FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JUNE 25, 2020 • KIDS & EDUCATION • THE QUEENS COURIER 31
kids & education
15 ways for families to enjoy summer 2020 in New York City
BY REGAN MIES
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Classes are coming to an end,
temperatures are rising and
New York City public pools are
remaining closed for the summer.
Despite the current closures
and restrictions, there are still
ways for families to enjoy summer
in New York City.
Due to COVID-19, city concerts,
festivals and parades have
been called off through June
2020 with the majority being
postponed until summer 2021.
These include bright and
beloved events like the NYC
Pride Festival, the Israel Parade,
the Puerto Rican Day Parade,
Coney Island’s Mermaid Parade
and more. Yankees and Mets
fans won’t be able to make it to
their team’s baseball games anytime
soon, and theater fans will
be bummed that Public Th eater’s
free Shakespeare in the Park season
has been canceled.
Nearly all of NYC’s museums
have been closed until further
notice, and the New York Public
Library will only begin returning
to limited services starting
in July.
Aft er months of quarantine,
remote learning and remote
work, we’re all feeling anxious to
get outside and get active.
Although so many New York
City summer staples have been
closed and postponed, there are
still plenty of ways to take advantage
of the coming warm weather
and blue skies in the city.
Try these 15 ways for families
to enjoy summer 2020 in New
York City.
Watch Macy’s Fourth
of July Fireworks
Mayor de Blasio has announced
that the beloved annual Macy’s
Fourth of July Fireworks show
will go on this summer! In its
43rd year, the Macy’s fi reworks
show will celebrate our country
with 28 colors and a host of new
pyrotechnic eff ects. Th e fi reworks
will shoot off from a number
of barges throughout New
York City waterways. Watch in
person along the river or from
your home on NBC-TV’s twohour
entertainment special.
Enjoy public art
New York City is home to
incredible street art and sculptures.
From Brooklyn’s DUMBO
Walls to the World Trade Center’s
street art to the Audubon Mural
Project, there’s no limit to NYC
artists’ range of styles and subject
matter. In Queens, check out the
Socrates Sculpture Park to see
large-scale sculpture and multimedia
installations that were
built on the site of a former
landfi ll.
See a drive-in movie
Skyline Drive-In NYC is a
unique drive-in theater with a
view! Opening in Greenpoint
and situated on the East River,
the outdoor cinema boasts the
Manhattan skyline as its stunning
backdrop. As we enter
into summer, look forward to
spending a warm summer evening
watching movies and making
memories with your family.
When they open, the theater
will have movies on Fridays and
Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Go bird-watching
Bird-watching can be an exciting
summer activity for all
ages. Check out the New York
City Audubon Society for great
resources that can get you and
your family started on identifying
the over 200 species of birds
living in the NYC metropolitan
area; you could see up to 75 or
100 species of birds in one day!
Central Park is even considered
one of the United States’ birding
hotspots due to the number of
migratory birds it attracts.
Learn to rollerblade
or skateboard
If you and your kids have gotten
bored of biking and walking,
why not try something
new! Head to your favorite park
to rollerblade or skateboard.
Make sure your kids have proper
protective gear (like a helmet,
knee pads, elbow pads and
wrist guards), and watch them
enjoy mastering a new challenge
and getting some exercise while
they’re at it.
Fly a kite
Enjoy the sun and get some
exercise by fi nding a windy spot
to fl y a kite this summer! Check
the weather — most kites work
best when the wind is 8 to 16
miles per hour — and get outside.
Some of New York City’s
best kite-fl ying locales include
Central Park’s Great Lawn, Long
Meadow in Prospect Park and
Brooklyn Bridge Park. If you’re
looking to buy a kite, call the
Battery Park City, TriBeCa
or Staten Island location of
Boomerang Toys — they’ll deliver!
Go on a self-guided
walking tour
Have you ever wondered about
the history of your neighborhood?
Or wanted to explore a
piece of New York City you’ve
never had the chance to check
out? Maybe you’re looking for a
way to get your kids excited to
leave the video games behind
and head outside. In any case,
try one of the expert-designed
self-guided walking tours off ered
through the GPS My City app.
Th e app includes 24 walking
tours of New York City, each
with varying durations, locations
and themes. Each walk comes
with a detailed tour map as well
as photos and background information
for the featured attractions.
Learn more about the
city at your own pace, without
any packed busses or crowded
groups!
Cool down at an NYC
ice cream shop
Make your way to an ice cream
shop on an especially hot aft ernoon;
it’s one of the best ways
for families to enjoy summer!
