Best Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in Brooklyn for Kids

Kids can climb the walls—and more—at the Play Lab, one of our top picks for the best indoor playgrounds in Brooklyn.

Brooklyn can't be beat for indoor playgrounds. From Play Kids in Greenpoint to Fairytale Island in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn kids have some prime indoor playgrounds to explore.

While we've included a couple of mellow tot spots with crafts or storytelling, this list of the best indoor play spaces in Brooklyn is focused on active indoor playgrounds, where toddlers, preschoolers, and even bigger kids can conquer multilevel mazes, swoosh down slides, climb rock walls, or just turn around in circles until they fall down exhausted and ready for a nap.

Read on for the best drop-in indoor play spaces in Brooklyn and find more indoor playgrounds citywide in our Guide to Indoor Play Spaces.

New Play Street Museum Is an Imaginative Wonderland for Little New Yorkers

Play Street Museum caters to kids ages 8 and younger with a variety of imaginative play elements.

Upper Manhattan families take note: Play Street Museum has just debuted on the Upper West Side bringing with it a brand-new mini-city perfect for imaginative play. Geared toward children ages 8 and younger, the new play space is a perfect destination for cold or rainy days and offers a creative outlet for little New Yorkers.

Read on for all the ways you can play at Play Street Museum, which seems destined to make its way onto our list of Manhattan's best drop-in play spaces, and find more fun places to play in our NYC Kids' Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones in NYC.

Six Flags' Epic New Safari Resort Opening in NJ this Summer

Luxury glamping accomodations await at the brand new Savannah Sunset Resort and Spa at Six Flags Great Adventure.

If you thought you'd have to travel to Africa to sleep on the safari, have we got news for you: Savannah Sunset Resort is set for a summer 2024 debut right in our own backyard. The brand-new glamping-style resort opens at Six Flags Great Aventure in Jackson, New Jersey, this June, and it's already taking reservations.

Read on for details on this family-friendly resort and find more glamping resorts in the tri-state area in our Guide to Day Trips and Weekend Getaways.

NYC Car Services with Car Seats for Babies and Kids

Whether you need help getting around the city or being whisked to the airport, these car services with car seats are a godsend for NYC parents.

It can be hard to find NYC car services with car seats. Whether you're headed to the pediatrician, the airport, or just visiting New York City, the question of where to find car services with car seats in NYC is one we often hear from tourists and locals alike.

If you have a car seat of your own, taxi drivers are required to let you install it. I've had anxious drivers balk, but I've always made them wait. Pro tip: Keep your door open until everyone's buckled in to force the issue!

For those days when you don't feel like lugging your car seat to and from JFK or up and down the pediatrician's steps, call one of these local NYC car services with car seats. We've rounded up some of our staff favorites for service in all five boroughs. Just remember to specifically request an infant or a toddler seat depending on your child's needs. If you're looking for more parent-tested NYC tips, we've rounded up 25 good-to-know tips for NYC parents.

Family-Friendly Restaurants in NYC with Entertainment for Kids

You can't beat watching the amazing waitstaff at Ellen's Stardust Diner.

There's no shortage of family-friendly restaurants in NYC. Sometimes, though, it takes more than just a kid-friendly menu to get through a night out with your sanity intact. Food halls are one option, as are play cafes. But we've also rounded up 12 kid-friendly restaurants with entertainment in NYC. At these local restaurants, you can enjoy everything from video games to kitty cats alongside kid-friendly eats.

Read on for our picks for family-friendly restaurants in NYC with entertainment for kids, and find all our top options for dining out in our NYC Kids' Guide to Restaurants.

Culture Pass NYC Lets You Use Your Library Card to Get into NYC Museums and Gardens for Free

Take advantage of Culture Pass for access to world class museums and programs, like those at the Sugar Hill Museum. Photo by Janet Bloom

Thanks to your library card and the Culture Pass NYC program, New York's cultural treasures—from museums to gardens, performing arts institutions, and more—are all just a few keystrokes away. While New York is home to some of the world's greatest cultural institutions, visiting them all with your family regularly can seriously add up. So, while we're always on the hunt for free times to visit NYC museums, if you're a current cardholder at the New York, Brooklyn, or Queens Public Library, you're going to want to read on for the details on how to unlock the NYC Culture Pass benefit.

The Coolest New Stuff for Families in NYC Metro Area – Our 2023 Review

The American Museum of Natural History debuted the Gilder Center last spring. Photo by Jody Mercier

'Tis the season for celebrations and year-in-review stories, and the Mommy Poppins team is toasting these 17 family-friendly 2023 openings. From a wet-and-wild playground at Legoland New York to AMNH's expansive museum expansion with the Gilder Center and plenty more fun places for family playtime, 2023 brought a ton of new kid-friendly attractions for our readers to enjoy in New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester and the Hudson Valley, and beyond.

We can't wait to see what 2024 has in store—and thank you, our dear readers, for following along this year. Cheers to you—and another year of bringing you the best things to do with kids.

Astra Lumina Lights Up Queens Botanical Garden with After-Dark Walk-Thru

Step into a celestial landscape courtesy of Astra Lumina and the Queens Botanical Garden.

It's not hard to find an after-dark holiday light installation in NYC this winter. From the Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo to Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and a ton of Christmas light drive-thrus in the suburbs, there are plenty of options, but none are quite like Astra Lumina at the Queens Botanical Garden.

Astra Lumina is QBG's first after-dark installation, and it lights up a mile-long trail in an awe-inspiring display that transports visitors to a whole new galaxy with an eye-popping display of lights, projections, and soundscapes.

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