The Best Mid-Winter Break Activities In and Around NYC!
Mid-Winter break is right around the corner for NYC kids, which means it’s time to start planning some activities to keep your kids busy! With a wide variety of activities and events happening around the city during that week, there is something out there that all kids will love.
Celebrate the rest of Black History Month by checking out Black History Month 2022: Family-Friendly Activities In and Around NYC
Manhattan
2022 Kids Week at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Pier 86; W 46th St & 12th AveNew York, NY 10036
February 19 through February 26, 10am-5pm
$33; $31 Seniors (65+); $24 Child (5-12); free for children younger than 5, Advanced Registration Required
Learn about STEAM through fun-filled activities, live animal shows, hands-on workshops, performances, special guests and interactive demonstrations designed to educate and inspire including three days of programming from NASA.
Kids Week: Manhattan Rocks! Geology Hike
East 60th Street and 5th Ave., Upper West Side
February 21, 1-2pm
Free
Learn all about the geological landscape of Manhattan with the Urban Park Rangers.Call 212-360-1444 for more information.
A New Year Celebration (Mid-Winter Recess) at Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 W 83rd St., New York, NY 10024
February 21 through February 25, 10am-5pm
$15; $12 seniors 65 and older and visitors with disabilities. Advanced Registration Required.
Join CMOM all week long to explore different Asian cultures and their traditions for celebrating the new lunar year.
Art Explore—Midwinter Recess: Magical Art and Design at Metropolitan Museum of Art
Online
February 22 through February 25, 10:30am–12:30pm
Free, advanced registration is recommended
Discover how Walt Disney Animation Studios have used eighteenth-century European decorative arts and design to inspire their movie magic. Talk with other teens online about works of art while traveling through the galleries, and make your own art inspired by objects in The Met collection.
Kids Week at Bryant Park
40th Street between 5th Ave. and 6th Ave.,New York, NY 10018
February 22 through February 25, 9:25am-12pm
Free
Join Bryant Park for kids skate sessions, crafts, workshops, and themed days, and more! Most programs are designed for kids ages 4-6, but all ages are welcomed. Skating sessions and lessons require advanced registration.
Kids Week: Nature Exploration for Kids at Inwood Hill Park
Isham St & Seaman Ave., New York, NY 10034
February 22, 1-2pm
Free
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a hike through the wonders of Inwood Hill Park. Call 212-360-1444 for more information.
Air Play Winter Break Performances at New Victory Theater
209 W 42nd St., New York, NY 10036
February 23 through February 25, 2pm
Tickets start at $20, Advanced Registration Required
Circus and science collide when The Acrobuffos return with their sold-out spectacle, Air Play. With knowing smiles and suitcases full of surprises, this comedic duo elicits gales of laughter as they transform ordinary objects into uncommon beauty. This delightful, frightful homage to the power of air will take your breath away as the Acrobuffos goad gravity and make really, really, really high art out of the very thing we breathe.
Kids Week: Tree Identification for Kids at Tompkins Square Park
St Marks Pl & Avenue A., New York, NY 10009
February 24, 1-2pm
Free
Join the Urban Park Rangers for a hike and learn different ways to identify trees during the winter. Call 212-360-1444 for more information.
Kids Week: Bald Eagle Watch at Payson Park House in Inwood Hill Park
Dyckman St & Payson AveNew York, NY 10034
February 25, 1-2pm
Free
Make the most out of your mid winter break as the Urban Rangers will lead you to the best spots to view bald eagles.Call 212-360-1444 for more information.
Brooklyn
Black Future Festival at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11213
February 19 through February 27, 10am–1pm and 2-5pm
$13; $12 grandparent. Advanced Registration Required
Join BCM for a week of reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of peoples of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. With the help of the festival curator at Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective see interactive dance performances and a Genea-Djali workshop, plus storytelling inspired by Crown Heights, a quilting workshop, local eats, and much more!
Cosmic CAMP
CAMP at City Point, 1 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
February 19 through February 27, 11am-5pm, daily
$15-$20
CAMP’s out-of-this-world play space takes you on an adventure through interactive games, physical challenges, and crazy cosmic-themed locations. Each mission will take 60-75 minutes.
