Rally the corgi has sniffed out the best Christmas events for kids in West Islip for 2026, and here is what he found: 4 family events. The magic runs from December 7 (Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room) through December 20, with Gingerbread Houses (December 12) and Out & About: The Happy Elf at Argyle Theatre (December 20) along the way. 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 York Christmas events for kids guide.
What Rally found in West Islip
- 4 Christmas events for kids in West Islip
- Also on the list: 1 Christmas show and 2 craft workshops
- Season: December 7 (Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room) to December 20 (Out & About: The Happy Elf at Argyle Theatre)
- Every date checked on the host’s own site on Nov 10
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All 4 events
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- 2 Crafts
- 2 Zoos and museums
- 1 Shows
- 1 Breakfast and treats
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Ticketed and paid Christmas events for kids in West Islip
Admission, tickets or a fee apply. Where a host has not posted a price yet, the listing says so.
Holiday event
Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room
- When: Monday, December 7, 2026, 6 to 6:30 pm
- Where: West Islip Public Library, Children's Activity Room, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration with a West Islip library card required
- Ages: Grades 3-5
Expand to see the parent tip
Kids in grades 3 to 5 work through an escape room with a holiday plot: a prank-loving elf has made off with the presents. Players have to outwit the elf's tricks and get the gifts back before the winter party begins.
The game runs on Monday, December 7, 2026, from 6:00 to 6:30 pm in the Children's Activity Room at the West Islip Public Library. Registration opens December 1 and requires a valid West Islip library card. The page does not list a fee.
Parent tip: The session lasts only 30 minutes, and the library may hand your child's spot to the waitlist if you are more than 8 minutes late without letting staff know. Aim to arrive a little before 6:00 pm.
- Host
- West Islip Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- West Islip Public Library, Children's Activity Room, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Islip events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Islip daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Islip.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Rally’s Christmas research
Rally the corgi has 3 more West Islip events 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 West Islip.
- Exclusive access to free events Find the free Christmas events in West Islip 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.
Coming up on this page
- 2 Crafts
- 2 Zoos and museums
- 1 Shows
- 1 Breakfast and treats
Enter your email to get new Christmas events in West Islip every week.
Holiday crafts
Gingerbread Houses
- When: Saturday, December 12, 2026, 10 to 11 am
- Where: West Islip Public Library, Community Room A, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration with a West Islip library card required
- Ages: Families with kids up to grade 6
Expand to see the parent tip
Families build and decorate a gingerbread house together at the library. The library supplies a premade house along with all the frosting and candy, and the assembly is left to you.
It takes place on Saturday, December 12, 2026, from 10:00 to 11:00 am in Community Room A. Registration opens December 1 and needs a valid West Islip library card. This is a family program, so each family registers a single seat, and no fee appears on the page.
Parent tip: Each family gets one seat, which means one house to share, so agree on who handles the frosting before you sit down. Registration opens on December 1, so mark that date if you want a place.
- Host
- West Islip Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- West Islip Public Library, Community Room A, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Islip events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Islip daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Islip.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday crafts
Upside Down Elf
- When: Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 7 to 8 pm
- Where: West Islip Public Library, Children's Activity Room, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Cost: No price listed on the organizer's page; registration with a West Islip library card required
- Ages: Grades 3-5
Expand to see the parent tip
Miss Kathy leads kids in grades 3 to 5 through painting a mischievous upside-down elf on canvas. The library says no painting experience is needed.
The class meets on Wednesday, December 16, 2026, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm in the Children's Activity Room. Registration opens December 1 and requires a valid West Islip library card. Children outside grades 3 to 5 are cancelled automatically, and the page lists no fee.
Parent tip: This is a 7:00 pm class on a school night, so plan for a later bedtime, and send your child in clothes that can take a little paint. Spots can go to the waitlist if you arrive more than 8 minutes late without calling.
