A roundup of some of the best family-friendly outings in the area. (Children be warned: they’re educational, too!)

Ah, the ever-present battle of family summers – what to do? The kids want to play video games and go to amusement parks while parents want them outside getting exercise or (dare we say it?) get ahead in their studies for school in the Fall. Not having to wait on winding lines or yawn through mind-numbing lecture tours would be a plus, too…and then there is always the issue of cost.

Fortunately, we’ve discovered that you can have it your way and still make the kids smile. We’ve gathered a list of five of the coolest local family-friendly attractions in the area that also happen to slip education and physical activity into the mix. From mystical underground caves to villages frozen in time, this action-packed list is sure to pique the interest of adults and kids alike – and won’t break the bank, either.

Color Kaleidoscope

For one of the most unusual attractions in the area, you don’t have to go further than Mt Tremper. Technically in Shandaken, NY, the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope Museum houses the World’s Largest Kaleidoscope^TM in a building that makes the young and young at heart alike giggle. The front half of a fire engine sticks out of the restaurant next door, a huge fiberglass fish jumps from a nearby pond, and a curious-looking pair of eyes softly stares out at you from the 60-ft height of the silo the kaleidoscope is housed in. Designed by 1960s psychedelic artist Isaac Abrams and his son, the show put on by the kaleidoscope is certainly a sight to see. Inside the silo, visitors are faced with a montage of American history in kaleidoscope form. Faces of Civil War soldiers, Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, Native Americans, and Watergate photos along with the usual firework-display of sparkling kaleidoscope imagery appear before you along with an audible American musical history of popular songs and snippets from famous speeches. The Kaleidoscope Museum’s original collection will keep you oohing and ahhing for the next hour over creations that you didn’t even know existed, like kaleidoscopes built into baseballs and made of precious gems. On the way out, you can even see the world’s tiniest kaleidoscope in a display case by the door. Grab a bite to eat or window shop at the surrounding Catskill Corners shopping center, where you’ll find art, crystals, a gourmet cafe and more.
Kaatskill Kaleidoscope
5340 Route 28, Mount Tremper, NY
(877) 688-2828

Down on the Farm

At Lawrence Farms Orchards in Newburgh, agriculture and fun go hand in hand. If that sounds impossible to you, first check out the specs: fields with fruit and vegetables are open for you to pick your own from spring until fall, a country store with homemade doughnuts, candy, and local ice cream, a hay maze, chickens and goats, and horse-drawn carriages and tractor hayrides on weekends. Parents can take a trip to Lawrence Farms as an opportunity to teach children where their food comes from, and with the variety of crops in season each month you’ll have some great examples to use. In June, choose from strawberries, peas, lettuce, spinach, and sweet cherries in mouth-watering abundance in the fields and orchards. Kids get a kick out of eating the berries directly off of the plants, so dress them in play clothes! A play-friendly dress code is also in order for the farm’s “Little Village,” a miniature old-fashioned New England farm town complete with a church, a stable, a little red school house with a bell, and even a jail. The best part about a trip to Lawrence Farms is that entry, parking, and the Little Village are all completely free – the only thing you’ll pay for is the produce and snacks!
39 Colandrea Road
Newburgh
(845) 562-4268

For the Little Monkeys

The Trevor Zoo in Millbrook has been a family favorite since it was established in 1936 at the Millbrook School, a coeducational independent high school. Its founder, Frank Trevor, was Millbrook School’s first biology teacher and a man with a passion for sharing his love of wildlife with all people, especially children. A far cry from driving all the way down to the Bronx to see your favorite wild animals, the Trevor Zoo is a close and inexpensive alternative for families. It houses more than 180 animals, representing 80 different species including 7 endangered species. From the minute you enter its gates and cross over the bridge, you’ll see all kinds of exotic and indigenous wildlife. (The cute and friendly otters that greet visitors under the bridge are the first surprise!) Animals from six continents, including wallabies, red pandas, deer, poison dart frogs, lemurs, rheas, alpacas, bobcats, snakes and more inhabit the six acre zoo, there some of the birds are actually allowed to fly free. (Sometimes the turkey vultures can get loud, so be mindful of little ears!) Entry is $5/person and $3 for children and senior citizens.
131 Millbrook School Road
Millbrook
(845) 677-3704

Caves of Wonder

Imagine stepping into an elevator that takes you 156 feet below the Earth’s surface. When the elevator stops, the doors open into an underground cavern full of echoes, twists and turns, and a cool, prehistoric atmosphere unlike anything you’ve experienced before. You may not think so, but you can share this very feeling with your family in a morning’s drive from your home at Howe Caverns in Howes Cave, NY, just west of Albany. You don’t have to be a geologist or spelunker to enjoy the beauty and mystery of the caves, which are a constant 52 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. Magnificent limestone formations, quiet pools of water, and the stalactites and stalagmites that jut into the caverns from the ceilings and floors will pique the curiosity of your children and your friends alike as you walk and boat through giant underground tunnels. The history is just as interesting as the geology; the caves were discovered in 1842 by local farmer Lester Howe, who noticed a change in temperature in the area that his cows always gathered to graze. He pulled aside the bushes in the area to find what he called “Blowing Rock,” a rocky patch that seemed to blow cool air into the field. This was the entrance to Howe Caverns, which he explored by the light of an oil lamp for over a mile and a half. Your family can explore Howe Caverns in a much more comfortable setting today, and for a pretty comfortable price. Prices range from $21/person for adults and $11 for children over 4 to $108 for a full adventure tour of the caves.
255 Discovery Drive
Howes Cave
(518) 296-8900

Living Time Machine

Visiting the Museum Village in Monroe is like taken a step back through time to 19th century American rural life, where industry and technology is just beginning to evolve. Like a town frozen in time, the village includes historic buildings and artifacts preserved from the time period and people who act like they are, explaining what their lives are like and walking visitors through their day-to-day lives. (Some of them are so in character that you sometimes feel like you’re the one that’s acting and dressing strangely!) Explore a general store, schoolhouse, log cabin, dress emporium, and a variety of shops where skilled craftsmen demonstrate their art forms. Kids are encouraged to get in on the fun by dressing the part, playing with toys and games, and dipping their own candles to take home. (Editor’s Note: If you dip them for too long, they become skinny and gnarled – take it from someone who was greedy with candle dipping as a kid at the Museum Village!) There is even a gift shop where you purchase a piece of history to take home with you. Even if you’re coming from a distance away the Museum Village is worth the drive, filling your entire day with activities that fall quite far off of the beaten path.
1010 Route 17M
Monroe
(845) 782-8247

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