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Long Island Children's Museum

2/24/2022

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US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum
Looking for a great outing for your kids, where they can learn and play for hours and hours!? Then consider a trip to the Long Island Children's Museum, featuring 14 interactive exhibits, a live theater, and much more! Watch our highlights video below from our recent visit, part of our mid winter break "staycation" and read on for more details!

​Disclaimer: we received tickets in exchange of promotion, but all thoughts and opinions are our own - this place rocks!!
Some of our favorite exhibits? My 6 year old twins loved Sandy Island, probably could have spent all day there LOL! My 9 year old was really into all the technology-based ones like recording your own radio show,  I loved the Bubbles exhibit, though it was hard waiting for a wand to become free, it's SO cool making HUGE bubbles!! One temporary exhibit we all loved was the Age of Dinosaurs, running through May 29, featuring a bunch of animatronic dinos - you can even control the T Rex with a remote!
US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum - Age of Dinosaurs temporary exhibit
We also saw the Lyle the Crocodile live show, which is an extra fee ($9 with general admission, $7 for members, and $12 without museum admission), running on select days through March 13. It was cute and we all enjoyed it, but it's recommended for ages 5-11 and I think that's a good suggestion. There were several crying and screaming little ones in there, it's just not geared for the super young ones, and food and beverage aren't permitted in the theater either. My 3 kids LOVED it though!
US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum - live show Lyle the Crocodile
If you have little ones, there is a big stroller parking area by the climbing structure (which is for ages 5+, over 42"), but you're welcome to keep the stroller with you around the museum. They also have a TotSpot room just for the littlest visitors!
US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum
ADMISSION:
$15 general admission, $14 for seniors, free under 1 year old, $12 group rate.
​Or become a member ($85 for 2 people or $160/family), with unlimited visits and other benefits such as free or reduced admission to hundreds of other children's museums and science museums across the country (part of ASTC Travel Passport Program).
US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum
LOCATION:
Located in the heart of Garden City's "Museum Row", near Nassau County Firefighters Museum, The Cradle of Aviation Museum, The Pan Am Museum, and about 14 miles to Jones Beach if you want to pair with a visit to the ocean!  Parking is free and if coming by Long Island Rail Road it's about 2 miles from the Hempstead LIRR station via the n27 bus.
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US Japan Fam reviews Long Island Children's Museum
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Get 20% Off Harlem Globetrotters Tickets

2/18/2022

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SpreadGame is what the Globetrotters do best; it's what they've done best for 95 years. 

The Globetrotters SpreadGame through every slam dunk, killer pass and magic fadeaway; and through every smile for a child and every achievement within the communities they visit!

Click here to save up to 20% off tickets to a Harlem Globetrotters game near you with code USFAM!!
Upcoming games in New York, New Jersey, across the US and Canada!

Updated February 22, 2022: We just went to the game at Newark's Prudential Center yesterday and had SO much fun! See highlights in our "staycation" video below! It's a basketball game with REAL skills, but equally so it's a scripted comedic show, with dancing and slap stick humor. Fun for all, 100%, even if you're not into sports!!!

​Just a couple of quick notes about things that took me by surprise, may or may not be the case at your arena but just in case:
  1. No bags bigger than a clutch were allowed, unless it was a diaper bag (with baby).
  2. Vaccination cards required (thankfully I had mine scanned and saved in google drive and could download quickly at security!!)
  3. Masks required but unfortunately most weren't wearing them in the stadium due to eating and drinking.
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Last Minute Kid-Friendly Spring Break Ideas!

2/16/2022

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Last Minute Kid-Friendly Spring Break Ideas - usjapnfam
So you haven't figured out your spring break plans yet? Join the club! With uncertainty around the pandemic and travel safety, many of us have left it to the last minute, and some places are fully booked already. But, it's OK!!! I've got you!! Check out some of my last minute kid-friendly spring break ideas for inspiration and get to planning TODAY!!!

​(Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate links and we earn commission from purchases made after clicking.)

Family-Friendly All-Inclusive Resorts
Don't assume these are out of your budget. While they are definitely a splurge, there are many types of all-inclusive resorts at various price points, so you can definitely find one for you! Head over to hotels.com to see prices and availability (you can narrow your search by selecting "all inclusive" under "accommodation type" and "family" under "themes/types").

​Take into consideration all of the "included" things when looking at the price. They vary by resort but typically include room, 3 meals a day + snacks + drinks (some even include alcohol), activities (some even have non-motorized water activities like snorkeling and kayaking),  nightly entertainment, kids clubs / camps, etc etc! When you tally it all up, it can actually end up being a great deal!

Don't want to fly? No worries!! We love love LOVE these all-inclusive resorts located right here in the Tri State Area: (click to read our reviews or watch embedded highlights videos below):  Woodloch Resort, Rocking Horse Ranch, and Pine Ridge Dude Ranch.

