Make this winter in New York super fun with 5 unique winter activities to add a little more magic to your day. These experiences are equally fun for the whole family, but also make for a unique date night as well!  So no matter if you’re looking for something different to do on a Saturday night with your significant other or bffs, or an activity to keep the kids occupied while off from school, there’s something for everyone!

Indulge in a Magical Holiday Afternoon Tea at Ann Tremet Cake

There’s something about tea time that feels special, even more so when all the treats are festive and you can sub out your tea for a pot of hot chocolate!

At Ann Tremet Cake, indulge in their Holiday Afternoon Tea which comes with a combination of sweet and savory treats, as well as a pot of tea or hot cocoa. But that’s not all. Where most afternoon high teas would stop there, at Ann Tremet Cakes you also get to pick full sized pastries from their display with flavor options ranging from banana chocolate caramel to lychee apricot.  While you can’t go wrong with any of them, we highly recommend the lychee apricot!

The three-tiered stand which they’ll bring out for you to enjoy is full of whimsical treats that aren’t just adorable, but completely delicious.  Bursting with flavor, we were amazed by the tastes and textures, each bite a fun surprise.

Starting with the savory, the zucchini bacon and sundried tomato mushroom cake salés are delicious and we could not believe how strongly the flavors really came through – much more flavorful than any other savory bread we’ve ever tasted.  You also get a selection of mini open faced sandwiches and a mozzarella and tomato skewer.

The dessert is where this Holiday Afternoon Tea really shines, with mini pumpkin cheesecakes, delicious scones, fantastic gingerbread men and the cutest holiday themed macarons!  You’ll also enjoy some meringue Christmas trees (which pair well with hot cocoa) and some amazing cookies too. We recommend grabbing a reservation early, as this quaint spot books up quickly!

Wander Through A World of Wonder and Lights at LuminoCity’s Holiday Light Festival

LuminoCity’s Holiday Light Festival does more than just put up gorgeous light installations, it creates immersive experiences full of wonder.

Winter activities inspired by the annual lantern festival from her home in Zigong China, founder Xiaoyi Chen wanted to bring that joyful experience and mystical ambiance to the US.  Bridging traditional lantern-making techniques with more modern, holiday vibes, Chen creates magical worlds full of wonder and delight.  This year you can catch different Holiday Light Festivals in New York, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, where Chen is able to capture the holiday spirit in all of us.The New York festival is located on Long Island, a short train ride away from the city, but this magical world feels much further than that.

Start off on your magical journey in their own version of Alice in Wonderland.  With surprises at every turn, wander through a field of flowers with some unique features and dozens of  light up butterflies, flapping their wings. Then walk through a tunnel of cards, take a photo with the white rabbit and find your way under a dark path of flowers that inflate and light up as you walk through. While you’re there, let your kids slide down the incredible heart castle and have a seat in the horse drawn carriage, if you need a minute to rest your feet.

Next head under the sea and walk through a dolphin arch and a giant crab, while checking out the sea creatures created by children and brought to life in LuminoCity lanterns.  There are also jellyfish which put on a colorful light show, a surfboard on a big wave and even a clam shell photo opp.

Finish your night off at Santa’s village, chock full of holiday characters, cold weather friends and large gift-shaped lanterns galore.  Not to mention of course their gigantic light up tree. This is a great place to bring some holiday joy to your little ones. With so many sculptures, it’s hard to spot them all!

This is an amazing experience with a ton to see and lots to explore, perfect to bring the whole family for a magical night out.  The Holiday Lights Festival is running in NY till January 7th.

LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival

Step Inside Van Gogh’s Most Famous Painting at Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience

At Beyond Van Gogh: The immersive Experience, you have the opportunity to “see a 19th century artist through a 21st century lens.”  Jump into Vincent Van Gogh’s most famous paintings and get a glimpse into his world.

Created by French-Canadian creative director Mathieu St-Arnaud and his team, the exhibits are projected on every surface and come alive as the elements of the paintings begin swirling and gliding around you.

Featuring over 300 works of art, spanning over 30,000 square feet, you’ll experience Van Gogh like never before through music, movement and even brush strokes. Rather than just looking at his paintings from afar, Beyond Van Gogh allows you to get a new perspective, as if you jumped into the paintings themselves!  You’ll also get a glimpse of the man behind the paintbrush through his notes and letters to understand more about the artist himself.

Be sure to catch Beyond Van Gogh as well as their other exhibit, Beyond Monet, at the Samanea Mall, formerly known as the Source Mall out on Long Island.  The show is running from now until January 2nd. so hurry to add it to your winter activities list.

Try Your Hand at Making Truffles at Roni-Sue’s Chocolates

What better way to spend an afternoon than a hands-on chocolate making class? Ronie-Sue’s Chocolates offers an array of chocolate and sweet treat making classes perfect for all ages (as well as a guided tasting class to learn about the subtleties of our favorite confectionery treat!)

After taking an adult education class for fun, Roni-Sue’s Chocolates owner, Rhonda Kave found her calling!  What started off as a fun hobby making holiday gifts, turned into a full fledged chocolate business.  In 2007, Kave opened her chocolate shop serving delectable treats inspired by classic flavors, popular cocktails, and some completely unique combinations as well (like bacon caramel!) Taking it one step further, Kave visited Belize to source local artisan chocolates and co-founded MOHO Chocolate Company to not only produce amazing chocolate, but they are also  committed to supporting local farmers and artisans.

The Make & Take Chocolate Truffle Class is a 2 hour small class where participants learn how to make a decadent ganache and transform that into delectable truffles with seasonal and classic flavors including peppermint, raspberry, pomegranate, cacao with red chile, ginger snap, and more.  You’ll learn the ins and outs of making these delicious chocolates as well as a few options to take the recipe up a notch at home.

The class includes many other chocolate treats you get to create and taste from chocolate covered fruit to ganache frosted cupcakes.  The best part? Everyone goes home with a full box of truffles and some extra ganache to make a second batch and recreate them again at home!

Roni-Sue’s Chocolates hosts classes each month which anyone can sign up for.  She also offers private classes, which are great for team-building, parties and large groups.  To learn more about trying your hand at becoming a chocolatier or simply stop by the shop to pick up some sweet treats!

Jump, Play, and Feel Like a Kid Again at the Balloon Museum: Let’s Fly 

Imagine a museum featuring over a dozen and a half exhibits that you can climb through, dive into, touch, hug and even knock down.

Originating in Rome and featured on the hit Netflix show Emily in Paris, this unique museum has landed in New York City on Pier 36. Every exhibit pays homage to inflatables, each with its own unique twist. Balloon Museum, Let’s Fly is amazing for kids of all ages and is one of the winter activities that really brings out the inner child in all of us.

To enter the museum you’ll first visit an outdoor inflatable surreal world full of bright colors, shapes and symbols, as well as 4 igloos which you can hang out in or just roll around the giant balls.  This outdoor area was designed by artist Camilla Falsini who was looking to create “a utopian place where the public can play and interact with  artworks… where acid colors and Pop motifs coexist.”

From there you’ll move inside and walk through an LED tunnel of hypnotizing abstract patterns from Ouchhh digital design studios, meet the GINJOS, which are wobbly colorful characters you can walk through and even push down to watch them spring back up designed by artist Rub Kandy aka Mimmo Rubino, and even draw on the walls by way of a large clear balloon covered in charcoals that create a pattern as it rolls around the room, in an exhibit entitled ADA designed by revolutionary artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski. There is also a ball pit with it’s own light show, a room filled with bubbles and some amazingly impressive balloon sculptures, perfect for impressive social media photos. Running from now through January 14th.

Balloon Museum