We are always looking for fun and unusual experiences for family fun on the road — something a little offbeat and extraordinary, especially where you can incorporate nature and adventure. The truth is that unless you’re on the slopes skiing, ice skating or dog sledding, all activities that keep you warm in the dead of winter, it’s hard to find that kind of adventure for kids on the East Coast in urban areas in the middle of February.
Naturally the day we left New York, the temperatures climbed to a balmy 40 degrees, however we had a sub zero cold spell for several days, where our thermometer read below 8 on a couple of nights. We decided to explore a few indoor activities with kids in tow in Westchester County before heading further north. LEGOS have been around for years and you’d be hard pressed to find a boy who has not only heard of LEGOS but has built wondrous creations using them. Bring on the creativity!
Legoland Discovery Center
Located in Ridge Hill in Westchester County’s Yonkers, lies the Legoland Discovery Center, which makes for a great afternoon of fun during those colder months. It’s astonishing what you can build from LEGOS — yes, even entire cities as you’ll see from the miniature of a section of central Manhattan below. As you enter the discovery center, you’re presented with model displays to spark your creativity, including The Phantom Menace from Star Wars, which is completely made out of LEGO bricks.
Other sections on-site include a Play Zone where kids can build their own buildings on a platform. There’s a button attached to the platform which when pressed, shakes your creation to see if it can withstand an earthquake. There’s also a LEGO Duplo Village and Farm, which is great for small children and Merlin’s Apprentice, where you can build the fastest car and send it down the race tracks as the kids challenge each other or race against the clock in Build and Test.
Their LEGO 4D Cinema was a boat load of fun for the kids as well — this 4D experience is set up in a small theatre where you’ll see LEGO characters come to life in a full of laughs movie. Of course, we sat in the front row. They also have a Soft Play Zone where kids can run around and play, whiz down slides and more.
Recognize this one?
They are open from 10 am daily and also offer separate rooms for birthday parties where kids can have their own LEGO experience with cake, pizza and balloons.
Details:
LEGOLAND Discovery Center
39 Fitzgerald Street
Yonkers, NY 10710
866.243.0770
iFly for Indoor Skydiving
The first and last time I had ever been exposed to indoor skydiving was in Las Vegas two years ago (we wrote about Vegas Indoor Skydiving in January 2014 where I had a blast floating through the air). iFky in Westchester County, has a more updated facility and a little more space than the location I tried a couple years back. Making flight a reality is a godsend for adults and kids alike and a great thing to do with your son or daughter, something which helps to build confidence and ignites passion for adventurous things.
iFLY calls themselves an experiential entertainment company that essentially gives you “wings” to fly in a safe and reliable environment. First, you’re geared up, then taught safety rules including what to do and not to do, before they finally set you off to fly in a wall-to-wall cushion of air in a flight chamber. Today, iFLY has 37 locations around the world in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia, and the list continues to grow.
Details:
iFly
849 Ridge Hill Boulevard
Yonkers,New York
914-449-4359
5 Napkin Burger
Unless you’re a vegetarian, chances are you’ll love a great burger every now and then. We discovered a fun restaurant called 5 Napkin Burger, which has several locations in New York City and the greater New York area. With roots in fine dining and a roster of innovative eateries in their background, they started off in the streets of the Big Apple’s Hell’s Kitchen. We tried out their Westchester County location in Ridge Hill during our trip in February — it’s a great place to bring kids since they have plenty of kid-friendly options on the menu, burgers of course, pre-burger tacos and their famous S’mores Shakes.
For the veggies among you, they have plenty of non-meat choices on the menu as well. Of course, we had to try the traditional 5 Napkin Burger, which is a 10 ounce fresh ground chunk burger with caramelized onions and rosemary aioli on a white roll. The burgers come with french fries although you can substitute for salads as well if you want to go a lighter route or add bacon to your burger if you don’t. YUM!!
Their shakes are oh so delicious – from peanut butter and s’mores to chocolate, vanilla and mocha. We took them to go and I hate to admit, but we finished them all — two thumbs up! Four locations are in the greater New York area however they have one restaurant in Back Bay Boston as well.
Details:
5 Napkin Burger
211 Market Street, Ridge Hill
Yonkers, NY 10710
914-376-0777
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
