There is something incredibly empowering about being high up in a skyscraper peering down at the city and teeny people below you.

This is universally true for all ages which is likely why experiences like going up in the Empire State Building or One World Trade Center exist. Even someone terrified by the experience, like me, can appreciate the awesomeness of this.

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My kids, as you may know, are fascinated by skyscrapers. We did a whole homeschool preschool skyscraper unit building, reading, and otherwise exploring skyscrapers. When they found out we were moving to New York City this is the thing they were most excited about being near. (Their aunt and uncle were a close second!)

Going up in a skyscraper was high on their must-do list so we made it happen as soon as possible. If you are contemplating heading up in the One World Trade Center will little ones there are some things that are helpful to know.

5 Tips to Know Before You Go

Whether you are skyscraper enthusiasts like our twins or enjoy getting a view of the city (this is a great one) or are curious about the One World Trade Center after 9/11, these are great tips to know before you go visit.

1. New Yorkers Like to Wait

I’m joking of course, because I doubt they actually enjoy the experience but I am fairly certain that the average New Yorker spend more time waiting than any other US citizen. Lines are everywhere and waiting it just a way of life.

Children on the other hand do not like to wait. If you’re a parent, you are well aware of this unfortunate state of events. This is to say expect to wait and have some ideas of how you might pass the time. We have recently fallen in love with this Disney Found It Game to help us pass the time when we have to wait.

2. Entrance Times Can Be Reserved Ahead of Time

Go on the website beforehand and reserve a time. This won’t completely eliminate the wait time, but it will be significantly reduced.

The downside is that you are committed to a date and time. If you leave yourself extra time and choose your time/date wisely this is doable.

Your other option to avoid waiting forever is to pay quite heavily for an express pass which will cut you to the front of the line.

3. Consider the Weather

This is may be obvious, but going up in a tall building on a gray or foggy day is less fun. Your visibility is substantially less and no one will be impressed by your high up view of gray – least of all your toddler.

Tickets are non-refundable except in extreme circumstances.

4. Little Kids are Free

At least as of August 2019, children under 5 are free but they do need a ticket. This was huge for us! It was half the cost to go up in the One World Trade Center as it will be in another year.

5. Use the Bathroom Beforehand

This is likely my number #1 tip for all things New York – but insist that your child try to use the bathroom whenever you are near a restroom. There are times this will feel redundant, but just do it.

The number of places in New York City where there are no restrooms significantly outweighs the spots where they do exist.

There are bathrooms once you are past security inside and up in the tower, but during that waiting period outside and before security you are a bit out of luck.

Our twins loved our trip to the One World Trade Center. They loved searching for different buildings and seeing how small everything and everyone looked below us. One of their favorite parts was the Sky Portal which makes it appear like you are walking on the taxicabs and people below you.

At the end of the day, choose your date and time wisely and plan ahead. Do that and the One World Trade Center is a wonderful experience for all ages.

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Washington D.C. was one of our favorite family weekend getaways when we were living in New York City. It is packed with museums and history and fun things for families to do together.

Below are some of our favorites.

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A Weekend in Washington D.C.

These are our favorite things to do with kids in Washington DC based on several different trips to the area.

STAY.

My biggest recommendation about picking a spot to stay in D.C. is to stay somewhere on a train line. It is much easier to navigate D.C. on the trains, rather than trying to drive and park. Driving is possible, but we like not having to worry about traffic or parking. If you stay right on a train line you can easily pop around the city on the train.

We have stayed in several spots that have worked well on the train lines in different directions.

EAT.

D.C. has every chain imaginable and although that’s not the must exciting culinary experience, it is comforting with a child with a severe food allergy. Some of our favorites are Shake Shack, Au Bon Pain, and Jimmy Johns.

TO DO.

National Mall.

If this is your first time in Washington D.C. with kids then the National Mall is a must. Stop and see a few monuments – or all of them.

