If your kids are anything like mine, they are getting more excited by the day as we approach Christmas. As family starts to arrive and I’m in a frantic rush to wrap gifts, we will definitely take some time to see the lights and squeeze in another glimpse or two of Santa.

Here are a few ideas for Christmas cheer as we approach the big day:

See the lights. Drive through Scranton’s Nay Aug Park (make sure you stop for hot chocolate first), and then see some of my favorite lights in the city: the Holiday House on Moosic Street and the beautiful display at 300 Prospect Ave. Santa and Mrs. Claus are even expected to visit Prospect Avenue on Saturday night. You can also check out the homes featured in The Times-Tribune’s 12 Days of Christmas Lights.

And don’t forget about the Peckville Christmas House, featured on ABC’s “Great Christmas Light Fight” two years ago (pictured above). It’s a must-see display.

Check out the Festival of Lights at Stone Hedge Golf Course near Lake Winola. We took the kids last weekend, and there were so many squeals and giggles from the back seat as we drove through the lights. Afterward, we stopped at the pavilion for hot chocolate, a visit with Santa and s’mores. It costs $25 per vehicle to look at the lights during the week and $30 on weekends. It’s a price I wouldn’t hesitate to pay again.

Watch a classic holiday movie at the Ritz Theater on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. Tickets are only $1.

Skate with Santa at the Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston on Saturday afternoon.

Ride the trolley with Santa this weekend at the Electric City Trolley Museum. I just booked our reservations this morning, and there are spots left.