Entertaining your kids isn’t easy, but New York City has lots of fun activities and attractions for children and adults. Even if you’ve lived in the city all your life, you can find fun new places to take your kids. Here are some of the best spots for children in NYC.
1. The American Museum of Natural History
This great museum is so big, you can’t see everything in one day. Look at the floor plan before you start exploring so you and your family can see the exhibits that interest them most. The dinosaur fossils are the biggest attraction. Kids will also enjoy the animal dioramas in the Halls of African and Asian Mammals, the giant replica of a blue whale, and a variety of gems and minerals, including the 56-carat Star of India sapphire. The Hayden Planetarium and the Rose Center for Earth and Space are attached to the museum.
2. Dylan’s Candy Bar
Dylan’s Candy Bar has a giant lollipop tree and candy patterns on the walls and in the stairs. This huge store has three floors and offers more than 7,000 confections, one of the biggest candy selections anywhere. Kids can choose ice cream sundaes, freshly made fudge, or candy that’s sold by weight. Parents will enjoy the pink cotton candy martinis.
3. The New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum is in a decommissioned subway station that was built in 1936. It tells the story of New York’s subways, starting with how the tunnels were dug from 1904 to 1927. Visitors can walk through vintage subway cars and see the many types of tokens that riders used before the Metrocard.
Kids can also learn about the development of bus and trolley and transportation by exploring a 12-seat bus and a child-sized trolley. Older children can interact with old turnstiles at the Fare Collection exhibit, and there are free programs for kids every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. However, the museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.
4. Children’s Museum of the Arts
In this interactive museum, families can learn about art through interesting exhibits and experiment with clay, sound, animation, and more. Art by children is on display along with items from established artists.
The Fine Arts Studio lets kids paint, draw, or sculpt their own art. You can also learn how to animate a short film or record a song in the Media Lab and Sound Booth. Children under 5 have their own art studio, and there’s a bouncy ball pond for free play. Different workshops are available every day. You can borrow a smock for your child, but you should get ready for spills by visiting in old clothes. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.
New York is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, so there are lots of places that are great for kids. Older children will enjoy seeing famous landmarks up close, and the Central Park Zoo is great for younger kids. You and your family can always find new and interesting places to visit in New York City.
“American Museum of Natural History” by Rodrigo Sampaio Teixeria is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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