New York City

51 Top Things To Do in Staten Island with Kids

Breeze through the allee at the Snug Harbor Botanical Gardens. This beautiful tunnel of Hornbeam trees is just one of its stunning feature. Photo courtesy of Snug Harbor

Staten Island may be a harbor removed from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, but the outer borough packs more than enough fun things to do to fill a day or a week. And, with the FREE Staten Island Ferry, getting there is part of the adventure!

From exploring the beautiful Staten Island Greenbelt to immersing yourself in culture at Snug Harbor and stepping back in time at Historic Richmond Town, here are our top picks for the 51 best things to do on Staten Island with kids.

We've got more picks for family-friendly outings by borough from Brooklyn and Queens to the Bronx and beyond in our Guide to Kid-Friendly Neighborhoods in NYC.

Best Arcades in NYC for Video Game Loving Kids

Funtopia has a great lineup of arcade games—both new and vintage—in its NYC arcade. Photo courtesy of Funtopia

It's hard to beat one of these arcades in NYC when you're in need of some all-ages, multi-generation entertainment. After all, if your kids don't know the names of all four of the ghosts in Pac-Man (say it with me: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde) or what Asteroids is, there's no better way to teach them than diving into an afternoon of video game fun at one of these local arcades in NYC.

Our list is a combination of old-fashioned, family-friendly arcades and some newer-age spots that specialize in virtual reality games, while others straddle the line between the two.

If these NYC arcades aren't enough to fuel your gaming addiction, consider visiting one of these arcades on Long Island or arcades in New Jersey for more fun. You can also find small arcades at many of the city's bowling alleys.

NYC Jokes for Kids

The New York jokes for kids inspire plenty of giggles no matter which corner of the five boroughs you hail from. Photo by Mommy Poppins

These New York jokes for kids are guaranteed to make even the most hardened city dwellers crack a smile.

We love to hear our kids giggle, and we love New York City, so we've rounded up these NYC jokes for kids to make your family laugh out loud...or groan! Either way you'll get a reaction! These New York City jokes for kids tackle well-known neighborhoods, streets, and buildings in New York, and even our beloved baseball teams.

Need more jokes for kids? Get your kids laughing with our school jokes for kids or our big list of hilarious jokes for kids! We also have Mom jokes and Dad jokes that will surely help the most tired parents crack a smile.

Genius Gems Debuts STEM-Inspired Play Space in Chelsea

Build larger-than-life Magna-Tile structures and much more at Genius Gems, a brand-new, STEM-inspired play space in Chelsea.

Anyone who’s raised kids in the past decade is likely familiar with Magna-Tiles. And if your house is anything like mine, there are never enough no matter how big your collection. Enter Genius Gems, the long-beloved, STEM-inspired play space that’s been a mainstay in Millburn, New Jersey, since 2018 has just debuted its first NYC location, and its collection of 100,000 (yep, you read that right!) magnetic tiles are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fun things to do at this interactive, educational fun zone.

We spent an evening building, exploring, and designing in Genius Gems’ new Chelsea location and are already plotting a return visit. Read on for our review of Genius Gems and find more STEM-inspired fun in our Guide to Science Experiments and STEM.

The Roller Wave Puts a Fresh Spin on Roller Skating with its Brooklyn Pop-Up

Strap on your roller skates to hit The Roller Wave, a Black-owned roller skating rink in Brooklyn for a limited time.

Break out those roller skates because The Roller Wave, a Black-owned roller skating rink, is now open at the Atlantic Terminal Mall in Brooklyn. While there are a number of seasonal roller skating rinks in the city, The Roller Wave is unique because it revives the classic pastime with some modern twists.

I visited The Roller Wave roller skating rink on opening weekend with my tween daughter and her friend, and we loved the vibe, music, and overall energy.

Read on for all the need-to-know info before you go roller skating at The Roller Wave, and plan your visit soon: It's only open until June 4, 2023.

Top Sports Summer Camps in NYC

Chelsea Piers sports summer camp offers instruction in a variety of disciplines from beginner to elite levels. Photo courtesy of Chelsea Piers

When it comes to sports summer camps, New York City kids can choose from a number of programs that help them build their athleticism in facilities outfitted with everything from massive rock-climbing walls to indoor ice rinks, outdoor ball fields, Olympic-sized pools, and more state-of-the-art sports complexes.

Read on for our picks for the best sports summer camps in New York City, from Brooklyn to the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, and Staten Island. Find more summer camp options in our New York City Summer Camp Guide, which has our picks for the best free and cheap summer camps in NYC, the best preschool summer camps in NYC, and even the top sleepaway summer camps in the Northeast. Don't forget to bookmark our Summer Camp Directory, where you can search for camps by interest, age, and borough.  

Free Things To Do for Winter Break in NYC

Join Prospect Park Alliance for school recess programs daily from Monday, February 20-Friday, February 24. Photo courtesy of the Prospect Park Alliance

February's Winter Break always seems to sneak up on me. We're barely into a post-holiday groove, and yet again, we've got a full week off from school to fill. While we've already rounded up 25 fun-filled Winter Break activities for the week, many of them come with a high price tag. To give your budget a bit of relief, we've got 25 free things to do during February's Winter Break Visit our Free in NYC Guide for more money-saving options for school break or any day you need to entertain your kids on the cheap.

NYC Puppet Shows, Workshops, and Festivals for Kids

The charming Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre presents reimagine classics with the old-school art of marionette puppet shows. Photo courtesy of the City Parks Foundation

These puppet shows in NYC are the perfect first-time theater experience. Even if your kids can't sit still for more than five minutes, chances are they'll make it through a puppet show. The colorful characters are captivating, the stories are often adaptations of familiar fairy tales, the tickets are FREE or cheap (and certainly a lot less than nabbing seats for our favorite Broadway shows). Puppet shows are also short, and if your kids make silly faces at the stage, the puppets won't get offended (and neither will the puppeteers—they get it).

While the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park is the best-known destination for children's puppet shows in New York City, there are many other companies regularly mounting puppet shows for families, and a few offer birthday party packages.

A few other NYC theaters, notably the New Victory, also present puppet shows, like the upcoming Baobab and Wink. DR2 Theatre is also hosting a return engagement of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show. Be sure to check our Event Calendar for even more puppet fun, including a variety of interactive Puppetsburg puppet show productions.

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