NYC with kids: A family guide to visiting New York with children
Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking or purchase, I may earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
Visiting NYC with kids might sound overwhelming at first, especially when you picture the crowds, the noise and the endless walking.
But after spending 10 days exploring New York with our three year old daughter in December, we quickly realised that New York is actually incredibly family friendly.
Of course it was busy, and cold. But wow, it was so magical.
From festive markets and ice skating in Bryant Park to toy shops, observation decks and twinkling Christmas lights, there are so many kid friendly things to do in NYC, especially during the winter months.
That said, our trip also left us wanting more.
While Christmas in New York was unforgettable, we could really see how incredible the city would be in warmer months too. We would love to go back and spend more time spent in Central Park, explore Brooklyn neighbourhoods like Williamsburg, and even taking trips out to places like Governors Island and Coney Island.
In this guide, I’ll share what it’s really like visiting NYC with kids at Christmas, along with what we’d do differently next time, and everything you need to plan your own trip.
Whether you’re planning a full NYC itinerary with kids or just wondering if New York is worth visiting with children, this guide will help you decide.
If you’re planning to visit multiple attractions, it’s also worth looking at the Go City New York Pass, which includes several observation decks and can save a lot of money.
👉 Check the latest Go City New York Pass prices here
🗽 Planning a trip to New York? Start with our New York Travel guide. These guides may also help:
👉 New York City 4 day itinerary
👉 New York on a budget
👉 Best observation deck New York
If you’re deciding between specific decks, I’ve also compared Top of the Rock vs The Edge, Top of the Rock vs Summit One Vanderbilt, and Summit One Vanderbilt vs The Edge in more detail, and a side by side comparison between the three can be found on our Observation deck guide .
Our free editable itinerary planner will also help, it’s the same one I used to organise our trip in December! It’s a Google Sheets template you can customise to fit your own festive escape ✨
👇 Drop your email below and I’ll send it straight to you!
NYC with kids: The best things to do at a glance
If you’re short on time, these are some of the best family friendly attractions in New York.
1️⃣ Summit One Vanderbilt 2️⃣ Central Park 3️⃣ Brooklyn Bridge Walk 4️⃣ Bryant Park 5️⃣ Staten Island Ferry 6️⃣ American Museum of Natural History 7️⃣ Toy stores like FAO Schwarz 8️⃣ Dyker Heights Christmas lights 9️⃣ Hudson River parks 🔟 Times Square
Below you’ll find a full guide to what to do in NYC with kids, based on our own experience travelling with a toddler.
Is New York worth visiting with kids?
Many parents wonder whether New York is worth visiting with kids, especially younger children.
In our experience, the answer is absolutely yes. New York offers:
> huge parks and playgrounds
> interactive museums
> boat rides and ferries
> iconic landmarks
> incredible food
> magical seasonal experiences
It’s also a very walkable city, which makes sightseeing easier with children than many people expect. Whilst we visited in winter, it was clear that New York is a city that works in every season, you just experience it differently.
What it’s really like visiting NYC with kids
Before visiting, I was worried New York might feel too busy or overwhelming with a toddler. But in reality, it felt far more manageable than I expected.
Yes, there’s a lot of walking. And yes, it can be busy, especially at Christmas. But the city is incredibly well set up for families. There are playgrounds everywhere, plenty of places to stop for food, and so many attractions to keep your little ones engaged.
We found that breaking up sightseeing with parks and snacks, or toy shops made a huge difference. It never felt like we were ‘dragging’ our daughter around, she was genuinely enjoying it.
If anything, visiting New York with kids made us slow down and experience the city in a completely different, and better way. It also made us realise how much there is to explore, particularly outdoors, which we’d prioritise on a future trip.
Top 10 things to do in New York with family
1️⃣ Visit an observation deck
Seeing the city from above is unforgettable.
Our favourite observation deck was Summit One Vanderbilt, which features immersive mirror rooms and a balloon room that children absolutely love.
Our daughter was completely captivated by the mirrored rooms, especially wearing the glasses, she found the whole experience so exciting and different to anything she’d done before. We ended up spending quite a bit of time in the balloon room too, which she absolutely loved, and it made for some really fun photos.
We also found ourselves just pausing to take in the views, looking out across New York and even playing a bit of eye spy with her, which made it feel surprisingly relaxed despite being such a popular attraction.
👉 Check Summit One Vanderbilt tickets on Viator here
We actually visited three observation decks during our trip. You can compare all the decks here:
👉 Best observation deck New York
2️⃣ Explore Central Park
Central Park is one of the best places to visit in NYC with kids. Even in winter, it was a highlight for us, but this is somewhere we’d love to return to in warmer months to properly explore.