Our favorite are the Lincoln Memorial which is an absolute must for the gorgeous view of the Mall and the Washington Memorial. We also loved the Roosevelt Memorial and the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial.

If your kids enjoy the National Parks program, they can get their passport stamped at the different memorials. This made seeing the National Monuments a lot more fun for our kids.

National Post Office Museum.

Friends that lived in the D.C. area recommended this to us and I was skeptical but it was SO much fun. We loved the scavenger hunt, collecting stamps, sending a postcard and more. You can see all of my tips and more details in this post I shared on Sunshine Whispers.

National Zoo.

The National Zoological Park (commonly called the National Zoo) is one of the oldest zoos in the country. It was created as part of the Smithsonian Institute and like the rest of the museums in the Smithsonian it is completely free. I find this completely remarkable, especially when you are there and surrounded by the 2,000 animals and miles of walking paths.

The zoo is located inside the DC Metro area and I highly recommend using public transportation. We rode the Metro from our hotel and then walked a couple blocks. It was easy and we didn’t have to deal with finding or paying for parking.

If you are visiting with young children, I recommend a stroller or carrier. It is a large zoo and quite hilly, which can quickly take a toll on little legs. We were grateful to have ours for when they needed breaks.

Much like other larger zoos, I highly recommend looking at the map online before hand and making a plan. If you can spend all day, this isn’t needed, but we were trying to get back to the hotel for the kids to nap. We saw a little over half of the zoo in the morning and then ate lunch at the Mane Grill – one of the restaurants at the zoo. It was your typical attraction food, but varied and they did have Dairy Free options for our kid with allergies.

Our kids loved the zoo. They loved the elephants and the panda bear. They loved the lions and the bird area. They were pretty thrilled with it all.

National Building Museum.

This museum is AWESOME. It is one of the few not-free things we did with the kids in D.C., but it was so much fun. It encourages building and tinkering and engineering and creativity.

From the moment you step in, the architecture grabs you. Our twins were fascinated by the height of the building and by the fountain to one side. As you move around the lobby and into the different areas of the museum, the entire museum delights with thoughtful displays, interactive materials, and a range of creative building, architecture, engineering, and design themed exhibits.

Check out the website for current exhibits. When we went our favorite was their ongoing PLAY. WORK. BUILD. exhibit. You can see a video of it here. We could have spent all day in this one little part. The enormous light table was all kinds of awesome.

There was also a room full of construction materials. Our kids loved the giant over-sized foam blocks and worked so hard at fitting them together. I would recommend starting this space, unless there is a special exhibit you are interested in seeing.

Dulles Air and Space Museum.

Also called the Udvar-Hazy, this place is incredible. We liked the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall, but we all loved this one more. It is a little bit of a drive but worth it.

It is a huge hanger with airplanes and space shuttle. When you arrive, make sure to get the scavenger hunt at the front to keep littles engaged. My twins loved running all over trying to find the planes on the scavenger hunt.

The giant shuttle was their favorite part though.

Find the details on their website.

International Spy Museum.

If you’re in D.C. with some older kids, I highly recommend the International Spy Museum. It is a little pricey but fun if you like mystery, history and intrigue.

There is a well done scavenger hunt at the front for kids. I recommended this one for 7 and up but my six year olds did well and stayed engaged because of the hunt.

Learn more on their website.

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Between the super hot New York City Summers and with cold, snowy Winters, I feel like I’m often looking for somewhere indoors to take my kids. The awesome Children’s Museum of Art is one of our favorite spots to spend a few hours either away from the cold or the hot.

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Trip to Children’s Museum of Art

The Children’s Museum of Art is a space built to encourage and inspire creativity in our youngest children.

It is tucked into the South Village District of Manhattan and bursting with color and ideas.

Before the Field Trip

Before you go, map out your route. Whether you’re trying to find parking or taking the subway, one of the only downsides of this museum for us was getting there. Check their directions page and double check their somewhat odd schedule before you head to the museum.

