Please help plan staycation. NY, budget conscious

amother

Thu, Jan 18 2024, 9:57 pm

I'm so bad at this and also not in a great place financially as a bunch of bills just hit. No debt and I'd like to stay that way. So while the kids would love to check out American dream, I would not.

We're off next weekend Thurs - Tues. Me and the kids - I work in a Jewish school. Dh has work.

Starting point is Far Rockaway. Can drive elsewhere.

I can't go away for Shabbos, at least not too far because I have a thing nearish home on motzi shabbos.

Also have appointments Thursday morning and Tuesday morning. Yes I rock at vacation planning.

The kids who need entertainment the most are ages 11-15. However we also have a baby to tote along so whatever we need to do needs to allow for that.

Everything seems so expensive. I'm thinking of treating us to pottery painting because I think everyone would enjoy it and we haven't done it in years, but if we do that it would be all the spending for a couple of hours of occupation and then we need cheap ideas for the rest of the time.

We don't need to go places all the time. We can totally do a board games and hot cocoa day at home. But I don't want to come out at the end of Tuesday with the kids feeling like their whole vacation was one big bummer and the most interesting place they went was the dentist and it was a wasted opportunity when they've been so busy with school all the rest of the time. We didn't do anything special on Chanukah vacation either simply because I failed to plan anything. I'd like to be a little less incompetent this time.

amother

Glitter

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 12:55 am

Sorry can't comment on the day trips because my kiddos are younger. I just wanted to comment on the painting. I go to Dollar tree and get mugs bowls etc and then I buy paint off amazon. We paint at home and bake in the oven to set. Much cheaper and makes for a great date night with dh when kids are sleeping and your budget conscious. Other ideas are bowling ice skating but everything is so crazy expensive these days.

Also if you have Queens library cards then culture pass let's you reserve free tickets to some attractions.

Some examples did not shop around

Paint pens https://www.amazon.com/Betem-A.....ss_tl

Paint set

https://www.amazon.com/FolkArt.....ss_tl

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 4:58 am

Thanks. When you're a teenager, painting dollar tree mugs at home is not called doing something on vacation Sad

I've checked out culture pass in the past and didn't see anything interesting. If anyone has a specific recommendation of a culture pass that's worth going to, I'm all ears.

amother

Iris

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:26 am

Ice skating isn't too expensive and there are places on long Island you can go

If they really want to do American dream will they be ok with going and not doing any of the attractions? You can buy lunch, and let them each buy something small in one of the stores...give them a budget. I plan on doing that when my are off. They really want to see the mall but the attractions are so expensive.

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:33 am

Ice skating sounds like a good idea! Will take suggestion of where it's affordable.
ETA must be indoors

Have both boys and girls but it's possible only one boy would be interested in coming, older one might find friends too get together with. But the other is a very boyish boy.

amother

Nemesia

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:45 am

amother OP wrote:

Staying home would probably be less kvetchy than going to American dream and not paying overpriced admission to anything Confused

For you, on the day, yes. But when they go back to school and people ask what they did, they can say they went to American Dream. Which is annoying but a real thing- we always try to do one thing big enough to talk about. Also, it leaves space for kids to bring their own money and decide to splurge if they want- does anyone know if Nickelodeon is still letting people pay for individual rides? And if someone is willing to wait on line, don't underestimate the joy of a teen (even a boy) who gets to take the baby for a five minute ride on one of the animals.

amother

Navyblue

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:50 am

Here's something really out of the box. Take your kids to the Met. Check out pricing, used to be kids are free. If it still is, it's very economical.

Ancient Egypt, mummies, sarcophaguses etc and the knights in armor are very interesting for kids. My kids loved it! Plus you can get to those exhibits without seeing any nudes. It is 100% appropriate, my DH loved it too!

Just One

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:50 am

The American Museum of Natural History is preferred donation for NY residents. You can pay nothing or $2-3 per person, as you choose.
The Intrepid is fun. I used my library card for free culture passes. There are many museum options listed so check out what interests you.
Bowling deals can be really cheap per game. Check rates in your area.
Ikea is fun just for browsing. You can take a boat ride to the Red Hook location.
When nothing else works out, our local library always comes to the rescue. They have a kids area with toys for toddlers and babies and a stash of board games. I read to the younger set and we play family board games while the little ones keep busy.

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:50 am

amother Nemesia wrote:

Hm. Never been there but I'm open to this kind of explanation. What animals? How much for individual rides?

Is going to American dream without any amusements really worth talking about when other vacationers are going to the Poconos if not further? They're not the only ones having a staycation but anyone who's going anywhere is going Somewhere.

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:52 am

amother Navyblue wrote:

I'm going to assume the kids would groan about it but I'm a fan. How would you get there? Park outside the city and take a train and hope you don't get stabbed?

Just One

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:54 am

amother OP wrote:

I'm going to assume the kids would groan about it but I'm a fan. How would you get there? Park outside the city and take a train and hope you don't get stabbed?

I'm in the subway and in the city on the regular. Never witnessed a stabbing and there's a huge police presence now. I wouldn't worry.

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:57 am

Just One wrote:

Amnh is unfortunately very btdt for these kids. We used to go all the time because of the optional donation model. Annoyingly they only let you buy admission to special exhibits on top of full price admission too. I love the general exhibits but there's only so many times you can enjoy them.

We never found intrepid fun. I know it's popular and I don't understand why.

Definitely planning some bowling. I've gotten Groupons in the past, it's definitely the most affordable out of the house activity.

I wonder if the kids would find IKEA fun to browse. I personally love it but never took the kids except once when they were very little mostly for the boat ride.

amother

Navyblue

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 5:59 am

amother OP wrote:

I'm going to assume the kids would groan about it but I'm a fan. How would you get there? Park outside the city and take a train and hope you don't get stabbed?

I took my kids by train but that was before the rise in crime. Not sure I'd do that now.

It's such a shame. My kids didn't groan at all. The knights in real armor was really fascinating.

Just One

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 6:00 am

amother Navyblue wrote:

I checked this out and tickets are pay as you wish for NY residents (minimum of 1 cent).

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 6:05 am

amother Navyblue wrote:

How do you get to the cool stuff without walking through nudes? I tried planning for that by reading the map very carefully before a date with dh some time ago and we still ended up uncomfortably close to a lot of uncomfortably realistic human figure art Confused

amother

Fri, Jan 19 2024, 6:07 am

amother Cinnamon wrote:

Would you be open with ur kids about planning? They're pretty big. Ask them in advance. Not one they're already in a depression cuz "all" their friends flew off on them.

All their ideas will be expensive and then they'll be upset when they all get turned down. They will probably volunteer a number of such ideas on their own, which will be enough to say no to. I'm betting one of these is going to be American dream water Park, which I see is $90 per person for a few hours and I don't understand how anyone does that unless maybe they only have one kid and that's all they're spending.