Things to Do in NYC With Kids: The Ultimate Vacation Guide for Families

We might be biased (after all, Nugget is based in New York), but we think there is no place in the world like New York City and every family should visit at least once. No matter your family’s interests, you will find an abundance of things to do that you and your kids will enjoy. And, many of these activities are free. So even though lodging in New York can be expensive (both for residents and visitors!), with a little planning, your day-to-day expenses don’t have to break the bank. New York is also a very walkable city, with something new to discover around every corner.

Awe-inspiring buildings, phenomenal playgrounds, plethora of transit modes and kid-focused activities 

World-class museums, stunning architecture, terrific people-watching, delicious food

Midtown Manhattan might be where most major hotel chains are located, but we believe there are better places to stay with kids. The Upper West Side (UWS) makes a terrific home base. It’s much greener and calmer, but you still have plenty of food options, including grocery stores. Instead of fighting the crowds first thing in the morning, you can grab a coffee, walk through Central Park, and then jump on the subway for your day of adventure. If you are close to one of the express subway lines, you can be anywhere in the city in 15-30 minutes. 

Tribeca is another good place to stay with family when visiting New York. You don’t have Central Park, but there are still green spaces and playgrounds to choose from along the waterfront. Overall, this neighborhood will delight parents with amazing coffee shops, boutique stores and charming cobbled streets, while kids will enjoy some sweet treats from some of NYC’s best bakeries. Further downtown, the Conrad Hotel in Battery City is one of Beth’s favorites. And it’s right by Rockefeller Park, where your kids will find some of the best playgrounds in Manhattan. 

If you want to stay in Midtown, consider a hotel near Bryant Park. Your kids will love riding on the carousel and exploring the NY Public Library’s kids section. In the summer, enjoy a game of mini golf, and in winter you’ll find NY’s only free ice-skating rink. There is also a Whole Foods for any grocery needs and a number of bakeries and coffee stores close by.

We think spring and early fall are the best times to visit New York with kids. Temperatures are mild, humidity is low and there are fewer crowds. If your family can handle the heat and humidity, July and August are also good months as free activities for families can be found all over town, from free concerts to movie screenings. Or, how about a picnic in the park as you listen to the Metropolitan Opera? Summer months also bring to life the fun water features at New York’s playgrounds. Your kids will love splashing around and running through fountains and sprinklers. Also, many New Yorkers leave the city during this time of year, so finding a vacation rental might be easier. And while Christmas in the Big Apple has a certain appeal, the crowds (especially in Midtown Manhattan) can be maddening. We wouldn’t recommend it with younger kids. 

For a special cultural treat, try to visit at the beginning of the Chinese New Year and join the festivities in Lower Manhattan’s Chinatown. Your kids will love the dragon dancers and the confetti cannons that turn the streets into a sea of bright colors. Just be mindful of the noise that comes with the celebration. This is not an experience for children with sensory sensitivity. It’s very loud.

Another fun thing to do with kids in NYC that they will surely remember forever is visiting during Halloween. The Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope hosts what many believe is the largest children’s Halloween parade in the U.S. Trick-or-treating amongst the historic brownstones has its own charm that parents and kids will enjoy alike.

Last but not least, Thanksgiving is also a good time to visit. Beth recommends you skip the parade and instead watch the inflation of the balloons the night before. It’s less crowded and watching the giant balloons come to life is magical. 

One of the most iconic sights in New York for kids is the Statue of Liberty. Depending on your schedule and budget, there are different options to experience this must-see sight. For families who want the full experience, Beth suggests taking the ferry to the island. If you want to visit the crown, you will have to buy tickets in advance (up to 6 months). Tickets are available year-round, so check early! If you want to see the statue but don’t need to get up right close, the cheapest (free) way to do so is via the Staten Island ferry. The ferry leaves from downtown Manhattan and the ride is free. In Staten Island, you have to get off the boat, but after a short walk through the terminal you can board the next ferry back to Manhattan. You can also see the Statue of Liberty and much more of Manhattan from the Circle Line Cruises — they often have special family cruises with entertainment for kids onboard. Another fun way to see the statue is from Governors Island.

One of our favorite weekend activities as New Yorkers with kids is visiting Governors Island. Located in the harbor of New York, this former marine station is now home to tons of activities for families, including a unique adventure playground for kids to build their own wooden structures, a farm, and lots of incredible views of the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty. We think it is one of the best parks in NYC, and it’s just a short ferry ride from downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn. So, if you are looking for a day of downtime and a unique thing to do with kids in New York, spend at least half a day on Governors Island. You’ll be able to rent bikes or even a surrey for the whole family!

