Staten Island Winter Guide

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Winter Family Fun in Staten Island |

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43 Snow Day Ideas | 11 Social Media Accounts to Follow in 2021 | 17 Dear Readers, It’s here, finally! 2021! I think we can collectively agree that while 2020 was a memorable year, right now we’d all like to forget it ever happened. Although Covid-19 is still wreaking havoc on our lives, there’s hope on the horizon that life will return somewhat to normal soon. In the meantime, it’s totally okay to enjoy your life as long as you mask up and social distance (do we even need to keep saying this in 2021?). Scroll through this special digital edition of Staten Island Parent for tons of family-friendly winter fun!

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winter 2021 10 THINGS TO DO WITH THE FAMILY IN STATEN ISLAND COVID OR NO COVID, IT’S NOT ALWAYS EASY FINDING FUN STUFF TO DO IN THE DEAD OF WINTER. WE’VE ROUNDED UP A BUNCH OF GREAT IDEAS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR FAMILIES WHILE MAINTAINING A SAFE SOCIAL DISTANCE, INDOORS OR OUTDOORS. The Zoo. Visit the animals of the Staten Island Zoo, which is open seven days a week, 10am to 4:45pm, and offers both virtual and in-person programs for all ages. The New York Aquarium in Coney Island, SeaQuest in Woodbridge, NJ (check out their awesome interactive sloth experience!), and the Bronx Zoo are also open to visitors. Tickets and advance registration are required for all.

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winter 2021 Ice Skating. Gliding freely on the ice is America’s favorite winter pastime.

Staten Island Skating Pavilion offers public sessions and lessons for indoor skating, while outdoor sessions are available at WWII Veterans War Memorial Ice Skating Rink in Clove Lakes Park Friday through Sunday and some holidays.

Bowling. Rabs Country Lanes on Hylan Boulevard and Showplace Entertainment Center on Victory Boulevard are both open daily until 10pm so you can hit the lanes and stay out of the cold, any day of the week.

Dine Out. When indoor dining isn’t an option, outdoor dining is doable. Thanks to heated tents, families can enjoy the experience of dining out in near-freezing temperatures. Some restaurants even offer igloo-style private dining with personal heaters like Eggers did throughout the holiday season. It’s a great way to get out of the house and avoid cooking, while supporting the restaurant industry too. Just be sure to tip your servers well; they’re pretty cold out there!

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winter 2021 Dine In. Ordering in is another great way to avoid cooking while supporting local restaurants during Covid-19. And if you order from any of these establishments https://www.statenislandmall.com/en/events/dine-and-delight.html between now and February 28, 2021, you’ll get a $20 rewards card back when you spend over $50 through Brookfield Properties’ Dine & Delight program.

Shopping. Stores in the Staten Island Mall are open and shopping is perfectly safe, as long as you practice social distancing and follow all Covid-19 regulations. In fact, most retail stores on the Island are open for business, including the Empire Outlets on the North Shore and the Bricktown Shopping Center in Charleston on the South Shore.

Winter Hikes. Staten Island is home to myriad scenic spots where you can enjoy the view while strolling, running or hiking with your family. Take in the picturesque beauty of Snug Harbor‘s many botanical gardens (make sure you snap a pic under The Allee, the iconic tunnel arch). Hit the FDR Boardwalk to smell the salty sea air under the Verrazano Bridge. Go buy a bag of food and feed the ducks together at Clove Lakes Park. Or just bundle up and follow any of the the trails along Staten Island’s lengthy stretches of Greenbelt.

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winter 2021 Day Trips. Pack up the kids and the car and get out for the day, night, or even the whole weekend. Here are a few ideas: • American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ is a mega shopping mall experience that also boasts an indoor water park, a Nickelodeon-themed amusement park, mini golf, indoor skiing and ice skating.

• iPlay America in Freehold, NJ features indoor rides, attractions, boardwalk games and one of New Jersey’s largest arcades.

• Pennsylvania’s indoor water parks that are open include Kalahari in the Pocono Mountains, Great Wolf Lodge in the Pocono Mountains, PA, and Aquatopia Waterpark in Tannersville, PA (at Camelback Resort).

• Skiing/cold weather resorts that are open include Rocking Horse Ranch in Highland, NY, Camelback Resort in Tannersville, PA, and Split Rock Resort in Harmony, PA.

Movie Night. Missing the theatre? It couldn’t be easier to bring the theatre to you. Just make some popcorn, dim the lights and cozy up on the couch for the most comfy (and inexpensive) movie-going experience ever.

