Christmas Events for Kids in Norwood (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 4 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Norwood for 2026, and here is what he found: 3 family events. They are Breakfast with Santa (December 5), Gingerbread House Decorating (December 11) and The Nutcracker (from December 18). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our Massachusetts Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Norwood

  • 3 Christmas events for kids in Norwood
  • Meet Santa: Breakfast with Santa (December 5)
  • Also on the list: 1 Christmas show and 2 craft workshops
  • Season: December 5 (Breakfast with Santa) to December 20 (The Nutcracker)
  • Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10

Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Norwood

Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.

Breakfast with Santa

Breakfast with Santa

Expand to see the parent tip

The Norwood Recreation Department brings Santa to the Civic Center for a morning built around a pancake breakfast. Children also get time for crafts, and families are asked to bring their own cameras for pictures with Santa.

It is set for Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Willett Room at the Norwood Civic Center. The listing shows $15 for children 12 and under and $5 for adults 16 and up, both marked as resident rates. Registration is through the Recreation Department's site, and every child must have an adult registered with them.

Parent tip: Add an adult spot to the cart when you sign up the kids, because a child cannot be registered alone. There is no mention of a photographer, so charge your phone or camera before you leave the house.

Host
Norwood Recreation Department (opens in a new tab)
Address
Norwood Civic Center, Willett Room, 165 Nahatan St, Norwood, MA 02062 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Norwood Recreation Department (opens in a new tab)

New Norwood events every week

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 2 more Norwood events researched for you.

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Coming up on this page

  • 2 Crafts
  • 2 Breakfast and treats
  • 1 Santa
  • 1 Shows

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Holiday crafts

Gingerbread House Decorating

Expand to see the parent tip

Kids head to the Civic Center to decorate a gingerbread house of their own. The Recreation Department supplies the kit and all the fixings, so children only need to bring their ideas.

The session is Friday, December 11, 2026, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Willett Room at the Norwood Civic Center. It is open to ages 5 to 14 and costs $20 for residents or $30 for non-residents, with registration through the Recreation Department's site.

Parent tip: One hour goes quickly with a full kit, so help younger builders get the walls standing first and save the candy for the end. Bring a box or tray to carry the finished house home, since the frosting will still be soft at 5:00 p.m.

Host
Norwood Recreation Department (opens in a new tab)
Address
Norwood Civic Center, Willett Room, 165 Nahatan St, Norwood, MA 02062 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Norwood Recreation Department (opens in a new tab)

New Norwood events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Norwood daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Norwood.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

Holiday show

The Nutcracker

  • When: Fri December 18 (7:30 pm), Sat December 19 (1:30 pm), Sat December 19 (7:30 pm) and Sun December 20 (1:30 pm), 2026 (Four performances over three days; the page gives start times only.)
  • Where: The Norwood Theatre, 109 Central St, Norwood, MA 02062 (opens in maps)
  • Cost: Premium $55, adults $50, seniors and children $45
  • Ages: Recommended for ages 4 and up; children under 2 not admitted
Expand to see the parent tip

The Dancing Arts Center presents the ballet on the Norwood Theatre stage. The story follows Clara from her family's party through a battle between mice and soldiers and a snow scene, then into the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier greet her to Tchaikovsky's music.

There are four performances: Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 19 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 20 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $55 for premium seats, $50 for adults and $45 for seniors and children. The theatre does not admit children under 2 and recommends the show for ages 4 and up.

Parent tip: The 1:30 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday are an easier fit for young children than a 7:30 p.m. curtain. The page does not give a running time, so call the box office if you need to know how long a four or five year old will be sitting.

Host
The Norwood Theatre (opens in a new tab)
Address
The Norwood Theatre, 109 Central St, Norwood, MA 02062 (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom The Norwood Theatre (opens in a new tab)

New Norwood events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Norwood daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Norwood.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Those are on our Massachusetts Christmas train rides page.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Norwood Christmas event for kids happens

The first is Breakfast with Santa in Norwood on December 5; the last runs to December 20. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.

Looking further afield? Our Massachusetts Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Westwood, Boston, Hingham and Rehoboth. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

2026 Christmas events are coming in late November

More Christmas events arrive in late November. We add them here as soon as we confirm them.

The story of Christmas in Norwood

Norwood's town square is dominated by its town hall, whose tower holds a 50-bell carillon, one of nine carillons in Massachusetts. In December the season for families centers on two other buildings in town: the Civic Center, where Santa comes for a pancake breakfast, and the Norwood Theatre, where The Nutcracker fills a weekend.

How Norwood celebrates

Christmas for kids in Norwood runs through the Norwood Recreation Department and the Norwood Theatre. The Recreation Department hosts Breakfast with Santa on December 5, 2026, in the Willett Room of the Norwood Civic Center, with pancakes, crafts and pictures with Santa. It returns to the same room on December 11 for Gingerbread House Decorating, where children ages 5 to 14 build from a provided kit. The Norwood Theatre then stages The Nutcracker from December 18 to 20, presented by The Dancing Arts Center. The theatre's page describes the ballet as a holiday tradition and recommends it for ages 4 and up.

Fun facts about Christmas in Norwood

Norwood was officially formed as a town in 1872, after being part of Dedham until then. It was first settled in 1678 by Ezra Morse, who set up a sawmill in what is now South Norwood. The town was named after Norwood, England, though residents also considered calling it Balch, after the Rev. Thomas Balch. Norwood sits on the Neponset River about 13 miles southwest of Boston, has three MBTA Commuter Rail stations on the Franklin/Foxboro Line and counted 31,611 residents in the 2020 census.

