Chocolate Works

Manhasset, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.chocolateworks.com or www.facebook.com/ManhassetChocolateWorks

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Chocolate here is Kosher, but beware, the candy is not!  Call in advance and you can reserve a 45 minute session for $15.  You can create your own chocolate bar or lollypops here.  Wonderful, creative and delicious activity to do with your children!

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Broadway Shows

New York, NY

Tickets

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.broadway.com

I am way too cheap to even attempt a broadway show with my young children!  If they nag or whine for one minute, no $200 per person ticket is worth the Lion King or any other show.  But then again, there are always very rich parents, and very cultured parents, and very obedient children, or parents who are really good at ignoring their annoying children!  So this really depends on your mental strength, and the depths of your pocket!  I prefer lying down in bed and napping while they watch free Barney concerts on youtube than lugging them into the city to sit down still for two hours!  But, when they are older and more appreciative, I will most definitely take them to The Lion King!  

The best time to purchase tickets is when some shows offer 2 for 1 tickets during Broadway week.  Visit www.nycgo.com for more information.  Or check www.todaytix.com which lets you search for and purchase last-minute discounted tickets for Broadway, off-Broadway, and other theater performances around the city.  People have also suggested going to the ticket booths the day (an hour prior to the show they start giving 50 percent off tickets), www.broadwaybox.com, www.broadwaytix.com, and the Broadway Lottery.

 

Local Library

New York, NY

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

You can always kill an hour or two at the local library with your children! Increase your childrens' awareness of books and gets them interested from a young age to read, read, and read some more!  Nothing brings me more joy than watching my child independently choose a book and sit down on a chair in the library and read it out loud!

For an added bonus, some libraries offer free tickets or discounted tickets to places to go to with your children.

For residents of Great Neck check www.greatnecklibrary.org for a list of Free Museum Passes offered.  Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis for a three-day loan.  Passes cannot be reserved or renewed.  Many of the places on this list I have gone to in the past.  Had I known that I could have gotten a free pass, I would have been up at least $500 in my bank account today.  I want to die. Take advantage of this great resource.

For residents of other towns, call your local library and see if they offer something similar!

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Bowling

New York, NY

Fee for Bowling Lane

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

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Any local bowling alley should get the job done here!  Or if you want to go on a real adventure, head to Manhattan's Chelsea Piers or the super hip Bowlmor Times Square.  Always look out for groupon deals as well! 

Check the gallery above (best viewed on desktop for captions) add your comments below.  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures. And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

Pump It Up

Manhasset, NY

Admission Fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.pumpitupparty.com

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Pump It Up, or more fittingly, Suck It Up, is an indoor gym with different sized jumping castles.  Bring an oxygen mask (there is nothing resembling air in this place), a beach chair (or seating), and a bottle of water and snacks for your children.  Too bad my kids love it here!!!!!!  

Check the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your comments below.  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

Sesame Street Live

Madison Square Garden, NY

Price Varies

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

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Mark your calendars!  The show runs every year in February and may or may not have a groupon deal.  It is just a delight for young children!  I was shocked that my anxious son was able to sit through the entire show when I went years ago.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  MSG is in the heart of Manhattan.  Just walk out of the building, and walk around with your children.  Madison Square Park has a playground for kids and Eataly is right across the street.  Bryant Park ice skating is around the corner!  Bowmar Times Square is blocks away!  Go to the top of the Empire State Building or 30 Rock!  There is so much to do with the children, you'll need more than one trip!

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San Gennaro Festival

Little Italy, NY

No admission fee

Optimum Seasons:  Summer

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"New York's older and biggest street festival.  Each fall, the streets of Little Italy host a lively eleven-day block party to salute the patron saint of Naples.  People of all ethnicities come to partake in the festivities, which include live concerts, servearl parades, religious processions, and the International Cannoli Eating Championship (the record in 2014: thirty-four cannolis in six minutes).  