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winter 2021 Since theatres are closed, new movies are easily accessible from home through various streaming services.

Some of the newest family-friendly flicks include: SOUL

THE CROODS: A NEW AGE

WONDER WOMAN 1984

MULAN

THE MIDNIGHT SKY

COMING 2 AMERICA

PG. Available on Disney Plus

PG. Available on Amazon Prime Video

PG-13. Available on HBO Max PG-13. Available on Netflix

WE CAN BE HEROES PG. Available on Netflix

PG-13. Available on Disney Plus PG-13. Available on Amazon Prime Video 3/5/21

RAYA AND THE LAST DRAON

PG. Available on Disney Plus 3/5/21

Virtual Fun. Some days going out just isn’t an option. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you can go just about anywhere without leaving the house. Here are some of our favorite virtual experiences: • Virtual field trips: https://www.siparent.com/virtual-field-trips/ • NYC virtual park tours: https://www.siparent.com/top-5most-viewed-nyc-virtual-park-tours/ • Family-friendly virtual escape rooms: https://www.siparent.com/15-virtual-escape-rooms-and-games-your-family-will-love/ • Virtual roller coaster: https:// www.siparent.com/virtual-roller-coasters/ HELPING PARENTS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS

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winter 2021

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SNOW DAY IDEAS

A

s exciting as a snow day seems at first, it can quickly go from delightful squeals of joy to those two words that no parent ever wants to hear: “I’m bored.” Need some boredom busters to get through the day? Try a few of these ideas to keep your whole family entertained ’til bedtime!

1. Make pillow and blanket forts.

2. Have a puzzle race– see who can finish their puzzle first!

3. Go sledding outside. No sled? Use cardboard or garbage can lids.

4. Bring toy dump trucks outside and play “snow removal.”

5. Bake snowman or snowflake cookies together.

6. Warm up with some homemade hot chocolate.

7. Movie time: hot chocolate + popcorn. Dim the lights!

8. Have a scavenger hunt. Use themes like colors or numbers.

9. Get creative with colored tape: floor maze, racetracks, hopscotch, limbo, endless possibilities!

10. Play simple card games like Go Fish and Rummy.

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winter 2021

11. Go on a nature walk. Gather winter nature items, like pine cones and icicles. Look for frozen “fossils.”

12. Make ice bubbles by blowing bubbles and watch them freeze on the wand.

13. Throw an indoor “beach” party with beach towels, sand pails, bathing suits, sunglasses, etc.

14. Silly storytelling; take turns making up funny stories.

15. Host a coloring marathon. Find coloring sheets of your kids’ favorite characters on the internet and print them out.

16. Ask the kids to help you shovel (the little ones may like this more than the big ones).

17. Grab the mani/pedi kit and have a spa day.

18. Host an indoor picnic; invite dolls and other stuffed animals.

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winter 2021

19. Fill your bathtub with snow and let the kids play.

20. Dress up time! Host a fashion show. Make it even more fun by capturing it on video.

21. Write letters to friends, family, the President, anyone!

22. Make magazine collages.

23. Help a neighbor. Check in on elderly friends and neighbors and offer to shovel their driveways and walkways, if necessary.

24. Read a book about the snow or winter together.

25. Make your own book about snow together. Take pictures of the storm and print them out, then write captions.

26. Make snowflake cut-outs and hang them up for an “indoor� snow storm.

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winter 2021

27. Make puppets out of old socks and have a puppet show.

28. Paint the snow using water, food coloring, and squeeze bottles.

29. Host a board game marathon; each family member chooses a game.

30. Make a big pot of soup together. Kids can help toss ingredients in the pot!

31. Host a tea party. All the stuffed animals are invited!

32. Have a dance party. Let your little ones pick the tunes.

33. Create an indoor obstacle course.

34. Put on a play. Have kids act out scenes from their favorite movies or TV shows.

35. Go camping indoors by setting up a tent in your living room. Stovetop s’mores, anyone?

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winter 2021

36. Ditch the snowman; make snow monsters!

37. Reverse school day: have your kids be the teacher and teach the “class” what they are learning in school.

38. Make giant marbles: fill water balloons with colored water and leave outside over night.

39. Make a “train” using kitchen table chairs. Kids can take turns playing conductor.

40. Same concept as #39, but make a roller coaster instead.

Weeee!

41. Do Lunar New Year-themed crafts. It’s the Year of the Ox! 42. Shovel a shallow path in the snow around the yard to create a snow maze.

