Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in Paramus for 2026, and here is what he found: 2 family events. They are Gingerbread Houses (Preschool) (December 7) and Gingerbread Special (from December 15). We check every date on the host’s own website, and each listing links straight there. For the rest of the state, see our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in Paramus
- 2 Christmas events for kids in Paramus
- Season: December 7 (Gingerbread Houses (Preschool)) to December 17 (Gingerbread Special)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in Paramus
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Holiday crafts
Gingerbread Houses (Preschool)
- When: Monday, December 7, 2026, 11 am to noon (select dates, see the organizer for the schedule)
- Where: Paramus Public Library, Main Library, 116 E Century Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required
- Ages: Ages 3 to 5
Expand to see the parent tip
Paramus Public Library sets aside a morning gingerbread house session at its Main Library just for preschoolers. The craft is listed for children ages 3, 4 and 5.
The session is Monday, December 7, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon at the Main Library, 116 East Century Road. Registration opens at 6:00 am on Monday, November 23, 2026. The page lists no price, and it notes that photos or video may be taken during the program.
Parent tip: Sign-up opens at 6:00 am on November 23, two weeks before the event, so set a reminder if your 3 to 5 year old has their heart set on it. If you would rather your child not be photographed, let a staff member know when you arrive.
- Host
- Paramus Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Paramus Public Library, Main Library, 116 E Century Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Paramus events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Paramus daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Paramus.
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Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 1 more Paramus event researched for you.
- New events every week We research new events daily and send you one email a week with the new ones we find in Paramus.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in Paramus before they fill up.
- Unlock the filters Find Santa visits, free events and weekend plans in one tap.
- Rally’s Christmas Eve Express and a free advent calendar Get early access to Rally the corgi’s Christmas Eve tracker, plus a free digital advent calendar to count down to Christmas.
- One-tap add to calendar Save any event to your Google, Apple or Outlook calendar so you never miss it.
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- 2 Crafts
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Holiday crafts
Gingerbread Special
- When: Tue December 15, Wed December 16 and Thu December 17, 2026, 3:30 to 4:30 pm (Choose one of the three afternoons)
- Where: Paramus Public Library, Reid Branch, 239 W Midland Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration required, Paramus residents only
- Ages: Pre-K to Grade 8
Expand to see the parent tip
The library's Reid Branch offers its gingerbread craft on three after-school afternoons, and families pick whichever one fits. It covers a wide age span, from Pre-K through eighth grade, so siblings can often go together.
Sessions run from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Tuesday, December 15, Wednesday, December 16, or Thursday, December 17, 2026, at the Reid Branch, 239 West Midland Avenue. The program is open to Paramus residents only. Registration begins at 6:00 am on Monday, December 7, 2026, and no price is listed.
Parent tip: This one is limited to Paramus residents, and you sign up for a single afternoon out of the three, so settle on your day before registration opens at 6:00 am on December 7. The 3:30 pm start leaves little slack after school dismissal.
- Host
- Paramus Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Paramus Public Library, Reid Branch, 239 W Midland Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New Paramus events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in Paramus daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Paramus.
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 New Jersey Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each Paramus Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Gingerbread Houses (Preschool) in Paramus on December 7; the last runs to December 17. Each bar spans an event’s dates, not every hour in them, so check the host’s page for times.
- Gingerbread Houses (Preschool)Paramus · Dec 7
- Gingerbread SpecialParamus · Dec 15 to Dec 17
Looking further afield? Our New Jersey Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Maywood, Hawthorne, NJ, Bergenfield and Hasbrouck Heights. 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.
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 Amazon2026 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 Paramus
A large metal statue of a wild turkey stands inside the Paramus Park mall, a nod to the Lenape word Peremessing, which described a place full of wild turkeys and gave Paramus its name. In December, this borough of malls and neighborhoods turns to something smaller in scale, with children building gingerbread houses at the public library.
How Paramus celebrates
The Christmas programs listed for Paramus come from Paramus Public Library, which runs gingerbread crafts at both of its buildings. Preschoolers ages 3 to 5 gather at the Main Library on East Century Road for a morning Gingerbread Houses session in early December. A week later the Reid Branch on West Midland Avenue holds its Gingerbread Special on three consecutive after-school afternoons for Pre-K through Grade 8, limited to Paramus residents. Both programs take registration, which opens at 6:00 am about one to two weeks ahead. They are quiet, indoor events in a borough better known as one of the country's largest shopping destinations.
Fun facts about Christmas in Paramus
Paramus was incorporated as a borough on March 2, 1922, and voters ratified it that April by 238 to 10. It was carved out of Midland Township, which survives today as Rochelle Park. The name is thought to come from the Lenape, with meanings given as land of the turkeys or pleasant stream. George Washington set up his headquarters in Paramus in July 1778 after the Battle of Monmouth. The 2020 census counted 26,698 residents, and Garden State Plaza is the largest mall in New Jersey.
Traditions today
- Preschool Gingerbread Houses: Children ages 3 to 5 make gingerbread houses at the Main Library on a December morning.
- Gingerbread Special at the Reid Branch: Kids from Pre-K through Grade 8 pick one of three after-school afternoons for the branch's gingerbread craft.
- Early morning registration: Sign-up for each library gingerbread program opens online at 6:00 am on a set Monday.
