The Top 5 Places to Take Kids in NYC

New York is a great place to raise children or to take the kids for a visit. There are endless choices for things to do, ensuring that you'll never have to hear the dreaded words: "There's nothing to do here; I'm bored."

In fact, one of the greatest problems that parents encounter is choosing the best places from the enormous list of options. To help these parents out, The NYC Insider has compiled a list of our top picks for attractions that are guaranteed to interest you and your youngsters.

Our Criteria
The top five places to take kids in New York City have been selected with the following criteria in mind: 1) they have educational value; 2) they have something for every age group, so nobody will complain or want to go home early; 3) they offer behind-the scenes tours for kids and teens who want to know more; 4) they are affordable.

In our evaluation, we paid special attention to spots that provide activities or spaces designed to appeal to toddlers and to take advantage of how these young minds develop. And, of course, it almost goes without saying that our top choices have kid-friendly facilities and menu offerings.

Interestingly, four of the five winners of The NYC Insider's "Top 5 Places to Take Kids" award are not located in Manhattan. This confirms what most insiders already know: that there’s more to New York City than Manhattan, especially when it’s time to go out with the kids.

#1 Pick - New York Hall of Science
The New York Hall of Science is the perfect blend of fun and education. Your kids will enjoy the games, and you'll be happy that they are learning some basic scientific principles in the process. And don’t worry about not being able to answer your children’s questions (especially those related to topics that you personally hated when you were in school) -- the multilingual explainers (college students with red aprons) will either answer all your child's queries or help you find the answer together.

By participating in a series of hands-on activities, kids will learn about kinetic energy, angular momentum, and simple machines. For example, a giant seesaw at the science playground balances a whole classroom of kids at once. And instead of video games, there’s a game where kids hit the target with a beam of sunlight and literally make things start spinning.

#2 - The New York Aquarium
We have long believed that the New York Aquarium holds its own when compared to any of the other aquariums around the country. Recent visits have not only confirmed this belief, but have demonstrated the Aquarium's value as a place to take kids of all ages.

For example, at Child’s Play and Fish Play, infants and toddlers can see the fish close up and personal, making this is a very popular place for the youngest set. Pre-schoolers can also participate in workshops related to fish and sharks, whales, sea stars and shells, and penguins. With a bit of planning (and advance reservations), children ages 6-13 can go behind-the-scenes and talk to the keepers, feed and handle the sea animals, and take a close look under the microscope. We've seen that even youngsters who don’t want to be scientists enjoy feeding the animals; and that experience in itself is worth the price of admission.

Preteens and adults can visit behind the scenes to learn about marine mammal training, including what it takes to get those animals to jump through a hoop. Teens and adults can also opt to join a workshop in advanced aquarium keeping, thereby building an ongoing hobby related to the lessons the Aquarium teaches.

Special features that will delight the whole family include the Dolphin Doo-Wop at the Aquatheater, small-time predators in Sea Cliffs, and our personal favorite, whale watching (look for Casey, the oldest beluga whale born in an aquarium, and for one of the newest -- baby Maris). And be sure not to miss the hands-on tank for touching sting rays and the excellent electric eel display.

#3 - Children's Museum of Manhattan
We like the way the Children's Museum of Manhattan has designed its displays to focus on the special abilities and interests of specific age groups. For example, their early childhood center is designed for children ages 18 months to 4 years, and has exhibits appropriate for kids of this age. The Creative Corner, for ages 6 and under, has early childhood classes for caregivers, as well as a dramatic play space with lots of costumes.

Young readers and preschoolers also enjoy clowning around at the Seuss! exhibit. The highlights of the museum, however, are the state-of-the-art Time Warner Media Center, where people ages 6 and up operate video cameras, edit video tape, and pretend to be on TV, and the NYNEX state-of-the-art recording studio, where visitors ages 8 and up learn computerized keyboards and digital editing equipment.

#4 - The Bronx Zoo
Every child we know LOVES the Bronx Zoo. And we agree that there is plenty to love: with over 4,000 animals and 265 acres, it is the largest city zoo in the U.S. and offers kids plenty of opportunities touch some of their furry friends as well as to see animals interacting with other animals in recreations of their natural habitat.

In addition, the zoo offers a special program for toddlers, as well as the Children's Zoo, which is intended for preschoolers. Parents of children who have an especially strong interest in animals might consider sending the kids to the Pablo Python summer camp (enroll the kids as soon as you can, because the zoo tends to close sessions quickly) or sleepovers at the zoo.

#5 - The Staten Island Children's Museum
Although the Staten Island Children's Museum doesn’t have special workshops for tots (the emphasis is on pre-schoolers ages three to five), the variety of activities makes this museum well worth the trip. Your kids will enjoy playing on stage at Portia’s Playhouse, making ice cream, or learning to cook in Kid’s Cuisine. For budding artists, there is a well-stocked art studio and a Microsoft computer station. The Snug Harbor location features the popular exhibits "Bugs and Other Insects" and "Wonder Water."

You may find that your older kids and teens will have the most fun, though, if they participate in the baby-sitting training offered by the babysitter's club (for kids ages 9-16 only; reservations are required). In two hours, they will learn how to encourage safe fun and play, how to ask parents the right questions before they leave, how to get children to listen, and how to make sure that safety is a high priority at all times.

Insider Tips
No matter what borough you live in, or want to visit, these Top 5 choices offer a way to spend quality time that you, as well as your children, will enjoy. In most cases, admission to these places costs less than a regular movie ticket. You can make your trip even more affordable by taking advantage of times when the museums offer free and discounted admission (note: see our Free Museums article for even more money-saving ideas). We also recommend that you call in advance to find out about special events that may occur during your visit and to make reservations for specific activities, if necessary.

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