Outdoor Winter Activities and Field Trips in and around NYC
NYC has it all! Beaches and kayaking in summer and sledding hills and skating rinks in winter! Also listed are suggestions for venturing beyond NYC in winter, and indoor gardens to get warm.
Sledding Hills
On special snow days NYC parks provide sleds and hot chocolate at certain sledding locations. If the hill is steep, such as Ewen Park at Riverdale Ave. & 231st St., where kids find the long steep hill a thrill to sled down, check the area first for safety. Bales of hay placed in front of park benches and street lamps can prevent serious injuries. Make sure those bales are there before you make the climb!
Sledding Locations in NYC Parks organized by borough.
Pilgrim Hill in Central Park (east side at 73rd St.) is popular. Here’s a Guide for a Perfect Snow Day in Central Park.
Best sledding hills in NYC (from Mommy Poppins)
Special Snow Day sites Whenever there is a public school closing due to snow, you’ll find free sleds and cocoa at these locations. Hours are usually noon-4, but check this link or call 311 for updated info.
Skating Rinks
Homeschoolers love skating at the rink in Bryant Park. Firstly, it’s free (there’s a fee only for skate rental); secondly it’s next door to the NY Public Library with the main children’s section (you can visit the display of the original Winnie the Pooh toys that inspired the books); thirdly, it’s in the middle of Manhattan so families from all over can go. Check local homeschool support groups on FB to see if there’s a weekly skating meet-up. I also recommend the rinks in Central Park. In fact, there are rinks in every borough!
Manhattan:
NYC Parks Ice Skating Rinks organized by borough
FREE skating at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan, just behind the main branch of the NYPL. Skates are available to rent for a fee.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center, open until mid to late April (later than other rinks). This famous, iconic rink is more expensive than others.
Bronx:
Van Cortland Park has a skating rink, accessible from the last stop on the #1 train. There is a fee. More information.
Brooklyn:
LeFrak Center at Prospect Park’s Lakeside (near Parkside and Ocean Ave. entrance)
McCarren Rink (on Lorimer Street between Driggs and Bayard Streets). See also McCarren Park and Skating hours.
Abe Stark Rink in Coney Island. Skating hours.
Queens:
City Ice Pavilion (in Long Island City), rooftop rink at affordable prices.
World Ice Arena in Flushing Meadows Corona Park — offering FREE 15-minute introductory ice skating and hockey lessons every weekend.
Staten Island:
Staten Island War Memorial Ice Skating Rink in Clove Lakes Park
Warm up in Indoor Gardens, Atriums, Museums and Zoos
Here’s a sample of indoor fun and places to get warm. Also check out your local bookstores, toy stores and park discovery centers.
The Metropolitan Museum has a new free science & art discovery & play space, the 81st St. Studio, for kids ages 3-11 and their families. Hours are 10-5 with the last entry at 4pm, closed on Wednesdays. Located on 5th Ave. at 81st St.
Central Park Zoo - Indoor Tropic Zone. Step into a rainforest at 64th St. and 5th Ave. Entrance fee are less if you purchase tickets online in advance.
FAO Schwartz, the world famous toy store, is always worth a visit. Located in Rockefeller Center at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
The Ford Foundation Atrium, an indoor garden space at 320 E. 43rd St., is free but you must register to visit a day in advance.
The Winter Garden at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City.
Brooklyn Botanical Garden Conservatories - winter weekdays the fee is pay-what-you-wish, and a certain number of tickets are reserved daily for those who can’t afford the fee.
The Bronx Zoo has Jungle World and other indoor exhibits.
Ski Slopes
The closest ski slopes to NYC are in the Poconos in Pennsylvania just across the NJ border, and the Catskills just north of NYC. Local homeschoolers in NYCHEA.org usually organize a ski club at Shawnee in the Poconos, so car pooling is possible. Some slopes offer connections to bus services. Many ski resorts have homeschoolers days or groups. Ask about special rates for a first-time beginner’s lesson and for off-peak hours like weekday mornings. They offer tubing and snowboarding too!
In New York:
Mount Peter is the closest slope to NYC, in Warwick, NY (near Harriman State Park), but it’s also one of the smallest. For a pleasant side trip right near Mount Peter, take a walk back in time and visit the artisan shops of Sugar Loaf. The shops are open all year round.
Tuxedo Ridge is off I-87 near Sterling Forest (where the Renaissance Faire happens every year), with higher slopes than Mount Peter:
A little bit farther are Hunter Mountain and Bellayre, both popular skiing destinations with larger slopes.
In Pennsylvania:
Shawnee is aprox. 90 minutes from NYC in East Stroudsburg, Pa., the Poconos.
Camelback Mountain in Tannersville, Pa., has a number of easy trails, and access by bus from NYC.
Bus services that commute to ski slopes:
Venture Out: Field Trips Beyond NYC
The Lakota Wolf Preserve, in western NJ (about 90 minutes from NYC), is a forest preserve with wolves, foxes and bobcats, a wildlife experience with educators present. Tours are offered when the animals are active, at 10:30am and 3pm (you must arrive 30 minutes early).
The Stamford Museum and Nature Center in North Stamford, CT (about an hour and fifteen minutes from NYC), has a working farm, maple sugaring house, and easy access hiking trails. Spot winter wildlife outside, and then enjoy an exhibit indoors.
Philadelphia is less than two hours from NYC and an amazing destination for history and science. For US history, visit Independence National Historic Park, and Independence Hall where the Constitution was written and signed, and don’t miss the hands-on National Constitution Center. There’s also the Liberty Bell which is currently closed, so check in advance. For science, you can spend the whole day in the Franklin Institute and you still won’t have enough time there. This is one of the best hands-on science museums my family ever went to (and we went to several).
The Crayola Factory in Easton, PA (about a 90 minute drive from NYC), is a great indoor day trip, colorful enough to help any child beat the winter blues, but tickets can be pricey (see if Groupon offers a discount).
Visit an Indoor Water Park and warm up! These day passes are pricey, so look for a discount on Groupon before you go. DreamWorks Water Park, in New Jersey’s Meadowlands, is just 25 minutes from Manhattan, claims to be the largest waterpark in North America. The next closest is Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos (about 90 minutes drive from NYC) with an indoor water park.
Check out these related articles: