How to have the MOST fun this Winter!

Holidays are over, you’re exhausted and over winter already.  We all know that our kids won’t survive staying indoors “relaxing”(or well, either will we) ...so what do we do?  Here are 17 ideas to help you get through these long cold winter days and create some of our best family moments. Now get out there and explore all that Brooklyn and NYC has to offer!

1) Bowling:  Check it out at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg, where they have family hours on on Saturday from 11AM-5PM and Sundays from 11AM – 6PM (bonus: on Sundays they have family concerts)!  Too far? Check out Melody Lanes in Sunset Park,  where there is a daily family special and glow in the dark bowling.

2) Shipwrecked:  Right in our backyard of Red Hook, Shipwrecked has their own indoor mini golf course.  All reclaimed and recycled, this course takes  you through themed areas with lights, sounds and fog.  Kids 2 and under are free!

3) Indoor Pool:  Eastern Athletic Club in Prospect Park and Brooklyn Heights both offer day passes to the indoor pool (adults: $25, kids: $7).   

4) Lefrak:  If you haven’t been, this place is the jam.  LeFrak boasts 2 ice skating rinks, one is open aired and the other is covered.  The Bluestone Cafe on premise offers food as well as hot chocolate, a must after skating.

5) Prospect Park Zoo. Brave the cold and visit our fuzzy friends at the zoo.  Open from 10am- 4:30pm, this is a quick and easy escape and so close in Prospect Park.

6) FAO Schwartz:  Want to make your kids’ head explode? Take them to the new FAO Schwartz location at Rockefeller Center.  Go nuts on the dance-on piano and admire the colossal clock tower.

7) Bounce U:  Too many days indoors and missing those outdoor playgrounds? No better place than Bounce U to let all of that pent up energy out!  On Fridays from 10:50am until 12pm there is the “preschool playdate” for ages 2-7.

8) Good Day Play Cafe:  Right here in Park Slope, The Good Day Play Cafe on 5th Ave boasts an angled climbing wall, a slide into a ball pit, play marketplace, a fully matted area for younger children with sensory toys and matted building blocks, a Hinoki cypress wood cube pit, a lego station, magnetic wall and more!  

9) Storytime at Powerhouse on 8th: This bookstore with an amazing children’s book section has storytimes every Sunday, often starring local authors reading their own work.

10) Brooklyn Children’s Museum:   One of the many highlights of this museum is “totally tots”, which features nine different sensory play areas including water, sand, music, dress up, blocks, and more (ages 0-6).


11) BAM Kids’ Film Festival:  On February 2nd and 3rd, Brooklyn’s favorite children’s film festival returns for its 21st year, presenting the best shorts and features from around the world—representing 27 countries in total. This year’s fun-filled program showcases curated selections from the top children’s festivals in North America.

12) Nitehawk Cinema: Check out this dine-in movie theater near Prospect Park.  Did you know they even have a kids menu? Tater tots, grilled cheese, chicken tenders, hummus with veggies, and a flatbread!

13) Brooklyn Cat Cafe: What better way to spend the day than cuddling with cats?  Their mission is to save our city’s cats. This is a place where cat lovers of all ages can interact with adoptable animals – and one another – while learning about pet rescue and care together too.

14) Flatiron Lego Store:  Just a quick subway ride away, Featuring hands-on building for kids and adults of all ages while being surrounded my jaw-dropping lego sculptures. Check out the “Digital Box” where kids can watch the Lego city sets come to life in 3D animation!

15) Taro’s Origami PS: Get your creative gloves on and try your hands at this Japanese craft!  Appealing to kids and adults of all ages, there are both drop-in options and classes available.   For the drop-ins, they recommend that the child be at least 5 YO.

16) Jane’s Carousel:  Open all year, this gorgeous carousel on the river is fun ANYTIME of the year!  Tickets are $2 a piece, kids under 3 YO ride free with an adult. Open Thurs - Sun 11am-6pm.

17) Brooklyn Botanical Gardens:  Experience all that is serene and take a stroll with your little one through the gardens.  Free weekly admission!