Pre Purim Fun at Jewish Children’s Museum
792 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY 11213
February 20, through March 16, Mondays-Thursdays, 10am-4pm; Sundays, 10am-5:30pm
Included with $15 admission, Advanced Registration Required
Close your eyes and imagine the smell of cookie dough, and jam, hearing the sound of a noisy gragger, seeing friends dressed up in colorful costumes, pinching together circular dough, and the taste of a fresh hamantaschen entering your belly. Now open your eyes! This is not an imaginary story; this is the party happening at the Jewish Children’s Museum’s Pre Purim Fun.
Kids Week: Shelter Building for Kids
Salt Marsh Nature Center in Marine Park, Avenue U and E 33rd St, Marine Park Brooklyn, NY 11234
February 21, 1-2pm
Free
Learn basic shelter building skills to keep you safe in the wilderness. Call 718-421-2021 for more information.
Family Bird Walk with Indigo Goodson at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225
February 21, 10:30-11:30am
Included with admission
Dust off your binoculars and join birder and educator Indigo Goodson on an hour-long stroll through the Garden to look for birds that winter in Brooklyn. See large birds like hawks, medium-sized robins, little red-breasted nuthatches, and more!
Beauty & the Beast at Puppetworks, Inc.
338 6th Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11215
February 21-25, Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 12:30pm and 2:30pm
$11; $10 for children
See Beauty & the Beast, the French Fantasy, with a “live” Beast adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola.
Kids Week: Gather Around the Campfire
Fort Greene Park Visitor Center, Myrtle Ave. and Washington Park, Brooklyn NY 11205
February 22, 1-2pm
Free
Gather by the campfire to enjoy an afternoon of storytelling and fireside activities.Call 646-398-1479 for more information.
In-Person: John Patrick Green, Colleen AF Venable & Stephanie Yue
Books Are Magic, 225 Smith St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
February 22, 4-5:30pm
Free, Advanced Registration Required
John Patrick Green launches the latest INVESTIGATORS & Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue present KATIE THE CATSITTER BOOK 2. This awesome fun-filled afternoon is complete with author presentations, signings and crafts!
Kids Week: Build a Birdfeeder
Fort Greene Park Visitor Center, Myrtle Ave. and Washington Park, Brooklyn NY 11205
February 24, 1-2pm
Free
Learn about winter birds in your neighborhood and what they like to eat. Build your very own bird feeder from recycled materials. Call 646-398-1479 for more information.
Kids Week: Nature Scavenger Hunt
Picnic House in Prospect Park, 40 West Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11215
February 25, 1-2pm
Free
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a fun nature scavenger hunt! Call 646-398-1479 for more information.
Queens
Kids Week: Nature Exploration Hike and Craft
February 21,1-2pm
Forest Park Visitor Center, Woodhaven Blvd. and Forest Park Drive, Woodhaven NY 11421
Free
Get creative as you use the park as an inspiration to construct a nature-based craft. This is the perfect opportunity for your kids to learn more about nature while school is out!
Kids Week: Ranger Games
February 22, 1-2pm
Union Turnpike and 196th St., Queens NY 11366
Free
Spend an afternoon of fun with the Urban Park Rangers playing and learning new and exciting nature games.
TWO’s Day Celebration At Alley Pond Environmental Center
224-65 76th Ave., Oakland Gardens, NY 11364
February 22, 10am-12pm
$32. Advanced Registration Required
February 22, 2022 is 2-22-22! It’s Two’s Day! Join Alley Pond Environmental Center to celebrate. Have fun with symmetry using legos to create symmetric animals (seeing double!). Working in teams, participants will be challenged to build a boat that will float using only TWO materials.
Material will be provided. The boats will then be tested to see which ones can float with 22 paper clips added. The workshop includes a double bubble graphic organizer lesson comparing arachnids vs. insects. Of course, live arachnids and insects will enhance the class. Prize awarded to participants wearing the most creative TWO’S DAY outfit – let’s see what you got. (think Taco Tuesday, Terrible Twos…)
Fantasy Terrarium Workshop at The Voelker Orth Museum
149-19 38th Ave., Flushing, NY 11354
February 22, 1-3pm
$5 admission; $12 family admission
Learn about the water cycle and terrarium care while creating a miniature indoor garden. There’s a fun selection of added decorative materials to create your own miniature environment.