For dates and a schedule of events, visit www.sangennaro.org

 

Once Upon a Tree Top

Plainview, NY

indoors witch children

Admission Fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.onceuponatreetop.com

If you want to experience hell before you die, but unfortunately, what seems like heaven for your children, this is the place to visit during winter break. And if you want a sure thing for either the flu, stomach virus, or common cold, definitely stop by here for a couple hours (one of which is just waiting on a line with screaming children).  With all that said, this is a great place for children to let their imaginations run wild!  So definitely visit at least once in your life and theirs!

Check the video below for a better idea and add your comments.  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

New York Hall of Science

New York, NY

Admission Fee (free on Sundays in winter from 10am to 11am), free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.nysci.org

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This is the clean and updated version of the Children's Museum in Nassau county.  There is so much to do here for children of all ages!  Just take a look at their website for all the information.  I went here on a Sunday when the museum is free admission between 9am and 12pm.  It was a cold day with nothing else to do so this was a perfect option.  We spent a couple hours here but could have easily stayed longer!  

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Stepping Stone Park

Kings Point Park, NY

Member Card required, no admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

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Great Neck's masterpiece!  Situated on the Long Island Sound with out-of-this-world landscaping and English gardens, this park has it all, and for all ages.  And there is no price to enter!  I have seen many gardens in my day, and nothing comes close to the display of flowers and plants here!  Paired with their sunsets, views of Manhattan's skyline and the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridge, the serenity of the Long Island Sound, the rocky shore line, the dock, the playground and sprinklers for the children, their summer festivals, this is just one of my favorite places to be as soon as winter is over! It is worth moving to Great Neck and getting a park card!  Otherwise, just thank me for the pictures!  Tip:  if you love the Beatles, and kind of feel like you owe something to your parents and in laws for bringing you into this world, take a few beach chairs and go here once a year on a Saturday night in the summer and watch a Beatles cover band play all their hits! There is nothing like exposing your children to the music your parents exposed you to when you were a kid, and watching a live concert together during a beautiful sunset!

For a list of other mansions and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Chelsea Piers

Chelsea, NY

Admission Fee

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.chelseapiers.com

On my bucket list to do...but for now, my children may be too young (6 and 4) to appreciate it enough for the admission fee to be worth it.  There are plenty of cool bowling alleys on Long Island that are much cheaper.  So this is really the place to go with children if you reside in Manhattan, or you have older children.  There is plenty to do!  Just check out their website!

Nearby:

The High Line

 

Bounce Sysosset

Syosset, NY

Admission Fee

Optimum Seasons:  Winter

www.bouncesyosset.com

For those who have miniature jumping castles or trampolines in your homes, there is no reason to fork over $20 per hour per child to come here, unless you just want to get the kids out of the house.  Depending on your child, the hour can be excessive.  The website doesn't give intervals less than an hour but my husband noticed that when we went upfront to get our wrist band, there were options to stay for 20 minutes and spend less money. You may want to call in advance to see if this option indeed exists and if there is a deal for more than one kid.  Our five year old had a blast here but was all bounced out by the 31st minute.  It's worth going to at least once in your life!

Always check www.groupon.com for deals before you go.  

Check the videos below and follow me on facebook and instagram for live adventures.

 

Planting Fields Arboretum

Old Westbury, NY

Admission Fee, Parking Lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.plantingfields.org

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I forced my husband to come here on a football Sunday at the end of October with a six month old.  It was one of my first of many trips to mansions on the Gold Coast of Long Island.  I may have come a week too early for foliage at its peak, but nevertheless, this is my favorite of all mansions.  The landscaping is exquisite and every corner inside and outside of the mansion are what dreams are made of!  The little playhouse and the dahlia garden were among my favorites here.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Visit Wheatley Plaza or the Americana Manhasset for some high end shopping!  