- Host
- West Islip Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- West Islip Public Library, Children's Activity Room, 3 Higbie Lane, West Islip, NY 11795 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Islip events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Islip daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Islip.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)
Holiday show
Out & About: The Happy Elf at Argyle Theatre
- When: Sunday, December 20, 2026, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Where: Argyle Theatre, 34 W Main St, Babylon, West Islip, NY 11702 (opens in maps)
- Cost: $12 per ticket, due at in-person sign-up
- Ages: All ages
Expand to see the parent tip
The West Islip Public Library takes families out to the Argyle Theatre in Babylon for The Happy Elf. The musical comedy follows Eubie, a good-hearted elf set on bringing Christmas joy to the town of Bluesville.
The outing is on Sunday, December 20, 2026, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Tickets cost $12 each, paid by cash or check at sign-up, with a limit of 5 per registration. Sign-up starts in person at the library on Monday, November 30 at 6:30 pm and needs a valid West Islip library card.
Parent tip: Sign-up is in person only from 6:30 to 9:00 pm on November 30, and after that families can only join the waitlist, so go that evening with your library card and cash or a check. The show itself is at the theatre in Babylon, not at the library.
- Host
- West Islip Public Library (opens in a new tab)
- Address
- Argyle Theatre, 34 W Main St, Babylon, West Islip, NY 11702 (opens in maps)
- Confirmed
- On the host’s page, checked
New West Islip events every week
Rally researches Christmas events in West Islip daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in West Islip.
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 York Christmas train rides page.
See every event on a December calendar
Plan your December
When each West Islip Christmas event for kids happens
The first is Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room in West Islip on December 7; 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.
- Holiday Shenanigans Escape RoomWest Islip · Dec 7
- Gingerbread HousesWest Islip · Dec 12
- Upside Down ElfWest Islip · Dec 16
- Out & About: The Happy Elf at Argyle TheatreWest Islip · Dec 20
Looking further afield? Our New York Christmas events for kids guide lists every event we have found in the state, and we have city guides for Bohemia, Wantagh, Mineola and Hewlett. 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 West Islip
West Islip was settled in 1683 on the South Shore of Long Island, with the Great South Bay to the south and Sampawams Creek forming its western edge. In December the season for local kids centers on the West Islip Public Library, at the corner of Higbie Lane and Montauk Highway.
How West Islip celebrates
The holiday programs found for West Islip families are all run by the West Islip Public Library at 3 Higbie Lane. Children in grades 3 to 5 start the month with the Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room on December 7 and return for an elf canvas painting class on December 16. Families build gingerbread houses in Community Room A on December 12. The library also heads next door to Babylon, the community on West Islip's western border, for a performance of The Happy Elf at the Argyle Theatre on December 20. Each program requires registration with a West Islip library card.
Fun facts about Christmas in West Islip
West Islip is a hamlet in the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, settled in 1683, and the 2020 census counted 27,048 residents. The first people to live in the area were the Secatogue, whose village stood along the edges of the Great South Bay and nearby creeks. Farming and fishing were the main occupations until the Long Island Rail Road was completed in the mid-19th century and began bringing travelers. The hamlet lies 45 miles east of Manhattan and 45 miles west of Southampton.
Traditions today
- Gingerbread Houses at the library: Families share one premade gingerbread house and decorate it with frosting and candy the library provides.
- Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room: Kids in grades 3 to 5 race to undo an elf's pranks and recover stolen presents in the Children's Activity Room.
- Upside Down Elf painting: Miss Kathy guides children in grades 3 to 5 as they paint a mischievous elf on canvas.
- The Happy Elf at the Argyle Theatre: The library's Out & About program takes families to neighboring Babylon for a Christmas musical comedy.
A fact for kids
West Islip is the same distance from two well-known places: 45 miles east of Manhattan and 45 miles west of Southampton. Long before the hamlet had a name, the Secatogue people lived in a village along the Great South Bay.
Questions about Christmas in West Islip
When was West Islip settled?
West Islip was settled in 1683, according to its Wikipedia article. It is a hamlet and census-designated place within the Town of Islip in Suffolk County, New York, on the South Shore of Long Island, with the Great South Bay along its southern side.
Who lived in West Islip first?
The first people to settle the area were the Secatogue Native Americans. A burial ground uncovered north of West Islip beach helped historians reconstruct their village, which stood along the edges of the Great South Bay, Sampawams Creek, Trues Creek and Willetts Creek.
How did the railroad change West Islip?
