Things to do

Holiday, New York City Kids, Sponsored, Things to do
HGTV Santa HQ at Queens Center Mall Experience
- 3:50 pm
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- by Adanna Dill
Before I became a mom, I remember walking past all the families visiting Santa at the mall with their well-dressed kids during the holidays and thinking to myself that one day I will be that mom too. The holidays are different with kids, it’s a little more magical, and although in our home we’re honest with our kids about Santa’s existence, we still love him for a photo opp every year. A few of the moms in our neighborhood here in Queens have been encouraging me to try HGTV Santa HQ at Queens Center Mall for sometime now. They’ve taken their kids a few times and loved it, and since I trust their judgment, I decided to take my toddler this week. It was terrific, and I wanted to share my experience at HGTV Santa HQ at Queens Center Mall for those of you planning to make reservations.

What makes HGTV Santa HQ at Queens Center Mall different?

I’ve been a mom for 9 years now and most Santa visits are basically the same—your family lines up to see Santa, snap a pic, print your photo, pay and go your merry way. HGTV Santa HQ was definitely different from beginning to end. As a modern mom, I love, love, love how creatively HGTV Santa HQ integrates technology into a tradional experience to make it fun for the family.

Naughty or Nice Meter

I was impressed from the moment we started with the Naughty or Nice Meter. I loved seeing my toddler’s name up on the nice list and I could tell from other kids it was really exciting to see their names on the interactive board.

Elf Academy

Next we moved on to the Elf Academy which is the newest addition to Santa HQ. There we transformed into one of Santa’s elves by looking into the Magic Mirror at the Elf Academy using augmented reality. We were able to pick different elves styles as well as different outfits. There are tablets available to create a customized Elf ID with information like name, favorite food etc. that you can text or email to yourself.

Santa Observatory

My daughter loved Santa’s Observatory where she was able to operate Santa’s sleigh and explore more augmented reality vision experiences where you could see Santa’s elves busy at work preparing presents.

After Santa’s Observatory, we moved on to Santa who was waiting with a book to read to my daughter. We went during the week so it wasn’t busy when we went and Santa didn’t rush us off. This was definitiely one of the nicer Santa’s we’ve met and he walked around and greeted everyone.

Overall HGTV’s Santa HQ was a fun way for our family to bond during our holiday visit with Santa this year. I appreciated the state-of-the-art digital technology and the beautiful design. This holiday experience is good mix of fun, family, home, and traditions with the help of some of our favorite HGTV personalities.

Fast Pass

I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve stood on line for over one hour to see Santa with my kids in the past. I love that HGTV Santa HQ offers a Fast Pass so we can spend our time enjoying our loved ones during the hoildays and not on a long line waiting. Head here to secure your fast pass and prepurchase a photo package and choose from a 30 minute window to use the Fast Pass. When you purchase it, you can also sign up for text alerts in regards to your Fast Pass.

Location

You can find a Santa HQ location close to you here. As I mentioned I went to Queens Center Mall in Elmhurst, Queens. Here are a few things to know if you want to check out that location:

Where?

Queens Center Mall

You can find Santa HQ on L2 Centercourt across from the Starbucks.

Dates

November 7th, 2019 to Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2019.

Breakfast with Santa PJ Party Event

Breakfast with Santa PJ Party December 7th from 8:00 am -10:00 am in the Food Court (Kids Club). There will be a DJ and a special dance performance from All-Star Studios.

HGTV’s Help Through Holiday Giving Drive

HGTV’s Help Through Holiday Giving Drive is the perfect way to show kids how to give back to the community. You can donate toys

for underserved children during the holiday season. In past years, HGTV’s Help Through Holiday Giving has collected more than

66,000 toys benefiting local organizations such as Forgotten Angel Tree,

Salvation Army Angel Tree, Toys for Tots, and Spark of Love Stuff a Bus.

I hope this information helps your family have a fun experience at HGTV Santa HQ Queens Center Mall!

