Small legs, big nutcrackers: Dyker Heights with kids
Children tend to love the Dyker Heights lights, with nutcrackers taller than their parents and Santas on every other porch. The hard part is the hour on foot in the cold and a finish well after bedtime. Below, how each tour works for a family, and how to keep small legs going to the last house.
An hour on foot is the main question
Every way of seeing Dyker Heights ends in a walk, because coaches can't crawl through the narrow lit streets. On Scatto a New York's bus tour at ~$63 that walk lasts about an hour, at a stroll with plenty of stops.
For a child of eight or ten the hour usually flies by, since every house has something new to point at. For a three-year-old in the cold it can feel long, and the bus ride each way adds time sitting still.
Think about how your children cope with a long afternoon at a museum or a theme park queue. If that goes well, this walk will too, provided they are dressed for it (our guide to dressing for the cold has the layers).
What children love on these blocks
The displays could have been designed with wide eyes in mind. Nutcrackers taller than a grown man guard front doors, while Santas wave from porches and rooftops.
Lawns fill with inflatable snowmen and reindeer, and a few houses play music along with the lights. Some figures stand close enough to the sidewalk for a photo with a child in front, taken without stepping onto the yard.
Our pick's walk passes Lucy Spata's house on 84th Street, where the listings say the whole tradition began. Our block-by-block guide shows what you'll pass, so you can promise a giant nutcracker before you set off.
Strollers and crowds on the busiest blocks
On a weekday evening early in December the sidewalks are manageable. On Saturdays close to Christmas, 84th Street can fill from curb to front gate, and a big stroller becomes something to steer around other people's ankles.
If your child still naps in a stroller, bring a compact folding one or use a baby carrier rather than a large pram. The listings don't spell out storage for strollers on the bus, so ask the operator before you book.
In the thickest crowds, hold hands rather than trusting a quick glance back. Agree on a meeting spot at a street corner in case anyone drifts off, and see our guide to the calmer nights to avoid the worst of it.
The bus with children on board
Our pick lets children under three ride free on a parent's lap, which helps a young family's budget. Anyone older needs a seat of their own, and the booking page shows whether a child rate applies on your date.
The coach has a restroom on board, the detail that matters most when you travel with a five-year-old. Food and drink are not allowed on the bus, so feed everyone before the meeting point at 566 10th Avenue.
The whole outing runs about 3.5 to a little over 4 hours depending on traffic, finishing at Bryant Park. Expect to be back in Midtown in the late evening, well past the usual bedtime for small children.
The price comparison shows how the three tours add up for a family of four. It also counts the extras that slip past the headline figure, such as tips for the guide and hot drinks.
When the limo makes sense for a family
A private car changes the evening for families with toddlers. NYC Private Limo's Brooklyn Christmas tour collects you at your hotel or apartment in Manhattan, so nobody walks to a meeting point with a tired child.
The time on foot in Dyker Heights drops to about 30–40 minutes, and a warm car is waiting when the walk is over. The driver texts when close, and the GetYourGuide listing includes soft drinks.
The price is ~$959 for the whole car, not per person. Shared by two parents and two or three children it looks much less steep than for a couple, and our limo guide lists what it leaves out, including the driver's tip.
Small children, short walk
Pickup at your Manhattan hotel, a warm car between the city and Brooklyn, and 30–40 minutes on foot. ~$959 for the whole group, 4.6 from 70+ reviews on Viator.
Food and warmth before bedtime
Feed the children a proper meal before you leave, because none of the three tours includes one. A pocketful of snacks for the walk and a bottle of water cover the gap until you are back in Manhattan.
Cold reaches small children faster than adults, since they stand still more and lose heat through their heads and hands. Mittens on a string and a hat that covers the ears do more than an extra sweater.
Rain or light snow won't cancel our pick, which runs in any weather. With young children, free cancellation up to 24 hours before lets you move to a drier night if the forecast turns.
A short nap in the afternoon makes a late finish far easier. Some parents bring pajamas and let the youngest change on the ride home, so bedtime starts the moment you reach the hotel.
Which option suits which family
- Children of about six and up who like to walk do well on our pick's bus, with the longest time among the houses and a skyline stop at Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Babies in a carrier can go on our pick too, and the under-3 lap rule keeps the cost down
- Toddlers who tire fast, or a grandparent who can't manage an hour on foot, are better off in the private limo
- Older kids who want Manhattan too might prefer the tour that adds the Rockefeller tree, which spends less time in Dyker Heights
- Teenagers on a budget can take the subway, using our guide to going on your own
What to tell the kids before you go
Explain that these are people's homes, so the figures stay untouched and the lawns stay empty. Children follow that rule more readily when they know a family lives behind every display, and our neighborhood etiquette guide has the rest.
Give them a job like counting nutcrackers or choosing the brightest house on the block. It keeps tired legs moving through the second half of the hour and turns the walk into a game.
Promise a treat at the end as well, perhaps a look at the skating and the stalls at Bryant Park where our pick drops you. A clear finish line helps children through the last cold blocks.