NYC Parks has announced a number of free Kids Week activities in parks across Queens for the winter holidays.
The events, which take place across a diverse selection of Queens parks, include activities such as hikes, exercise sessions and nature games.
Kids Week activities began with the Little Sprouts: Jump and Play Program at Astoria’s A.R.R.O.W. Field House on Dec. 22 and will continue through the holidays until a “vigorous” hike at Alley Pond Park on Jan. 3.
The Little Sprouts program, which aims to provide fun games and group activities to help toddlers develop physically, socially and emotionally, will also take place on Dec. 24 and 26 at A.R.R.O.W. Field House, located at 35-30 35th St. Each session runs from 11 a.m. until noon and includes group exervises, free play, musical activities, problem solving activities, active games and arts & crafts.
The program is aimed at children aged 1-3, while all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Urban Park Rangers at Kissena Park will next host a “Move With Nature Stretching Party” on Dec. 29, offering a fun moving session inspired by urban wildlife. The free event runs from 1-2 p.m. and takes place near the intersection of 164th Street and Oak Avenue.
Urban Park Rangers will also host “Ranger Games” at Elmhurst Park on Dec. 30, offering an opportunity for children to learn about nature in a “hands-on and fun way” during the winter break. The event, which also runs from 1-2 p.m., will take place near the Grand Avenue entrance to the park and provides a chance to spend an afternoon with Urban Park Rangers playing “new and exciting ranger games.”
On New Year’s Eve, Urban Park Rangers at Astoria Park will host a “Survival Skills for Kids” program, teaching children how to start a fire, build a tent and start a fire among other survival skills. The session runs from 1-2 p.m. at the intersection of Hoyt Avenue North and 19th Street, with NYC Parks promising an opportunity for families to bond over team-building activities.
On New Year’s Day, rangers will host a hike through Fresh Meadows’ Cunningham Park, taking participants through the park’s mountain biking trails between 10 a.m. and noon. Anyone interested in joining the hike is encouraged to dress warmly and wear appropriate footwear for the event, which kicks off at the 210th Street Playground near 73rd Avenue.
A “Gather Round the Campfire and Tree Cookie Crafts” event at College Point’s Poppenhusen Playground will follow on Jan. 2, providing an opportunity to gather round a “cozy” campfire and experience nature in a “hands-on” way. Children are encouraged to bring a blanket for the event, which runs from 1 to 2 p.m.
The final event of the NYC Parks winter break series takes place on Jan 3. with a “vigorous” hike through Alley Pond Park. Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce participating children to the hidden gems of New York City during the hike, which takes children to the “Alley Giant,” the oldest and tallest living organism in the city.
The tree — a tulip poplar located within the park — is estimated to be up to 450 years old and stands at over 130 feet. Participants are advised to bring appropriate footwear for the hike, which runs from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