Indoor Waterpark Resort
Prices for these during school breaks can be about 3 times higher than lower peak times of year, but may be worth a splurge if your kids are pool and water slide fanatics! The nightly rate usually includes waterpark access for days of check in and check out (and all days between), and if you consider standalone waterpark tickets go for around $50/person, this makes the hotel rate a bit more understandable.

​Great Wolf Lodge and Kalahari are popular chains of waterpark resorts with locations around the country. If you're in the TriState Area, some more local ones include Rocking Horse Ranch (which is all-inclusive and mentioned in the above section), Kartrite, Six Flags Great Escape Lodge, Greek Peak (click to read our reviews for the last 3 or watch our embedded highlights videos embedded below), SplitRock, and Camelback.

Ecotourism Adventure
Learn to surf and zipline through the jungles of Costa Rica, stay at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, feed giraffes from your bedroom window in Nairobi! The possibilities are endless and SO very exciting!!

Humanitarian / Volunteering Vacation
​Vacation with a purpose - arrange yourself or join a group such as Discover Corps, Global Volunteers, or one from this great list on  USA Today.

Go somewhere WARM
Mexico or the Caribbean. Central or South America. Anywhere near or south of the equator! Soak in the sunshine and vitamin D! Swim. Snorkel. Whether you go all-inclusive, budget hotel, or rent a house, you'll have an amazing warm escape!

Go somewhere COLD
​Most people don't think of going somewhere COLDER for spring break, so you may be able to find a good deal with less competition! Maybe you want to go skiing, go dog sledding and stay in an ice hotel  (Hotel de Glace in Quebec is only open through March 12 though, so not applicable for most of our spring breaks), or try to see the northern lights? Would be an (arctic) blast!!

Staycation
This can mean staying home and planning fun-filled days visiting local tourist spots and doing really exciting activities (check out GROUPON for great deals and inspiration, and Resort Pass for day passes to resorts - from NYC to Florida, anywhere!).

​Or you could stay at a nearby hotel and enjoy their pool and jacuzzi and other amenities (hit up hotels.com or hotwire.com to see what's available - you can narrow search by amenities such as pool and family-friendly).

Watch the below video for a recent staycation we did with some super fun local attractions and a night over at a budget-friendly hotel with pool!
If you're in the Tri State Area, you can't go wrong with Crystal Springs Resort in New Jersey. Glorious tropical-esque indoor pool, delicious food, spa, classes and activities, near ski slopes - just perfection!! Click to read our summer & winter stay reviews or watch the embedded highlights videos below!

Extra Considerations...
  • the COVID situation is very fluid - vaccination and testing requirements are changing frequently so be sure to check with the resort, city, state, and country (the local US Consulate's webpage generally has up to date info). Some countries are still closed to tourists. Others still have quarantines required. Panama, for example, currently requires 72 hour quarantine if unvaccinated, which took it off the table for me since we're traveling with a family with an unvaccinated 3 year old. Also, some amenities are not being offered currently. If booking a hotel primarily for its kids club or pool, for example, be sure to call first and confirm it's actually available for guests.
  • Budget Airlines & Cheap Flights - these can cut flying costs tremendously and are worth considering. But also note they tend to have less flights and airline alliances, meaning if your flight gets canceled, you could have a longer delay and less options than if you flew with a bigger airline. Still, worth looking into Frontier Airlines (who flies out of Stewart Airport in New Windsor NY - an amazing option for those in Hudson Valley like me), Spirit Airlines, and SouthWest because the bang for the buck is just crazy good! But it's bare bones travel - you'll pay extra for any little thing such as checked bag (maybe even carry on bag larger than a small backpack!), assigned seat, etc. To get notified of amazing flight deals with the bigger airlines (up to 90% off fares!!), be sure to sign up to Scott's Cheap Flights newsletter!!
  • Travel insurance: This is worth purchasing for any trip, especially foreign travel. Make sure to consider your need for emergency medical expenses, expenses related to flight cancellations and lost luggage, and potential last minute trip cancellation or required quarantine at hotel & postponed returned flight due to unexpected positive covid test!
  • Consider using a travel agent. My mom friend Denise is amazing, knows the ins and outs, can curate your PERFECT trip, and on top of that has access to great promotions not available to the general public! Reach out to her to discuss your next vacation through her company Travel Brilliant!
  • Get cash back with Rakuten!! Join for free and add it to your browser and you'll get huge amounts of cash back for most websites - when booking travel, shopping, etc!! That's on top of whatever cash back or incentives you get through your credit card!
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    About Me ^_^

    I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1).  This blog is chock full of product reviews, family travel guides, and giveaways galore! It's also home to Bay Ridge Families, and several guides focused on kid-friendly activities and guides to South Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, as well as family-friendly destinations beyond the NYC area (check the menu bar!)

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