The Big Apple With Kids – A Survival Guide

So, picture yourself in New York. It’s not difficult, we’ve all seen so many films about the city. It’s easy to imagine ourselves there; skipping around between the skyscrapers in high heels like the women in Sex and the City, jumping in and out of yellow cabs or riding the subway. Shopping in Bloomingdales then stopping off for a cocktail before dinner somewhere swanky.

None of those fantasies include a bad-tempered toddler in tow. City breaks and small children do not go together, right? But how crazy an idea is it really. Do we actually have to give up on those kinds of trips just because we’ve had a baby? Are we doomed to spend the next ten years in a soft play area?

Child-friendly Places

Surprisingly, a lot of places in New York are child-friendly. Children are made to feel welcome and a lot of tourist places even provide a buggy to use.

Places like the American Museum of Natural History would be an ideal start, especially if your children have seen Night in a Museum. They have a huge collection of dinosaurs and dioramas and have a museum-wide scavenger hunt specially for kids. There’s also the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum which has the space shuttle Enterprise and some of the world’s fastest jets.

Child- and Parent-friendly Places

Of course, you don’t have to stick to places aimed at children. A visit to the Statue of Liberty includes a ferry ride which, for kids, is just as exciting as the final destination. The Empire State Building has some amazing views, particularly at dusk when all the lights start to come on.

With all of these places it’s often the queuing that can break even the most easy-going child and this is where a CityPASS is really worth its weight in gold. These pre-paid ticket saves you both time and money, you get a reduced entrance fee and they let you skip the queues.

So maybe swap the high heels for a buggy and enjoy your trip!

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