Some of New York's sights and attractions are designed specifically with kids in mind, and I've listed those in this section. But many of those I've discussed in the rest of this section are terrific for kids as well as adults; I've also included cross-references to the best of them.
Probably the best place of all to entertain the kids is in Central Park, which has kid-friendly diversions galore.
Museums--In addition to the museums designed specifically for kids below, also consider the following, discussed elsewhere in this site: The American Museum of Natural History, whose dinosaur displays are guaranteed to wow both you and the kids; the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, on a real battleship with an amazing collection of vintage and high-tech airplanes; the Forbes Magazine Galleries, whose wacky collection includes a number of vintage toys and games; the New York City Fire Museum, housed in a real firehouse; the American Museum of the Moving Image, where you and the kids can learn how movies are actually made; the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, whose weekend living-history program really intrigues school-age kids; the New York Transit Museum, where kids can explore vintage subway cars and other hands-on exhibits; and the South Street Seaport & Museum, which little ones will love for its theme park-like atmosphere and old boats bobbing in the harbor.
Arcades -- Lazer Park, in Times Square at 1560 Broadway (entrance around the corner at 163 W. 46th St.; tel. 212/398-3060; www.lazerpark.com), has amusements ranging from good old-fashioned pinball to virtual-reality games and a full-on laser tag arena. Even better is the Broadway City, 241 W. 42nd St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues (tel. 212/997-9797; www.broadwaycity.com), a neon-bright, multilevel interactive game center designed on a Big Apple theme where you could lose your kids (and a year's supply of quarters) for an entire day.
Shopping -- Everybody loves to shop in New York -- even kids. Don't forget to take them to Books of Wonder, that temple of sneakerdom Niketown, the NBA Store, and FAO Schwarz, the best toy store in the world -- just ask Tom Hanks (remember Big?). Actually, the brand-new Toys "R" Us flagship is giving it a run for its money, thanks to its very own indoor Ferris wheel.
Sky-High Views -- Kids of all ages can't help but turn dizzy with delight at incredible views from atop the Empire State Building. The Empire State Building also has the New York Skyride (tel. 212/279-9777; www.skyride.com), which offers a short motion-flight simulation sightseeing tour of New York, just in case the real one isn't enough for your kids. Open daily 10am to 10pm; tickets are $16.50 adults, $15.50 kids 5 to 11, $14.50 for seniors and kids 4 to 12; combination Empire State observation deck/New York Skyride tickets are available at a discount.
Special Events -- Children's eyes grow wide at the yearlong march of parades (especially Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade), circuses (Big Apple, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey), and holiday shows (the Rockettes' Christmas and Easter performances). See "Calendar of Events," for details.
Zoos & Aquariums -- Bigger kids will love the legendary Bronx Zoo, while the Central Park Zoo with its Tisch Children's Zoo is particularly suitable to younger kids. At the New York Aquarium at Coney Island, kids can touch starfish and sea urchins and watch bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions stunt-swim in the outdoor aqua theater. Brooklyn's Prospect Park also boasts a wonderful little zoo.
