It’s cold outside, but the long and short of it is that there are tons of kids activities out there that make leaving your home totally worth it. From snow sports in Central Park to Lunar New Year Celebrations to the beloved Disney on Ice, here are just 12 ways to make the best of the weather. Stay warm!
STARTS FRIDAY
Celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year at the American Museum of Natural History with Vietnamese folk painting, Chinese culinary traditions, Mohawk Nation songs, and more. Cheers!(Friday & Saturday)
Who needs Florida when you’ve got Disney on Ice right at the Barclays Center? Say hello to Mickey, Minnie, Peter Pan, and other favorites right here. (Friday-Sunday)
The Thunderbird American Indian Concert and Pow-Wow means stories, music, and, yes, dances of ten tribes in the East Village. Get cultured! (Friday-Sunday)
Calling all gamers: A new exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image looks at the first 50 years of gaming history–and lets you try your hand at games from the 1960s to the present. Wow! (Friday-Sunday)
STARTS SATURDAY
Make the best of the weather at Winter Jam NYC, which brings skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and even a Doggie Snow Zone to Central Park. Experience the magic.
(Saturday)
The Carnival of the Elephants comes to the Bard Graduate Center with a chance for kids to create circus puppets and learn about the big, intelligent animals from a zoo expert. Rrrrouw! (Saturday)
Get ready for Valentine’s Day with Mista Cookie Jar & The Chocolate Chips, who will be blending the best of hip hop with wholesome songs of love at Symphony Space. Awww. (Saturday)
It’s opening weekend for the 10-Foot Cops exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where original police artifacts, an NYPD horse stable replica, and horseshoe decorating await. Arresting! (Saturday & Sunday)
Love science? Head over to the Beam Center’s Brooklyn Inventgenuity Festival for sound manipulation, animation exploring, and playing with electricity. Cool. (Saturday & Sunday)
SUNDAY ONLY
The Japan Society is also celebrating the new year with a festival of lion dancing, calligraphy, kite making, and other hands-on fun. Get creative! (Sunday)
A kindie band with Grateful Dead influences? You heard that right. Ben Rudnick and Friends, playing at 92YTribeca, is truly for all ages. Ready to jam? (Sunday)
Go green at The Museum at Eldridge Street’s A Tu B’Shvat Arbor Day Celebration, where families enjoy a seder, recycled art projects, and, for the adults, beer tastings. Get the scoop here. (Sunday)
