) 778-3000

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan/lone-star-christmas/index.html

This annual event at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine will run from November 11^th, 2011 through January 1^st, 2012. Whether you make reservations to stay overnight, or you just make a day of it, there's plenty to do for the whole family. Events and attractions include:

ICE! - Two million pounds of ice, carved into an interactive world of ice sculptures, featuring characters from Dreamworks' Shrek The Halls.

SNOW! - Snow tubing on an eight-lane hill covered in real snow! (We all know how hard that is to find in Texas.) This year, the snow tubing hill features characters from Kung Fu Panda.

More - In addition, you can also participate in gingerbread decorating, tree lighting and pictures with Santa.

Tickets must be purchased or reservations are required to participate in the events and attractions. Please refer to the website for prices and availability.

The Nutcracker Ballet

It's a Christmastime classic, and you can take the kids to experience it at several locations throughout the DFW area. Please refer to each venues website for exact dates and ticket pricing as they vary. Here are a few to check out:

Texas Ballet Theater

AT&T Performing Arts Center (Winspear Opera House)
2403 Flora Street
Dallas, TX 75201

(214) 443- 1000

November 25^th through December 4^th 2011

Bass Performance Hall
525 Commerce Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102

(817) 212 - 4300

December 9^th through December 24^th 2011

http://www.texasballettheater.org/?q=node/2

Moscow Ballet

SMU McFarlin Auditorium
6405 Boaz Lane, Suite 101
Dallas, TX 75275

(800) 745- 3000

November 18^th and November 19^th 2011

http://www.nutcracker.com/your-state/texas

Chamberlain Performing Arts

Hill Performance Hall at the Eisemann Center
2351 Performance Drive
Richardson, TX 75082

(972) 744- 4650

November 25^th through November 27^th
http://www.chamberlainperformingarts.org/the-season/

North Central Ballet

Will Rogers Memorial Auditorium
3401 West Lancaster Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76107

(817) 428- 8232

December 3^rd and December 4^th

http://www.nutcrackertickets.com/

Jill Krause is a blogger, product ambassador and mother to 2 young children. You can find her humorous take on life as a parent at www.BabyRabies.com.