Foraging, Fibers & Food: Junior Makers Staycation at Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Queens, NY 11004
February 23 through February 25, 10am–12pm; 1–3pm
$35 per child (accompanying adult is free). Advanced Registration Required
Bundle up for a barnyard tour with a focus on seasonality and fiber animals. Find out how the alpaca & sheep keep warm and learn the process for spinning fleece into clothing! Children will also visit with hens, pigs, steer, and beehives and feed the goats a tasty snack. Explore the winter farm landscape on a tractor-drawn hayride and observe how yummy greens are grown in the colder months. Junior Makers can try their hand at a farm-wide scavenger hunt and use foraged materials to get creative with nature collages. Then it’s all hands on deck for butter churning, while learning about the science and history behind this classic dairy product.
Kids Week: Sensory Perception Hike at Bayswater Park
Beach Channel Dr & Beach 35th St.,Queens, NY 11691
February 23, 1-2pm
Free
Engage your sense of touch, smell, sight, and hearing while exploring the natural world.
February Story Hike: Mae Among the Stars at Alley Pond Environmental Center
224-65 76th AveOakland Gardens, NY 11364
February 23, 11am-12pm
$20, Advanced Registration Required
Take a walk, read a book and have an adventure! The walk will begin at the front deck of the building where children will pick up a cup of hot cocoa. To celebrate Black History Month, the book featured will be Mae Among the Stars, about the first black female astronaut, by Roda Ahmed. Children will learn the names of some animal constellations while hiking along the trails of Alley Pond Park. An animal ambassador will be available for the children to meet at the end of the walk.
Kids Week: Nature Story Time at Kissena Park
Rose Ave & Oak Ave., Queens, NY 11358
February 24, 1-2pm
Free
Come out for an afternoon of nature storytelling that kids of all ages will love.
Kids Week: Gather Around the Campfire
Alley Pond Adventure Course, Union Tpke, Oakland Gardens, NY 11364
February 25, 11am-12pm
Free
Gather by the campfire to enjoy an afternoon of storytelling and fireside activities.
Bronx/Westchester
Family Studio Art Workshop: Dazzling Icons at Hudson River Museum
511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, NY 10701
February 21 through February 25, 1-4pm
Free with Museum Admission
Celebrate Black History Month with Teaching Artist-in-Residence David Enriquez in a collage portrait workshop. Use printed images of African American historical figures, as well as of Frida Kahlo, and employ a technique borrowed from artist Mickalene Thomas, whose portrait Clarivel with Black Blouse with White Ribbon is in the HRM’s permanent collection.
Presidents’ Day Nature Games at Sheldrake Environmental Center
685 Weaver St., Larchmont, NY 10538
February 21, 10-11:30am
$35; $30 members. Advanced Registration Required
You’re invited to a nature-themed presidential birthday party! Celebrate Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays with themed activities at Sheldrake. Take a hike on the trails in search of fun facts on 13 stars—even stopping at a log cabin! Also enjoy a story and make a patriotic planter as a party favor to take home and nurture.
Kids Week: Nature Puppet Show
Van Cortlandt Nature Center in Van Cortlandt Park,
February 21, 1-2pm
Free
The Urban Park Rangers welcome you for some nature-themed puppet shows! Learn more about animals that can be found in the local parks.
Family Studio Art Workshop: Paper Lanterns
Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave, Yonkers, NY 10701
February 21 through February 25, 1-4pm
Free with Museum Admission
In honor of the Lunar New Year, create a paper lantern using construction paper, scissors, glue, and various colored markers.
Animal Tracks in Winter
Sheldrake Environmental Center, 685 Weaver St., Larchmont, NY 10538
February 22, 10-11:30am
$35; $30 members, Advanced Registration Required
Have you ever wondered what animal made those tracks? Who is traveling on the trails or through your yard? Find out how to solve those mysteries. Spend some time learning about animal tracks and even make some of your own. Then, explore Sheldrake, looking for tracks and signs of rabbits, deer, squirrels, and other animals.
Mid Winter Excitement – Winter Olympics
Multi-Use Room in Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, NY 10467
February 22, 1-3pm
Free
Families and children are invited to come out for some winter activities while taking a break from school. Play hockey, curling, bobsledding and more!
Condorz for Kidz
Sheldrake Environmental Center, 685 Weaver St., Larchmont, NY 10538
February 23, 4-5pm
$25; $20 members, Advanced Registration Required
How does the Earth stay clean? Nature has its very own trash collectors, and one of the most fascinating is the enormous but critically endangered California Condor. This enormous creature has been cleaning up the earth since the time of wooly mammoths! But today, there are only about 1,000 of these giant birds left in the world. Learn about the importance of scavengers in an ecosystem, how cool vultures are, and what scientists are doing today to help bring back the mighty California Condor.
