What to Do in New York City With Kids: Best Attractions & Free Things to Do

If you’re searching for the what to do in New York City with kids, this guide is for families who want to choose activities that actually work — not just tick off a list of popular attractions.

New York has no shortage of options, but from our experience travelling during the UK summer holidays, not everything works equally well for children. The challenge isn’t filling your time — it’s choosing the right mix of activities that are engaging, manageable, and worth the effort.

This guide is for families looking for a practical answer to:

• the best things to do in New York City with kids for first-time visitors

• fun things to do in NYC with kids that don’t feel overwhelming

• family-friendly attractions that are actually worth it

Quick Answer: Best Things to Do in New Yok City with Kids

There are so many things to do in New York City with kids that trying to fit everything into one trip can quickly become exhausting and expensive. From our experience, the better approach is to choose a handful of standout attractions and leave plenty of time to simply enjoy the city.

Our personal favourites when visiting NYC with kids include:

1. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for the wow factor

2. Statue of Liberty for the classic NYC experience

3. Intrepid Museum for hands-on sightseeing

4. Central Park for downtime

5. Times Square after dark for something completely different

We found that mixing one major paid attraction with free things to do in New York City with kids made each day much more manageable. It also gave us flexibility when Joshua was tired or we simply wanted to slow the pace down.

One thing that helped early on was looking at New York attraction passes (like CityPASS or Explorer Pass). Even if you don’t buy one, they’re a useful way to see the top family-friendly attractions in NYC and start building your plan.

What You'll Find in This Guide

Based on our own family trips to New York, we'll cover the attractions we'd prioritise, alongside practical ideas for planning your days:

• Visit a museum – our favourite options for keeping kids engaged

• Visit the Statue of Liberty – for the classic New York experience

• Choose an observation deck – including which we'd pick with kids

• Free things to do in NYC with kids – to balance out the expensive attractions

• Things to do in NYC when it rains – indoor ideas worth keeping flexible

• How many NYC attractions should you do each day with kids? – and how to avoid overpacking your itinerary

Where it’s relevant, we’ve included links to the providers and options we used to help with planning — these may be affiliate links, but we only include setups we’ve personally used and would choose again as a family. If you use them it is at no extra cost to you.

Wondering Where to Stay in NYC with Kids?

Finding the right balance between value, easy access to sightseeing and family-friendly facilities can be tricky.

Our top pick was Brooklyn, where we stayed at Hotel 42, which gave us good value while still making it easy to reach Manhattan.

For more options, see Where to Stay in NYC With Kids: Best Areas for Families (+ Hotel Recommendations).

Ice Cream in NYC

Summit One Vanderbilt NYC

Best New York Museums With Kids

New York has an overwhelming choice of museums, but with kids we'd prioritise those that feel interactive, visual and genuinely different rather than trying to work through a long museum list.

Intrepid Museum : Our Top Pick with Kids

If you’re looking for kid-friendly attractions in NYC that are actually worth it, the Intrepid Museum is one of the easiest to recommend.

It’s built on a real aircraft carrier, which immediately makes it feel different from a typical museum. Instead of walking through galleries, kids can:

• explore the flight deck with real aircraft

• step inside a submarine

• see the space shuttle up close

From our experience, this worked well because it doesn’t rely on reading or concentration. It’s visual, interactive, and easy to move through at your own pace — which is exactly what you need after a busy morning in the city.

It also fits nicely into a shorter itinerary because you can spend a couple of hours here without feeling rushed.

If you’re deciding whether to include it, see Intrepid Museum with Kids: Is It Worth Visiting?

If you’re planning your route, it’s also worth checking current ticket options in advance so you can slot it into your day without needing to queue.

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History is another obvious choice for families, particularly if your children are interested in dinosaurs, animals, space or the natural world.

It's also a useful attraction to keep in mind for a rainy day in New York, as you can easily spend several hours inside without needing to constantly move between locations.

Which New York Museum Would We Choose?

If we only had time for one museum with a school-aged child, we'd choose the Intrepid Museum. It feels distinctly New York, offers something you won't find in a typical museum, and was much easier to keep our son Joshua engaged.

If your children love dinosaurs, animals or science, however, the American Museum of Natural History may be the better choice.

Intrepid Museum New York

Interacting with the sites at Intrepid NYC

Statue of Liberty : Best Iconic NYC Experience

The Statue of Liberty is one of the top family-friendly attractions in New York City, and for first-time visitors it often feels essential.