Farming and fishing were the main occupations in early West Islip. When the Long Island Rail Road was completed in the mid-19th century, it began bringing travelers to the area. Today the hamlet sits east of Babylon station on the Long Island Rail Road.
Where is West Islip?
West Islip is on the South Shore of Long Island, 45 miles east of Manhattan. The Great South Bay, Jones Beach Island and Fire Island lie to the south, Babylon and North Babylon are to the west, Bay Shore is to the east, and Deer Park and Brentwood are to the north.
How many people live in West Islip?
The 2020 census counted 27,048 people in West Islip. The hamlet has its own fire department, post office and public library, along with Good Samaritan Hospital, and all of it falls within the West Islip School District.
What happens at Christmas for kids in West Islip?
In December 2026 the West Islip Public Library offers a holiday escape room on December 7, a family gingerbread house program on December 12, an elf canvas painting class on December 16 and an outing to see The Happy Elf at the Argyle Theatre on December 20.
Who organizes these Christmas events?
All four programs are run by the West Islip Public Library, which the hamlet's Wikipedia article lists as its public library. The library posts each program on its online events calendar with the date, room, age group and registration rules.
Where do the Christmas events take place?
Three programs are held inside the West Islip Public Library at 3 Higbie Lane, on the corner of Higbie Lane and Montauk Highway, in the Children's Activity Room or Community Room A. The Happy Elf is performed at the Argyle Theatre, 34 West Main Street in Babylon.
Do you need a library card for West Islip holiday programs?
Yes. Each of the four event pages says a valid West Islip Library Card is needed to register. Registration for three of the programs opens December 1, 2026, and sign-up for The Happy Elf outing begins in person on Monday, November 30 at 6:30 pm.
Which Christmas events in West Islip are free?
None of the pages states that a program is free. The escape room, gingerbread house and elf painting pages simply list no fee. The Happy Elf outing on December 20 is the only one with a stated price, $12 per ticket, due at sign-up by cash or check.
Sources
- West Islip, New York, Wikipedia
- Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room, West Islip Public Library
- Gingerbread Houses, West Islip Public Library
- Upside Down Elf, West Islip Public Library
- Out & About: The Happy Elf at Argyle Theatre, West Islip Public Library
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 York city.
West Islip Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask
Which Christmas event in West Islip is best to start with?
Gingerbread Houses at the West Islip Public Library on Saturday, December 12, 2026, is the easiest fit for a whole family. It runs from 10:00 to 11:00 am, welcomes families with kids up to grade 6, and the library supplies the premade house, frosting and candy. Registration opens December 1.
Are there free Christmas events for kids in West Islip?
The library pages for the Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room on December 7, Gingerbread Houses on December 12 and the Upside Down Elf painting class on December 16 do not list any fee, though none says free outright. The Happy Elf outing on December 20 costs $12 per ticket.
Where can kids meet Santa in West Islip?
None of the library programs gathered here lists a visit with Santa. The season at the West Islip Public Library leans on elves instead: an elf-themed escape room on December 7, an elf canvas painting class on December 16 and The Happy Elf musical on December 20.
Are there holiday shows for kids near West Islip?
Yes. The library's Out & About program brings families to The Happy Elf at the Argyle Theatre in Babylon on Sunday, December 20, 2026, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. It is a musical comedy about Eubie the elf, listed for kids of all ages, at $12 per ticket.
Which West Islip Christmas events need tickets or sign-up?
All four need registration with a valid West Islip library card. Registration for the escape room, Gingerbread Houses and Upside Down Elf opens December 1, 2026. Sign-up for The Happy Elf outing is in person at the library starting Monday, November 30 at 6:30 pm, with payment due then.
What holiday programs does West Islip have for kids in grades 3 to 5?
Two library programs are set aside for that age group: the Holiday Shenanigans Escape Room on Monday, December 7, from 6:00 to 6:30 pm, and the Upside Down Elf canvas painting class on Wednesday, December 16, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. Both meet in the Children's Activity Room.
Are there Christmas train rides for kids near West Islip?
Santa trains and holiday train rides have their own guide: Rally Takes the Train’s New York Christmas train rides guide. This West Islip 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.