New York City Kid-Friendly Attractions

There are millions of things to do in New York City, but for those traveling with children, it's best to figure out in advance how you'll be able to accommodate them. Of course, there are many things for children to see and do as well. Listed below are some favorites.

Children's Museum of the Arts (ages 2-10)

182 Lafayette Street, between Broome and Grand St.

Open Wednesday 12-7pm, Thursday - Sunday 12-5pm

Fee: $9 per person (ages 1 - 65). You can pay whatever you want every Thursday from 4 - 6pm.

The Children's Museum of the Arts is one of the best places in New York for children to express and develop their creativity, with hands-on areas and exhibits that promote creating art through the materials provided. The fun can literally last all day, because there is so much to see and do.

Such areas like the Creative Play Area, The Art Studio, and The Actor's Studio are all divided depending on age. The Creative Play Area is geared towards children under five, while the other two are for older children.

There is also a special area for all ages, known as the Ball Pond, which is a cushioned area full of multicolored physioballs, which allows movement and motor skill play and is great as a warm-up before going to discover the rest of the museum.

Special programs such as the Wee-Arts for toddlers (10 months to 3.5 years) provides a stimulating environment that encourages early art creation through basic children's art materials. There is also a music and story time. The program costs $20 per family, or a group of three people. Wee-Arts take place on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10:45am - 12pm.

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New York Hall of Science - (4 years and older)

47-01 111th Street
Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Fee: $11/adults (18 and older), $8/children (2 - 17, or college students with ID). The Science Playground has an added fee of $4/person. Enjoy free admission from September through June every Friday from 2 - 5pm and Sunday from 10 - 11am.

The New York Hall of Science is one of the few remaining buildings from the 1964 New York World's Fair. Today it holds over 400 hands-on exhibits for children to touch and explore, and stands as the only hands-on science and technology center in the city.

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Visiting hours

Sony Wonder Technology Lab - (All ages)

56th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenue

Open Tuesday - Saturday 10am-5pm.

The Sony Wonder Technology Lab is a huge building for kids of all ages to explore and learn about different areas of technology through hands-on exhibits. Areas like audio, imaging, robotics, design and networks provide plenty fun, educating things to do. Anything technology-wise you can think of can be viewed and interacted with here, from music-making to computer game creation.

Best of all, entrance to the museum is absolutely FREE. Tickets, however, are on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it's best to arrive early and make a day of it.

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Central Park

The two and a half mile park is huge, but it definitely has something for everyone, children included. Many sights and attractions, such as the Children's Zoo, Carousel and Lasker Skating Rink in the winter (pool in the summer) and of course The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the MET) should keep your family and children entertained for hours. There's actually so many things to see and do in the area, that it's impossible to take even several days to do it all. But if you're visiting New York City, take at least one full day to explore the park.

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