New York City has such a wide range of activities for families! From the famous Central Park to some of the best museums we’ve visited. There are so many family-friendly Broadway shows and lots of child-centred shops. It truly is a great city for a family trip.
Central Park
Central Park is the largest public park in NYC (it occupies an area of 840 acres!) So many of the attractions in this beautiful park were created especially with kids in mind. The Central Park Zoo (as kids may already be familiar with from the film Madagascar) is a great option and has a special part dedicated to kids called Tisch Children’s Zoo which has a petting zoo, a small theatre and an enchanted forest habitat.
The Marionette Theatre is located at the Swedish Cottage and hosts shows such as Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.
There are actually 21 different playgrounds located within this park, all with their own unique theme and design. The traditional Central Park Carousel is open April-October and which is always a great option. You can also rent a rowboat and go out on the lake in the spring and summer months and spot the swans and ducks up close! Another great activity around the lake is model boat sailing which are available to rent at Conservatory Water. Each summer there is storytelling around the site of the Hans Christian Anderson Statue as well which is loved by locals and tourists alike. Lasker pool offers free admission to swim and is a favourite summertime family attraction.
If you are visiting over winter there is still lots to do! The Wollman and Lasker Rinks are open daily for ice skating from late October to late March and you can warm yourselves up with a hot chocolate at the nearby café afterwards.
One entrance to the park is very close to the American Museum of Natural History so combining these two in your itinerary makes sense.
Battery Park
Located right at the bottom of Manhattan, this area has great views towards the Statue of Liberty and you will probably be down this end if you’re getting on the Staten Island Ferry to see this (this is free and is definitely the best value way to see the amazing Statue of Liberty!) You can find the amazing Battery Playscape kids playground here - our kids loved playing here on our last trip. This is so well designed and opened year round and a great spot to let the kids have a break from the sightseeing. You can also find the SeaGlass Carousel here (tickets are a very reasonable $6) which is an absolutely beautiful aquarium-themed carousel which gives an immersive experience of movement, music and light. You can combine this park with a trip over to the nearby Fraunces Tavern if you’re hungry too.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Seeing the NYC skyline from above is a must-do when in the city and over the years we have visited viewpoints at the Empire State and Top of the Rock as well. Our top choice with kids though is definitely SUMMIT One Vanderbilt though as you get all of the usual wonderful views but it is combined with many interactive and immersive exhibits too which kids adore. One room is filled with inflatable silver balloons which are so much fun to play with for both adults and kids alike. This whole attraction was designed to appeal to families and we think is has stuck to this brief so well. We recommend booking in advance to ensure you don’t miss out if this is on your wish list. It’s right next to Grand Central Terminal so if you’re feeling hungry before or after then head over here for some great food choices!
New York Pass
New York can be an expensive city to visit but we’ve found a great way to help with this (especially if you’re new to visiting the city and want to see a lot of the main tourist sights) is to purchase the New York Pass. You can pick a 1-10 day duration (or pick the number of attractions you want to visit) but it lets you access so many of the top attractions, tours and experiences and you can save up to 50% vs buying tickets for these individually. We will not list everything included but highlights are the Empire State Building Observatory, the Edge, Top of the Rock, 9/11 Memorial Museum, Hop-on, Hop-off Bus, Natural History Museum, Madison Square Garden Tour, Bike Rental at Central Park and even tickets to see the New York Yankees! It also includes a NYC TV & Movie Bus tour which Greg and I have done before but the kids really want to do when we return this year.
-
American Museum of Natural History
One of the best Natural History Museums in the world - there is so much to see here. This museum served as the inspiration for the Night at the Museum films so you can go on the search for things familiar to the kids from these films.
-
Broadway Shows
There are so many shows suitable for kids and some popular choices include The Lion King, Aladdin, Wicked and many more! If you have a certain show you want to see then you’re best to book tickets ahead of time but if you’re not set on one particular show then you can get some bargains from the TKTS booths on the day with up to 50% off.
-
Rockefeller Center
There is a variety of kid-friendly things to do here from the Top of the Rock to the Ice Rink. You can shop at FAO Schwarz and drop into the Jellycat Diner inside of here and there are lots of family friendly dining options. Catch a Radio City Hall Rockettes show or even do an NBC studio tour which gives you an inside look at how your favourite shows come to life inside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
-
Brooklyn Bridge
This famous suspension bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn and is a great place for kids to explore with a pedestrian walkway offering beautiful views of the city and river. Walking across the bridge is a really fun family activity and is completely free which is always a winner!
-
Times Square
Take in the dazzling light and bustling crowds in NYC’s heart. There are so many great shops that kids will love here including The Disney Store, Hershey’s Chocolate World, It’Sugar, Line Friends M&M’s World and Pelé Soccer. Lots of great restaurant choices here too - The Olive Garden has a great view down into Times Square.
-
The High Line
The High Line is a iconic urban park which provides visitors with unique experiences, spectacular view and it s a great family-friendly adventure! From lush gardens to creative art installations there are also many interactive exhibits here. It takes around 2 hours to walk in full but you can just walk a part of it so check out ahead of time which part would work best for your family!
Shopping
We can’t talk about the city and not mention the shopping! This city has absolutely everything you could need and there are some great stores specifically when planning trips with kids. We’ve already mentioned FAO Schwarz (at the Rockefeller Center) and some of the big Times Square stores (Disney Store, M&M’s World, Hersheys and more) but there are so many other great shops for families. Out of the big department stores our favourite for families is Macy’s Herald Square. This has a Toys ‘R’ Us section and at Christmas it has the magical winter wonderland where you can meet Santa (and made famous in films such as Elf and Miracle on 34th Street). 5th Avenue not only has the best fashion shops but includes The Lego Store, NBA Store and American Girl Doll Store - both of which are huge hits with kids. If you’re after a great kids book store then check out Books of Wonder (close to the Flatiron Building) which is a fantastic independent bookstore which focusses entirely on classic and new children’s books. We also all love Dylan’s Candy Bar which is a great spot to get some sweet treats.