Find more ideas of fun things to do with kids in NYC during the holidays here!
Activities, Family Travel, Motherhood, Things to do
Apple picking near NYC
- 2:46 pm
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- by Adanna Dill
Apple picking near NYC

We went apple picking near NYC this weekend and had the best, best, best time! As big-city residents that mean a ride either by train or car was necessary with most farms at least 1 hour and 30 minutes outside of the city. We looked up at least 8 farms in the area and settled on Apple Dave’s Farm in Warwick, NY. Although, we never visited before there were so many good reviews we decided to just try it.

Getting to apple picking near NYC.

We drove there and it took us two hours each way to go apple picking near NYC from Queens. You can also take the MetroNorth to a nearby station and an Uber/Lyft to the farm.

Things to do at Apple Dave’s Farm.

This was one of the most fun farm experiences we’ve had so far! There were many different activities for everyone in the family. If you check out our vlog, you would see that my baby loved the puppet show, there was also live music, apple cider donuts, wagon rides, shopping, walking paths, a pumpkin patch, apple orchards with twelve varieties of apples. They also have a vineyard and craft beer but we didn’t try the alcohol.

Cost

There is no admission fee to the farm but you pay for a bag before going to the orchards. You can select either a small or large bag and then fill it with apples. The small bag of apples is $16 and the big bag of apples is $30. You pay for your apples when you leave the orchard.

Since we don’t have the opportunity often to take advantage of such a beautiful backdrop as the apple orchards we took the opportunity to get some fall family photos. It was really fun getting photos of the kids in all of their excitement and capturing the fun of the moment. I love those real-life captures of kids. This is a really good time of year to get some family photos.

We had a really good time and we plan to return to Apple Dave’s again next fall for more fun.

Did you go apple picking this year?

Looking for a pumpkin patch in NYC? Check out our favorite farm in Long Island
Family Travel, Motherhood, Things to do
Things to do with NYC Kids this Fall
- 1:36 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
Things to do with NYC Kids this Fall!

I’m not exactly thrilled about it but fall is almost here and if you’re anything like me, you’re already looking for fun things to do with NYC kids this fall. My list isn’t as long as my summer list and isn’t completely free but everything is affordable and well worth the fun and memories.

Brooklyn’s Book Festival Children’s Day

Brooklyn’s Book Festival Children’s Day at MetroTech Commons, Downtown Brooklyn on September 21, 2019. Authors will be there to read, perform, sing, and play music at the Picture Book Stage. One of our favorite authors Mo Willems will be there so we are beyond excited.

Randall’s Island Harvest Festival

The Randall’s Island Harvest Festival will be on October 6, 2019, from 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Fields 62 and 63. It’s a family fun day with lots of activities that your kids would love. More info here!

Queens County Farm Fall Events

We’re huge fans of the Queens County Farm! During the fall there are so many fun things to do there with your family. Here are a few:

The Amazing Maize Maze®
Sat & Sun, September 21–October 26; Mon, October 14, 2019

Maze by Moonlight®
Sat, October 12 & 19, 2019
4:30 pm–9:00 pm

Harvest Weekends
Sat & Sun, October 5–26; Mon, October 14, 2019
11:00 am–4:30 pm

Queens Farm Pumpkin Patch
Sat & Sun, October 5–26; Mon, October 14, 2019
11:00 am–4:30 pm

Haunted Farmhouse
Sat, October 26, 2019
1:00 pm–7:00 pm

Children’s Halloween Festival
Sun, October 27, 2019
11:00 am–4:00 pm

Haunted Maze and Pumpkin Patch at Schmitt Farm

If you drive or willing to take the LIRR and an Uber in Long Island visit the Schmitt Farm for some fall fun. We had so much fun there last fall and plan on returning again. The farm was about 40 minutes drive for us from Queens. They have lots of different activities from Pumpkin Patch to a haunted house, hayride, and a haunted maze. They also sell fall-flavored treats there. One thing, be careful crossing the street from the parking lot.

What’s your favorite thing to do with kids in NYC during the fall?