Stop by Creme and Cocoa, a
Brooklyn-based creamery making
small-batch ice cream, frozen
desserts and other sweet
treats. Or try any of these 15
ice cream shops across New
York City’s fi ve boroughs, like
Sprinkles Ice Cream, Eddie’s
Sweet Shop, Lollipops Ice Cream
and more.
Hike in the
Hudson Valley
Th e Hudson River Valley is
home to 18 New York State
Parks, which off er kids-friendly
hikes with beautiful, tree-lined
trails and panoramic views.
Pack a backpack with healthy
snacks, fi ll up your water bottles,
and try out one of these hikes
with your family. Depot Hill in
Poughquag is a 3-mile trail that
should take about two hours
to complete. Aft er a few moderate
inclines and a trek along
the Appalachian Trail, you’ll be
rewarded with stunning views
across the Hudson River Valley.
Th e Dover Stone Church Trail
in Dover Plains is 1.2 miles long
and takes about an hour. Th e
hike will bring you and your
kids to a cathedral-like cave and
waterfall. Bear Hill Preserve is
a lightly traffi cked Cragsmoor
trail that’s 1.5 miles long and will
take about two hours. At the top
of the trail, you’ll have beautiful
clifft op views to admire.
Take a kid-friendly
hike in the city
If you’re looking to stay local,
there are a number of hiking
opportunities throughout
New York City’s fi ve boroughs.
In Manhattan, take the 1.8-
mile Blue Train at Inwood Hill
Park and learn about the island
before its skyscrapers through
marked scenic sites and historic
highlights. Hike the wetland
border and admire waterfront
views along Brooklyn’s Paerdegat
Basin Park’s Red and Blue Trails.
Th e Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park
off ers over 20 miles of hiking
trails that range in length and
diffi culty of terrain. Check out
these trails and more in our
article, Th e Best Kid-Friendly
Hiking Trails Around New York
City.
Visit a farmers market
Th e Saturday market at Grand
Army Plaza in Brooklyn, the
Union Square Greenmarket
and a number of other NYC
Greenmarkets are all operational.
Arrive early to beat the lines!
Check out a full list of Grow
NYC markets and their hours to
fi nd the open market nearest to
you. Once you’ve fi nished shopping
for your locally grown market
goods, enjoy a family picnic
lunch at your favorite park.
Enjoy fresh air on the
Staten Island Ferry
A passenger trip on the Staten
Island Ferry is completely free.
Th e ride lasts 25 minutes in both
directions and can be a fun way
to show your kids a close-up
view of the Statue of Liberty
and a new perspective of the
city skyline. Plus, getting out on
the water is a great way to take
a break from the summer heat
and cool down from the ocean
breeze.
Go fi shing
Th ere are plenty of fi shing
friendly locations throughout
the city. Teach your kids to
cast and reel, and see if they’ll
be able to catch a fi sh in any
of New York City’s top saltwater
and freshwater spots. Fish
off the piers of Hudson River
Park or the sloped, grassy shores
of Van Cortland Park’s central
lake. Check out Harlem Meer in
Central Park’s northeastern corner
or Brooklyn Bridge Park’s
Pier 5.
Explore the city on a
family scavenger hunt
Make your own New York
City scavenger hunt by creating
a list of items to see while
walking around the city. A scavenger
hunt list could include a
bagel shop, fi ve subway stops, a
pigeon, a big dog and a little dog,
a fountain, a bench and someone
drinking coff ee! Work together
as a team to fi nd all of the items.
If you want a challenge, add a
time limit to your quest. You
can also check out Pogo Events
or Watson Adventures. Each
gives you the option to purchase
themed scavenger hunt packages
for families.
Go for a bike ride
Spend an aft ernoon outdoors
and teach your child how to
ride a bike or go on a ride
with your family! Older kids
and parents can use CitiBike
for bike rental; CitiBike wants
users to know that they’re
doing what they can to keep
New Yorkers safe, like sanitizing
bikes every time they’re
returned to a dock and off ering
a free month of membership
to health care workers, transit
workers and fi rst responders.
Bike Manhattan’s Upper
West Side loop for scenic, treelined
views of Riverside Drive
and a beautiful stretch along
the Hudson River Bike Path.
Th en dive into history at the
Eleanor Roosevelt Monument
and Grant’s Tomb. If you’re in
Brooklyn, bike along former airport
runways at Floyd Bennett
Field. Are you and your kids
looking for something more
adventurous? Try Cunningham
Park’s mountain biking trails in
Queens. Trails are well-marked,
and options exist for all ages and
levels of experience.
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