Family Daycations

Now is a perfect time for a break from city life. From state parks to theme parks, beaches and mountains–here are 10 fun family day trips, all less than two hours from NYC.

City Island (drive time from NYC: 25 minutes) Located just off the Bronx, City Island resembles a quaint New England town, right in our backyard. Boating, beaches, a nautical museum, art galleries—and lots of fresh seafood can be found here.

Rockefeller State Park Preserve (drive time from NYC: 45 minutes; pictured) Less than an hour from NYC, the preserve is great for strolling with the kids and great for a family picnic. Enjoy chirping birds and a little taste of nature. nysparks.com

Bear Mountain State Park (drive time from NYC: 1 hour) An idyllic setting for the perfect day in the country: There are shaded picnic areas, playing fields, swimming opportunities (lake and pool), fishing, hiking, biking–and a zoo, too! nysparks.com

Robert Moses State Park (drive time from NYC: 75 minutes) A great day at the beach–with five miles of clean, wide, sandy beach and grassy dunes. Plus good fishing and playgrounds for kids—and don’t miss the Fire Island Lighthouse.

Six Flags Great Adventure (drive time from NYC: 75 minutes) Located in Jackson, NJ, with lots of fun rides for parents, teens, and the little ones. Daily shows and concerts, and a water park. Your day also should include a visit to the Wild Safari–a sprawling, drive-through animal park, with exotic zebras, giraffes, elephants and more.

Sandy Hook, NJ (drive time from NYC: 75 minutes) Seven miles of pristine beaches and lovely parkland. Good swimming, surfing, boating, migratory bird watching, and a historic military base. Instead of driving (and traffic!), try taking the high-speed ferry ride from Manhattan, then shuttle bus straight to the beach.

Rocking Horse Ranch (drive time from NYC: 90 minutes) Kids will love the indoor water park with four heated pools and six water slides. Plus outdoor pool and lovely private lake with water sports—and tons of fun activities, games, and entertaining shows. But the real treat: a stable housing 100 horses! All ages enjoy guided trail rides, from beginners to experienced riders. A great place for your child’s first horseback ride or country hay ride.

Point Pleasant, NJ (drive time from NYC: 90 minutes) Famous for the boardwalk, kids will love the aquarium, skee ball, rides, and the beautiful “Jersey Shore” beach.

Sesame Place (drive time from NYC: 90 minutes) The Sesame Street fans in your family will love to get up close for a hug from Elmo, Bert, Ernie—or any of their favorite furry friends. Located in Langhorne, PA, with plenty of exciting rides and a water park to cool off. They also host special activities and events throughout the season, including kids concerts and entertainers.

Mystic, CT (drive time from NYC: 2 hours) The village of Mystic offers lots of fun for families- including an aquarium, Mystic Seaport (the largest maritime museum in the country), hiking, birding, exploring nature. Every Memorial Day weekend, the Rotary Club hosts their annual “Lobster Days”—a celebration of all things lobster.

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Academics West

Academics West is an accredited high-support college preparatory school designed to meet the academic and social-emotional goals of its students. Our unique model allows for each student to benefit from a customized educational experience to ensure they are acquiring the skills necessary to navigate their post-secondary lives whether they attend college or pursue another path to future success. Students can select different tracks to construct the most beneficial program to suit their needs and goals. Unlike conventional education, this innovative model enables students to prepare for an ever-changing world that requires young people to have advanced executive functioning, interpersonal and leadership skills to become independent and resilient adults. &nbsp;