Fiona Taylor

Latest posts by Fiona Taylor

25 Winter Day Trips near NYC for Families

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Mon, 12/26/2022 - 9:57am

Hit the ice at the scenic Mohonk Mountan House, which offers winter day passes to enjoy its spectacular resort amenities. Photo courtesy of the venue

Whether you prefer spending the winter months snuggling on the couch or frolicking in the snow, there's one thing we can all agree upon: Sometimes, you just need to get out of town for a change of pace, and that's where this list of winter day trips from NYC comes in handy.

We pulled together a list of family-friendly, fun-filled winter day trips near NYC that appeal to all sorts of interests, from budding artists to full-fledged ski bunnies. Best of all, these destinations are all two hours or less from New York City by car, and we think they're all worth the trip.

Find more winter day trips from NYC in our Day Trip and Weekend Getaway Guide and our Guide to Winter Fun, which is filled with fun ways to embrace the season like snow tubing day trips, our favorite ski slopes, and more.

Adventure Parks, Ropes Courses, and Zip Lines near NYC

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Mon, 08/22/2022 - 6:03pm

Test your comfort zone on the zip line at the Bronx Zoo's Treetop Adventure.

While New York City might not be the epicenter of adventure parks, there are plenty of zip lines near NYC for families to visit. We're particularly fond of the Bronx Zoo's Treetop Adventure Course and a seriously high-flying outdoor zip line in Queens. Meanwhile, there are dozens more ropes courses and zip lines near NYC worth exploring.

So, read on for our top picks for ropes courses and zip lines near NYC, and pencil in a visit before the school year takes over. Be sure to bookmark our Guide to Outdoor Adventures for more fun ways to entertain active kids.

Family-Friendly Campsites Near NYC (With Extras for Kids!)

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Thu, 05/12/2022 - 4:11pm

The Newburgh KOA campsite offers tons of family-friendly perks, including mini golf and two swimming pools. Photo by Jeff Dow courtesy of KOA.

My favorite part of camping is the s’mores, but my daughter loves the entire experience, no matter how muddy or muggy or cold it gets. If your kids are more like me—itching to get out of the city, but perhaps not prepared to truly rough it—there are lots of great campsites near NYC with family-friendly features to check out. These campgrounds all boast extra entertainment options for kids, like movie nights, petting zoos, or a nearby river for tubing.

For more ideas on where to pitch a tent with the family, be sure to check out our rundown on where to go glamping with your family, and read our long list of camping games to play with kids.

Socrates Sculpture Park: A Hidden (and Free) Gem in Queens

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Wed, 10/16/2019 - 11:33am

Part garden, part outdoor art museum, Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens is free and open to the public every day, year-round.

It’s a total cliché to say something is a hidden gem, but in the case of Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens, it’s hard to find a description that’s more apt. For years, I drove right past the park, which is somewhat concealed behind a tall fence on Vernon Boulevard and Broadway, on the way to my daughter's school. Finally, my family decided to investigate.

We weren’t expecting to find a five-acre, open-air art park with amazing views of the East River and Manhattan. The artwork on display changes regularly, and visitors can easily spend a day here wandering among the sculptures, sunbathing, reading, or strolling the gardens.

Best of all, Socrates Sculpture Park is totally FREE, and is open year-round for amazing waterfront views, public art, and cool family-friendly programs and events. Read on for even more reasons why you should go.

45 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Long Island City, Queens

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Mon, 07/08/2019 - 2:27pm

Play under the iconic Pepsi Cola sign. Photo by Sidney Ng

About 15 years ago, a friend told me Long Island City and Hunter’s Point were the up and coming places to be. At the time, the area seemed too industrial to be the next hot spot, but the subsequent years have proved my friend right. Who would have thought former warehouses would be renovated to become restaurants and boutiques and LIC would be full of young families, eager to enjoy the amazing waterfront parks and amenities? Apparently, not me.

The change is evident. Glass-enclosed condos have remade the shoreline skyline and new amenities seemingly pop up daily. There's so much to see and do in this family-friendly neighborhood. Here's our list of 45 fun things to do in Long Island City with kids. Now, go forth and explore!

Why Every Harry Potter Fan Should See Puffs

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Mon, 09/25/2017 - 11:00am

My 10-year-old daughter is a Harry Potter fanatic. She’s read the series six times, watched all the movies, and still sincerely hopes for an acceptance letter from Hogwarts when she turns 11. We’ve both taken online quizzes to figure out which Hogwarts house we’d belong to. (She got Gryffindor, and I got Ravenclaw.) When I heard about Puffs, a play that recounts the Harry Potter story from the perspective of the Hufflepuffs, who were mostly background characters in the Harry Potter saga, I knew we had to see it.

Puffs is charming, entertaining, and fast-paced. The premise is simple: No one really wants to be a Puff, not even the Hufflepuffs. When the characters receive their house assignments, the new Puffs feel a little bewildered. What is being a Puff really about?

Read on for our full review, or check out our NYC Theater Guide for more family shows playing now, and coming soon, such as Frozen and SpongeBob.

Planetariums Near and In NYC Where Kids Can Stargaze

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Thu, 08/17/2017 - 1:45pm

Astrophysics is brought to life at the Hayden Planetarium. Photo courtesy of AMNH

Stargazing in New York City is more likely to mean a celebrity sighting than watching actual celestial bodies. I grew up in the suburbs and have fond memories of standing in my yard with my dad and my telescope, talking about constellations. Even if you’re lucky enough to have outdoor space here, the light pollution precludes seeing anything but the brightest stars. If you can’t book a trip to some remote, rural location, the next best thing is a planetarium—especially since you also get expert guidance as to what you’re seeing.

While the next solar eclipse isn't due till 2024 (on April 8, if you want to really plan ahead), we will have a lovely lunar eclipse on July 4, 2020, and meteor showers happen quite frequently. The constellations are great story-telling vehicles, and discovering how to use the stars to navigate is a fun (if not necessarily practical) life skill to develop. If your child is fascinated by the night sky, we've rounded up some excellent options to help them explore the universe, and beyond!

Happy stargazing!

Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Is a Fun New Take on an Old Classic

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on Fri, 08/11/2017 - 11:00am

Whether you couldn't put down the classic book or can hum along to all the hits from the iconic movie, most adults remember Charlie and the Chocolate Factory from our childhoods. Producing a new musical version of such a popular story might sound risky, but Warner Brothers took that challenge and ran with it, with a Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that opened this past April at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. There are definitely a couple of things you should know about this dark tale before deciding to take the kiddos, but all in all, the show received a well-earned round of wild applause from children and adults alike.