New York with kids aged 3-5
Ages 3 to 5 is the easiest age here. Zoos, the dinosaur museum, the children's museum, the tram and the free ferry are all sized for them. Keep to one paid sight a day and give the other half to a playground.
Tips by age · 3-5
- Measure your child. Under 44 inches rides transit free, and 42 inches is the cut-off to share a carousel ticket.
- Pair every museum with a playground. Heckscher is a short walk into Central Park from Columbus Circle.
- Ride the Roosevelt Island Tram outside weekday rush hours, when cabins are less crowded.
What works at 3-5
12 activities
Natural history museumAmerican Museum of Natural History
child from $22Dinosaur halls, a blue whale and a planetarium. Strollers go everywhere except the theaters.
City parkCentral Park
No ticket neededFree, open 6 am to 1 am, with a big playground at the south end and room to run everywhere.
ZooCentral Park Zoo
child from $16.95A small zoo inside the park that a toddler can finish before lunch. Strollers stay outside the buildings.
ZooBronx Zoo
child from $27.70A full day at one of the largest city zoos in the country. Expect to park the stroller often.
AquariumNew York Aquarium
child from $25.95Sharks, sea lions and penguins by the Coney Island boardwalk, at the end of the F and Q lines.
Free harbor ferryStaten Island Ferry
No ticket neededA free 25-minute boat ride across the harbor, running day and night from Lower Manhattan.
Waterfront parkBrooklyn Bridge Park
No ticket neededFree waterfront park with a run of playgrounds at Pier 6, a $4 carousel and the skyline across the river.
Children's museumChildren's Museum of Manhattan
child from $17Hands-on play floors built for ages 0 to 6. Closed Mondays, and strollers are checked at the door.
Aerial tramRoosevelt Island Tram
A cable car over the East River for the price of a subway ride. Strollers roll straight on.
Landmark and ferryStatue of Liberty and Ellis Island
child from $17The ferry ride is the fun part for kids. The crown is for children 4 and over and 42 inches tall.
Observation deckEmpire State Building
child from $38Open-air deck on the 86th floor, free for children 5 and under. Strollers must fold on the decks.
Ship and aircraft museumIntrepid Museum
child from $28An aircraft carrier with jets on deck, a space shuttle and a submarine. Submarine from 40 inches tall.
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Playgrounds worth the detour
For the hour when nobody wants another sight.
- Heckscher PlaygroundCentral Park South · ToiletsThe largest playground in Central Park, with swings, slides, a climbing maze and a water feature, good from toddlers to about 10.Map
- Ancient PlaygroundCentral Park, East 85th Street · ToiletsPyramid-shaped climbers, sand and water play beside the Metropolitan Museum, best for ages 3 to 10.Map
- Pier 25 PlaygroundTribeca · ToiletsClimbing structures and water features on a Hudson pier that also has mini golf and a snack bar, for toddlers to tweens.Map
- Pier 51 PlaygroundWest Village · ToiletsWater and sand play, slides and a pretend boat hull by the river, best for under-eights, with water switched off in the cold months.Map
- Chelsea Waterside PlaygroundChelsea · ToiletsA long wooden slide shaped like a pipefish, water features and a picnic area next door, for ages 2 to 10.Map
3 days in New York with kids
Getting around
- Subway and bus fare
- $3 a ride, tap a card or phone
- Weekly fare cap
- $35 in 7 days on the same card or device
- Children on transit
- Under 44 in ride free, up to 3 per paying adult
- Strollers on buses
- Open in the marked area, otherwise folded
- AirTrain JFK
- $8.75, free for children under 5