Traditions today

  • Breakfast with Santa at the Civic Center: The Norwood Recreation Department serves a pancake breakfast with crafts and Santa pictures in the Willett Room on December 5.
  • Gingerbread House Decorating: Children ages 5 to 14 decorate a gingerbread house from a provided kit at the Norwood Civic Center on December 11.
  • The Nutcracker at the Norwood Theatre: The Dancing Arts Center presents the ballet in four performances from December 18 to 20, which the theatre's page calls a holiday tradition.

A fact for kids

The tower of Norwood's town hall has 50 bells inside it. And when the town was choosing a name in 1872, it was almost called Balch instead of Norwood.

Questions about Christmas in Norwood

When was Norwood, Massachusetts founded?

The Town of Norwood was officially formed in 1872. Before that it was part of Dedham, which is known as the mother of towns because fourteen present-day communities in eastern Massachusetts once lay within its original borders. The area was first settled in 1678.

How did Norwood get its name?

The town was named after Norwood, England, and it shares the name with a town in the borough of Croydon in South London. When Norwood separated from Dedham, residents also considered naming the new community Balch, after the Rev. Thomas Balch.

Who first settled Norwood?

Ezra Morse first settled the area in 1678 and set up a sawmill in what is now South Norwood. Over the next half-century, the first concentration of families moved to that part of town, and almost all of them were farmers.

What is special about Norwood's town hall?

The Norwood Memorial Municipal Building dominates the town square and includes a tower with the 50-bell Walter F. Tilton Memorial Carillon. It is one of nine carillons in Massachusetts, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Does Norwood have a train station?

Yes. Three MBTA Commuter Rail stations in Norwood are served by the Franklin/Foxboro Line. An MBTA bus route also runs through town on Washington Street, and Norwood Memorial Airport handles general aviation with limited passenger service.

What happens at Christmas for kids in Norwood?

In December 2026, families can go to Breakfast with Santa on December 5 and Gingerbread House Decorating on December 11, both at the Norwood Civic Center. The Nutcracker follows at the Norwood Theatre with four performances from December 18 to 20.

Who organizes Norwood's Christmas events for kids?

The Norwood Recreation Department runs Breakfast with Santa and Gingerbread House Decorating and takes registrations through its online system. The Nutcracker is presented by The Dancing Arts Center at the Norwood Theatre, which sells the tickets and sets the age guidance for the show.

Where do Norwood's holiday events take place?

Breakfast with Santa and Gingerbread House Decorating are both held in the Willett Room at the Norwood Civic Center. The Nutcracker is staged at the Norwood Theatre. All three are held indoors, so none of them depends on the December weather.

Is anything free at Christmas in Norwood?

The three events listed here all carry a fee. Breakfast with Santa lists $15 per child and $5 per adult at the resident rate, Gingerbread House Decorating is $20 for residents and $30 for non-residents, and Nutcracker tickets range from $45 to $55.

How big is Norwood?

Norwood had 31,611 residents in the 2020 census and covers about 10.6 square miles in Norfolk County. It is part of the Greater Boston area, roughly 13 miles southwest of Boston, and sits on the Neponset River, which runs from Foxborough to Boston Harbor.

Sources

  1. Norwood, Massachusetts, Wikipedia
  2. Breakfast with Santa, Norwood Recreation Department
  3. Gingerbread House Decorating, Norwood Recreation Department
  4. The Nutcracker, The Norwood Theatre

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Massachusetts city.

Norwood Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Norwood, Massachusetts?

Start with Breakfast with Santa at the Norwood Civic Center on Saturday, December 5, 2026, which pairs pancakes with crafts and Santa pictures. Gingerbread House Decorating follows at the Civic Center on Friday, December 11. For a show, The Nutcracker plays the Norwood Theatre from December 18 to 20.

Are there free Christmas events for kids in Norwood?

None of the three events listed here is free. The lowest cost is Breakfast with Santa on December 5, at $15 per child and $5 per adult at the resident rate. Gingerbread House Decorating on December 11 is $20 for residents and $30 for non-residents, and Nutcracker tickets run $45 to $55.

Where can kids meet Santa in Norwood?

Santa visits the Norwood Civic Center for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 5, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Willett Room. The Norwood Recreation Department serves a pancake breakfast, sets out crafts and invites families to bring cameras for pictures. Every child needs a registered adult.

Is there a Nutcracker or holiday show in Norwood?

Yes. The Dancing Arts Center presents The Nutcracker at the Norwood Theatre with four performances: Friday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, December 19 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, December 20 at 1:30 p.m. It is recommended for ages 4 and up, and children under 2 are not admitted.

Which Norwood Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?

All three do. Breakfast with Santa on December 5 and Gingerbread House Decorating on December 11 are registered through the Norwood Recreation Department's online system. The Nutcracker at the Norwood Theatre, December 18 to 20, is sold by ticket at $55 premium, $50 for adults and $45 for seniors and children.

Can families from outside Norwood join the Recreation Department's holiday programs?

Gingerbread House Decorating on December 11 lists both a $20 resident fee and a $30 non-resident fee, so families from other towns can sign up. Breakfast with Santa on December 5 shows resident rates only on its listing, so check with the Recreation Department before registering from out of town.

Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Norwood?

Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s Massachusetts Christmas train rides guide. This Norwood guide covers Santa visits, story times, light shows and other events off the rails.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked every listing on November 10, 2026. Hosts change details, so always confirm on the host’s page before you go.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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