A continuation of our 52 Weekends of Family Fun feature.
For awesome winter activities, click here.
AdobeStock/SunnyS
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Wake up and Smell the Syrup
Early spring is sugaring season, when the drip… drip… drip of maple sap is the reason to get out of bed on weekends. At Teatown, in Ossining, the Warren Sugar House does demonstrations on Sundays, or swing by Mount Kisco’s Westmoreland Sanctuary for its two-day Sugarfest to adopt a tree, learn about the history of sugaring, and pour some just-boiled syrup over a fluffy stack of pancakes.
www.teatown.org
www.westmorelandsanctuary.org
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Jump & Bounce
The average adult can burn anywhere from 126 to 167 calories jumping on a trampoline for 30 minutes, so why not join your mini-jumpers at either of two Rockin’ Jump locations, in Mount Kisco and Yonkers. You can play dodgeball while jumping or make slam dunks, thanks to trampoline launch pads at these ever-popular indoor trampoline parks. Or, consider an afternoon at Bounce U, an indoor play center with inflatables and games that are sure to entertain — and hopefully exhaust — your whole brood.
www.rockinjump.com
www.bounceu.com
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Be an Egghead
Sure, you can do the family egg hunt in the backyard, but if you’re clamoring for a little extra bunny action, Westchester offers a host of hunts to choose from. The annual Easter Egg Hunt Eggs-Travaganza at Stew Leonard’s in Yonkers is a crowd-pleaser where children are given a map of the store and a bag to collect candy-filled eggs from costumed characters. Bring your flashlights to Pleasantville to hunt for eggs in the dark at Nannahagan Park during the town’s Flashlight Egg Hunt. At the Eastchester Egg Hunt, expect thousands of eggs scattered on the lawn of the Eastchester Town Hall, as well as a visit from the Easter Bunny. Or, opt for Greenburgh Nature Center’s The Great Green Eggstravaganza, which offers an environmentally friendly egg hunt, as well as seasonal craft-making and a chance to meet some animals.
www.stewleonards.com
www.pleasantville-ny.gov
www.eastchester.org
www.greenburghnaturecenter.org
AdobesStock/bagicat
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Horsin’ Around
There may not be a better way for the family to enjoy beautiful spring weekends on lush grounds than on horseback. Check out Beech Hill Farm Equestrian Center or Fox Hill Farm, both in Pleasantville, Twin Lakes Farm in Bronxville, or Stratford Stables in Purchase. All offer beginner lessons for recreational riders, so grab your jodhpurs and paddock boots and head to the stables.
www.beechhillfarmny.com
www.foxhillfarms.net
www.twinlakesfarm.com
www.stratfordstables.com
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The Family That Volunteers Together…
Looking for a volunteer opportunity the whole family can get in on? Each April, the Westchester Parks Foundation and the Westchester Parks Department host Pitch in for Parks to help get our green spaces ready for peak season. Families can work together on a variety of activities, including painting, preparing, and planting flower beds; building boardwalks in the woods; and clearing trails. This year’s event is on April 25, with a rain date of April 26.
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Take Them out to the Ballgame
Got a free weekend afternoon? Drive up to Dutchess Stadium to see the Minor League Hudson Valley Renegades play in one of 38 baseball games on home turf. The year 2020 marks their 27th season, and last year, the “Dutch” lowered their prices on concessions and introduced a variety of healthier options for fans. Don’t worry, though: Ballpark favorites, such as hot dogs, french fries, and pretzels, are still available.
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Spring Like a Rockefeller
If you’ve got a mini history buff, bring them along for a guided tour of Kykuit. Home to four generations of the Rockefeller family and a national historic landmark, they’ll see how philanthropist and Standard Oil founder John D. Rockefeller — once the richest man in America — lived. The tour is recommended for kids ages 10 and up; afterward, stroll the beautiful landscaped gardens. (Tours start in early May.)
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Find Your Inner Ninja
Have your kids ever sat and wondered at the amazing feats on NBC’s American Ninja Warrior? Now they can live out their warped-wall dreams at The Grit Ninja in Pleasantville, where on-site experts lead kids’ classes, after-school programming, vacation-week camps, and an open gym for the entire family to get in on the fun together. The whole spot — the county’s largest dedicated ninja gym — can also be booked for an athletic birthday party.
Photo by Stefan Radtke
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Bike Like the Road Is Yours
Beginning in early May, the Bronx River Parkway transforms into a cycling paradise during the annual Bronx River Bicycle Sundays, sponsored by the Westchester Parks Foundation. Throughout the months of May, June, and September, a section of the parkway closes to all traffic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on select Sundays, when bikers of all ages are invited to ride down the scenic roadway without a worry in the world.
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Storm This Outdoor Art Wonderland
If you think enjoying fine art and letting your little one run free are mutually exclusive, you’ve never been to Storm King Art Center. With 500 incredibly scenic acres of contemporary outdoor sculpture (the largest such collection on the planet), this celebrated museum, located roughly an hour away in the hills of New Windsor, offers eye-popping art that you don’t have to worry about your child pulling off the gallery wall.
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Experience Cuteness Overload
Spring hasn’t sprung until the baby animals arrive at the farm. Meet chicks, lambs, calves, piglets, and more at Muscoot Farm in Katonah, where educational programming goes beyond gawking at the adorableness.
Photo courtesy of Boundless Adventures
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Get an Adventure Fix
Children ages 7 and up who love an adrenaline rush can zip line across various obstacle courses at Boundless Adventures, located on the Purchase College campus. Expect to spend 3.5–4 hours there, with an almost guaranteed good night’s sleep for your kids. (The adventure park opens for the spring season starting April 10.) More adventure can be found at Spins Hudson in Peekskill, which offers both indoor and outdoor ropes courses, plus immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences. Tweens can slay dragons and fight robots in several VR games there, while wee ones can try out the fun-filled Virtual Rabbids roller coaster.
www.boundlessadventures.net
www.spinshudson.com
