Getting your kid's hair cut can be hard. Even a harmless trim can turn into an ordeal if you have a little one who squirms and squeals and refuses to sit still. Have you ever seen a stylist try to snip a moving target? Thankfully, NYC's top children's hair salons pull out all the stops to turn haircuts into a fun experience for families, plying young clients with balloons, bubbles, cartoons, toys, funky chairs, and lots of coddling.

Why trust us? As native New Yorkers with more than 15 years of experience sharing the best of NYC with kids, our editorial team has tried nearly all these kid salons and more firsthand. Here are our recommendations for the top eight kid-friendly salons where you can take your tot for (hopefully tear-free) haircuts in New York City. Plus some tips on how to pick the right hairstyle for your kid and hair-cutting tips for kids with anxiety or sensory issues. If you'd rather DIY, we've got some tips for at-home haircuts, too. 

Midtown East is sometimes dismissed by native New Yorkers as tourist central. And yes, thanks to world-famous attractions like the Empire State Building, high-end Fifth Avenue retailers, the lion-flanked New York Public Library, the United Nations, and Rockefeller Center with its ice skating rink, Christmas tree, and observation deck, the neighborhood is often packed with out-of-towners.

However, hidden inside some high-rise office buildings are gems for local families such as the Ford Foundation Building's indoor garden, and Midtown East is also home to cultural institutions like the Morgan Library & Museum, Scandinavia House, and the Japan Society, plus perennial kid-pleasers American Girl New York and the Lego Store.

Read on for our top things to do in Midtown East with kids and find more fun neighborhoods to explore in our NYC Kids Neighborhood Guides.

Attention Long Island pinball wizards, or those who aspire to the title: Pinball Long Island, a new pinball-specific venue in Patchogue, lets you test your arcade skills in a family-friendly environment sure to please the young and young at heart.

Pinball Long Island opened in mid-March along Patchogue’s bustling Main Street, the first family-specific addition to the downtown area since its renaissance began a decade and a half ago. The new spot is a fun destination on its own or a crowd-pleasing add-on if you're dining or shopping in the area. 

Find info on other top-notch Long Island arcades and lots more in our Indoor Play Spaces Guide. 

The first baby haircut or kid haircut can be a little scary! Each baby or toddler reacts differently to seeing those scissors for the first time. Baby haircuts can be fun or traumatic, so we decided to put together a list of kid haircut places in Chicago where parents can go to get their child's first haircut and make it relaxed. Because you know you're going to need dozens more haircuts before they get big enough to go to a regular salon or one of these kid-friendly spas.

Here are some great places for kids haircuts in Chicago and the suburbs.

The top Connecticut playgrounds provide outdoor fun, from Fairfield to Hartford and from new Haven to Stonington. With Spring's arrival, the fresh air, sunshine and reawakening natural world is becoming more and more enticing to Connecticut kids. There are plenty of modern and well-maintained playgrounds to play on for families. There are ones with unique, one-of-a-kind features, tube slides, sandpits, zip lines and all kinds of climbing apparatus'. Many of them have spots to sit down and eat a fun picnic lunch too.

If you're looking for more local fun, check out our favorite neighborhood playgrounds in the Hartford and New London areas. Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to get posts like this delivered to your inbox.