WINTER ACTIVITIES
Levi Yitzchak Library on Central Avenue, Cedarhurst
Woodmere Bowling Lanes
Islandrock.com
Chelseapiers.com
Picnic on the Staten Island Ferry or Far Rockaway Ferry to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park. Fare is $2.75. Admission to Museum is free if eating at Lox, their restaurant which has OU hashgachah
Visit Statute of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governor’s Island
Captain Lou Seal Cruises in Freeport, aboard the Captain Lou Fleet, show families these beloved creatures in their natural habitat. Bundle up: January is when the sightings are best. Learn about the biology and behavior of seals and other marine life on this scenic junket. Cruises are presented by The Riverhead Foundation and board on select weekend dates through April.
Play laser tag.
Any kid will say lasers are awesome. So Long Island Laser Bounce in Levittown is a no-fail way to thrill the kids on cold winter days. The arcade includes a laser tag arena filled with glow-in-the-dark obstacles and cool special effects lighting systems. Or Q-Zar or Lazer Land of Long Island.
Visit Long Island’s air and space museum.
Highlighting L.I’s contributions to flight, which many people don’t know about, The Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City aims to get kids excited about the science and beauty of flying planes. Make a day of it by stopping by the nearby Long Island Children’s Museum and Historic Nunley’s Carousel. There is also an IMAX movie option at the museum.
Dream of summer in a treehouse.
A real eucalyptus tree brought in from California stands at a height of 18 feet in Once Upon A Treetop in Plainview. Playing in the treehouse makes summer seem that much closer. Little ones can also roam around in a pint-size village complete with a train station, grocery store, and other interactive “stops.”
The Long Island Puppet Theatre in Hicksville gives your kids a taste of entertainment you probably enjoyed all the time as a kid. The shows use both marionettes and traditional hand puppets. Craft workshops are also available.
Grant Park Ice Skating
Long Beach Recreation Center where they have a swimming pool and indoor ice skating rink
Dave and Busters indoor arcade games
1 ½ hours away Shawnee Ski where there are beginner skiing hills and tubing.
2 hours away from the Poconos Aquatopia or Kalahari indoor water parks
An hour away from Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park
Queens Hall of Science
Liberty Science Museum in NJ
Modernpinballnyc.com for pinball machine play
This is the grande dame of NYC sledding institutions—and rightfully so, with its perfect steepness and gentle denouement (that’s sledspeak for a smooth finish). This spot gets crowded, so prepare to slalom around wayward toddlers and other human obstacles. Enter at 72nd St and Fifth Ave.
Cedar Hill, Central Park
Thrill-seekers need not apply: A less-crowded alternative to Pilgrim Hill, Cedar makes a good starter slide for beginners (ahem, wusses). Fifth Ave between 76th and 79th Sts.
Prospect Park
Yuppies and their offspring start at the gentle knoll near 9th Street for a little downhill action before heading toward the rolling stretch of the Nethermead to make snow angels. Enter at 9th St and Prospect Park West.
Museum of Jewish Heritage in Liberty Park in Lower Manhattan
The Jewish Museum in upper Manhattan near Museum Mile
9/11 Museum in NYC. Fascinating for all ages
Jewish Children’s Museum on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn
Aviatorsports.com indoor exercise complex in Brooklyn
Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, indoor sports complex
BryantPark.org For activities in Bryant Park
