You'll find all of these destinations and hundreds more in our Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app, also new in 2013! Download the app for FREE so you can locate the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

New Museums
After $69 million and many months of renovations, the Queens Museum in Flushing Meadows Corona Park reopened to deserved fanfare. Home to the fabulous Panorama of the City of New York, the under-the-radar institution has always had great programming for kids. Now it also boasts a new facade, a cute cafe with outdoor seating, a bookstore, artist studios, a stunning glass atrium with spectacular views of the iconic Unisphere, and twice the gallery space. A worthier than ever destination, especially if you visit during one of its Drop-in Family Art Workshops on Sundays, which are free with admission.

Also of note: The Brooklyn Historical Society marked its 150th anniversary with a facelift that included a renovated entrance, two new galleries, a remodeled 200-seat Great Hall and the launch of its FREE family programs on select Saturdays.

New Outdoor Ice-Skating Rinks
NYC got four brand-new outdoor ice rinks this year: South Street Seaport, the Rink at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City, and Brooklyn rinks in McCarren Park and Prospect Park. We're especially excited about those last two, since they're both permanent winter additions. Even better: The two rinks in the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park will be a big warm weather destination, too: One will transform into a roller rink, the other into a water play area.

New Parks & Playgrounds
A bunch of new or overhauled green spaces opened this year. We covered a bunch, and while some were modest (like the renovation of the Tarr-Coyne Tots Playground in Central Park), a few really stood out as destination playgrounds.

Long Island City, already home to the fantastic Gantry Plaza State Park, got a second stunning waterside green space: Hunters Point South Park. Highlights include a state-of-the-art playground, lush lawns, plenty of places to lounge, the East River Ferry terminal and breathtaking views of Manhattan.

Central Park's East 110th Street Playground reopened after a 10-month overhaul. Rebuilt from the ground up, the playground features challenging climbing equipment, sprinklers kids can control, tire swings and big-kid swings, plus lovely views of the adjacent Harlem Meer.

The Bronx's Starlight Park reopened after being derelict for more than a decade. The $18 million revamp includes two playgrounds, picnic areas, bike trails, ball fields, manicured lawns and access to the Bronx River.

And finally, a playground unlike any you've ever seen. Prospect Park's Donald & Barbara Zucker Natural Exploration Area doesn't have any swings, monkey bars or sprinklers. All of the "play equipment" is made from trees that were downed during storms and other recycled natural materials. A great place for imaginative play.

New Rides & Amusement Parks
My absolute favorite thing that debuted in NYC in 2013 was Fête Paradiso, the summer-long installation of vintage French carnival rides and attractions on Governors Island. I get nostalgic just clicking through our slide show. As far as we know, it won't be back next year (but we're still crossing our fingers). Happily, three other new rides opened up that will spin again in 2014:

Yet another reason to go to Coney Island: The renovated B&B Carousell. The vintage merry-go-round is operated by Luna Park and as you can see from the pics, it's gorgeous.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park got its own mini-amusement park, Fantasy Forest. The little-kid rides included a coaster, a train and the historic Flushing Meadows Carousel.

And even though it's in Westchester, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the Legoland Discovery Center in Yonkers. The year-round indoor destination features a pair of rides, Kingdom Quest and Merlin's Apprentice, plus lots of interactive stations.

New Indoor Places to Play
So many indoor play spots opened this year, it was hard to keep track. Lots of members-only chains opened new outposts, like New York Kids Club in Tribeca and Park Slope, Kidville in Riverdale and My Gym in Harlem. But some offbeat, independent play spaces debuted, too, and a few are even good for tweens:

The Queens family behind Astoria's Kids Playhouse opened a second Kids Playhouse in Jackson Heights. With drop-in weekday play just $7 per kid, it's one of the cheapest indoor romping spots in NYC.

The unique interactive stations in Williamsburg's Twinkle are inspired by children's museum exhibits.

Children of all abilities are welcome at Sensory City in Long Island City, a sensory gym and pediatric occupational therapy practice where kids can hit the swing, the ball pit, a play castle and even a zip line.

For older kids, there's The Uncommons in Greenwich Village, Manhattan's first board game cafe. Drop in for snacks and a few rounds of Battleship, Uno, DungeonQuest, Jenga and more.

Also for tweens and up: Modern Pinball in Kips Bay, where a flat fee gets you pinball play all day, no coins required.

New Maker Spaces
The maker movement is all the rage. Every year we seem to hear about new maker spaces where DIYers of all ages can tinker, craft and create low- and high-tech inventions. One of the best NYC maker programs for kids, Pixel Academy, moved into its permanent Cobble Hill Studio in the spring. Meanwhile, SI MakerSpace opened on Staten Island in the fall. We haven't even been to that one yet... see, even Mommy Poppins has some spots to check out in 2014!

What are your favorite places that opened in NYC in 2013? Tell us in the comments.