For many people, Midtown West conjures up visions of Times Square with its Broadway theaters, illuminated billboards, crowded chain restaurants, megastores, and tourist traps. But go a little further west and you'll find the treasures of Clinton, an amenity-filled residential neighborhood that many actors, artists, and families call home. Also known as Hell's Kitchen, the area was once infamous for gangs and poverty but started changing in the 1990s. Tenements were renovated, luxury condos went up, and a slew of new restaurants and bars opened, especially on Ninth Avenue.

Further south, the renaissance has continued with new skyscrapers of Hudson Yards and Manhattan West bringing destination-worthy shopping and dining, plus hotels, performing arts, playgrounds, and even a beautiful new connection to The High Line.

Read on for our favorite things to do in Midtown West with Kids and find more local neighborhoods to explore in our Manhattan Kids Neighborhood Guide. 

If you're looking for amazing gifts for a special preschooler in your life, check out our ultimate gift guide for 4 & 5-year-olds.

When you’re a kid, presents are pretty much the best thing ever. As an adult, finding gifts for preschoolers comes with a little more thought. Ideally, it's a toy that entrances, teaches, and grows with kids, sticking around in the playroom for a while. All while keeping your budget in mind!

Luckily, we have tried pretty much every toy for every kind of kid with every interest under the sun. These are the toys that Mommy Poppins writers and editors can't get enough of with our own kids, and that we turn to when giving gifts.

If you're looking for more ideas about gifts for kids, the Mommy Poppins Gift Guide for Birthdays and Holidays has got you covered—we've got everything from gifts for baby's first birthday to gifts for toddlers, and more!

We all know how important recycling is for the environment. Unfortunately, it's hard to figure out exactly how to recycle. What does the recycle symbol mean? What can be recycled (and what can't)? Where do we put items we want to recycle? And, most important, how do we teach kids about recycling symbols and what they mean?

This confusion—coupled with the fact that recycling rules often vary from city to city—is part of the reason only 32% of trash in the US is recycled, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

We're here to (hopefully) answer all of your questions about what to recycle, how to recycle it, and just how to decode that ubiquitous recycle symbol. Check out our Earth Kids Guide for more tips on creating Earth-friendly habits for your family, including our tutorial on how to compost. And, sign up for our Earth Kids newsletter for more ideas and activities every month.

Historic Cold Spring Village in Cape May is definitely worth a visit if your kids are interested in history or you are hoping to pique their interest in history. The village is the largest open-air living history museum in New Jersey. You could spend a few hours strolling around the shady village or even the whole day.

When you visit the restored buildings on the 30-acre grounds, the 1800s really come to life! Kids will get a kick out of watching the hilarious puppet show, meeting the farm animals, and seeing how different life was 200 years ago! Read on to find out why my kids loved our day spent meandering around in the 19th century. 

While you are in Cape May, be sure to check out the FREE Cape May Zoo, the NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum, the Harriet Tubman Museum, or the bike along an old railroad track with Revolution Rail. 

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.