The experience includes:

• a ferry ride from Lower Manhattan

• skyline views

• time on Liberty Island (and optionally Ellis Island)

For our son, the boat journey is often the highlight.

However, this is where expectation matters. From our experience:

• it’s not a quick activity

• queues and transport take time

• it can easily take up most of the morning

This works best if you treat it as a standalone experience, not something to squeeze in between other plans. We’d recommend booking your ferry time in advance to avoid wasting time on the day — especially in school holidays.

For an honest breakdown, see: Is the Statue of Liberty Worth Visiting with Kids?

Ferry to Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty Island NYC

Best Observation Deck with Kids

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt : Our Top Pick

If there’s one thing that really captures children’s attention in New York, it’s seeing the city from above.

Observation decks are a big part of the New York experience, and there are several to choose from.

Options like Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building are popular and are often included in attraction passes, but they tend to be more classic “viewpoints” rather than interactive experiences.

Having visited the others in the past, for this trip we opted for Summit One Vanderbilt as we heard it offered a more immersive and interactive experience for kids, alongside a spectacular view.

It includes mirrored rooms, glass features and interactive elements that make it feel like more than just a viewpoint. This worked particularly well for a child, as there’s more to engage with. In our opinion this is one of the best choices if you are travelling with younger kids.

If you’re deciding what’s best for your family, see: Best Observation Deck in New York for Families

Or for a direct comparison of the Edge and SUMMIT one see our review : Summit One Vanderbilt ‘Summit’ vs Edge: Which Is Better for Kids?

Unique experience at SUMMIT One NYC

Summit One interactive experience with a view

Free Things to Do in New York City with Kids

New York can be expensive, but some of our favourite family experiences cost nothing. Building a few free things to do in New York City with kids into each day also helped balance the cost of museums, observation decks and other ticketed attractions.

Times Square

Times Square is busy and chaotic, but for children it often feels exciting rather than overwhelming. The huge digital screens, crowds and constant movement make it feel completely different from anywhere else. It’s particularly good in the evening when everything is lit up.

For a look at our Times Square experience, see : Is Times Square Worth Visiting with Kids?

Central Park

Central Park plays an important role in a family itinerary. After a busy morning, it gives you space to slow down. Children can move around more freely, and it provides a break from crowds and noise. It’s also much larger than people expect, so it helps to have a rough idea of where you’re heading rather than just wandering in without a plan.

Other areas that work well for families are the large playgrounds, the lake area around Bethesda Terrace, and the open spaces where kids can run around for a while. Even something as simple as grabbing a drink or ice cream and sitting in the park for half an hour can reset everyone’s energy levels before heading back into the city again.

We found Central Park worked best as a midday break between attractions, rather than trying to treat it as a full sightseeing destination. It’s the pause in the day that makes the rest of New York feel manageable.

One activity, that has a small cost, but works particularly well with school-aged kids is bike riding in Central Park. There are several bike rental locations around the park, and the main loop road is wide, mostly flat and very family-friendly. This is a really nice way to see more of the park without children getting tired from too much walking, and it breaks up a city-heavy itinerary with something more active.

See Central Park with Kids: What’s Actually Worth Doing for Families for ideas.

The High Line

The High Line is an elevated walkway built on an old railway line along Manhattan’s west side.

It’s a simple activity, but it works well because:

• it’s flat and easy to walk

• there’s enough to look at along the way

• it feels a bit different from street-level walking

It also connects well with Hudson Yards, making it easy to combine with a visit to Edge.

Visit the World Trade Center

The World Trade Center is another worthwhile free stop when exploring Lower Manhattan with kids. You can walk around the 9/11 Memorial pools, see One World Trade Center and explore the Oculus without needing to buy attraction tickets.

For families, I'd treat this as a shorter sightseeing stop rather than a major attraction, unless you also plan to visit the 9/11 Museum or One World Observatory. It fits particularly well before or after the Statue of Liberty, and you can continue towards Brooklyn Bridge afterwards.

Walk Across Brooklyn Bridge

Walking across Brooklyn Bridge is one of the easiest free activities to add to a family itinerary. You get brilliant views of the Manhattan skyline and East River, while the walk itself feels like an attraction rather than simply getting from A to B.

It fits particularly well with a day exploring Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty or World Trade Center. You could also continue into Brooklyn for lunch before heading back.

Explore Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a great free stop to combine with Fifth Avenue or Central Park. There is plenty to look at without buying a ticket, and the surrounding area includes the LEGO Store and other shops that work well with kids.