43. Host a marathon video game battle.

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Social Media Accounts to Follow Immediately in 2021

Fact: I’m you. Well, I’m not literally you. But just like you, I’m a parent, living in Staten Island, raising children.

Like you, I usually spend my sporadic free time mindlessly scrolling through social media, rolling my eyes at Karens, laughing at relatable memes, and just zoning out for a few minutes.

I fold laundry while binging the hottest new shows on Netflix or Hulu, I wash my dishes to the calming tune of murder podcasts, and I’ve dipped my toe in the uncharted waters of “mom TikTok” (fine, my whole body is submerged — I’m obsessed).

I walk around an overcaffeinated mombie all day long, counting the minutes until I can crawl into bed at night only to toss and turn for half of it, stressing and obsessing over bills and appointments and infinite to-do lists, then finally passing out after a full hour of watching strangers do weird stuff on the Internet.

Therefore, I’m obviously qualified to recommend those strangers to you. Below you will find some of my current favorite social media accounts to follow, a.k.a. ways to tune out the world (and my kids) for brief but beautiful periods of time.

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MIKE AND KAT STICKLER Instagram: @katstickler @stickks__ TikTok: @mikeandkat YouTube: Mike and Kat Facebook: Mike and Kat This husband/wife duo had an “oops” baby not long ago, started posting TikTok videos during quarantine, and are now living their best lives as one of the Internet’s favorite young couples. Their smiles are contagious, which is fitting because their content features pranks, role-playing, a very cute baby and addicting laughter.

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KRISTINA KUZMIC Instagram: @kristinakuzmic YouTube: Kristina Kuzmic Facebook: Kristina Kuzmic Author/vlogger Kristina Kuzmic’s delivers a powerful message through her signature blend of positivity, humor and raw honesty that every frazzled mama needs to hear. She makes you laugh, she makes you cry, but most of all she makes you feel SANE. She also makes you want to drink coffee straight from the pot, but that’s another story.

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ONE FUNNY MOMMY Instagram: @onefunnymommy TikTok: @onefunnymommy Facebook: onefunnymommy Some of you might know Lisa Marie Riley, like in real life, because she’s a fellow Staten Islander. Not that I even need to reveal that because two seconds into any of her videos, you’ll pick up on that unmistakable accent. She’s like the hilarious Staten Island mom at school that you actually want to get stuck in a ten-minute conversation with at pickup.

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CAT AND NAT Instagram: @catandnat TikTok: @catandnatofficial YouTube: Cat & Nat Facebook: Cat and Nat I can’t describe the self-proclaimed #MomTruth BFF’s better than they can, so here’s their totally accurate bio: “It all started with us, in a car, ranting to each other about the reality of our every day lives. We share everything and anything and are known for going where no one is willing to go. We bring humour to topics that can otherwise make us literally feel crazy.” They do comedy specials, podcasts, books, daily videos and more. These two will make you laugh so hard you’ll pee (although as a mom, you probably already tinkle a little when you laugh anyway).

TATUM TALKS Instagram: @hi.this.is.tatum TikTok: @hi.this.is.tatum YouTube: Tatum Talks Facebook: Tatum Talks This talking rescue pittie lives in Maine with his parents and has won the hearts of an entire social media platform. Even though I know the “talking” is just Dad using a funny doggo accent, I’m still hooked. And so are thousands of TikTok users; Tatum is the most used pet voiceover on the app!

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TABITHA BROWN

Instagram: @iamtabithabrown TikTok: @iamtabithabrown YouTube: Tabitha Brown Facebook: Tabitha Brown

I’m no vegan, but Tabitha Brown’s syrupy sweet voice is enough to make even the biggest steak-lover consider cutting out meat. I can’t accurately explain the hypnotic nature of her videos; you’ll just have to see for yourself. ‘Cuz that’s your business.

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THE YEET BABY

Instagram: @theyeetbaby TikTok: @theyeetbaby

The Yeet Baby and her uncle have the cutest relationship. Baby Marleigh and her Uncle Chris are seen in many videos making huge messes with various cups, bottles and liquids, yelling out “yeet,” and just being generally adorable. I’m trying not to fall in love with the world’s sweetest uncle, and I’m failing epically.

ZILLOW GONE WILD Instagram: @zillowgonewild

This is my favorite new guilty pleasure account. Featuring some of the most fascinating (and sometimes downright bizarre) photos from actual listings on Zillow, you’ll be just as addicted as I am. Just don’t be too surprised if you start questioning your taste in real estate.

I hope you like these as much as I do. Trust me, it was NOT easy to narrow down. Let me know if you want to see more of my favorites!

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