At Central Park’s Winter Jam (January 24), you can enjoy winter sports like cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and a Taste NY Winter Market. Equipment is provided for free, and Gore Mountain will supply some fresh powder. Central Park Bandshell, nycparks.org
Experience Quebec City’s Carnival de Quebec this year (January 30-February 15), the largest winter carnival in the world. Families can explore snow sculptures, slides, sleigh rides, dogsled rides, and more. Quebec City, Canada, carnival.qc.ca
Time-travel at this year’s “Groovy ‘60s”-themed Saranac Lake Winter Carnival (February 6-15), which includes a Kiddie parade, three firework displays, and of course, a giant ice palace. Saranac Lake, NY, saranaclakewintercarnival.com
Check out the Stowe Winter Carnival (January 17-25) for ice-carving contests, snow golf, snow volleyball, and USA Snowboarding Association slope style competition. Stowe, VT, stowewintercarnival.com
Rhode Island’s Newport Winter Festival is the largest in New England (February 13-22), featuring more than 150 events including a Children’s Fair, a chili- and chicken wing cook-offs. Newport, RI, newportevents.com/winterfest
Little ones as young as 10 months can create with the Children’s Museum of the Arts’ WEE Art teachers at weekday morning drop-in art session. 103 Charlton Street, cmany.org
Choose from more than 100 pottery pieces to paint at Baked in Brooklyn. There are also clay classes offered at the studio every Wednesday, where kids can learn hand-building techniques to craft their own clay creations. 242 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, baked-in-brooklyn.com
Get inspired by more than 700 pieces of raw pottery, plaster, wood, and cuddlies at the Upper West Side’s Little Shop of Crafts. Stop by and create! 711 Amsterdam Avenue, littleshopny.com
The Museum of the Moving Image offers free drop-in sessions at its Moving Image Studio for visitors age 7 and up, who will learn to create flipbooks and animated videos, hack and modify video games, and more. 36-01 35th Avenue, Astoria, Queens, movingimage.us
Make Meaning offers a wide variety of drop-in art activities, such as glass-making, soap-making and candle-making, and even cake and cookie decorating. 1501 3rd Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets, makemeaning.com
Ping pong fiends can choose among 17 tables at the chic SPiN New York ping pong lunge, and refuel with farm-to-table cuisine. 48 East 23rd Street, newyork.spingalactic.com
On Saturdays and Sundays, Brooklyn Bowl is open until 6pm for Family Bowl, when all ages can enjoy the venue’s 16 lanes and Blue Ribbon-catered food. 61 Wythe Avenue, Brooklyn, brooklynbowl.com
With more than 20 locations around the country, Lucky Strike bowling boasts 26 state-of-the art lanes and 11 billiard tables/ping pong tables, plus a “Luxe Lounge” that also serves as a private event space. 42nd Street and 12th Avenue, bowlluckystrike.com
Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center was once famous for its dancing and tick-tack-toe chickens. Though the chickens are now retired, the arcade hosts a variety of family-friendly games. 8 Mott Street, chinatownfair.biz
Queens’ Funtopia USA is a veritable indoor-play wonderland that counts bumper cars, bowling, a three-level playground, and laser tag among its offerings—and it’s open seven days a week. 66-26 Metropolitan Avenue, Middle Village, Queens, funtopiausa.com
The New-York Historical Society’s DiMenna Children’s History Museum’s bi-weekly Little New-Yorkers program features a reading of a New York-themed book, followed by a craft project for ages 3-5. 170 Central Park West, nyhistory.org
The recently re-opened Cooper Hewitt Design Center’s Target Design Kids Toddler Program: Design Tales incorporates design vocabulary, storytelling focused on design-based books, and hands-on activities. 111 Central Park North, cooperhewitt.org
Bring the whole family along for Family Fridays at the Museum of Mathematics for a variety of mathematical activities for all ages, and be sure to check out the groundbreaking new robotics exhibit. 11 East 26th Street, momath.org
The New York Transit Museum offers a variety of programming for budding young engineers. Activities include an NYC subway car operation simulation (age 10 and up) and family STEM programs for all ages. Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street, Brooklyn, web.mta.info/mta/museum
The New York Times has called the East Village’s Merchant’s House Museum “Manhattan’s most haunted house.” Take a guided tour and learn how a wealthy merchant family lived in 19th-century New York, and keep an eye out for signs of the supernatural. 29 East 4th Street, merchantshouse.com
For a museum off the beaten path, the Gowanus Morbid Anatomy Museum displays memorial artworks, medical moulages, wax embryological models, natural history specimens, and a variety of artworks and artifacts from around the world. 424 Third Ave. (at 7th Street), Brooklyn, morbidanatomymuseum.org
SoHo chocolate shop MarieBelle Sweets lets you spice up your cocoa with options such as a cinnamon stick and nutmeg, freshly ground hazelnuts, and natural banana pulp. 484 Broome Street, mariebelle.com
City Bakery is the New York spot for decadent, thick hot chocolate. Its month-long hot chocolate festival in February features a different flavor, such as “malted milk,” every day. 3 West 18th Street, thecitybakery.com