If you want to add a paid attraction, Top of the Rock is here too, making Rockefeller Center particularly easy to build into a wider Midtown sightseeing day.

See Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is worth seeing even if you're not catching a train. The huge Main Concourse and distinctive ceiling make it one of those New York landmarks that children can appreciate without needing a long visit.

It also works perfectly alongside SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, which is next door. We like stops like this with kids because they add something to the day without another entrance fee, queue or hour-long attraction.

Times Square NYC

Fun in Central Park NYC

Things to Do in New York City When It Rains

Rain doesn't have to derail a New York family itinerary. Some of the city's best attractions are indoors, so it's worth keeping a few things to do in New York City when it rains in reserve:

• Intrepid Museum for aircraft, submarines and the Space Shuttle, although some areas are outside.

• American Museum of Natural History for an easy few hours indoors.

• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for an immersive indoor experience, although we'd save it for a clearer day if possible for the views.

• Rockefeller Center for the LEGO Store, Nintendo NEW YORK and other indoor stops.

• Broadway show for a completely weather-proof afternoon or evening.

Our tip: Don't lock every indoor attraction into a particular day before you travel. We prefer keeping one or two flexible so we can move things around if the weather changes, rather than spending a sunny day inside a museum and then finding ourselves walking Central Park in the rain.

Views over NYC from SUMMIT One

Inside Intrepid Museum

How Many NYC Attractions Should You Do Each Day With Kids?

From our experience, one major paid attraction per half-day is plenty when visiting New York with kids. The city involves far more walking than you expect, and once you factor in subway journeys, queues, food stops and simply taking everything in, the days fill up quickly.

Rather than booking several expensive attractions back-to-back, we found it worked better to combine one main experience with something flexible and free.

For example:

• Statue of Liberty + Lower Manhattan + Brooklyn Bridge

• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt + Grand Central Terminal + Central Park

• Intrepid Museum + Times Square + the big Midtown shops

This gives you enough variety without every day feeling like a race between ticketed attractions.

If you're trying to work out how much you can realistically fit in, see our 2-Day New York City Itinerary for Families With Kids, where we show how we'd structure a short family trip without overpacking the days.

Are New York Attraction Passes Worth It for Families?

Even if you don’t plan to buy one, it’s worth looking at New York attraction passes like CityPASS or the Explorer Pass when planning.

They tend to include:

• observation decks

• museums like the American Natural History

• the Statue of Liberty

• cruises and tours

This makes them a useful shortcut for identifying the main attractions most families consider. We found that while passes can offer value, they also encourage trying to fit too much into each day. For us, choosing activities individually worked better.

If you’re weighing it up, see Which New York Attraction Pass Is Best for Families? (CityPASS vs Explorer Pass vs DIY).

Simulator experience at Intrepid

Exploring NYC Streets

Final Verdict : Our Top 5 Things to Do in New York City With Kids

Our personal favourites when visiting NYC with kids include:

1. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt for the wow factor

2. Statue of Liberty for the classic NYC experience

3. Intrepid Museum for hands-on sightseeing

4. Central Park for downtime

5. Times Square after dark for something completely different

FAQs: What to Do in New York City With Kids

What are the most fun things to do in New York City with kids?

Some of the most fun things to do in New York City with kids are the experiences that break up traditional sightseeing. Our favourites include cycling around Central Park, exploring Times Square after dark, visiting the LEGO and M&M's stores, and taking a ferry for those famous Manhattan skyline views.

What are some unique things to do in New York City with kids?

For something different, we'd recommend exploring an aircraft carrier at the Intrepid Museum, experiencing the mirrored rooms at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, or walking above Manhattan along the High Line. These all offer something beyond the usual museums and landmarks.

Are there free things to do in New York City with kids?

Absolutely. Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the High Line, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center and the 9/11 Memorial are all easy to incorporate without paying an entrance fee. Mixing free activities with paid attractions was one of the ways we kept our family trip costs under control.

For our real costs, see How Much Does a Trip to New York Cost? Our Family Budget From the UK.

What is the best way to get around New York City with kids?

We found a combination of walking and the subway worked best, using taxis when we were tired or needed a more direct journey. New York involves a surprising amount of walking, so grouping attractions by area can make family sightseeing much easier.

For more practical advice, see Getting Around New York City with Kids: Subway, Walking and Taxis.

plan your NEW YORK FAMILY trip

If you’re planning a New York family trip, these are the key guides that will help you pull everything together. Start with the itinerary — it makes everything else easier to plan.

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.