New Yorkers Make Best Of Snow With Sledding In Brooklyn, Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- What a difference a day makes.
As CBS2's Elise Finch reported, the massive snowfall made for a fun day in Central
Park as people took advantage of the weekend to play in the snow.
On Sunday, hilly areas of Central Park were packed with people and their sleds, looking to make use of the snow in the best way they knew how -- sledding!
Some kids demonstrated their technique, and shared their methods to getting the best trip down the snowy hills.
"First I check if there's anyone in the way, and then usually I'll start sitting up, and if I feel like it's comfortable enough, I'll go on my belly or something," Paige Rosenthal, 9, said.
Some kids said it's all about the speed.
"I like when there are really, really steep hills," Kate Romalewski, 9, said. "...You just go 'woosh!'"
In Brooklyn, families were out sledding in Fort Greene.
"The snow is fantastic for sledding," one father told 1010 WINS' Steve Kastenbaum. "Probably a few bumps and bruises, but happy ones."
According to medical professionals, as fun as sledding is, the activity results in thousands of injuries every year. Doctors recommend using proper sleds -- not trays, laundry baskets or pieces of cardboard -- to help avoid injury.
"Making sure the ground is clean -- there's no stumps or logs or rocks," Dr. Darshan Patel, Chief of Emergency Pediatric Medicine at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital, said.
Dr. Patel also recommends children wear proper clothing while going out in the cold and snow to prevent potential illness, adding that children should dress in layers, and have their hands and feet covered while playing outside.
"Children are very excited to go out and start playing, we want to make sure they are well protected in terms of their clothing," Dr. Patel said.
Helmets are also highly-recommended to help protect against head injury, which are more common during sledding accidents.