New York City with kids can be fun! NYC boasts a bundle of fun indoor and outdoor activities for kids of all ages. Less than a hop, skip, and a jump away from Fairfield County via train or car, it offers amusement during your staycation days and more than enough entertainment for a family overnight. Whether traveling with a toddler, tween, or teenager, a family of three or six, include some of the below activities on your next family trip into the city.
Brooklyn
Twinkle Playspace: An indoor, unique, and interactive playspace for ages six and under. They specialize in themed birthday parties and open play for toddlers and preschoolers.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum: NYC’s largest cultural institution designed especially for families. Sensory learning through hands-on experiences. Three floors of interactive exhibits for ages six months to ten years old.
Jane’s Carousel: A beautiful antique carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park is open to the public for rides, school field trips, and private parties.
Downtown and Soho
Sloomoo Institute: A 12000 square foot interactive playground of hand-crafted and artisanal build-your-own slime.
Seaglass Carousel: A 2,575 square foot pavilion with a huge chambered nautilus designed by wxy architects spirals and shines amid Battery Park’s flora.
FAO Schwarz: Walk around the iconic toy store where you can hug a life-sized bear or play on a piano with your feet!
The Color Factory: An interactive art museum in Soho with inventive and immersive art installations. Fun-filled rooms are committed to making people happy with color.
Museum of Ice Cream: A three-level playground filled with unlimited ice cream in Soho. Eat as much as you want and learn about the history of ice cream through multi-sensory installations.
Children’s Museum of the Arts: It carries the most extensive collection of children’s artwork in New York, with over 2,000 works by children from over fifty countries.
Imagination Playground: An interactive playground in the Financial District designed by architect David Rockwell.
Pier 25 at Hudson River Park: The longest pier in Hudson River Park and home to an 18-hole miniature golf course, sand volleyball courts, and a children’s playground.
Upper West Side
American Museum of Natural History: Come and spend the day in the planetarium or with the world’s most extensive collection of dinosaur fossils or in one of the world-renowned mammal halls. They once offered night-at-the-museum slumber parties, and I hope to return someday soon.
Midtown East
Central Park Zoo: Experience wildlife in the heart of Manhattan. Central Park Zoo is home to some of the city’s most unique views. Stop by for the chance to spot a snow leopard, take in a sea lion show, or find your inner child at the Children’s Zoo.
When you’re done, take a walk over to the Alice in Wonderland Artwork or many of the other amazing playgrounds that Central Park has to offer!
CAMP x TROLLS: Play and explore in Bergentown, Vacay Island, and Pop Village. Take a wild, interactive ride in a living bus thingy called Rhonda, and be part of an unforgettable, live Trollpop concert!