Things to do in New York City: Family & Kids Edition

I’m asked regularly about things to do with kids in New York and, while I have some ideas, I don’t have kids so I reached out to the professionals on Instagram for some inspo! 🙂 Thank you so, so much to those who took the time to send in ideas and experiences, I really do appreciate it and together I think we’ve created an absolutely epic list of things to do in New York City for all the family 🙂

Besides ideas for things to do in New York with kids, one other tip came up a few times and that was… if you’re booking things in advance of your trip,  be mindful of the dreaded jetlag, and book for earlier in the day!

I’m pretty impressed with the amount of deadly ideas on here and I hope you find it helpful! Let us know in the comments below if you have any other ideas. The more the merrier!

Important: Before booking tickets, please check the websites for prices and to make sure there are no age or height restrictions. 

 

Things to do in New York City with Kids

New York is officially the most expensive city in the world and visiting is not cheap. Read here for a list of amazing things to do in New York that are entirely FREE!

Museums 

• Museum of Ice Cream
• Ellis Island
• Candytopia (Candy Museum & Store)
• Natural History Museum
• The Intrepid (Sea, Air and Space Museum)
• Sloomoo Institute
• Spyscape Museum
• Brooklyn Children’s Museum
• New York City Fire Museum

Broadway Shows 

See here for details on how to get discounted tickets for Broadway shows.

• The Lion King (Recommended for ages 6 and up, children under the age of 2 will not be admitted).
• Aladdin (Recommended for ages 6 and up, children under the age of 2 will not be admitted).
• The Rockettes at Christmas (at Radio City Music Hall)
• Wicked the Musical (Recommended for ages 8 and up, children under the age of 5 will not be admitted).
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Recommended for ages 8 and up, children under the age of 5 will not be admitted).

Sightseeing

• The Summit
• Staten Island Ferry (free views of Statue of Liberty)
• Cycle Around Central Park (rent bikes from the park or Citi Bikes)
• Roosevelt Island tram
• Ghostbusters Headquarters (which is also a real Fire Station)
• Little Island
• A picnic at Pier A Park, Hoboken (New Jersey) – the views are unbelievable
• NYC Ferry Ride from Wall St. (it goes under the Brooklyn Bridge)
• Coney Island in Brookyln (beach / seaside location)
• The swings at Pier 35
• Whale watching cruise

Playgrounds

• Heckscher (Central Park)
• Billy Johnson (Central Park)
• Domino Park in Williamsburg
• Union Square

Virtual Experiences

• The Rise (40” height requirement)
• Virtual reality experiences at the Harry Potter Store

Movies 

• TV & Movie Locations: There must be thousands of movies filmed in New York City! Spiderman, Enchanted, Avengers and of course, Home Alone 2 are just a few off the top of my head. Once you pick your favorite movie or TV show filmed in NYC, just Google its filming locations! It’s fun to try and find them all and it’s 100% free 🙂
• AMC Cinema: Sign up free to AMC Stubs for discounts
• iPic in Fulton/Seaport: A movie experience with full table service (food and drinks)

Zoos

• Central Park Zoo
• The Bronx Zoo

Themed Stores 

• The Harry Potter Store
• American Girl Store
• Dylan’s Candy Bar
• The Sugar Factory
• The Lego Store
• The Nintendo Store
• The M&M Store
• Toys “R”Us (inside Macy’s)
• FAO Schwarz Toy Store

Famous US Restaurant Chains

• Popeyes
• Wendy’s
• Taco Bell
• Bubba Gump Shrimp
• Shake Shack
• Dave & Buster’s
• Ellen’s Stardust Diner (not a chain but a must :))
• Joe’s Pizza (for Spiderman fans!)

Sweet Shops

• Economic Candy
• The M&M Store
• Dylan’s Candy Bar
• IT’SUGAR
• Hershey’s Chocolate World
• Krispy Kreme in Times Square
• Carlos Bake Shop (“The Cake Boss”)

Sports

• A basketball game in the Barclays Center (to see the Nets) or Madison Square Garden (to see the Knicks)
• Ice Skating (Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Central Park at The Woolman Rink, The Edge)
• Skateparks (LES Skatepark, Pier 25 Skatepark, Pier 62 Skatepark)
• The Friends Experience
• Go bowling in Frames or Bowlero
• Pier 25 Mini Golf
• Chelsea Piers batting cages and driving range