Holiday Staycation Guide: 5-day Splurgy Edition
If you’re home-side this holiday season, this holiday staycation guide might be for you! The recommendations are based on my own adventures with our kids, so I consider them “kid tested and approved.” It gives you a full 5-day guide, but you can also just pick your favorites for a day of fun. Tune in next week for my "Holiday Staycation Guide: Thrifty Edition.” I will also share a “Traveling to the City with Kids 101” guide soon with tips and tricks from our trip to the city.
DAY ONE
Get ready for the following day by doing something local.
Recommendation: visit the Winter Lantern Festival at the Queens County Farm Museum
Plan for some playdates, child led activities and/or take a brief hike during the day, knowing your afternoon is set. Your ticket time should work for your child’s schedule. Early eater? Eat early and offer a small meal afterwards or offer a large snack right before and have dinner afterwards. Pro-tip: I would not count on concessions from the event; they can be a hit or miss. Always bring snacks. In this case, bring snacks that the child can eat while walking or standing in winter gear.
Cost: Varies by time and age, but roughly $85 for a family of four. Not open New Years Day.
DAY TWO
Recommendation: Visit Troll Exhibit at CAMP’s 5th Avenue location in Manhattan
Getting there: Leave the car at home! It’s 1 hour and 15 minutes (1.20 at child pace) from the Port Washington LIRR station to the CAMP-SOHO front door.
Plan this trip to accommodate your child’s schedule. The visit at CAMP is a timed entry that allows you to explore for one hour. Afterwards you can add a visit to the Union Square Holiday market or Rockefeller Center to see the tree and explore the windows - its a quick train ride away. If you don’t get a chance to have dinner along the way, we find the new Moynihan Train Station Food Court a well enough place to find something the kids will eat (salads, pizza, hotdogs, burgers and chicken sandwiches).
Protip: Get to CAMP 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Seriously. If you don’t want to purchase the “glow-up,” dress your child in festive, colorful clothing; maybe even do their hair in a fun (think 80s) way. Strollers are checked on arrival.
Cost: Varies by supply and demand, but roughly $46 per person over 2 years of age. Closed Christmas Day.
DAY THREE
Recommendation: Hike! Keep it close to home again with a kid-friendly hike.
We are lucky to have wonderful hiking destinations nearby, my favorite is the Sands Point Conservancy
Begin with a hike. For smaller children (under 3) start at the Dino Trail (1/4 hike). If you’d like to end with at the beach, choose Trail 5, or do a combination of 3 and 5 if your kids are older. For a little longer hike, Trail 4 offers some beautiful sights as well. My preference is to do shorter hikes, have a snack midway and then visit the Woodland Playground - one of the best playgrounds in Nassau County in my opinion. Find all the trails mentioned in this handy map.
Cost: Free with yearly membership ($140 family/$85 individual) or $15 per vehicle.
Time: Wednesdays through Saturdays: 11am - 5 pm. Not opened Christmas or New Years Day.
DAY FOUR
Recommendation: Long Island Children's Museum. -a holiday vacation must.
If you plan your visit right, your children can participate in a free holiday craft. With interactive spaces, videos, various playrooms and even a carousel to boot, a visit to the LICM can be as long or as short as you want, just pack a meal or snack to eat there. There are two vending machines, one with drinks and a second with typical vending machine snacks.
Pro-tip: While there are extra utensils and paper towels in the lunchroom, I would bring everything you need for your meal. And don’t forget to pack some food for yourself! I also have on my to-do list to bring either a disposable table cloth or wipes to clean the table before we set our meal down. The lunchroom is busiest from 11:30am until noon.
Cost: $17 per person, members (starting at $100) free. Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
DAY FIVE
Recommendation: Color Factory - back to the city!
Entry to the Color Factory is timed, but you can explore the venue as long as you wish. The Color Factory is better enjoyed when you don’t know what to expect, so I will spare you the details except to say I took my kids (1, 3, 6) and they all enjoyed it, but of course, the experience was better suited for the 3+ age group. This activity is great for all ages, so expect to see some adults having fun, too.
Cost: Starting at $39 per person, children under 2 are free.
Protip: Because of the ball pit, wear socks and don’t wear loose jewelry or place valuables in unzipped pockets. Strollers are checked on arrival.
