Take a look at the top places for socially-distanced fun.
Let’s face it – with fears around the pandemic and stay-at-home restrictions, this past winter and spring were seasons to forget. With New York in the midst of reopening and many sunny summer days still ahead, families are heading outdoors to enjoy some of Westchester County’s most entertaining attractions.
Venues throughout Westchester are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of their customers, including offering hand sanitizer, intensifying cleaning protocols, as well as limiting the number of visitors. Here are a few fun family activities to consider, all of which are designed to follow the state’s safety protocols:
Outdoor Fun
Greenburgh Nature Center
99 Dromore Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583
The 33-acre nature preserve has trails, a pond, native foliage and a meadow. The Center offers the “Back to Nature” program, a series of entertaining, educational programs for families and children of all ages. The series includes encounters with live birds of prey; walks along forest trails with Nigerian pygmy goats, and night hikes to search for horned owls, flying squirrels and katydids. Kids will also love the barnyard, which includes sheep, goats, chickens and Zhao Zhao the white neck Raven.
Boundless Adventures
735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY 10577
Located on the campus of Purchase College, Boundless Adventures is an aerial adventure park. With courses ranging from beginner to expert, visitors can spend their day climbing, swinging, zip-lining, and traversing through tree-top ropes courses. The easiest trails are appropriate for children age 7 and up. With more than 120 safe-distanced platforms, there’s something for everyone.
Fun on the Farm
Alfred B. DelBello Muscoot Farm
51 Route 100, Katonah, NY 10536-3318
Once a working dairy farm now owned and operated by the Westchester County, Muscoot Farm is a place where families can experience history, agriculture, and wildlife. With more than seven miles of hiking trails, visitors can explore some of Muscoot's 777 acres through their fields, woodlands and wetlands. The farm hosts a Farmer’s Market on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, with social distancing protocols followed.
Wilkens Fruit and Fir Farm
1313 Whitehill Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
Mark August 15 on your calendar. That’s the day peach harvesting starts at the farm. It’s followed by apple picking season in September. With three farm markets, the Wilkens’ family sells everything from homemade pressed apple cider to freshly baked pies, plums, pears, and their famous apple cider donuts.
Fore! Family Fun on the (Mini) Links
With summer in full swing, families can test their skills at a quartet of miniature golf courses designed to bring out their inner Tiger Woods. Each has its own unique appeal:
Saxon Woods Mini Golf
Saxon Woods Park
1800 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605
Brookside Mini Golf
Tibbetts Brook Park
355 Midland Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10704
Red Rooster Miniature Golf
1566 Route 22, Brewster, NY, 10509
Bridging Art and Exercise
The new 3.6 mile Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge bicycle and pedestrian path features 10 impressive works of public art by emerging New York artists along with five new sculptures, a 4,000 sq. ft. mural and avant-garde bicycle racks.
Still starved for culture and art? The Storm King Art Center, Opus 40 Sculpture Park and Museum, and Untermyer Park and Gardens have also reopened outside exhibits.
Activities for a Rainy Day
There’s plenty to do inside when the weather outside won’t cooperate. Sponsored by White Plains Hospital and Con Edison, ArtsWestchester’s ArtsMobile brings literary, performing and visual art workshops to audiences of all ages in their homes throughout Westchester. Local professional teaching artists are now posting new, creative YouTube how-to videos every Wednesday. Most of the items you’ll need can be found around the house. Here’s a sampling of the many projects available to adults and kids:
Mexican Folk Art with Miguel Cossio
Folk Songs with Matt Turk
Collage with Lance Johnson
Basic Drawing with Ann Ladd
For a complete listing, visit the ArtsWestchester website.
Be safe, be happy, and get outside to enjoy some summer fun!
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