When it comes to saving money on culture, there are tons of free museum days and free admission hours offered at a wide variety of New York City's top museums, zoos, gardens, and cultural institutions. Many of these local cultural hubs offer free admission on certain nights, days, or hours at least once a month—a city perk no busy, cash-strapped parent should miss!

It can be hard to keep track of when and where these free museum days in NYC are available, so we've compiled an exhaustive list of free admission days at our favorite NYC cultural spots from the Bronx Zoo to the Brooklyn Children's Museum and every free museum in between.

As always, you can visit our Family Activity Calendar for more budget-friendly kid activities every day or visit our NYC Kids Guide to Museums, Galleries, and Exhibits for the latest kid-friendly exhibitions. Also, don't forget to put your library card to work for free admission at many of these same places any day.

There are probably as many opinions about screen time and kids as there are parents. You may believe in limiting screen time overall, but like to see your kids doing creative things. Or you may not have any issues with screen time, but worry about children’s safety online. We could probably argue all sides of these issues, but one thing I think most parents would agree on is that setting up parental controls, managing screen time, restricting inappropriate content, and protecting kids across all their devices feels like just another overwhelming job that we don’t have time for. 

As cynical as I currently am about big tech, I recently previewed the new Apple parental controls suite and left feeling pretty strongly that every family that uses Apple products, from iPhones and iPads to Macs and Apple Watches, should take five minutes to learn about this and, at a minimum, do the one thing I’ll recommend below that will significantly improve your child’s safety online. 

As parents, we do a fair amount of shopping for our kids, and we're always in search of a good bargain for ever-growing bodies. Personally, I love hitting children's consignment shops and thrift stores.

Besides being a great way to find inexpensive clothes and baby gear, it's fun to stumble across unique items you would never see at a big chain store. Consignment shops are also excellent spots for buying staples like strollers that you use for a little while and then need to pass on.

Shopping secondhand for kids' clothes isn't just budget-friendly—it's also sustainable, community-driven, and fun. From upscale consignment shops in Manhattan to neighborhood gems in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, NYC offers a treasure trove of stylish options for infants, toddlers, tweens, and even expecting parents. If you're shopping for—or with—older kids, take note: There are also some amazing vintage thrift stores in NYC.