New York City

New Art-and-Play Space Opens at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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There are a variety of hands-on stations at the 81st Street Studio, the new STEM and art-inspired play space at The Met.

When is the last time you stepped into The Met and had a curator encourage your child to touch and feel the exhibits? That tactile connection to artwork—to its making, its preservation, and ultimately, its appreciation—is at the forefront at the 81st Street Studio, the brand-new art and science play space that’s now open at The Met’s Fifth Avenue location.

Beyond giving city kids a new way to enjoy the wonders of The Met, the 81st Street Studio also makes it very accessible—admission to the space is completely FREE to kids and their families, surely cementing The Met’s status on our list of the best museums in NYC for children for years to come.

Baby Swimming Lessons in NYC: Mommy-and-Me Swimming Classes for Babies and Toddlers

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Babies can gain comfort and confidence in the water with mommy-and-me swimming lessons at two Asphalt Green locations. Photo courtesy of the venue

Baby swimming lessons allow little ones to bond with their grown-up while also helping them get comfortable in the water and learning important water safety skills. These mommy-and-me swimming classes in NYC offer families the chance to help babies become comfortable in the water, a skill they'll certainly use a lot in the coming years with all the great swimming pools and beaches in NYC. These baby and toddler swimming lessons are offered around the city throughout the fall, winter, spring, and summer, both on weekends and after school.

You can find all our picks for baby swimming lessons, plus swimming lessons for older kids in our directory of classes and listings. Check our New York City Classes for Kids Guide for more kids’ activities and classes for kids of all ages and interests.

The 20 Most Insane, Must-Try Desserts in NYC

Submitted by Anna Fader on

Indulge in the over-the-top milkshakes at Black Tap. Photo courtesy of the shop

When it comes to the best desserts in NYC, we couldn't help but wonder: Are they just eye candy? We headed out with a gaggle of kids to test the best, most amazingly outrageous desserts in New York City to discover which lived up to the hype. Below is the crème de la crème of over-the-top treats and desserts in NYC.

These delicious NYC desserts are all perfect for a special outing with kids or some bonding time. So get ready to wow your kids with the most awesome sweets in NYC.

Find more of our top NYC eats in our Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide, which includes everything from our picks for the best pizza in NYC to the most iconic, must-visit NYC restaurants, and more.

Guide to Visiting Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos with Kids: Indoor Water Park and More Fun

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Great Wolf's indoor water park draws kids of all ages to its slides and recent renovations mean its added seven new slides to its collection..

Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos is a perfect, easy weekend getaway for families from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. With a brand-new 40,000-square-foot water park expansion and tons of interactive all-ages fun, it's sure to draw tri-state area families for years to come.

We recently revisited this longtime family retreat, and we were reminded why Great Wolf Lodge Poconos is one of our top Poconos resorts for families. If you're headed there, find more fun nearby on our list of 70 things to do in the Poconos and our Poconos Family Travel Guide.

Best Pizza in NYC: The Top Slice Joints for Families

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Say cheese—or plain, if you please—when ordering a slice at one of these NYC pizza restaurants. Photo by author

NYC pizza is like nothing else. As a small-town kid, I had three options for pizza growing up: Pizza Hut, Little Caesars Pizza, and Domino's Pizza. While I enjoyed stuffed crust and bigfoot pies in my day, I'll never forget my first NYC pizza slice. It had that perfect not-too-chewy, not-too-crispy crust, the right amount of sauce, gooey, greasy cheese running over the edges, and it came just as it should: on two paper plates that felt like they were going to disintegrate in my hands, all for the whopping price tag of two bucks.

Needless to say, I was in NYC pizza heaven. Now that I have two kiddos, I get to share a little slice of that NYC pizza heaven with them, too.

Whether you're a local, or visiting NYC for a family vacation, know this: NYC pizza lives up to the hype if, you know where to find it. Whether you're looking for a pizza slice at an iconic, only-in-NYC restaurant or an off-the-beaten-path neighborhood NYC pizza joint, we've laid out our favorite pizza spots below. Bookmark our NYC Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide for all our top picks of where to eat with kids.

Brooklyn Museum Guide For Kids - Everything You Need to Know Before Your Family Visit

Submitted by Diana Kim on

The Brooklyn Museum is a premier art museum, with floors of treasures and outdoor art, too.

The Brooklyn Museum is one of the world's premier art museums, yet often overlooked for its more famous Manhattan neighbor, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. But, the Brooklyn Museum is truly worth a visit, whether you're a local or just visiting. Home to an eclectic permanent collection and a rotation of buzzy, crowd-pleasing special exhibitions, the Brooklyn Museum is located in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building right off of family-friendly Prospect Park and definitely worth visiting with kids. Its calendar is packed with kid-friendly programming and family events. We've got tips about the best exhibits to see, things to do, and places to eat during your visit to the Brooklyn Museum with kids.

We've got all our picks for the best museums to visit with kids in NYC and more tips for NYC's top culture spots in our Guide to Family-Friendly Museums in NYC.

17 Swim Lessons in NYC for Kids

Submitted by Rosalind Muggeridge on

Swimming lessons start as young as 7 months at Commonpoint Queens, which uses the Red Cross curriculum. Photo courtesy of the venue

When it comes to swimming lessons in NYC, we've rounded up 17 local organizations offering swim lessons whether you're looking to give your kids a refresher or introduce them to the water for the first time.

From swimming lessons in Manhattan to swimming lessons in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, many of these local swim schools have multiple locations. We've found swimming lessons in NYC that offer everything from mommy-and-me swim classes for babies and toddlers to private swim lessons and even competitive swim teams for big kids.  

You can find more swimming lessons in NYC for kids, and even book a class online, in our directory of classes and listings. Check our NYC Classes for Kids Guide for more kids’ activities and classes for kids of all ages and interests.

Extreme Sports and More Thrilling Activities for Kids near NYC

Submitted by Diana Kim on

Take a high-flying lesson in trapeze alongside the Hudson River at the New York School of Trapeze.

If you're raising a daredevil who loves extreme sports and high-thrill activities, we've got you covered. From parkour classes to go-karts, zip lines, and axe-throwing, we've rounded up 12 thrilling, adrenaline-pumping things to do in NYC. These extreme sports offer excitement and thrills in a safe and controlled environment so parents don't have to worry.

Make sure to take note of any age or height restrictions before heading out or risk being shut out of these extreme sports in NYC. Find more heart-pumping activities and things to do in our Guide to Kids Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones in NYC.

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