and ice bumper cars, at least one annual
trip to Canalside is a must. Skate rentals
are available, as well as traditional metal
skate aids, but for the youngest members
of your group the new penguin skate
aids are the cutest thing around. Check
their website for activity hours (which
are extended during winter break).
Family-Friendly Cures for
CABIN FEVER
F
— by Lisa Littlewood
or many of us, by mid-Febru-
ary, the giddiness of the first
snowfall has lost its glimmer,
prompting us to start counting down
the days of what can feel like an eternal
winter. Combine that winter restlessness
with our children’s impending Febru-
ary break and a good case of cabin fever
quickly sets in for the entire family.
But, we all know the best cure for
cabin fever, right?
Venturing outside for a little fresh
air and exercise, despite the cold, truly
is the best antidote to the winter blues.
So, in an effort to encourage you and
your family to try something new out-
side this month, we’ve compiled a list of
family friendly activities to help you get
through… or even better, embrace… the
winter season in all of its cold, but ma-
jestic beauty.
Grab Your Snow Tubes
Sledding is one of the most inex-
pensive and easiest ways to get everyone
outdoors, especially if you have little
kids. While there are many small, local
parks with great sledding hills, the best
larger hills can be found at Como Park
(Lancaster), Elma Meadows, Akron
Falls, Sprague Brook Park, Beaver Is-
land and Chestnut Ridge.
Como Park, Chestnut Ridge and
Elma Meadows offer heated casinos
and indoor restrooms which, speaking
from experience, can make or break an
outing with little ones who often need a
6 WNY Family February 2019
break from the cold and snow. A thermos
of hot cocoa, along with a quick snack,
is essential for a kid favorite afternoon,
so make sure to pack them with your
gloves and hats.
If you want to try something a little
higher speed, and don’t mind the ride,
Holiday Valley Tubing in Ellicottville
is a fully equipped tubing park with 22
lanes that are 900 feet long and boast a
100-foot vertical drop. Their brand new
conveyor belt lift means you get to hop
on at the bottom with your tube and
glide to the top of the mountain (think
airport conveyor belt, but outside). The
park includes a Little Tubers area for
small children, as well as a warming hut
at the base of the hill with a fireplace,
snack bar and restrooms.
The park is open Thursdays and
Fridays from 4:30pm-9:30pm, Satur-
days from 11am-9pm, and Sundays
from 11am-6pm. There will be extended
hours during the February break. Check
the website for details.
Get Your Skates On
Whether you’re steady on skates or
not, ice-skating is a relatively inexpen-
sive way to get everyone outdoors. And,
honestly, letting your kids watch you
stumbling around the rink on skates will
make for great laughs and memories.
For outdoor skating, Canalside has
become one of the area’s top destina-
tions. Given that their expanded activi-
ties list now includes curling, ice bikes,
Rotary Rink is another downtown
skating option, which offers a slightly
smaller and more intimate space. While
Canalside is a ton of fun, it can some-
times feel overwhelming depending on
your kid’s personalities and ages, mak-
ing Rotary Rink, which is completely
free of charge if you bring your own
skates, a good alternative.
The Healthy Zone Rink located
in East Aurora is an outdoor rink with
a pavilion-style overhead covering, of-
fering the experience of outdoor skating
with some protection from the wind and
snow. The rink offers open public skat-
ing on Friday and Saturday evenings
from 7-8:45pm. and Sundays from 1pm-
2:20pm, with additional daytime hours
during February break. They also offer
rentals and skate sharpening on site.
The following parks also offer out-
door skating rinks, but do not have skate
rentals: Akron Falls Park, Lewiston
Academy Park and Como Lake Park.
Take a Hike With
Boots or Snowshoes
While many of us include hiking
on our summer recreation bucket list,
it is often overlooked in the winter.
Yet, many of our local parks and na-
ture trails boast scenery just as beautiful
and exquisitely unique during the win-
ter months. While it is true that much
of the wildlife is sleeping, and most of
the trees have shed their leaves, the lack
of natural distraction allows you to see
further and notice details you might not
otherwise see.
If you’re looking for an event that
gives a birds eye view of outdoor win-
ter activities Reinstein Woods’ annual
Winter Wonderland on February 2nd
is a great place to start. The event, which
runs from 12pm-4pm, includes an ice
fishing demo, nature crafts, snow art,
a Wildlife Winter Survival Hike, and