Momofuku Milk Bar’s take on hot cocoa features charred marshmallows, and is made by steaming fudge sauce with organic milk. Various locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, milkbarstore.com
Freshly made with some of the finest powdered cocoa and cane sugar, beloved gelateria Grom’s hot chocolate is definitely worth a try. A drop or two of cream and hazelnut shavings top off every cup. Various locations around Manhattan, grom.it
Enjoy a sophisticated tea with the dolls at the American Girl Café, where the dolls even receive their own tiny cups. 609 5th Avenue at 49th Street, americangirl.com
Lady Mendl’s Tea Salon hearkens back to Edith Wharton’s New York. This dainty afternoon tea, served out of the Inn at Irving Place’s brownstone, will appeal to sophisticated young ones. 56 Irving Place, innatirvingplace.com
Alice’s Tea Cup is a perfect place for teatime with the kids. Its “Wee Tea” service provides both sophisticated yet kid-friendly tea options, with a menu including grilled cheese and chicken fingers or an apple and Nutella sandwich. Various locations around Manhattan, alicesteacup.com
Bundle up and head to Central Park for a variety of terrain: Pilgrim Hill (72nd Street and 5th Avenue) offers a more exciting ride, while Cedar Hill (enter between 76th and 79th Streets at 5th Avenue) is great for slightly more timid sledders. centralparknyc.org
Riverside Park offers routes that will thrill both beginner (smaller hills at 92nd and 103rd streets) and more confident sledders (Hippo Playground at 91st Street). At aNew York Parks “snow day,” the parks department sponsors events such as snowball fights and free hot cocoa. riversideparknyc.org
Close to Gracie Mansion, Carl Schurz Park is an Upper East Side gem, with fewer crowds than other popular spots. 79th Street and York Avenue,carlschurzparknyc.org
For some great sledding inProspect Park, head to the hill near the Tennis House at 9th Street and Prospect Park West.nycgovparks.org
The Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park has over 1,000 acres, giving kids space to enjoy frolicking in the snow and down the hills. Van Cortlandt Park South between Broadway and Jerome Avenue, vcpark.org
Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn boasts four different hills to choose from for sledders of all abilities and confidence levels. Myrtle Avenue and De Kalb Avenue between Washington Park and St. Edward’s Street, nycparks.org
Located in Queens, Crocheron Park is a great place to sled if you want to avoid crowds. The hills’ inclines vary from a moderate pitch to a steeper one for pro sledders. 214th Street and 35th Avenue, Queens, nycgovparks.org
Highbridge Park in Washington Heights offers sledding with a view of the city’s oldest standing bridge. Remember to watch out while gliding down and enjoying the view! West 155th Street and Dyckman Street, nycparksgov.org
NEW YORK ON ICE
Indoor
The expansive Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers houses New York’s only year-round indoor rink, and offers competitive hockey, figure skating, skating school, and plenty of public ice time. Pier 61 at 23rd Street and Hudson River Park, chelseapiers.com
Flushing’s epic World Ice Arena is a city center for all things icy: in addition to an abundance of public skating sessions, the rink offers youth hockey, figure skating, and even off-ice training sessions. 13135 Avery Avenue, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, worldice.com
Outdoor
Central Park’s Trump-Wollman Rink boasts amazing views of the city skyline, as well as private and group lessons in figure skating and pre-hockey skills. 59th Street and Sixth Avenue, wollmanskatingrink.com
The Rink at Rockefeller Center provides an intimate skating experience, with only 150 skaters allowed on the ice at a time. Rockefeller Center at 5th Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, rockefellercenter.com
Trump Lasker Rink in northern Central Park provides a less crowded setting, and in addition to private lessons, is home to youth and adult hockey leagues. Entrance at 110th Street and Lenox Avenue, laskerrink.com
Come to Toddler Tuesdays at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park for toddler-only ice time filled with instructor-led games, music, play-based activities, and snacks. 117 East Drive in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, lakesidebrooklyn.com
The Standard High Line rink offers a chic skating option at the Standard hotel’s plaza, and tasty treats at rink-side café Alpine Kaffeeklatsch, which offers gourmet après-ski favorites. 848 Washington Street, at West 13th Street, standardhotels.com
The Financial District’s Rink at Brookfield Place offers family learn-to-skate programs on Saturday mornings by Manhattan Youth, as well as a season pass option for a family of three. 200 Vesey Street, therinkatbrookfieldplace.com
The rink at Upper Manhattan’s 28-acre Riverbank State Park provides views of the Hudson River and some of the city’s cheapest skating, with $5.00 admission for adults and $3.00 admission for children. 679 Riverside Drive at West 140th Street, nysparks.com
GREAT SKIING & BOARDING IN 3 HOURS OR LESS
Blue Mountain, Palmerton, PA skibluemt.com
Camelback Mountain Resort, Tannersville, PA skicamelback.com
Hunter Mountain, Hunter, NY, huntermtn.com
Jiminy Peak, Hancock, MA, jiminypeak.com
Thunder Ridge, Patterson, NY, thunderridgeski.com
Windham Mountain, Windham, NY windhammountain.com
For our complete guide to local resorts, click here.
