NOVEMBER 30 • 2023 | 53
J
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PLAY DATE
Treat the kids to something awesome: Cultivate curious
minds with colorful, educational — and so much fun! —
playtime. The brainchild of Lacey Foon, mom to 4-year-
old twins, Fascination Factory in Birmingam’s Rail
District, newly opened in April, offers 4,500-square-feet
of play-based learning (think anything from building a
castle with blocks to pretending to run a grocery store)
and STEAM-focused toys for tots from preschool to
elementary ages. Battery-free, plug-free, instruction-
free and kid-powered, the Factory encourages open-
ended play and creativity — while allowing parents (or
grandparents or caregivers) the chance to play with
their kids without the mess in their own home, relax
in the cafe, meet new friends and shop their retail
department. Purchase a drop-in class or month-to-
month or annual membership. Fascinationfactory.com.
DELI IN
Turn staying in into an experience by treating
yourself and guests to a taste of the Lower East
Side: Katz’s Delicatessen (home of “I’ll have what
she’s having” and “Send a salami to your boy in the
Army”) has been a Jewish New York staple since
1888, when it opened as the Iceland Brothers on
Ludlow Street. Now on East Houston, the deli will
deliver a full meal for four or more. Take a look at
Katz’s Holiday Box (one pound hand-carved juicy
pastrami, another of corned beef, deli rye, deli
mustard, full sour and half sour pickles, sauerkraut,
mini black & white cookies and more) or the
Hanukkah Dinner Package (similar to the Holiday
Box but includes matzah-ball soup, mini latkes and
chocolate babka). Top off the evening with a home
screening of When Harry Met Sally or Crossing
Delancey. Katzsdelicatessen.com.
CULTURAL OUTING
There are so many museums, plays and other
attractions in Metro Detroit to choose from. If the
grandparents are looking for a special gift that keeps
on giving, for example, ask them to purchase a family
membership to the Detroit Institute of Arts (dia.org)
or the Zekelman Holocaust Center (holocaustcenter.
org). Or buy season tickets to Broadway in Detroit (or
tickets for a single show, with lunch or dinner in Detroit)
— shows on the horizon include Frozen at the Detroit
Opera House through Dec. 17; American Girl Live in
Concert at the Fisher on Dec. 7; Wicked at the Detroit
Opera House Jan. 24-Feb. 18, 2024; and comedian
Alex Edelman: Just For Us (ages 13 and up) at the
Fisher on Feb. 24, 2024. Broadwayindetroit.com.
PHOTO BY DEEN VAN MEER
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