- Paramus Public Library, Main Library: The library's main building at 116 East Century Road hosts the preschool holiday craft.
- Holiday shopping corridors: Routes 4 and 17 are lined with malls including Garden State Plaza and Paramus Park, though local blue laws keep nearly all retail closed on Sundays.
A fact for kids
The name Paramus comes from a Lenape word meaning a place with lots of wild turkeys, and there is a big metal turkey statue in the Paramus Park mall to remember it.
Questions about Christmas in Paramus
When was Paramus founded?
Paramus was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 2, 1922. A referendum on April 4, 1922, ratified it by a vote of 238 to 10. The borough was created from portions of Midland Township, which now exists as Rochelle Park.
How did Paramus get its name?
The name is thought to come from the Unami language of the Lenape. Their word for the area, Peremessing, referred to an abundant population of wild turkeys and was anglicized to Paramus. Another explanation is that the word means pleasant stream.
Was George Washington ever in Paramus?
Yes. Washington was in Paramus several times during the Revolutionary War, including December 1778 and July and December 1780. After the Battle of Monmouth he established his headquarters in Paramus in July 1778, before moving it to Westchester County, New York.
Why is Paramus known for shopping?
Farmland along Routes 4 and 17 was redeveloped into shopping corridors in the 1950s and 1960s, with the Bergen Mall and Garden State Plaza both opening in 1957. The borough now generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales, according to its Wikipedia article.
Are stores in Paramus open on Sundays in December?
Mostly not. Paramus has some of the most restrictive blue laws in the United States, which ban nearly all retail and white-collar businesses from opening on Sundays. Gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and a limited number of other businesses are the exceptions.
What happens at Christmas for kids in Paramus?
Paramus Public Library hosts gingerbread crafts. A preschool Gingerbread Houses session is on Monday, December 7, 2026, at 11:00 am at the Main Library, and the Gingerbread Special for Pre-K through Grade 8 runs on December 15, 16 and 17 from 3:30 to 4:30 pm at the Reid Branch.
Who organizes the gingerbread programs?
Paramus Library is named as the event organizer on both listings, which appear on the Bergen County Cooperative Library System calendar. One program is held at the Main Library on East Century Road and the other at the Reid Branch on West Midland Avenue.
Do the Paramus library holiday programs require registration?
Yes. Registration for the December 7 preschool session opens at 6:00 am on Monday, November 23, 2026, and registration for the December 15 to 17 Gingerbread Special opens at 6:00 am on Monday, December 7. The Gingerbread Special is for Paramus residents only.
What was Paramus like before the malls?
It was farm country. Paramus was one of the truck farming areas that helped New Jersey earn the nickname Garden State. In 1940 the borough had about 4,000 residents, no town center and 94 retail establishments. Between 1948 and 1958 its population nearly quadrupled, from 6,000 to 23,000.
How many people live in Paramus?
The 2020 census counted 26,698 residents, a small increase from 26,342 in 2010. The borough sits in central Bergen County, roughly 8 miles west of Upper Manhattan, and covers about 10.5 square miles. About a third of its households had children under 18.
Sources
- Paramus, New Jersey, Wikipedia
- Gingerbread Houses, Paramus Public Library (BCCLS LibCal)
- Gingerbread Special, Paramus Public Library (BCCLS LibCal)
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 New Jersey city.
Paramus Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
What are the best Christmas events for kids in Paramus to start with?
Paramus Public Library's gingerbread programs are the place to begin. Preschoolers ages 3 to 5 have a Gingerbread Houses session at the Main Library on Monday, December 7, 2026, at 11:00 am. Older kids, Pre-K through Grade 8, can join the Gingerbread Special at the Reid Branch on December 15, 16 or 17.
Are there Christmas activities for preschoolers in Paramus?
Yes. The Gingerbread Houses session on Monday, December 7, 2026, from 11:00 am to noon at the Main Library on East Century Road is listed specifically for ages 3, 4 and 5. Registration for it opens at 6:00 am on Monday, November 23.
What is there for school-age kids in Paramus at Christmas?
The Gingerbread Special at the library's Reid Branch on West Midland Avenue welcomes Pre-K through Grade 8. It runs from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on Tuesday, December 15, Wednesday, December 16, and Thursday, December 17, 2026, and each child attends one of the three afternoons.
Which Paramus holiday events need sign-up?
Both library gingerbread programs take registration. Sign-up for the December 7 preschool session opens at 6:00 am on November 23, 2026. Sign-up for the December 15 to 17 Gingerbread Special opens at 6:00 am on December 7, 2026.
Can families from outside Paramus attend?
The Gingerbread Special at the Reid Branch on December 15, 16 and 17, 2026, is stated as open to Paramus residents only. The preschool Gingerbread Houses page for December 7 does not state a residency rule, so out-of-town families should check with the library when registration opens.
Where are the Paramus library holiday programs held?
They are split between two buildings. The preschool Gingerbread Houses session on December 7, 2026, is at the Main Library, 116 East Century Road. The Gingerbread Special on December 15 to 17 is at the Reid Branch, 239 West Midland Avenue. Both are indoor craft programs.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near Paramus?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New Jersey Christmas train rides guide. This Paramus 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.