Kids

from (585) magazine Jan-Feb 2021

by JFM Publishing—(585) magazine / (585) Kids / Upstate Gardeners' Journal

Wedding

It’s cold and it’s COVID

Photo by Angia Armstong via flickr

BY ALEXANDRIA HUTTON

It’s the dead of winter, you’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and the kids are bouncing off the walls. Everyone’s tired of being stuck inside the house … but have no fear. There are still plenty of socially distant winter activities perfect for the whole family. Outdoor adventures like snowshoeing, sledding, tubing, and even some warmer indoor activities are included below.

Snowshoeing Winter in Western New York means snow … lots and lots of snow. But don’t let the snow stop you from getting your family out of the house. Snowshoeing is a fun way to get some fresh air in the winter months. Carry toddlers on your back, pull them in a sled, or let them walk with some snowshoes of their own. It’s easy to learn. Start on flat ground and let your little ones get used to walking around in their snowshoes. Cumming Nature Center in the Finger Lakes region is a 900-acre preserve filled with wetlands, forests, and hiking trails. In the winter months, the nature center offers fifteen miles of groomed ski trails and three miles for snowshoeing, perfect for a winter day trip with the family. Ski equipment and snowshoes are available to rent at the visitor center. Tinker Nature Park in Henrietta offers a close to home snowshoeing experience. Deer and geese commonly gather in the park, which makes for a fun animal spotting adventure for children. This sixty-eight-acre, handicap accessible park features a short 1.2mile trail, pavilions for cold weather picnics, and a playground recreation area. The park also offers snowshoe and cross-country ski rentals as well as public access to bathrooms.

Sledding Sledding is a winter must; it’s free and fun for all. Whether you want to go fast or slow, play it safe, or take your sled over snow ramps, sledding can be anything you want it to be. The sledding hills in Monroe County parks are designated, maintained, and— most importantly—safe! A fan favorite of families on the west side of Rochester, Black Creek Park in Chili has a large sledding hill located behind the Woodside Lodge. The hill is tall but not too steep. A unique feature of this hill is the fence on the side of the hill that gives sledders a safe path to climb back up. Mendon Ponds Park has two designated sledding hills and several nondesignated. With multiple options of hills, you can scope them out to see which hill is least crowded in order to remain socially distant. In the colder months, this park is a winter wonderland. Mendon Ponds Park also has groomed trails that offer more than twenty miles of marked cross country skiing trails.

Birdsong Trail and Wild Wings Birdsong trail in Mendon Ponds Park is a family favorite. In warm or cold weather, you can gather with loved ones, grab a handful of birdseed, and stand very still. Then, the birds will come and eat from your hands! Follow this looped trail in order to visit other

small creatures: the fairies. Some fairy houses are easy to spot on the walk, but others you have to really scout for to see. Follow @birdsongfairytrail on Instagram for more information, as well as for the names of contributing artists. Also located by the entrance of Birdsong Trail is Wild Wings Inc. This not-forprofit educational organization rescues and rehabilitates injured animals who are unable to survive on their own in the wild. Residents of the institution include eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, and owls. While the organization is asking for one family at a time at each enclosure, “Sharon’s Sensory Garden” as well as the bird of prey facility are outdoor offerings for everyone to enjoy.

Snow Tubing Do your kids love the thrill of flying down a snowy hill but hate the climb back up, paired with the lasting chill from being outside too long? Tubing is your answer. It’s just like sledding but with some major perks: all you need to do is sit down, hold on, and enjoy the ride. Holiday Valley Tubing Company in Ellicottville has a snow tubing park with more than twenty lanes. After your exhilarating trip down the 900-foot hill, a conveyor lift brings you back to the top to do it all over again. A warming hut awaits you at the bottom of the hill with a snack bar, fireplace, and restrooms. This space allows for a quick refresh before hitting the hills again, or for parents to stay warm while the kids enjoy the snow. The big hills have a height requirement of forty-two inches, but Holiday Valley Tubing Company has a special tubing park so smaller children can enjoy the thrills of tubing safely. Two hours on the hills costs twenty-five dollars, a small price to pay for comfort and safety.

Indoor Activities The Strong Museum and the RMSC are go-to options for getting the kids out of the house on a snowy day, but they might be more packed in the winter months (making it hard to remain socially distant). The following lesser-known museums are sure to be less crowded and perfect for a day trip. The Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum is located in Hammondsport, near the southern tip of Keuka Lake. The museum contains a priceless collection of aircrafts, automobiles, boats, bicycles, and motorcycles, including twenty-two historic aircrafts. In addition to the displays and exhibits, visitors are welcome to explore the restoration shop where they can talk with craftsmen as they work on historic aircrafts. The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum is a historic site for family recreation and learning, located in North Tonawanda. The museum features exhibits such as the still-operating Wurlitzer Music Roll Department, where visitors can watch the ninety-year-old machines in action, making paper music rolls that produce the iconic carousel music; the Carving Floor, where carousel animals begin to take shape; and the Children’s Gallery, which holds a kiddie carousel and interactive activities. Admission comes with two ride tokens, which can be used for any carousel in the museum. Explore Earth’s prehistoric past at the Museum of Earth in Ithaca. Find and even take home fossils from the Fossil Lab; admire the Hyde Park Mastodon, one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever found; and learn about the world’s coral reefs by admiring two aquariums filled with live coral and fish. With more than twenty exhibits and displays, this museum teaches kids about our planet’s history in a fun and engaging way. With a little creativity, you can find plenty of socially distant activities to keep the kids happy and yourselves sane. Even in the dead of winter, we can find fresh, new places to explore during these chilly months. Cheers to keeping you and yours warm and happy!