Staying Local For Winter Break? These indoor activities in and around NYC to keep the whole family happy! Some new ideas, below.
Are you staycation-ing this winter break? Looking for family-friendly activities beyond bowling and the pizza store? Let’s explore!
See this post for our NJ-based post on Indoor Family Fun.
Brooklyn Sluggers Batting Cages
Get Little League ready in these winter-friendly indoor batting cages! Boys of all ages will approve. Check the hours before you go, they open at 3:30 on weekdays.
Address: 80a Verona St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Price: Batting cages are $3 per token, and tunnel rentals are $35 for half an hour and $60 for an hour
Website: brooklynsluggers.com
Smaland at Ikea Hicksville
Ikea is basically an adult’s indoor playspace… right? Get your kids on board when you stop by Smaland, a free indoor play space in Ikea Hicksville.
Address: 1100 Broadway Mall, Hicksville, NY, 11801
Price: Free, can stay in Smaland for up to an hour (what the adults spend doesn’t count)
Website: ikea.com/kr/en/customer-service/shopping-at-ikea/smaland
PingPod
Ping pong, elevated! Book a table at a Ping Pod location for the ultimate in ping pong fun. You can play in a shared space, in a private pod, or even with a ping pong robot. Everyone is going to have the best time.
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Address: Lots of locations around NYC area
Price: Ranges between $15-$50 per hour, depending on time and table
Website: pingpod.com
FDNY Fire Zone
Located in Rockefeller Center, this one is for younger kids. Climb on a fire truck, try on gear, meet a firefighter, and crawl through a smoke-filled hallway. General admission is free! You can also do the ‘Fire Simulator’ interactive presentation.
Address: 61 W 48th St, New York, NY, 10020
Price: General admission is free, ‘Fire Simulator’ presentation is $7 for kids, $8 for adults
Website: fdnysmart.org/firezone/
Queens Hall of Science
Every age-friendly! Littles up to age 6 won’t want to leave the ‘Preschool Place’ exhibit, while the older kids will love ‘Connected Worlds’ and the ‘Design Lab.’ You can totally spend a whole day here exploring.
Address: 47-01 111th St, Queens, NY, 11368
Price: $19 for kids, $22 for adults
Website: https://nysci.org/
Squarena
Want to try something you’ve never done? Check out Squarena, where you’re the players in an an immersive large arena, stepping on the blue tiles and avoiding the red ones. It’s a life-size, epic game! Your whole family (ages 3+) will love this.
Address: 552 7th Ave Suite 202, New York, NY, 10018
Price: $20 for children, $30 for adults
Website: www.squarena.com
Wick and Pour
This one is for the (bigger) girls. This custom candle making class is a really fun activity with a beautiful take-home! Pick your favorite scent, style, and texture.
Address: 167 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Address: 277 Bleeker St, New York, NY 10014
Price: $50
Website: wickandpour.com
Graff Lab Studio
This is a really cool place where you can graffiti T-shirts and sweatshirts, but plan ahead – they get pretty booked up quickly.
Address: 1600 N Ocean Ave Suite 9, Holtsville, NY 11742
Address: 180 Michael Drive Suite 102, Syosset, NY 11791
Website: grafflabstudio.com
Empire Adventure Park
This is a really great new indoor adventure play space near Roosevelt Field Mall. The amusement center features trampolines, climbing structures, a ninja warrior course, laser tag and more!
Address: 1500 Old Country Rd Unit 231, Westbury, NY 11590
Website: empireadventurepark.com
Looking for more inspo? Check out more indoor NYC ideas here, and NJ ideas here!
We loved square arena!! Was so nice to have an activity the big and little kids ( and adults) enjoyed!!!Thanks for the idea!
We went to squarena today as a family and it was so much fun! We definitely intend to go back.