On Saturdays, the ferry to Governors Island is free before 12 pm! 

New York is surrounded by water and taking a ferry ride is a unique way to experience the Manhattan skyline that your entire family will appreciate. Beth recommends you take the East River ferry, which lets you ride the entire East River for the price of a subway ticket. You will get to ride underneath the Brooklyn Bridge and see all of New York’s most famous buildings. And your kids will love spotting police boats, helicopters and Jet Skis in the water. 

Plus, be on the lookout for some of New York’s finest playgrounds along the water. Beth highly recommends a stop at Domino Park, which boasts a playground inspired by the sugar silos that used to flank the East River. There’s also a fun splash pad to cool off in the summer months and an outdoor restaurant, Tacocina, serving tacos for a quick and delicious bite. Another family-friendly stop along the ferry route is Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

Brooklyn Bridge Park is another family-friendly park in NYC your kids will love. Wrapped along the Brooklyn waterfront, this sprawling park offers stunning skyline views and enough activities to spend an entire day. Little kids will love to ride Jane’s Carousel or burn off their energy on one of the many playgrounds. Our favorite is the playground at Pier 6, one of the best in Brooklyn. Your kids will ride wooden trains and swoosh down giant slides through bamboo forests. In summer, this playground has also one of the best splash pads in New York with a natural river, a mini-pool and lots of spray features. Older kids may want to try bouldering or roller skating. Parents will love the abundance of photo opportunities. And everyone will love Ample Hill Ice Cream, which can be found in two locations in the park. We suggest you pack a picnic lunch and enjoy a leisurely half-day exploring the park. 

There’s probably enough museums in NYC to visit a new one every day of the year. Here is a list of our favorites. We don’t suggest you try and see them all on your first family trip to New York. Instead, pick a couple that resonate with your family‘s interests and the ages of your kids.

If your kids love dinosaurs, the American Museum of Natural History is a must-do. If they love animals, it’s also highly recommended. Space? Check! This museum truly offers something for everyone. But because of that, it can also get very busy on weekends and over the holidays. If you can visit in the morning on a weekday, you’ll have a much more pleasant experience. 

Admission is pay as you wish for the permanent exhibits, but only if you buy the tickets at the museum. If you buy tickets online or want add-on tickets for special exhibits, you will need to pay the full ticket price.

As one of the world’s most amazing museums with artifacts and works of art from all the great masters, the MET is also a wonderful museum to visit with kids, especially for those who are fascinated by mummies and ancient artifacts. They have a wonderful family program, with different free activities that the kids can enjoy while learning about the art and history of the museum.

Similar to the American Museum of Natural History, the MET offers a pay as you wish option for its entrance tickets.

With a new location in Greenwich Village, the Whitney is one of our favorite museums, featuring modern art and installations. They have a fantastic kids program on the weekends, and from there, you can quickly make your way to Pier 51, one of the great playgrounds of Hudson River Park, along the Hudson River. After a visit to the Whitney, you can walk along the High Line, where kids will enjoy having an overhead view of NYC bustling down below and explore the interactive and musical installations along the way. 

The New York City Transit Museum in Brooklyn is one of our favorites and is a quick and easy visit. It’s a great thing to combine with a visit to Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. Children will love exploring the old subway cars and taking a ride on a MTA city bus. It shows the history of the NY transit system and even shows the old turnstiles, a highlight for parents to see how artful they once were.

This was the first children’s museum, originally established in 1899, it has since grown and evolved into an interactive space curated for cultural, artistic and scientific experiences for children. With a NY “street” that features vendors and grocery stores and an amazing water lab where kids can immerse themselves in water play, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a great spot to visit for a few hours, especially on a rainy day. Beth recommends it for children 8 and under. 

For the aspiring artists, the CMA is a wonderful museum and studio, where kids can do hands-on art projects with an open art space or themed classes that you can join. Kids will love getting into the materials, while parents can comfortably enjoy seeing their kids’ creations while sipping a great coffee from a local coffee shop, such as one of our favorites, the Laughing Man Coffee & Tea. 

CMA offers pay as you wish admission on Thursday afternoons.

We love the Intrepid. It’s great for kids 3 and up and adults will love exploring the aircraft carrier. It’s a must-see for any visitor to New York and can easily be explored in a few hours. The top deck has dozens of old airplanes and helicopters, not to mention fighter jets as well! They also have a submarine that you can walk through — kids will love climbing through the portholes and exploring the sleeping cabins. Kids can test out an old helicopter and even go into a flight simulator, much to the delight of many parents and airplane-obsessed kids.

