Christmas 2024: Activities to enjoy this festive week in and around Mumbai

Go GreenHumboldt penguins in their enclosure at The Mumbai Zoogtgt If you havenrsquot claimed your share of the green this city has to offer yet therersquos still time Head to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park where an orchidarium recently came into bloom kick it back by the parkrsquos lake or dive head first into action on a Lion safari If you prefer solitude cut the noise and hop onto a bicycle to pedal through the safe demarcated trails at the parkWhere Sanjay Gandhi National Park Borivli EastA flamboyance of flamingos in Navi Mumbai FILE PICSgtgt Those who like being in good company this time of the year can head to the Mumbai Zoo where flappy friends mdash Humboldt penguins Olive Flipper and Daisy mdash alongside gharials spotted deer and aquatic birds are waiting for you to make a big splashWhere Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo BycullaAn orchid in bloom at the parkgtgt If your kids are avian enthusiasts we suggest you make a trip to the scenic DPS Lake in SeaWoods Navi Mumbai to introduce them to our most popular and precious winter visitors to the city mdash the flamingos You can also try heading to Sewri Jetty to view this annual spectacle that the city is blessed to witness A good time for green lessons we sayWhere Navi Mumbai Sewri EastThe season of Givinggtgt Still mulling over what and where to head to to do your bit for the lesser privileged especially since therersquos just a week left in 2024 We suggest you swiftly get into lsquowinterrsquo cleaning mode and donate all those forgotten unwanted clothes and footwear bags and baubles and drop them off at the Mount Mary Convent High School that accepts them and distributes them to the needy across the city Go ahead and add some light into someonersquos lifeWhere Mount Mary Road Bandra Westgtgt In Vasairsquos Chulna Village the Zilla Parishad schoolrsquos students are in for a surprise mdash your presence Nanhe Haath Foundationrsquos Secret Santa plans to distribute stationery and Christmas treats to the students with help from fellow SantasON December 28 10 amMEETING POINT Zilla Parishad School Chulna Vasai WestLOG ON TO nanhe_haath_foundationgtgt Closer to the heart of the celebrations in Bandra West a hundred Santas from the Sounds of Silence SOS Foundation are making dreams come true Join the red army who will step out one last time today to distribute gifts to the lesserprivileged in the cityON TodayLOG ON TO sos_soundsofsilence for more details and to register as SantaColabas Other Church TrailThe altar St Josephrsquos Churchgtgt Apart from the bigticket venues like Holy Name Cathedral and the recently restored Afghan Church St John the Evangelist we nudge you to walk down Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg to soak in the spirit of the festival at the Wesleyan Methodist Church Bombay Baptist Church Bowen Methodist Church and St Josephrsquos Church commonly referred to as lsquoRC Churchrsquo by Mumbaikars Start this trail at Bowen on Lansdowne Road head to the Wesleyan church at BEST Marg next proceed to Bombay Baptist Church opposite Colaba Post Office and round it off at RC Church near Colaba Bus DepotWhere ColabaPaws to Celebrategtgt Could this be the last Christmas that the furry friends at these rescue centres spend alone Head to this animal welfare and adoption centre to meet with its resident stray dogs and cats Stay back for a special workshop on crafting upcycled cat toys today or let your creative juices flow at a dog doodling session tomorrowON Today and tomorrow 1030 am onwardsAT Welfare of Stray Dogs Jamnadas Prabhudas Chawl Lower ParelLOG ON TO wsdindiaENTRY Rs 200 per person for activitiesgtgt The feline friends at this Versova cafeacute donrsquot know yet but theyrsquore in for an ameowzing yearend surprise The cafeacute has released an online Amazon store wishlist of supplies and toys for its resident cats that you can tick off from the comfort of your homes If you prefer getting more handson and cuddly with the felines head to their cafeturnedhome any time of the dayAT Cat Cafeacute Studio Aram Nagar Part 1 Versova Andheri West LOG ON TO catcafestudioAlso ReadYour guide to having a safe Christmas with your petsFind That Treegtgt WE bet you didnrsquot see this coming After the SoBo friend shared this bit of information we had to see it with our own eyes Tucked away in the quaint streets of Mumbai that is still oldworld and charming we spotted the gorgeous bountiful Christmas tree standing tall in one of the gardens fronting a stunning residential building off Apollo Bunder While the tree isnrsquot bedecked it makes for quite the sight in tropical MumbaiWhere Mereweather Road ColabaTheatre BingeA moment from the childrenrsquos play Wosquito Mosquitogtgt If none of the manifesting and selflove podcasts have done the trick who couldrsquove guessed Saurabh Nayyarrsquos threeplay series ought to teach you some timely lessons as the year draws to a close Wosquito Mosquito Nayyarrsquos childrenrsquos play talks about taking a stand for yourself in a society that applauds conformity ldquoThe play was written for children but I think the message will resonate with people from all walks of liferdquo Nayyar says Golden Jubilee another one from the series is a satirical take on love and its exaggerated silver screen representationON December 28 and 31 12 pm onwards AT Prithvi Theatre JuhuLOG ON TO inbookmyshowcomENTRY Rs 500 onwards