Category: Things to do with kids in New York

F.A.O. Schwarz

Its mammoth size and unfaltering popularity have made FAO Schwarz a venerable city landmark. Yes, it can be a bit crowded and pricier than your average toy store, but this buzzing, blinking, whirring toy megalopolis is hardly average, and no trip to Manhattan with kids in tow is complete without it. If you trust your feet, you can play the Dance-On Piano, immortalized by Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia in the famous “Chopsticks” scene from the movie “Big.” Browse the world’s biggest and coolest collection of toys, ogle the giant stuffed animals, and check out the newest ride-on cars and scooters. After you’ve seen all you can handle, stop at the new ice cream bar downstairs to kick back and grab a treat.

Contact no: (212) 644-9400

Location: 767 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10153

Learn more here.

Build-A-Bear Workshop — New York City

Create your own teddy bear (or help your children make theirs) at the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Do they want their bears to be physicists? Olympic medalists? Ballerinas? They’ve got every conceivable accessory, and the customization ensures that kids get exactly the present they wanted and will treasure forever. Private rooms available for parties.

Contact no: (212) 871-7080

Location: 565 5th Avenue , New York, NY 10017

Learn more here.

Books of Wonder

There are dozens of bookstores in this city, each with their own area of expertise. Some specialize in cookbooks, some in biographies, and some in feudal Brazilian textiles. Since you have a child with you, you’re probably looking for children’s books. Books of Wonder is New York City’s largest and oldest independent children’s bookstore. They have a broad selection of rare and out-of-print books and an expert staff ready to help you find that one book you want to give your son. For any Emerald City-bound readers, be they your children or yourself, be sure to check out the incomparable “Oz” section, dedicated to all things along the yellow brick road, including Frank L. Baum’s volumes and all subsequent literature based on the same city.

Contact no: (800) 207-6968

Location: 18 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011

Learn more here.

Manhattan Carriage Co.

It’s probably the quintessential New York tourist activity, piling the family into the back of a horse carriage for a stroll through Central Park. However trite, it’s popular for a reason – the reason being the magic your children feel being drawn around by a gorgeous equine and marveling at the skating rink, carousel, ponds and statues that characterize Central Park as a whimsical respite from the rest of the city’s craziness. Rides vary in length, and you’ll need no reservation for the standard 20 minute tour. Just find the carriage parked at 59th Street and 5th Avenue, and hop in!

Contact no: (212) 664-1149

Location: 333 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

Learn more here.

Kayaking in the East and Hudson Rivers

If you can’t get away to Nyack for the weekend but still want to do something outdoorsy with your older child, you can go kayaking in the bustling and challenging rivers that surround Manhattan. You know; the same gray waterways you never imagined you’d go anywhere near on purpose. Despite most people’s aversion to the city’s rivers, kayaking around Manhattan can be a super fun, physically invigorating afternoon. The most basic instruction is available to those who’ve never been near a ‘yak, and challenging classes and clinics are available to those who’ve rolled a few. Regardless of you and your child’s skill level, you’re sure to be paddling into good times.

Contact no: (212) 924-1788

Location: Pier 96 at 56th Street, New York, NY 10011

Learn more here.

Hudson River Park

This long, skinny park runs along the western edge of Manhattan from Midtown to Battery Park at the island’s southern tip. It’s a great parking for walking and bicycling along the waters of the Hudson River. The park features three wonderful play areas that kids will love. In the summer, all of the play areas have water features to keep kids cool – near Piers 51 and 84 and adjacent to the Chelsea Piers complex. Families can also take a quick kayaking trip on the Hudson for free, without reservations.

Contact no: (212) 627-2020

Location: 353 West Street, New York, NY 10014

Learn more here.

Forgotten New York Walking Tour

Forgotten NY is a loosely organized group of New Yorkers headed up by Kevin Walsh who revere the city’s forgotten past, and share their regional expertise with curious tour-takers. They tour relics of bygone eras like abandoned subway stations, long neglected secret passages, and give the story behind all those faded advertisements you’ll occasionally see painted on old brick buildings. Although the walking tours are irregularly scheduled, they’re unparalleled in their informative nostalgia. Any jaded children who’ve seen enough of Times Square and the Statue of Liberty will be enthralled by farmhouses in Queens, ill-fated submarine ruins in Brooklyn, and New England Fishing Villages that still exist in The Bronx. Tours are announced about a month before they take place, so check their website for periodic updates. Can’t wait for the tour? The book of the same name provides plans for your own historic sojourn.

Location: New York, NY

Learn more here.

Cycling in Central Park

Rent a bike from the Loeb Boathouse and see Central Park the way it was meant to be seen, from the seat of a bicycle. There is plenty of room in any of the park’s numerous lanes, so you and your children can stick together and ride at whatever pace you like. Remember though, the park is sort of like a giant roller rink in that you can only ride in a counter-clockwise direction. It makes navigation much easier, but if you miss a turn, you have to go all the way around again. There are also biking tours available for those of us who can’t be bothered with navigating.

Contact no: (212) 517-2233

Location: Between 74th and 75th streets, New York, NY 10021

Learn more here.

Bird Watching in Central Park

Yes, there are a lot of ordinary pigeons in New York, but Central Park is also a busy place for migratory birds. Over 200 different species of birds either live in or pass through the park during the year, making it one of the richest bird sanctuaries on the East Coast. Bring your children to the Henry Luce Nature Observatory at Belvedere Castle to pick up your free “Discovery Kit Backpacks.” The packs contain binoculars, a guidebook, maps, and sketching materials, so you’ll be fully prepared to see the warblers and songbirds at the best birding spots in the park like the Ramble, The North Woods, and The Great Hill. You might even catch a resident red-tailed hawk, which nests on Fifth Ave., flying between feeding spots.

Contact no: (212) 772-0210

Location: Central Park at 79th Street, New York, NY 10021

Learn more here.

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

Who would have thought there is a federally protected wildlife preserve within New York’s city limits? The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge has plenty of trails that allow hikers to spot snakes, turtles, butterflies and migratory birds including, most famously, the great blue heron and the ebony iris. A stroll through here would be ideal for a city kid who doesn’t get the chance to see actually living trees very often. Once you’re through with your nature walk, the surrounding area of Jamaica Bay hosts tons of different beach activities such as canoeing and sand castle contests in addition to more general sun-basking merriment. Any history buff should check out the surrounding military forts that were built during World War II, as well as the state’s first municipal airport.

Contact no: (718) 318-4340

Location: Gateway National Recreation Area, New York, NY 11414

Learn more here.