If you have a museum membership to a museum that’s part of the ASTC Travel Passport program, you’ll get free general admission to the Intrepid. For New York parents, this is, for example, the case if you have a membership to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum!

We believe the key to a successful city vacation with kids is giving them enough time to play between all the sightseeing. Thankfully, New York has incredible playgrounds close to almost all major attractions. So, reward your kids with a special playground visit and enjoy mingling with local families. Here are Beth’s and Ranjana’s favorite playgrounds in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

One of Beth’s favorite playgrounds in Manhattan is Heckscher Playground in Central Park. With loads of space to run and play, along with climbing structures, swings, slides and a great view of the ever-changing skyline along Central Park South. A bit further up the park, along the Upper West Side, you’ll find the accessible Toll Family Playground near the American Museum of Natural History and the Wild West Playground. Both have recently been renovated and have amazing splash pads to keep kids cool on warmer days. On the Upper East Side you’ll find the Ancient Playground, which is a great spot to stop after a visit to the MET. Check out this handy map of all the Central Park playgrounds. 

But, there are a lot more playgrounds outside of Central Park that are also worth a stop. One of the best playgrounds in Manhattan is in Rockefeller Park, near Battery Park City and the One World Observatory. Right around the corner, hidden amongst apartment buildings, you’ll also find a locals-in-the-know playground called Teardrop Park, which has one of the best water features in Manhattan and a giant slide for all adventure-seeking nuggets. The best playground in Manhattan for people-watching is Bleecker Playground in the West Village. And Magnolia Bakery is just around the corner, as are a number of delicious coffee shops. So, grab a sweet treat for you and the kids, and sip your latte while your kids make some local friends. 

Brooklyn also has no shortage in incredible playgrounds. Beth highly recommends the playground at Domino Park in Williamsburg. The park is also home to a very popular splash pad.

Maybe the best water feature in Brooklyn is at the playground at Pier 6 at Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is also home to a wooden train and giant slides built into a bamboo forest. On the other end of Brooklyn Bridge Park, in Dumbo, there is also Mainstreet Playground, with a giant ship for little ones to explore.

New York has no shortage of restaurants, many of which are surprisingly kid-friendly. For something even more memorable, here is a list of restaurants that Beth recommends and also come with a kid-approved entertainment factor.

Beth’s 7-year-old’s favorite restaurant is Ninja New York — it is a dining experience like nothing else! Magicians will come to your table and ninjas will pop out of the ceiling and surprise you. Luckily, you can tell them what level of “surprise” you’re comfortable with.

Panna II Garden is a tiny Indian restaurant in the East Village that is entirely decorated in twinkle lights in all shapes and forms. It’s a blinking, twinkling feast for the eyes. As it is a small space, keep your group small and make sure that younger kids are comfortable being squished in with other diners. It’s a cheap and cheerful meal for the whole family. Note that it’s cash only.

There are four similar-looking restaurants right next to each other. Panna II is the one at the top right. Don’t let the guys from the other three lookalikes whisk you inside the wrong restaurant.

If you’re in Times Square and want to enjoy a true NYC diner, then Ellen’s Stardust Diner is an experience your family will never forget. It has lots of space, comfortable booths and all the waitstaff are aspiring Broadway actors. They will belt out show tunes and serenade you over your soup. 

If you have set your eyes on one of the fancier restaurants in town but are unsure about bringing your kids, here are a few tips from our local experts. For popular places, lunch is always a good option with kids, because you are more likely to score a table and less likely to ruin someone’s date night. If you decide on dinner, try to go early, before 6 pm, and let them know when you book that you have a child (also, let them know if you need a high chair in advance). 

If you have time to plan ahead, check out our friends at Nibble and Squeak, a dining club that organizes amazing dining events for families at top restaurants in NYC and beyond. You’ll get to eat Michelin-star food with your child happily enjoying the company of other kids and you not feeling any worry or guilt! Bon appétit!

Beth Beckman lives with her husband, her son and their dog, Hot Dog, in Manhattan. She has called New York home for almost two decades and considers the entire city her backyard. She is a photographer, a writer, a Nugget contributor and a self-proclaimed explorer with a dire case of FOMO, the fear of missing out. She loves to see everything and do everything, ideally with her seven-year-old son in tow. You can follow their adventures in and around New York on her site, Little Kid, Big City. And, soon there will even be a children‘s book series of their adventures. Beth also curates FOMO-inducing activities for the popular Instagram handles @fomofeed and @fomofeedkids. You can also follow her at @littlekidnyc.