Things To Do in NYC with Kids
First of all, I want to thank you. Because there are (at least) a billion “Things To Do in NYC with Kids,” blog posts out there, but you are reading this one. And for that, I am very thankful. Alright, I believe that any city in the world can be kid friendly. However, traveling with kids is an art form, so, there are a couple of rules of thumb that I try to go by.
- Level set on expectations
- Chill on the museums (unless your kids are really into them)
- Try to find more exciting tour alternatives
- Leave room for downtime
- Eat fun things with a unique twist
We are going to go through each one of these, and how to apply them to NYC specifically when mapping a kid friendly itinerary. But they will hopefully be helpful for global travel as well!
Level Set On Expectations
The point of traveling with your kids is to have them adventure with open minds, not to shock them so badly they never want to travel again. That is why level setting on expectations is so important. Now, I know you may be thinking, “well that’s easier said than done,” but hear me out. I knew, when planning all the things to do in NYC with kids, that we were going to have to take the subway, A LOT. Not only would the subway be the most affordable option, but the most convenient.
Prior to this vacation my kids had never really ridden the subway. So, we “practiced,” by riding the (very) limited subway in Atlanta. Even though it’s not the greatest rail system, it was enough to understand the basics around how a subway works. Youtube can also be a really great resource for level setting on expectations. If your kids have never flown on a plane before? Watch a Youtube about it. Want to figure out what they eat in a new country? Watch a Youtube about it. This way your kids can go into the experience with an open mind, without worrying too much about the process itself.
Want to skip ahead? Check out this Youtube video!
Chill on Museums
One of the biggest complaints I hear from parents on traveling with kids, is that the kids don’t want to do what the parents want to do. Well, duh! Of course not! Especially if you are wanting to visit every single museum a city has to offer. Because unless they are interactive and geared toward children, they are boring! So when planning, chill on the museums. Pick 1 or 2 that you really want to see, and prioritize those. Save the others for when you come back for a kid free vacation.
When planning our vacation to NYC with kids, I knew that I would get one, and only one, museum out of them. And even though the city has museums galore, the one I really wanted to experience was the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Having been in high school when it happened, I thought the museum was so moving and well done. You look at the memorial in a new light afterwards. However, it is heavy, and after 2 hours the kids were maxed out and we had to leave. You could easily spend 4 in the museum.
Travel Tip: Since they have done movies in the Museum of Natural History, you may be able to squeeze that museum our of your kids too.
After the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, we went to Eataly to lighten our hearts with a bit of delicious pizza with a view. And then we headed to the One World Trade Center overlook. Getting up high and getting to survey New York City from above after the 9/11 Memorial and Museum really hits different. So highly recommend planning it as part of your things to do in NYC with kids. And doing it in the same day, if possible. It’s a great reminder of how we banded together as one nation for a common cause, and how resilient the city (and nation) is.
Travel Tip: The One World Trade Center is not the only way to get above the city. You also have the Top Of The Rock (Rockefeller Center), the Summit One Vanderbilt (an immersive art and very Instagrammable experience), or even a helicopter tour. These all have different prices, and we chose One World Trade Center as it was included with our City Experiences ticket.
Exciting Tour Alternatives
In the same vein as the advice above, try to find exciting ways to tour the places you really want to see. For example, we knew we really wanted to do a tour of Central Park. However, we thought we might have complaining children if we opted for a walking tour. So, we went for a bike tour instead. It was great! The bikes made it super fun and let us see a lot of the park, but we also stopped and heard some of the park history too. Win – win!
Travel Tip: Level setting on expectations works for adults too. Prior to our Central Park ride, it had been at least 15 years since I had ridden a bike. I was really terrified I wasn’t going to be able to do it anymore. So I headed to our large park here in Atlanta and rented a bike for about 30 minutes to practice. I’m happy to say that it really is like, “riding a bike,” and not a skill you lose.
When it came to seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, we just hopped on the ferry and did the regular visit. But, if I had planned my vacation to NYC with kids better, I would have found a more exciting alternative. Neither museum is interactive, and my kids were not up for reading that day. So, we mostly walked around the base and enjoyed the ferry ride.
Travel Tip: If you don’t really care about seeing the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island up close, you can easily just take the Staten Island Ferry. It’s free with your weekly unlimited Metro card, so it’s budget friendly!
Leave Room For Downtime
I feel like this goes without saying, but kids (and adults) need room for downtime during the day. Time to decompress and not actively be “doing something.” In New York City, this meant walking around the beautiful boroughs. We were staying in Brooklyn, so we strolled around Brooklyn a lot. We went to local parks and did a lot of “stooping” with some locally purchased wine. Stooping and watching the world go by ended up being one of my favorite things. People watching is endlessly fascinating, am I right?
Even if downtime means giving kids their electronics and just getting a few minutes of quiet, that’s okay too. Whatever it is, make sure you’re not overpacking your schedule and leaving room those quiet moments.
Eat Fun Things With A Unique Twist
Planning travel around food is one of my favorite ways to plan travel. Plus it’s an easy way to have children try foods that stretch their comfort zone. Honestly, my kids are pretty picky at home, but when we travel it’s like a switch gets flipped. I think it’s because we take their most favorite foods and find unique ways to eat them all over the world. For example, my kids really like Chinese food. So why not take them to Chinatown, in NYC, to try some of the best dumpling restaurants in the US?
Do your kids love ballpark food like hotdogs and pretzels? Take them to a Mets game or Yankees game. Don’t even get me started on dessert. Basically every country in the world has their own version of sweet treats. From mango sticky rice in Thailand to gelato in Italy. We went to Urban Dessert Lab to try some vegan soft serve ice cream. It was truly delicious, and to the kids it may have been a little different, but it’s still ice cream.
So there it is, all my advice for making any city in the world kid friendly. Plus hopefully you picked up on all the highlighted things to do in NYC with kids, specifically. Now go forth and be confident that children can become pro-travelers, just like you! If you want more NYC, then you can download this Google Map for all the things!
Did this blog post make you more confident in planning travel with kids? Let me know in the comments!