For a list of other mansions and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

Old Westbury Gardens

Old Westbury, NY

Admission Fee (some libraries offer free passes), Parking Lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.oldwestburygardens.org

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"The magnificent Charles II-style mansion is nestled amid 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes."  I went here with family during the spring, and was floored by the grandeur of this property.  If I win the lotto one day, I am bringing my builder and landscape architect to this property.  It felt as though someone dropped me in the middle of 19th century aristocratic Europe.  Lots of films have been shot at this property as well.  For more information, visit their website.  I loved the lily pond, the driveway entrance into the property with the canopy affect of the trees, the garden, and the outside of the mansion.  I understand that Halloween is another great time to visit Old Westbury Gardens when they hold their annual "Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns", which features the work of dozens of local artists and sculptors in a unique walk-through experience that's suitable for visitors of all ages."

For acquiring free passes, contact your local library.  For Great Neck residents, click here www.greatnecklibrary.org.

You can also check www.groupon.com for deals before you go.  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Drive over to Old Country Road and get some shopping done! Also, newly renovated Roosevelt Field Mall is nearby!

For a list of other mansions and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures. And share with you friends if you appreciate this page.

 

Manhasset Valley Park

Manhasset, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

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Bring a high quality camera, bring your children, and go the second week of November.  Enough said.  Just view the gallery!

Kill a few birds with one stone:  This whole stretch of Northern Blvd is high end shopping at its finest.  You can start at Macy's across the street, but if you want to do some serious damage, hit up the Americana strip mall a few miles east!  Also, any neighborhood off of Northern Blvd in this area is worth driving around in.  Some of North Shore's finest homes!

For a list of other great parks during fall foliage, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.

 

Central Park

Midtown, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

www.centralparknyc.org

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There are not enough days in one's life to visit every corner of this oasis located smack in the middle of the concrete jungle.  I myself with and without the children, have visited the Shakespeare Garden, the Central Park Zoo, the Carousel, the Mall, the Reservoir, the Great Lawn, Loebs Boathouse, Strawberry Fields, Conservatory Water, and my very favorite (with an album all of its own)....The Central Park Conservatory.  Of all the famed gardens in NYC and its outer boroughs, THIS IS THE ONE TO SEE!  It is completely free, and walking the grounds you can't help but feel like royalty.  It is no where as big as NY Botanical Garden or Brooklyn Botanical Garden, but it is far more exquisite. I went here on Mother's Day with the entire family and we enjoyed every minute.  Tip:  Go the week Magnolia or Crabapple trees are in blossom.  Pay attention to those specific trees in your neighborhood so you have an idea of their bloom period before you go.  Also, there is a Maoz felafel stand right outside the garden in actual Central Park, perfect to feast on during a picnic!  And go to the park early (before 11am) if you are driving in or if you want to avoid long lines to rent a row boat by Loeb's Boathouse.  It costs $15 per hour and $5 per each additional hour per boat (not per person). Make sure you know how to row before you go!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Or kill a billion birds with one stone.  There is prime real estate all over Central Park.  There is no going wrong with dining, shopping, or just walking around every block and enjoying the architecture! 5th Avenue, Madison Avenue and Park Avenue run parallel along the East Side and Columbus and Amsterdam run parallel along the West Side and showcase some of the most expensive residential building in the world as long as high end shopping.  Also, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, and the Jewish Museum line up the Museum Mile on 5th Avenue.  Central Park South has hotels such as The Plaza and Ritz Carlton.  The West Side has the Museum of Natural History, Time Warner Building, Columbus Circle, The Dakota Building, Lincoln Center a block over.  The North has Harlem and Columbia's campus.  There's no losing anywhere you turn!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Prospect Park

Brooklyn, NY

Admission fee (some libraries offer free passes), parking lot fee, free parking on street

Free from November though February on weekdays

Free on Tuesdays (double check before you go)

Free on Saturdays from 10am to noon (double check before you go)

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.prospectpark.org

www.bbg.org

Cherry Blossom Festival!  This is the time to visit this gem of a garden in Brooklyn's Prospect Park!  It took us nearly one hour to find parking, but once we did, it was all worth it.  Get a map and make sure to take in as much as you can!  Every inch is a work of art! The gallery speaks for itself!  