Being from Liverpool, a real highlight for us in Central Park was the John Lennon memorial. Even better, there were two buskers taking turns to sing his classics, which made it feel really special.
For our little one, Central Park ended up being one of our favourite things to do in New York with kids. It’s such a great place to explore Central Park with kids, with so much open space to run around and take a break from the busy city streets. She also loves Home Alone 2 and Elf, so she was so excited when we pointed out filming locations. We even went ice skating at Wollman Rink, which was such a fun experience.
We visited in winter, but when we return in the warmer months, we’d love to try the rowing boats and visit Central Park Zoo (we went to the festive light trail at Bronx Zoo instead).
3️⃣ Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
We did the Brooklyn Bridge walk on our first day, and it worked perfectly. If you’re visiting from Europe, I’d really recommend doing this early on in your trip, as you’ll likely be up very early due to jet lag. It meant we got to experience the bridge with far fewer crowds and some really special early morning views.
When we reached the DUMBO side, it was still relatively quiet, which made it even more enjoyable. This is also where you’ll find that famous photo spot with the Manhattan Bridge perfectly framing the Empire State Building, definitely one to tick off while you’re there.
We then headed to Time Out Market, where the rooftop offers spectacular views across Manhattan. Because we were there so early, only a couple of the bagel spots inside were open, while the rest of the food stalls were still closed. Jane’s Carousel was also shut (it doesn’t open until 11am).
If you’re planning your trip, I’ve included this as part of my New York City 4-day itinerary, along with how to structure your first day to make the most of the early start.
When we go back, we’d spend even more time exploring Brooklyn, especially areas like Williamsburg which I have read so much about.
4️⃣ Visit Bryant Park
Bryant Park is one of the most family friendly places in Midtown Manhattan.
At Christmas, it transforms into a festive village with:
> Ice-skating
> Christmas market stalls
> Festive food stands
5️⃣ Ride the Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is one of the best free things to do in NYC with kids, and it’s such an easy win if you’re travelling as a family.
The ride itself is great, but the views are what make it really special, you’ll pass the Statue of Liberty and see the Manhattan skyline from the water, all for free! It is also an exciting opportunity for kids to be on a boat too.
If you’re trying to keep costs down, this is one of the easiest ways to experience New York from the water without spending anything, I’ve shared more ideas like this in my NYC on a budget guide.
If you’re short on time, there’s also another ferry you can take from Brookfield Place (Battery Park City). It’s not free, but it’s only around $4 per person and much quicker. It also gets you a bit closer to the Statue of Liberty. It is a bit choppier, but we were there and back within the hour, so it’s a really good option if you don’t want to commit too much time.
6️⃣ Visit a toy store
If you’re visiting NYC with kids, the toy stores are an experience in themselves, and just as exciting for the grown ups too.
Our daughter absolutely loved FAO Schwarz. Everywhere you turn there are staff demonstrating toys, which makes it feel really interactive. She ended up choosing a remote control car that was being demoed, and it was one of those moments where you just see the whole experience through their eyes, it’s so exciting for them. Of course, she also loved the famous piano from BIG, which is such a fun little moment to recreate.
We also visited the Disney Store in Times Square, the LEGO Store (which made for some great photos), and the Harry Potter store, which I’ll admit was probably more exciting for me as a self confessed Potterhead.
One of the highlights for us was the American Girl store, where we ended up spending half a day. Our daughter took her doll to the salon to have her hair done, and we also had lunch there. They even pull up a chair for the doll at the table, which is a lovely touch. It was also really good value for the amount of food you get, so definitely go hungry if you’re booking.
We didn’t make it to the CAMP experience store or the Nintendo store, but they’re both on our list for next time.
7️⃣ See the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
If you’re visiting NYC with kids at Christmas, Dyker Heights is a must. This Brooklyn neighbourhood is famous for its incredible Christmas displays, and it really does feel as magical as it looks.
Our daughter absolutely loved it. Some of the houses even have buttons you can press to activate snow machines, which made it all feel really interactive and exciting for her.
We chose to book a tour, which included a guide, a comfy coach and a stop at Pebble Beach to see the New York skyline lit up in the evening. It definitely made things easier with a toddler, especially for getting there and back.
That said, it is quite a lot of walking once you’re there. We left the buggy under the coach, but she did get tired and I ended up carrying her for parts of it. If I did it again, I might bring the buggy along just in case.
👉 Check this Dyker Heights tour with New York skyline views on Viator
You can also visit Dyker Heights on your own using the subway. Once you get there, there is no charge for walking around the neighbourhood.
👉 Read our New York on a budget for more money saving tips
I have a full dedicated guide which include all you need to know for visiting Dyker Heights.
