If you have ever been to the Playworks exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, you may recognize their aesthetic throughout the Junior Officers Discovery Zone.  The museums collaborated on the space.  

The exhibit is dominated by 2 large vehicles and a police “precinct” that is really a fun climbing and sliding play structure.  The vehicles are great and car loving kids will for sure spend lots of time in them.  One is an almost life sized emergency unit van with displays of real life police gear – but what the kids will like most about this van is the gas pedal that sounds like a vrooming engine, sirens and lights to operate and lots of buttons to push. 

The police car is smaller, more kid sized, but has 4 sets of steering wheels, which minimizes the taking turns factor, plus a trunk full of buckets and towels for the all important police work of washing the car.

The police precinct is a small but adorable play structure with peep holes, windows and little activities inside (according to my son, I tried to get in myself but really just didn’t fit.) To get out, there is a big slide for an exit.  For younger kids there is also a table set with police-themed puzzles and story books.

My son will be six in the blink of an eye and he enjoyed the cars and slide but he is on the cusp of being too old for these things.  And, he is right, these pieces of the exhibit are more suited for toddlers, but not to worry, there are some cool activities for older kids, too. I would say kids even older than six would enjoy them.   Along with displays of various police equipment and uniforms that line the perimeter of the exhibit there is a “make your own music” kiosk, that gives a beat and some rhythm to the sounds we hear every day: sirens, pigeons, traffic, etcetera. 

But, the three parts of the exhibit my son liked the best are found in the Police Academy section and these were clearly for older kids, no climbing involved.  

The first was the fingerprinting station, where kids can inspect their own enlarged fingerprint and compare it to the three styles of finger prints humans possess. Here we found out mine is a loop and his is an arch – and the arch is really rare.  The second was an interactive memory quiz, where you choose different scenes and memorize them then answer questions to see what you remember – much easier for the kids than for us distracted adults. 

The final challenge was his absolute fave – the agility test where kids learn how many times they can run up and down a small set of stairs to press a button on either side in an allotted amount of time.  They also had some fun sit down, kid, friendly crime scenarios to read aloud and then decide whodunit.

The new Junior Officers Discovery Zone is perfect for families with a range of ages and a great way to spend a winters morning or afternoon.  If kids tire of the exhibit, which could happen, since it is kind of small side, you can ask the helpful front desk attendant to assist you in deciding what else to see (or not see, there are exhibits exploring September 11, 2001, how it affected New York City and our police department in graphic detail.) based on the ages of the children in your family.  All kids will love to see the really cool motorcycles and snap a mug shot in front of the authentic looking backdrop or in a real jail cell.

I really like the NYC Police Museum and have visited several times. The museum is housed in the original 1st precinct police station, one of the city’s first and in operation until 1973. Inside, you can still see how the police station may have looked thanks to its period architecture, old globe lights and enormous front doors.  Another great thing about this museum is that it is never crowded – ever.  In fact, I think the front desk attendants are surprised to see us walk in!  And I am happy to see the museum create this special area for kids in a part of the city where there isn’t too much for them to do on a less than perfect weather day.  Plus, for a grown up and a kid, admission is less than $20 and you can stay all day.  

Junior Officers Discovery Zone at the NYC Police Museum
100 Old Slip
Admission: Adults are $8 and children are $5.  Children under 2 years old and Members of Service are always free.

 

More Museum and Indoor Activities can be found in the Mommy Poppins Indoor Activity Guide.