How to Enjoy New York City With Kids

Treat your family to an unforgettable getaway to New York City. It’s a year-round vacation favorite with an array of exciting attractions and family-friendly adventures. Dress light in the summer and layer in the winter. Here are just a few must-sees!

Things You'll Need

• Travel clothes
• Street map
• Cameras
• Film

Instructions

How to Enjoy New York City With Kids

1. Get your sightseeing off to a great start in Central Park. You could spend an entire day taking in the park’s array of attractions. Wallman Skating Rink turns into a mini amusement park in the warm months. The Central Park Zoo is home to over 130 different species of animals. Belvedere Castle is a great place for kids to learn about nature. It was completely renovated a few years ago and has added Turtle Island and shoreline plants, plus a variety of wildlife.

2. Take the kids to Peanut Butter & Co. for lunch. Located at 240 Sullivan Street, it’s a pretty cool Greenwich Village restaurant for kids and adults of all ages. Have a grilled peanut butter sandwich with banana and honey. Kids will love the gooey peanut butter brownies.

3. Plan to visit Coney Island’s Astroland Amusement Park. For thrill-a-minute excitement, nothing beats The Cyclone, an amazing wooden roller coaster. Coney Island isn’t all kid stuff. Along with other exciting rides, arcades, and games, and of course, some mouth-watering food, you’ll enjoy strolling the boardwalk and taking a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. Day trips are available from Manhattan by calling 800-208-4421. The fun-filled trip includes transportation, admission to the park, a ride on The Cyclone, and more. Visit http://www.nytours.us/tours

4. Check out the Queens Wildlife Center. This one really stands out. It’s much more than just a zoo with North American habitats from the forests of the Northeast to the rocks of the California coast. Discover mountain lions, bobcats, bison, coyotes, black bears, sea ions and other great creatures. Catch the area where you can meet and touch sheep, ducks, goats, rabbits and other animals. There's also an awesome education center where you can learn about wildlife and plants.

5. Take in the scene at the Bronx Zoo. On 265 acres, it's home to over 4,000 animals, and the largest urban zoo in the world. From the Mouse House to the Monkey House, it’s the perfect spot for a safari your kids won’t soon forget. Come nose-to-nose with Western Lowland gorillas, spot snow leopards and experience an indoor Asian rain forest. Another option: Go to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Through a unique environment of interactive exhibits and programs, you and your kids can learn about our culturally diverse world. A variety ways are offered to stimulate children’s imaginations and encourage them to explore and be creative. Kids love to enter the fun-filled “Bob the Builder” world, rich in objects, shapes, sounds, colors and hands-on activities; feed alphabet letters to a talking baby dragon; drive a NYC Fire truck; make their way through a crawling challenge course and connect an air tube puzzle in the Play Works.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out what’s happening when you’ll be in town. Call New York City Tourism at 212-484-1222, or go to http://www.nycityvisit.com

• Buy a MetroCard at any Subway station. You will automatically be able to transfer free, for up to two hours, between subways and buses, or from bus to bus. For more information visit www.mta.info, or call New York City Transit Customer Service, 212-638-7622.

• When accompanied by an adult, up to three children under 44 inches tall can ride the subway free. Hold small children tightly by the hand when riding the trains.

• AMTRACK provides a kid-friendly way to travel to New York City. Your family can grab a few hot dogs, play a card game or just enjoy the scenery. Kids' fares are always half price. For more information, call 800-USA-RAIL or visit amtrak.com

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