If you have extra time, venture out and expore all of Prospect Park (designed by the same architectural team of Manhattan’s Central Park) which should take about two hours to walk the perimeter trails. You will find lakes, ponds, a carousel, an ice skating rink, a roller skating rink, open fields, playgrounds and even waterfalls in this magical place in the middle of Brooklyn. You may even be able to spot an animal (we saw a peacock!) through a fence that connects to the Prospect Park Zoo!

For acquiring free passes, contact your local library.  For Great Neck residents, click here www.greatnecklibrary.org.

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Visit the Brooklyn Museum when you are here!  You may as well!  We visited with a baby and a toddler strapped in a double stroller, and walked into the museum for free one hour before it closed for the day.  There was a special exhibit that month of structures made out of soda cans as you can see in the photos. You can also dine in Park Slope a couple blocks West of the Botanical Gardens. This is a truly magical part of Brooklyn and a very upscale and wealthy neighborhood.  The townhouses are gorgeous!   There are other beautiful affluent neighborhoods to the South and West, and lots of celebrities live around here.  But Park Slope should be the hippest.  I would love to go back once a year!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above, the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

The Boathouse

Grand Army Plaza

NY Botanical Garden

Bronx, NY

Admission fee, parking lot fee

Free grounds access on Wednesdays; does not include entry to the Enid A Haupt Conservatory, special exhibitions like the Orchid Show and Holiday Train Show, Everett Children's Adventure Garden, Rock and Native Plant Gardens or Tram Tour (visit neighboring Bronx Zoo which is also free on Wednesdays)

Free on Saturdays b/w 9am and 10am (double check before you go)

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

www.nybg.org

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I went here in the very beginning of spring, when only a few trees were in bloom.  But the Orchid Show only goes on for so long, and that was the main draw the month I went.  Admission costs more than it otherwise would have because of this spectacular display in the greenhouse!  I wish I had gone at night to see the flowers illuminated during Orchid Nights!  It is the perfect spot for a romantic date or a proposal! The outer grounds were also beautiful but unfortunately, there was not enough to see just yet.  Had I gone early May, the garden would have been at its peak!

There are activities here throughout the cold season as well!  From December 31-January 22, there is an "All Aboard with Thomas & Friends" show as well as the "Holiday Train Show" that are great activities with the children.  More information is included on their website.  

Always check www.groupon.com for deals before you go.  

For a list of other gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Allenwood Park

Great Neck, NY

No admission fee, free parking lot and free street parking

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

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One of the many parks in this lovely neighborhood, Allenwood is at its peak of beauty in the fall!  It has two wonderful playgrounds, one for older and one for younger children.  It has a pond where we were once able to feed the ducks.  It has sprinklers for children during the summer.  And just beautiful landscaping!

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions), the videos below to get a better sense of the area, and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see my next adventure!  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page!

 

Riverside Park

Upper West Side, NY

No admission fee, free parking on street

Optimum Seasons:  Spring, Summer, Fall

https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/riverside-park

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Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is one of Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront parks.  We decided to go on a Mother's Day with my own mother as well and started our journey south from the 91st Street Garden.  There is a playground at the very bottom of the hill here (from what I recall from my memory) and then you can begin walking down a pedestrian walkway along the Hudson River.  There are a lot of bikers here as well.  It was just such an extraordinary experience and it happened to be a beautiful 80 degree day!  

Kill a few birds with one stone:  Columbus Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue are just a few blocks over and full of boutique shops.  Just walking around the neighborhood is enough of an activity with your children.  Trust me, for those who say their children don't enjoy these activities, it's only because they haven't been exposed to them!  

For a list of other parks and gardens, click here.

Click on the gallery above (best viewed on a desktop for captions) and add your feedback by clicking on the comments section below!  Follow me on instagram and facebook for live adventures.  And share with your friends if you appreciate this page.