Hello, we will be spending 5 days in the Williamsburg area... hints about what to do, places to visit, restaurants right after Christmas with my husband and 8-year-old daughter? She will be studying about W'burg in 2nd Grade after our return.

I believe there is a "First Night" celebration for New Year's Eve. Any experiences?

Thanks so much.

laurie_k, Here's the website for the Williamsburg First Night celebration:

http://www.firstnightwilliamsburg.org/

It's a fun time, a small town and family oriented affair. Lots of music and entertainment. Fireworks at midnight at the College of Wm & Mary's football stadium.

I'm on my way out the door but I'll check back later to see if the some of the other Wmbg regulars have answered your other questions.

Hope you have a great visit.

We just spent 5 days in Williamsburg before Thanksgiving with our sons, 1st and 3rd grades. Our 3rd grader will begin studying colonial America after winter break. We spent 2 days wandering around in Colonial Williamsburg. The boys most enjoyed visiting the crafts people such as the blacksmith and cabinet maker. They enjoyed eating at the Taverns- Shields and Christiana Campbells. We enjoyed the evening Legends, Myths, and Ghost tour. You can rent child's colonial clothing (you can also buy it). Our boys liked dressing up as colonial boys, and they are NOT "playing dress-up" kind of guys.

We spent a day in Jamestown going to both the Jamestown settlement and the Jamestown National Park. At the national park, our sons did the junior ranger program, where you buy a booklet with questions about the site for $1. When the child completes the booklet (one finds the answers by reading the historic markers, and asking the rangers questions), you turn it in to the ranger station, and the child receives a junior national park ranger badge for that site. From Jamestown, we took the ferry to Surry and drove around the other side of the James River for a bit.

We spent a day at Yorktown, seeing the Yorktown Victory Center and the Yorktown National Park. The boys did the junior ranger program here, too.

On our last day, we drove out to see the James River plantations and also wandered around the College of William and Mary.

There are lots of good places to eat breakfast in W.

I am so jealous as I have yet to spend a Christmas in Williamsburg.... If you haven't checked out the Colonial W'burg website yet, I'd suggest that you start there for it lists many programs that are specifically designed for children. You should probably make reservations for any events that require them immediately so that you won't be disappointed. www.history.org

Hands on activities are good choices. Our two daughters who are now in their early thirties still remember the children's program that we enrolled them in long ago when they were 7 & 10 so that their father and I could have a few hours to explore the town and eat a quiet lunch together in a tavern. Both still have the candles that they hand dipped that day.

Be sure to pack warm clothing and comfortable shoes so that your daughter will enjoy her time in Williamsburg. The Duke of Glouster Street is a mile long going from the Capitol building to the College of William & Mary through the historic village. Although walking the distance will certainly give her a better appreciation of the colonial period, be careful to pace yourselves. Be sure to walk the historic area at nightfall when the streets are lit by lantern lights for a true feel for the time period.

I'd suggest purchasing small souvenir items that your daughter can bring back to share with her classmates. If you watch a glassblower in Jamestown, buy a finished object in the same style so that your daughter would have it to share along with the pictures that I'm sure you will take. The other students in her class can then see the small air bubbles in the handmade piece and appreciate the unusual green color of the glass made in this area.

Okay, I'm getting too long winded... Enjoy your time in Williamsburg!

Regarding restaurants, here are two recent threads which list places to eat in town:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34530684

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34521942

The only update I would add to the above is the inclusion of a new place, The Blue Talon, which has received excellent reviews (including a very favorable one in the the Washington Post). This place manages to combine great food with a casual, bistro atmosphere. Prices are extremely reasonable considering the quality of the food. If your 8 year old is not an adventurous eater, there's a burger selection on the menu.

I'm also a big Blue Talon fan, but you'll need a reservation. When they opened they reserved 40% of their tables for walk-ins, but are now reserving all of them.

Lunch there is great, cheaper, and no reservation needed!

Don't miss the Powell house, they are the hands on location for children in CW, and are only open on the weekends during the winter.

Make sure you see the Fife& Drum perform. Most of the First Night children's activities are clustered in one area. They used to be at St. Bede's hall and also at the W&M student center. There is a shuttle bus but it is nice to limit your traveling during the night. If they have them, go to the fireworks at midnight.

For several years I've been visiting Wbg 5-8 times a year, usually for a 3-5 day extended weekend. Never been there for Christmas or New Years. But if those events anything like during the Grand Illumination, you might wish to purchase tickets for the individual events (some are extra charge above regular admission) ahead of time at http://www.history.org

Five days JUST in Wbg would be too much, but there is plenty in the area to see. In addition to the comments already posted, look into Newport News and Hampton. Maybe Richmond too. The area is also rich in Civil War history. Make sure your daughter understands that the craftsmen & interpreters are there to answer any and all questions and that she should not be shy conversing with them. Many of them will insist on speaking in 1770's tense ... such as "did you arrive by coach to our city?". Kids (of all ages) can have a lot of fun.

I'm familiar with the great posts from WBG locals like OBX, KMC, and Birdie, but you, RetiredTeacher, seem new, and I've enjoyed reading your comments. As a teacher you bring a special slant on enjoying the area. My visits have been seriously curtailed this year due to job requirements ... but then I do have one, so no complaining. Enjoy your holidays, all.

Just an aside to RB... I'm not a WBG local, so I try to refrain from giving advice on specific restaurants or events. Although I've only been to Williamsburg on five occasions in my lifetime, I feel a great connection with the city. During WWII, my father was stationed at Camp Peary for about six months and Williamsburg was his liberty town. As thirty year old married teacher, he spent his leave time exploring the historical aspects of the town and got to know some of the researchers who were onsite at that time. After the war, he brought his family back to Williamsburg twice and I still recall my first trip there in the early fifties. I have returned three other times with my own husband and children, the last time shortly after Hurricane Isabelle in the fall of 2003. Hopefully I'll be able to spend a Christmas in Williamsburg someday....... I'll be counting on all of you to help me when that time comes!