Tomorrow morning, before you’ve even opened an eye, cocooned in a deep post-holiday slumber, someone will tap you, rock you, climb on you and you will be jarred out of your sleepy bliss, all before you’ve had a sip of your morning cup. Harsh right?
Not so harsh is our activity guide to get you through the last 6 days of Christmas, sure to keep the troops entertained through New Years.
Get Crafty at Make Meaning on the Upper West Side (329 Columbus Ave. between 75th and 76th 212-362-0350, $12 for a session plus materials). This ultra cool new craft studio will turn any doodler into a professional craftsman for the day. Walk in projects include soap making, candle making, painted pottery and jewelry. Kids (and adults) can create a masterpiece while jamming to the tunes piped in through their studio speakers. All that creating get you hungry? Chow down at Shake Shack across the street (Columbus at 77th) with a burger and hand-spun shake after you’re through.
Flutter over to The Butterfly Conservatory at the Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th Street), where hundreds of live tropical butterflies are so close you can reach out and touch them. You will be inspected upon your exit to make sure none of these winged beauties hitched a ride on your shirt (or your hair). Been there done that? Visit the museum’s Discovery Room for hands-on fun and the Annual Holiday Origami Tree decorated with 500 different paper creations of dinosaurs and sea creatures on display through January 2nd.
Jump around at Bounce U in Paramus Open Bounce Sessions. Let your little one burn off some of their holiday candy for a few hours.(70 Eisenhower Dr., Paramus 201-843-5880, $8 per child, varied open bounce hours check website or call for times)
Then head over to Smash Burger at the Shops at Riverside where they can chow down on a kids smashburger or smashdog and you can nibble on a smashchicken with all the fixins’.
Adorn yourself at Bazaar Star Beadery in Ridgewood where walk-ins are welcome. With the assistance of a beading “fairy” and an hour or two of creating, even the most inexperienced amateur can emerge with a pair of earrings, multi strand necklace or keychain. (216 E. Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, Open Sunday December 26th 11am to 5pm and 10am to 6pm most of the week, $2.50 sitting fee per person plus materials)
Explore the seas and sail over to The Maritime Aquarium(open 10am to 5pm from Sunday December 26th through the rest of the holiday week). Only an hour away in Norwalk Connecticut, our neighbors in the northeast know a thing or two about our favorite sea creatures. Seals and sea turtles and touch tanks with crabs and sea stars are just a few of the inhabitants at this local aquarium. Snag a table at The Gingerman Restaurant (99 South Washington St., South Norwalk) in town for kid’s fare and a hot toddy after you’re finished exploring.
Get your shop on at some of the best sales around. It’s hardly a vacation if Mama doesn’t take advantage of some bargains. It seems almost counterintuitive, but yes outlets have sales too. And it probably follows that the post-Christmas 30 to 50% off of outlet prices = almost nothing! Visit Woodbury Commons (498 Red Apple Court, Central Valley, New York) which opens at 7am on December 26 for their “After Holiday Sales”. Shops are open from 9am to 9pm all week except New Years Eve when they close at 6pm.
Check out Part I of our guide for more fun-filled activities!