👉 Read our ultimate Dyker Heights Christmas lights guide
8️⃣ Visit the American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is often mentioned as one of the best indoor activities in NYC with kids, and it’s easy to see why. It’s huge, with everything from towering dinosaur skeletons to space exhibits and interactive displays that make it really engaging for children.
Even though we didn’t visit on this trip, it’s definitely on our list for next time, especially as a rainy day option. Because it’s all indoors, it’s a great one to have up your sleeve if the weather turns or if you’re visiting New York in winter and want a break from the cold.
You could build excitement pre-trip and watch ‘Night at the Museum’ beforehand, as it’s set here and makes the whole experience feel even more magical for them.
9️⃣ Hudson River parks
The Hudson River parks are another great option when visiting NYC with kids, especially if you’re looking for somewhere to slow the pace down a little.
Stretching along the west side of Manhattan, there are loads of different spots along the river with playgrounds, open spaces and even piers with things like mini golf and climbing frames. A great way to break up the day and let the kids run free. Although we didn’t make it here on our trip, it is definitely somewhere we would try next time. I have also read that the views are incredible too so something for grown ups too.
🔟 Explore Times Square
Times Square wasn’t my favourite place in New York. It’s very busy and very touristy. But still, it’s one of those bucket list experiences that you have to see at least once.
For kids, it’s actually quite exciting. The huge screens, flashing lights and constant buzz of people make it feel larger than life, and ours was completely fascinated by it all.
There are also a few shops around there that are worth popping into, like the Disney Store, and for slightly older kids (or let’s be honest, the adults too), there’s a Sephora right in the middle of it all.
It’s probably not somewhere you’ll want to spend too long, but it’s definitely worth seeing while you’re there.
NYC itinerary with kids: How to spend 4 days in New York with family
Below is a suggested itinerary. You can also see my full New York itinerary in 4 days at Christmas guide here.
Day 1
> Brooklyn Bridge
> DUMBO
> Battery Park
> Staten Island Ferry
Day 3
> Museum visit
> Top of the Rock or The Edge
> Toy Shops
Day 2
> Central Park
> Summit One Vanderbilt
> Grand Central Station
> Times Square
Day 4
> Bryant Park
> Parks
What age is best for NYC with kids?
One of the most common questions is what age is best for visiting New York with kids.
From our experience, New York can work for almost any age, but it looks slightly different depending on your child.
We visited with a three year old and found it worked really well, especially when we balanced busy attractions with slower days like parks and playgrounds.
Getting around NYC with kids
Many parents worry about navigating New York with children, but it’s actually quite manageable.
The subway is the fastest way to travel, although not all stations are pram friendly. But we always found the locals were eager to help carry our pram down the steps.
Walking is often the easiest way to explore, and taxis are always available when little legs get tired.
NYC with kids at Christmas
Christmas is one of the most magical times to visit New York.
From the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree to festive markets and ice skating, the atmosphere is incredible.
However, it’s also the busiest time of year and so planning ahead is key.
We also did a few extra Christmas activities which wouldn’t be available year round.
> Polar Express – under an hours drive away in New Jersey is the Polar Express train ride
> Macy’s Santaland – we visited the Christmas Grotto at Macy’s which was such a beautiful experience for our daughter
> Bronx Zoo light trail – very easy to get to via subway was the light trail in the Bronx Zoo which our daughter loved
> Ice-skating – a seasonal event from October was ice skating at the Wollman Rink in Central Park
> Dyker Lights in Brooklyn – an entire neighbourhood decorate their houses with the most spectacular displays. Read our Ultimate Dyker Lights guide here.
NYC with kids in winter
Winter in New York can be cold, but still magical.
Between museums, observation decks, toy shops and festive experiences, there’s plenty to keep children entertained.
Some seasonal activities such as ice skating and winter villages open from October until well after the New Year of you want to visit in winter, but avoid Christmas.
What we’d do differently next time
As much as we loved visiting New York at Christmas, we’d love to return in warmer months.
Next time, we’d:
– spend more time in Central Park
– explore Brooklyn in more depth, especially Williamsburg
– visit Governors Island
> visit Coney Island
– focus more on outdoor spaces and slower days instead of dog trying to cram every attraction in
It feels like a completely different side of the city, and one we didn’t fully get to experience.
Final thoughts: Visiting NYC with kids
New York might seem like an adult focused city at first, but visiting NYC with kids completely changes your perspective.
Between the parks, observation decks, museums, toy shops and festive experiences, there are endless things to do in NYC with kids.
And whether you visit in winter or summer, it’s a city that will leave you wanting to come back again.
FAQs
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