March is famous for coming in like a lion and going out like a lamb but in Central New York, that pesky lion-like weather might stick around until May. On cold, rainy spring days, taking kids outside can be tough, so in our locale, families spend a lot of time indoors.
For young children (and their parents or guardians), staying cooped up inside the house is often challenging. Luckily, we have fantastic play spaces and children’s museums for a change of scenery where kids can run around, get creative and use their imaginations.
With exciting activities like educational games, science experiments, natural wonders, climbing structures and hands-on crafts, these eight colorful venues will brighten up any muddy (or snowy) spring day.
Most of these venues offer membership options, which makes visiting frequently easy. If your family has a public assistance card, you may be eligible for free or discounted membership or admission at some locations. Each of the sites (except the library) host birthday parties, too, so you don’t have to worry about how to keep guests occupied.
P.S. Don’t forget socks. Some of these have shoe-free zones.
Little Village Play
Imagine a miniature village that’s just for young children, with small buildings and scaled-down roads. Walk into Little Village Play in Manlius and you will find that perfect little town. With a construction zone and veterinarian office, kids can try “grown-up” jobs. They can drive a car, run a diner or go grocery shopping while parents join in or enjoy free coffee in the seating area. Little Village Play organizes special events and classes regularly.
Take advantage of Kids’ Night Out, which provides a supervised play session and pizza from 5 to 7:30 p.m. so you can enjoy a quiet dinner or a couple hours to yourself.
Ideal Age: 0-6
119 W. Seneca St., Manlius
Sciencenter
At the award-winning Sciencenter in Ithaca, excitement starts before kids enter the building. From the road, you can see a massive wooden play structure where children can experiment with bubbles, sound, sand and construction.
Inside the building, kids can host duck races at the water table, touch sea creatures at the Tidepool Tank or explore weather patterns in the Energy Gallery. Many of these interactive displays are crafted in-house by the Sciencenter’s team of exhibit developers. A new featured exhibition called Leonardo’s Lab takes inspiration from the art, inventions and ideas of Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci.
There’s a special local flair at the museum, too, with a pretend veterinarian office designed in partnership with Cornell and walls lined with artwork from local artists. If the weather isn’t too bad, walk the 1,200-meter-long Sagan Planet Walk (named for astronomer and Ithaca resident Carl Sagan); the downloadable audio tour is narrated by Bill Nye.
Ideal Age: 0-12
601 First St., Ithaca
Play Space
Upon entering Play Space in Auburn, children will walk into a huge, colorful space filled with entertaining stations. There’s a kid-sized Wegmans market; a pretend farm with hay, animals and wheelbarrow; a large wooden boat with life jackets and fishing pond; and a camping area.
In addition to these toddler and preschool attractions, Play Space accommodates a wide age range with a special baby area with soft toys and a big kids’ room with Lego bricks, crafts, puzzles and games. They have a “big movement room” where kids can burn energy on rainy days, and if it clears up, visit the outdoor play area with Baby Garden, trike track and other tactile activities.
Ideal Age: 0-8
100 North St., Suite 2, Auburn
KidSpace
Looking for hours of free fun? KidSpace at the Central Library in downtown Syracuse offers engaging play spaces for babies, toddlers and school-aged children. The First Steps area is designed for birth through age 2 with large mirrors, colorful decor, soft foam blocks and sensory toys.
For toddlers and school-aged children, the READytown space includes a playhouse, train table, Lego bricks, gear factory, market, giant building blocks and even a stage for aspiring actors. Older kids will enjoy the video and board games, and STEAM lab. The library schedules a weekly story time, and new craft kits and scavenger hunts are released each month.
Ideal Age: 0-12
447 S. Salina St., Syracuse
Little Ray’s Nature Centre
Travel into the wild at Little Ray’s Nature Centre, located inside Destiny USA. With more than 40 exhibits, you can explore reptiles, amphibians and mammals in a comfortable, indoor space. The nature center strives to create interactive experiences that engage kids and adults.
As you walk through the wildlife displays, you can ask staff members to open a habitat, and depending on the animal, they will let you interact with it. They give hourly live presentations so visitors can ask questions and pet the animals. Little Ray’s invites visitors to help with important conservation efforts through their animal adoption initiatives, habitat sponsorship, member programs and more.
Ideal Age: All ages
9090 Carousel Center, Syracuse
Children’s Museum of Oswego
With nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibits, the Children’s Museum of Oswego offers learning on many topics, but the local themes make this museum truly unique. Oswego is known for having wild weather, and the museum’s two-story Cloud Climber is a great way to teach kids about the local water cycle that creates rain and snow. Kids insert a “water vapor” scarf into a tube, then climb up the cloud structure to see it converted to raindrops.
Children can also learn about the canal lock system that spans Central New York at the museum’s massive water table or explore recycling at an exhibit sponsored by local business partner Novelis. The museum has special programming, engineering challenges and drop-off days available during school break weeks.
Ideal Age: 0-10
7 W. Bridge St., Oswego
The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST)
With one of the largest indoor play structures in Central New York, the MOST is a popular spot for kids to run, climb and play. Located in downtown Syracuse, the MOST has hands-on science and technology exhibits touching on life sciences, energy, earth science, gems and minerals, machines and makers, innovation and more.
There are also life-size animatronic dinosaurs, a five-level playhouse and the National Grid ExploraDome theater and planetarium. The newest exhibit, GROW lets kids and families explore agriculture, food distribution and sustainability with a pretend farmers market, tractor and trailer, and tactile crop field. The exhibit will expand in the summer.
The MOST schedules daily story times, sensory-friendly events and school break camps.
Ideal Age: 0-12
500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse
Playday Indoor Play and Parties
From playground structures to sensory stations, Playday in Liverpool has a range of activities to keep kids entertained for hours. There is a large open area, making it easy to watch your child as they take on the climbing structure, kitchen, market, construction zone, performance stage, dino dig and other amusements. Shelves filled with toys, games and books are scattered throughout. An area for babies includes a ball pit, learning tables, soft blocks and other items to discover.
Parents can play with their kids or watch from the coffee bar, which offers free coffee and Wi-Fi. Check the calendar for special events for both kids and parents.
Ideal Age: 0-6
4979 West Taft Rd., Liverpool
Editor’s note: The MOST is a nonprofit partner of This is CNY. A version of this story originally appeared in The Good Life, Central New York Magazine.
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