New York City

Roller Skating in NYC for Kids and Families

The Pier 2 Roller Rink is great for both daring speed seekers and beginners. Photo by Diana Kim

Roller skating provides plenty of old school, all-ages fun. With the city's popular ice skating season in the rearview, trade in your ice skates for quads and hit one of these roller skating rinks in NYC or just beyond city limits.

The return of Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace and pop-ups like Brooklyn's Roller Wave mean NYC families have more choices than ever for unique roller skating rinks to explore.

In addition to retro roller skating fun, many of these roller skating rinks offer extras, including arcade games, bounce houses, and party packages. So lace up your quads and get moving at these roller skating rinks in NYC!

Visiting Urban Air Adventure Park in Brooklyn with Kids

Urban Air Adventure Park goes way beyond a typical trampoline park, with ropes courses, climbers, mega playgrounds, VR, and more.

Sunset Park's Urban Air Adventure Park gives Brooklyn kids a whole new place to play. This new trampoline park gives kids space to jump, bounce, fly, and play to their hearts' content in a safe environment. While Brooklyn families are fortunate to have a number of indoor places to play from climbing gyms and ninja warrior courses to indoor playgrounds, there hadn't been a trampoline park in the borough for a few years. Urban Air Adventure Park, which opened in late 2022, changed that bringing with it a variety of all-ages attractions. It's one of those rare destinations where a preschooler and a tween can run around and have fun.

Read on for our visit to this ultimate indoor playground and find more places for action-packed playtime in our Guide to Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones in NYC.

Best Things to Do in Coney Island With Kids: Luna Park, Aquarium, Beach, Mermaids

Visit the rides along the Coney Island boardwalk. Photo by Julienne Schaer for NYCgo

The shores of Coney Island and Brighton Beach open for the season Memorial Day weekend, but the amusement park rides have been spinning since early spring, and the boardwalk and New York Aquarium are always action-packed, making this season the perfect time for a Brooklyn day-cation!

From enjoying the sandy beach and waves, to amusement park thrills, and delicious sweets and treats, here are the best things to do in Coney Island with kids this season.

What's New at Legoland New York for 2023 Season

Sensory guides posted outside rides and attractions are one of the resources Legoland New York offers as a Certified Autism Center. Photo courtesy of Legoland

Legoland New York is open for the 2023 season and there are lots of great updates for families. One of the most noteworthy: The resort, currently in its third year, is now a Certified Autism Center.

With specific autism-friendly features, Legoland New York joins Sesame Place Philadelphia as a day trip-worthy Certified Autism Center (CAC) for tri-state area residents.

Read on for what the certification means plus what else is new at Legoland New York in 2023. Hot tip: Start planning now for a cool summer vacation when its water playground opens! We've got more wet and wild fun in our Guide to Theme Parks and Water Parks for Families.

Best Maternity Stores in NYC for Expecting Moms

Shop the stylish and locally made collection at Hatch, which has a pair of NYC locations.

When it comes to maternity stores in NYC, most pregnant mamas load up on cheap Target and Old Navy gear. After all, you're only going to wear it for a few months, right? But great maternity clothes can make you feel like yourself again—or at least the NYC mama you want to be. We've found 10 New York City maternity stores selling maternity clothes, plus great postpartum gear like nursing bras, breast pumps, baby carriers, and even adorable bespoke onesies. Some even offer pre- and postnatal classes, and all are worth the splurge to find the best for you and your baby to be, even if that super cute onesie will be covered in spit-up in no time!

So, hit up the big box maternity retailers for your everyday T-shirts, and save these local New York City maternity stores for special occasions or to find something that truly fits. Besides, you'll likely be visiting this store again to try on nursing bras, and nothing beats a dedicated, knowledgeable staff and a carefully curated selection of excellent clothing and gear. Several even offer perks like lounge areas and nursing pillows for on-the-go breastfeeding.

While these maternity stores will get you through nine months and beyond, we've got more curated picks for the best baby stores in NYC to carry you through toddlerhood. You'll find other new parent resources in our NYC Baby and Pregnancy Guide.

NYC Summer Day Camps with Swimming Programs

With 70 sites throughout the five boroughs and a sleepaway camp upstate, the YMCA offers a wide variety of action-packed summer programs.

If swimming at summer camp is a must for your city kid, you're in luck. Here in NYC, not only will you find summer camps totally dedicated to swimming, but also traditional day camps where taking a dip is almost always on the agenda, plus totally unique summer camps that combine sports or STEM activities with prioritized pool time.

Whether your kiddo is ready to work on their backstroke or just eager to play a round of Marco Polo, we've gathered some of our favorite NYC summer camps with awesome swimming programs in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and across the city. Find more high-quality summer camps in NYC, including our picks for the top sports summer camps and great sleepaway camps in the Northeast in our New York City Summer Camp Guide. You can also search our Summer Camp Directory by borough, camp type, and age.

Visiting NYSCI with Kids: Guide to the Best Things To Do and See

Connected Worlds mesmerizes children with its interactive features and fun animations.

The New York Hall of Science is one of Queens' most unique, kid-friendly museums, and as a mom to a teen, tween, and toddler, it's a relief to have a space that caters to all of them. For families looking for an intentional, captivating way to introduce children to STEM-focused concepts and activities, a visit to NYSCI is a must-do. I've got tons of tips for the best things to do and see while you're at one of our favorite local science museums in NYC.

Following devastating flooding from Hurricane Ida, NYSCI underwent extensive renovations and restoration, but it's fully open and functional again leading to rejoicing from families, students, teachers, and, indeed, science-loving New Yorkers of all ages.

Find more ways to get scientific with kids in our Guide to Science Experiments and STEM Activities for Kids and our NYC Museum Guide, which includes our top picks for space museums nearby plus more cool culture spots for families to visit no matter their interests.

Coolest Vintage and Thrift Stores for Teens in NYC

L Train Village offers a micro-chain of well-stocked and well-organized thrift stores in NYC. Photo by the author

These thrift stores in NYC are the perfect antidote to teens changing style whims. Seasoned parents can tell you that shopping for kids becomes a lot harder as they age. Teens are still trying to find their own unique style, so there's no need to spend a fortune on trendy items they will outgrow or that go out of style quickly. Kicks, rocker tees, jeans, funky bags, and accessories are all in high demand and easily found in multiple at vintage stores and thrift shops in NYC. Teens have a blast browsing racks hunting for that perfect T-shirt or pair of jeans.

NYC abounds with vintage and thrift shops. We've rounded up a selection of thrift stores in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx that offer a large and varied selection of clothes, shoes, and accessories for teens. Have some cash on hand and get ready for a vintage shopping spree. Find more age-appropriate activities and destinations in our NYC Tween and Teen Guide.

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