Mid Winter Excitement – Musical Fitness
Multi-Use Room in Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, NY 10467
February 23, 1-3pm
Free
This program consists of choreographed exercises to music and is open to all levels of fitness. Participants will do some Zumba, Ballet and musical chairs.
Mid Winter Excitement – Afternoon of Games
Multi-Use Room in Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, NY 10467
February 24, 1-3pm
Free
Families and children are invited to enjoy some winter activities while taking a break from school.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Sheldrake Environmental Center, 685 Weaver St, Larchmont, NY 10538
February 24, 10-11:30am
$35; $30 members, Advanced Registration Required
Learn how some animals survive the stark and open landscape of winter with clever camouflage tricks. We’ll make a camouflage costume for ourselves and then head off on our trails while looking and listening for camouflaged creatures.
Mid Winter Excitement – Movie and Crafts
Multi-Use Room in Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center, 3225 Reservoir Oval E. Bronx, NY 10467
February 25, 12-3pm
Free
Enjoy family friendly entertainment in the city’s recreation center. Scoobi! is the classic kids’ film where Scoobi and the gang solve a mystery. The movie will be followed with an art and craft.
Long Island, Suffolk
Contemporary Creators Vacation Workshop
Parrish Art Museum, 79 Montauk Hwy, Water Mill, NY 11976
February 21, 1-3pm
$35; $30 members, Advanced Registration Required
Explore the Museum over winter recess by taking a Contemporary Creators Vacation Workshop. In this session, children will learn about line and create works focused on this element of art.
Celebrate President’s Week at the Fire Island Lighthouse
Fire Island Lighthouse, Field 5, Robert Moses State Park
February 21 through February 25, 10am-3pm
$10; $5 for ages 65 and older, veterans, and children 12 and younger; $2 for members
Visit the Fire Island Lighthouse with daily crafts for children and see the original First Order Fresnel Lens.
February Break at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium
1660 NY-25A, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
February 21 through February 25, 11am-3pm
Free with admission
Spend your break with the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery & Aquarium where you can, create an artistic masterpiece with ice paint, learn how the fish are cared for in the trout hatchery, make snow that won’t melt and more!
Winter School Break Outdoor Nature Programs
South Fork Natural History Museum, 377 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
February 21 through February 25, 10:30-11:30am
$15; $10 children; free for members, Advanced Registration Required
Go on a scavenger hunt, learn about year round wildlife, go on a winter sensory walk, learn about bugs in winter, how to identify animal tracks, and more.
Snow Globe Family Workshop at The Whaling Museum
279 Main St., Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
February 23 and February 24, Drop in between 1-3pm
$10 or $5 members plus admission: $6; $5 seniors 62 and older and ages 4-18; free for children 3 and younger and members.
Celebrate the wonder of arctic whales in this drop-in workshop. Use clay, glitter, and other materials to design and create a wintry whale scene inside of a shimmering snow globe.
Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz at Theatre Three
412 Main St., Port Jefferson, NY 11777
February 23 through February 25, 11:30am
$10, Advanced Registration Required
Take an unforgettable trip down the Yellow Brick Road with the world premiere of Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz. This grand-new take on this classic tale features an original score, memorable characters, and fun for the entire family.
Long Island, Nassau
Jurassic Quest at Nassau Coliseum
1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale, NY 11553
February 19 through February 21, Saturday and Sunday, 9am-8pm; Monday, 9am-6pm
$26; $19 seniors; $41 kids unlimited pass admission plus for all-you-can-ride access to dinosaur rides, inflatables, fossil dig.
Walk through the Cretaceous period, the Jurassic Period and The Triassic period and experience what it was like to be among living, breathing dinosaurs. Jurassic Quest is the only Dinosaur event that has true life size dinosaurs. From the very small, to the gigantic, skyscraping dinosaurs that can only be seen at Jurassic Quest events. Jurassic Quest has over 80 true to life size dinosaurs in each of it’s 2 events.
All You Can Eat Pizza Party February Break
United Skates of America, Inc., 1276 Hicksville Rd, Seaford, NY 11783
February 20 through February 24, Sunday and Tuesday, 7:30-9:30pm; Wednesday and Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm
$21; $10 non skating adults, Advanced Registration Required
This Winter Break, skate and enjoy all you can eat pizza and soda!
