Most people don’t really think of New York City as being a kid-friendly destination for a family vacation but I am here to change your mind on that.
We took my son, Ben to NYC for his 8th birthday. He had been wanting to go to NYC for years so this was his birthday present from us. It was a perfect summer family vacation.
Here are some ideas for a kid friendly trip in the Big Apple.
WHERE TO STAY
First of all, you need to decide on where you want to stay. My suggestion is to stay in Midtown Manhattan especially with kids on their first visit. You will likely be hitting up all of the main tourist attractions and Midtown is the best location. Central Park is just a few blocks north, Times Square a few blocks south, and it is just west of 5th avenue where there is all kinds of shopping and sightseeing. Essentially it is the central portion of Manhattan.
Here are some wonderful hotel options in and around Midtown. Click on the hotel to see these amazing places to stay with your family.
WHAT TO DO
So you may be thinking, “but what will I do with my children in New York” and there are a ton of options. First of all, it will depend on what season you visit. For example, the things you can do in the summer in NYC are not always the same things you will want to do at Christmas. Although certain things are year round like Broadway shows, museums, etc.
If you go at Christmas time, you must visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, go ice skating in Central Park, watch the Rockettes, and if you are lucky enough to be there on Thanksgiving Day-catch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
For the purpose of this article, I am going to focus on summer since that is when we took Ben. Here were several of the activities we did and ones we highly recommend doing with your child.
- Attend a baseball game. New York has two of the most iconic baseball teams in America. Even if you aren’t a huge baseball fan, I think this is something that is fun for the whole family. You can go see the Yankees or Mets in action or go see them both like we did.
- Take a boat tour around Manhattan. This was one of our favorite things that we did. It was so much fun! We got to see the New York skyline, go under the Brooklyn Bridge, and it even took us right by the Statue of Liberty. Get your tickets here.
- Visit Central Park. Take a ride in the rowboats at the Boathouse, visit the Central Park zoo, take a pedicab tour, and just walk around and enjoy the scenery.
- Visit Top of the Rock and/or Empire State Building. We actually did both on our trip, but I really think you could get by with just visiting one. If I were going to visit one, then I would choose Top of the Rock. I just loved the views of Central Park and actually being able to see the Empire State Building in the skyline instead of standing on top of it.
- Go see a Broadway play. I highly suggest The Lion King. It is so good and a must see for everyone in the family. Get your tickets here. Or if your child is a Harry Potter fan then Harry Potter and the Cursed Child would also be a good option. Get those tickets here.
- The Big Bus Tour is a great way to see all of the sites in NYC. It is a hop on/hop off tour that allows you to explore different areas of Manhattan, like Soho, Greenwich Village, and the Financial District. Get your tickets in advance here.
- The 9/11 Memorial. Some may think this a not an age appropriate attraction to bring their kids to, but I highly disagree. I believe kids need to know this important part of American history and know that their parents lived through it. I bet it will open up many conversations and I can almost bet you can tell your children exactly where you where on that horrible day.
Here are some other fun things to check out in NYC that are family friendly.
Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge and head to DUMBO
American Museum of Natural History
WHERE TO EAT
Of course, eating is always a main focus of our trips. Here is a list of some family friendly (not too fancy) restaurants to eat at with your children in NYC. From everything to Italian to brunch to dessert, I have you covered.
WHERE TO SHOP
You may think this is a weird category for children, but there are so many fun places in NYC for kids to spend their allowance or birthday or Christmas money. Here are some must shop places listed below.
As you can see, NYC really is a fantastic place for the whole family. If you haven’t thought of bringing your kids here before then I highly suggest you add it to your list of places to take a family vacation. I hope this post can help you plan your next trip. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment here, shoot me an email, or reach out on Instagram or TikTok. I am always happy to hear from my readers and help in any way that I can.
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