This is a sponsored guest post.
It can be daunting to plan a family vacation to New York City. The sightseeing options are endless, and new discoveries can be found on nearly every city block.
With little ones in tow, parents have to plan ahead a little extra to make sure their Big Apple itinerary is kid-friendly. After all, no one wants to drag a hungry and tired toddler around the Met.
“With some smart planning, you’ll find family-friendly destinations, and any family on the go will have a fun, memorable trip to the biggest and brightest city in America,” said Blair Nicole, spokesperson for TopView, the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour bus.
Museums Can Make Learning Fun!
It is hard to imagine sightseeing in NYC without stopping by at least one or two of its amazing museums.
Luckily, there are quite a few kid-friendly museums and ways to make any museum a pleasant experience for the whole family.
First, a few tips:
- When entering a museum with children, probably the most important goal is to keep them engaged. Sometimes this might mean going through an exhibit a little faster than normal, or it could mean turning each gallery into a game.
For example, you could challenge them to find the oldest specimen in the museum exhibit, or the newest, or the most or least attractive.. Once they get the idea, they can choose their own descriptor and send mom and dad on the hunt.
When children have a mission, they may appreciate museum pieces more than you’d expect.
Better yet, they will associate museum visits with fun, making them want to return later on.
MUSEUMS FOR BOTH LITTLE AND BIG KIDS
A few great NYC museums that kids can enjoy include:
- The American Museum Natural History with its giant dioramas. Central Park West at 79th St.
- The Museum of Food and Drink, a museum that brings the world of food to life with exhibits you can taste, touch, and smell. Located at Chow Restaurant, 62 Bayard St, Brooklyn.
“By the way, that’s in the Williamsburg section, which is also a TopView Tour,” said Nicole.
- The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 West 83rd St.
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., Brooklyn
Food and Restaurants
Traveling with the family in tow can be a challenge–not to mention the cost! Manhattan restaurants can be pricey. Here are some restaurants that are kid-friendly.
If, however, you are ever unsure about how family-friendly a restaurant is, don’t hesitate to call ahead. You will usually get a straight answer and possibly avoid an uneasy situation.
- Ninja New York “Do you want to go into the dining room the regular way or the ninja way?” asks the maitre’d. Designed to resemble a ninja village, it features Japanese cuisine, but there’s a special kids menu that includes the Oksama Burger (which is really a cheeseburger and fries) or The Castle of Ninja, a combination of mac ‘n cheese, grilled chicken teriyaki and tempura.
- The Meatball Shop: This restaurant has locations all over Manhattan from Greenwich Village to the Upper East Side. This is great choice is you have picky eaters, because it’s a build-as-you-go. You choose the meatball, the sauce and select add-ons.
- Alice’s Tea Cup: This one is known for its whimsical and wonderful decor and kid-friendly foods, like grilled cheese or chicken fingers–and desserts like ice cream sandwiches. There are three locations around the city.
- Big Daddy’s: This fun, bright, classic diner is consistently voted one of the best kid-friendly places. Locations all over the city.
Gems in Plain Sight
Finally, probably the best thing you can do while visiting a world-class city is to keep your eyes and mind open to what you might discover. Even the classic, most touristy destinations may have nooks and crannies off the beaten path that you and your kids can discover together. In bustling Times Square, for instance, you can step into the colorful oasis of M&M’s World, a 25,000-square foot candy mecca.
But wherever your New York adventures take you, be sure to catch all the sights with TopView.
