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Commonly regarded as one of the most exciting cities in the world, New York is a popular bucket list travel destination for many. With high-class shopping experiences, incredible views – like those from the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge – and a wealth of things to do, you’re practically guaranteed a marvellous stay in the Big Apple.
If you’re planning on a visit to New York with kids in tow, then you’ll need to find things to do for all ages in order to guarantee an enjoyable family vacation. Take a look at the ideas below and get planning your itinerary ASAP!
Wherever you decide to visit, however, always aim to plan ahead and ensure you have contact details for care centres in the area, in case of an accident or emergency. This is particularly important when traveling with children, of course. Therefore, researching and making a note of local urgent care in queens facilities when visiting New York is something I’d definitely advise you to do in advance of your trip.
#1: Visit a theme park
While New York is great for sightseeing and shopping, your children might not agree, especially if it means spending a lot of time on their feet, traipsing around the shops. What better way to treat them then than by taking them to a theme park? This is the ideal way to make it up to them if you’ve dragged them around one too many of New York’s famous stores.
There are loads of theme parks in New York, so make time for at least one during your stay. You might want to check out Splish Splash on Long Island, which offers gigantic water slides, inflatable raft adventures and more. Alternatively, check out the incredible rollercoaster rides at Luna Park, based at popular New York destination, Coney Island. Check out these and more with this list of NYC amusement and water parks.
#2: Go and see a show
From bagging yourself baseball tickets in NYC, to going along to one of New York’s famous Broadway shows, you owe it to your family to find something that will suit all of you.
If you’ll be going to see a musical, you might want to go and see The Lion King, especially if your only experience of Simba and his friends is from the Disney movie. If you have young children, you might prefer to take them to see Frozen – unless, of course, you have had enough of hearing that catchy song ‘Let It Go’ after your children saw the film!
If you have older children with you, and you want something that isn’t lifted from a Disney flick, you might also choose to purchase Book of Mormon tickets, as this is one show that will give you a bit of a giggle. Other highlights include Wicked, Beetlejuice and King Kong, so head online and book early to ensure you get a perfect seat.
#3: Take your kids to a museum
Okay, so we appreciate this might not fill all children with feelings of fun, as visiting a museum is something they probably associate with school trips and strict teachers telling them to be quiet and avoid touching things.
However, while some New York museums might not take your children’s fancy, some of them are guaranteed to ramp up the fun factor. If your kids have a love of dinosaurs, for example, you should take them to see the exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History. If they enjoy both movies and video games, then a trip to the Museum of Moving Image is worth a visit. And there are many more, as can be seen in this extensive list of family-friendly NYC museums. Not only will your kids have lots of fun with the many interactive experiences on offer, but they will learn something too. And hey, so will you, so be sure to pick out those museums that you’ll all enjoy!
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the things to see and do in New York, but these activities are a great place to start if you’re travelling with kids.
And, of course, as New York is ideally positioned for visiting other prominent boroughs and states, like Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, you’ll never be short of options for day trips either.
Have you ever been to New York? Share your favourite things to see and do in the comments below.
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This is a collaborative post.