Category: Things to do with kids in New York

NYC Ballet

You won’t appreciate high-toed pirouettes or the precision involved in an arabesque until you see ballerinas live in person, and New York is lucky to house some of the world’s finest. You may think the ballet would be too highbrow (read: boring) for a young child to enjoy, but kids get swept away in the music, theatrics, and general acrobatics involved in an average ballet performance. sons will be secretly pleased; daughters will beg you to buy them a tutu before the finale is over.

Contact no: (212) 870-5570

Location: West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023

Learn more here.

NY Philharmonic

The Metropolitan Opera & New York Philharmonic

Although classical music may not typically be a young person’s favorite diversion, the New York Philharmonic’s custom events for kids of all ages will at least enlighten them on how music is composed, produced, and performed, as well as get them familiar with some high points of the Romantic and Baroque periods. Two series, “Music For Young People,” (for ages 6 to 12), and “Music For Very Young People,” (ages 3 to 5) combine the elements of a workshop, where kids can try their hand at various wind, string, brass, and percussion, with performances by seasoned professionals. The Philharmonic also offers “Young People’s Concerts” and “Very Young People’s Concerts.” Accompany your child to any of these events, and they’ll probably ask you to burn them a copy of your favorite Bach symphony.

Contact no: (212) 875-5656

Location: Broadway and West 65th , New York, NY 10023

Learn more here.

Little Maestros

NYC’s premier infant and toddler music program, Little Maestros is a 16-week music performance class where kids can make friends, make music, and have a blast in the process. Individual classes feature four live musicians who sing and play guitar, piano and drums. Little Maestros, part of the larger Kidville program in New York City and other places around the country, promises to “take children on a fantastic musical journey each week,” and judging from the record-breaking adorableness of past performances, we promise you plenty of photo ops.

Contact no: (212) 772-8435

Location: 344 East 69th Street, New York, NY 10021

Learn more here.

John Tartaglia’s ImaginOcean

A one-of-a-kind interactive show, ImaginOcean is a magical musical undersea adventure for kids of all ages. Tank, Bubbles, and Dorsel are three best friends who just happen to be fish, and they’re about to set out on a remarkable journey of discovery. And it all starts with a treasure map. As they swim off in search of clues, they’ll sing, they’ll dance, and they’ll make new friends, including everyone in the audience. Ultimately, they discover the greatest treasure of all — friendship. Jam-packed with original music ranging from swing to R&B to Big Band, ImaginOcean is a blast from the first big splash to the last wave good-bye.

Contact no: (646) 871-1730

Location: New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, New York, NY 10019

Learn more here.

Broadway Shows and TKTS

TKTS

True, children hate waiting in lines, but you’ll find few better rewards than those offered by the TKTS booth in Times Square. Here, The Theatre Development Fund of New York sells unsold Broadway tickets (for that day’s show only- none in advance), at a deep discount. Since even the hottest shows rarely sell out, it’s possible to get tickets for as much as 50% off their original price. Perhaps your spouse will take one for the team and wait in line while you and your children see the rest of Times Square together. Then again, you can save time and spend a little more on advance tickets through Broadway.com or ticketmaster.com/broadway.

Contact no: (212) 221-0885

Location: West 46th Street between Broadway and Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10036

Learn more here.

Blue Man Group

The incomparable Blue Man Group is similar to a clown troupe, only not as terrifying. Their live show of magic, music, comedy, and other eccentric theater tricks has found success all over the globe from Las Vegas to Amsterdam. The idiosyncratic trio’s original home is New York, and you can see them for yourself at the East Village theater where the phenomenon started. Kids and adults alike are fascinated by the silent, blue-faced performers’ agility and musical innovation. Those who sit in the first few rows will be given ponchos because the show can get messy.

Contact no: (212) 254-4370

Location: 434 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003

Learn more here.

The Sports Museum of America, SmA

There is something for every sports fan in the 45,000-square-foot Sports Museum of America that opened in May 2007. The museum celebrates the legends of yesteryear and the stars of today in almost every sport imaginable, including football, figure skating, and extreme sports. It houses more than 600 artifacts, 1,100 photos, 20 original films, and 24 interactive exhibits. One of the interactive exhibits allows you to experience the exhilaration of cars whizzing by on a NASCAR racetrack. Another lets you share the sensation of a 120mph slap shot from the perspective of a hockey goalie. children of all ages will enjoy the Dare to Dream: Dreaming Big exhibit where they can learn about the childhood of professional athletes like Derek Jeter, a shortstop and captain of the NY Yankees; and Jeff Gordon, champion race-car driver. Female athletes and pioneers are celebrated in the Bille Jean King International Women’s Sports Center, and the Heisman Trophy, an annual award for the outstanding U.S. college football player, has a permanent home here. Visit, play, learn, and enjoy.

Contact no: (212) 747-0900

Location: 26 Broadway, New York City, NY 10004

Learn more here.

The Museum of the City of New York

 

This elegant museum, just across the street from upper Central Park, aims to teach visitors not just about the past and present of New York, but also about its future. The city is shown to be a living organism, not just a collection of skyscrapers and bridges. Most weekends bring spectacular dance or musical performances from around the city and the world, from church choirs to fire eaters. This would be the right place to inspire in your child a sense of the beauty, color and life that make up this city.

Contact no: (212) 534-1672

Location: 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, New York, NY 10029

Learn more here.

South Street Seaport Museum

Before the skyscrapers, the stock exchange, and discount department stores, downtown New York was once the country’s biggest shipping harbor and leading port, the same “battery” Ishmael briefly described in Moby Dick. As with most big industry, the shipping is now done in New Jersey, but the South Street Seaport Museum preserves this major part of nascent New York. The giant antique ships in the dock, assorted galleries, and colonial buildings take you inside the golden age of sail and steam. You can browse the historical maritime objects for hours while your children excitedly barrage you with questions about the authentic scrimshaw, ship plans, paintings, maps, toys, and signal flags. You might want to brush up on your Patrick O’Brien novels, or at least rent “Master and Commander” for an educated edge.

Contact no: (212) 748-8600

Location: 207 Front Street, New York, NY 10038

Learn more here.

New York Historical Society

Although it’s home to more somber exhibits like “Slavery in New York,” and various monuments to 9/11, this museum still knows how to have fun. With regular family programs that include classic board game playing, drumming, Afro-Caribbean dance, and poster-making, the New-York Historical Society offers parents and children a chance to work together on a variety of projects, all with New York-infused themes. Keeping with the overall aim to cover the social and political histories of New York, “Creative Campaigning” is a workshop where you can help your children design their own buttons and posters for a mock political campaign, using the “Suspicious Truths” exhibit as a guide.

Contact no: (212) 873-3400

Location: 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024

Learn more here.