Lyle the Crocodile at Long Island Children’s Museum
11 Davis Ave., Garden City, NY 11530
February 21 through February 25, 11:30am and 2pm
$9; $7 members plus museum admission of $15 and $14 seniors 65 and older; $12 theater only. Advanced Registration Required
Imagine moving to NYC and discovering a crocodile in your apartment’s bathtub. You learn the crocodile is named Lyle and he becomes good friends with the folks in the neighborhood, except for Mr. Grumps. Discover how acceptance and friendship can make things better. Lyle comes to the rescue and opens doors to understanding. Those folks around Lyle learn that they should not judge others by how different they appear or behave, but to accept people (and crocodiles) for what they are.
The Rainbow Fish at Bellmore
The Showplace at The Bellmore Movies, 222 Pettit Ave, Bellmore, NY 11710
February 21, 11am
$15, Advanced Registration Required
With shiny, multi-colored scales, Rainbow Fish is the most beautiful fish in all of the ocean, and the only one of his (or her!) kind. When Rainbow Fish refuses to share his vibrant, shimmering scales, the whole ocean seems to turn against the vain creature. Unhappy that no one adores him anymore, the Rainbow Fish seeks out the wise Octopus, who helps him learn that it’s far better to be admired for being kind than for being beautiful.
February Break for Art: Three Days of Artmaking for Families
Nassau County Museum of Art, One Museum Dr, Roslyn, NY 11576
February 22 through February 24, 11am-12:30pm or 1-2:30pm
$20; $10 members. Advanced Registration Required
Participate in three days of art making inspired by the art on view in the museum’s current exhibition Songs Without Words: The Art of Music. A different project will be offered every day.
Rockland/Bergen
Minecraft: The Exhibition
Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07305
Through September 5. Special Winter Break Hours Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 10am-5pm
$8 plus admission: at the door: $29.99; $24.99 ages 2-12; an advance: $27.99; $22.99 ages 2-12.
LSC is proud to host the East Coast premiere of Minecraft: The Exhibition, a 6,000-sq.-ft. multimedia experience designed for players and non-players of all ages. Minecraft fans will enjoy an immersive experience they’ve probably dreamed about: Stepping inside the world of the game, surrounded by blocky scenes and characters from Minecraft builds! Those who have not yet played can learn the fundamental skills and moves at game stations inside the gallery, then start building their own worlds. This massive exhibition celebrates creative expression, community crafting, and the quest to build a better world—both inside and outside the game.
Family Mindfulness with Peace in Piermont
Palisades Center, 1920 Palisades Center Dr, West Nyack, NY 10994
February 21, 2-2:45pm; 3-3:45pm; 4-4:45pm
$35 up to 4 guests; $45 for 5-6 guests, Advanced Registration Required
Help raise money for a local charity and practice self-care with your family! Enjoy family yoga, meditation, fun activities, raffles and more!
Presidents Week Ice Skating
Bear Mountain Ice Rink, 3020 Seven Lakes Drive, Tomkins Cove, NY 10986
February 21 through February 24, 10am-5:30pm; Friday, February 25, 10am-9:30pm
$5 admission; free admission for ages 4 and younger; $10 skate rental
Bring the family out to enjoy this outdoor ice skating rink located in Bear Mountain State Park in the Lower Hudson Valley.There are no reservations and tickets go on sale at the front window one hour before each session.
Winter Break Open Bounce
February 21 through February 25, 12-7pm
Bounce! Trampoline Sports, 612 Corporate Way, Valley Cottage, NY 10989
Prices Vary
Open Bounce! time is where you get to experience the fun of bouncing and jumping to your heart’s content on the trampoline courts, including 2 indoor dodgeball courts, dedicated slam dunk basketball area and large main court. Open Bounce!® time also includes the opportunity to launch yourself from high quality trampoline tumble mats into a giant pit of foam. When it’s time for a break, enjoy a refreshment from a variety of vending machines, or check out the games in the arcade.
Muscle Man Mike with Special Guest Baby Dino Dina
Roseland Free Public Library, 20 Roseland Ave, Roseland, NJ 07068
February 22, 10-11am
Free, Advanced registration required
Join the library for a fun morning filled with magic.
Winter Break Movie Week
Nutley Free Public Library, 93 Booth Dr, Nutley, NJ 07110
February 22 through February 24, 2-4pm
Free
Enjoy new and classic family-friendly movies on the big screen! Movies rated PG.