During the Field Trip

There is a lot to do at the Museum of Art, but it is still doable in a morning or afternoon. When you first arrive, I recommend signing up for a spot at the Clay Bar immediately. Those are timed reservations and working there is a fun, unique art experience. It is a slightly odd system, feel free to ask the staff if you need help, but it is worth the little wait in line and oddity.

read more: NYC with Kids posts

It is also helpful to know that there are no strollers allowed. If you’re bringing a baby, pack a carrier to hold them while you move around the museum. If you’re with a toddler – no worries. The space is not huge. They will manage fine without the stroller. Note: you can park your stroller in coat room.

This is the under 5 space – super crowded during weekends and days off, but also a perfect space for little creatives. My advice is to get there early. When they get to capacity they turn people away – this is actually true for whole museum.

My kids LOVED the stop motion film making area. This was something they had never tried and they loved playing around with the combination of creative loose parts and technology.

These big blocks are found in the creative building space. I love that large muscle art is included in the museum. The space is a little small but my kids both this too.

Our absolute favorite part of the museum was the main over 5 art studio. For our observation they do not turn away younger kids, but it is geared towards older artists.

We spent the most time here. There were painting easels for tempera paint and watercolors. There were also two large tables with projects and lots of supplies for creating.

Good things to know about Children’s Museum of Art

• Your kids will probably come home with a little paint or art supplies on them – so dress accordingly.
• The museum is small, so I would recommend avoiding it on weekends and public school vacation days if you can. Regardless – get their early.
• Pret A Manger is down the block for an easy and healthy lunch or snack option. They have dairy free options and allergens are well labeled but you need to hunt a bit. My son had the chicken noodle soup.

read more: NYC with Kids posts

Afterwards

I think it is impossible to walk away from this museum without feeling the need to create more. I would recommend having some collage and/or painting supplies on hand for further explorations over the next few days.

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Newport, Rhode Island is a great getaway for families on the East Coast. Last summer we spent a long weekend enjoying the ocean and small town delights and we can’t wait to go back.

We are huge beach fans so that’s where we spent a lot of our time.

Newport had a few kid friendly beach options with bathrooms, lifeguards, and shallow water.

Second Beach.

This was the beach most recommended to us so we started here. We spent most of the our first day here and loved it.

It is a popular beach so I highly recommend getting their early – even on a week day.

Downsides:

*You pretty much have to drive and it isn’t cheap to park.

Upsides:

*The water was much clearer and the beach was clean, which to me made it worth the extra money.

*Decent food options

*Big clean (for beach) bathrooms

Easton’s Beach.

This beach was walking distance from our hotel and right near the Cliff Walk so we actually visited 3 times.

Downsides:

*The main thing about this beach was the abundance of red seaweed. It didn’t seem unclean, just a little odd to be swimming and surrounded seaweed. There were portions of the beach that had less, but it was still something we had to get over.

Upsides:

*Decent sand.

*Food and bathroom options.

*Depending on where you stay – super accessible.

Also Read: 5 Swimming Games for Babies & Toddlers

Newport Beach Hotel and Suites

We stayed across the street from Easton’s Beach at Newport Beach Hotel and Suites. I would highly recommend it for families.

Downsides:

*No meals provided although there was a cocktail hour with a few snacks.

*We had to drive into the main shopping area.

Upsides:

*Our room gave us a two bedroom space which is so nice for traveling with young kids.

*It was walking distance to Easton’s Beach and the Cliff Walk.

*Even though meals weren’t provided at the hotel, there were some restaurants within walking distance that used a 10% discount. We really liked the smoothies at Rhea’s Cafe and the breakfast at Ticket’s Bar and Grill.

*Indoor pool for icky weather days.

Other Things to Do:

*Make sure to spend some time down on Thames Street. There are tons of restaurants, shops, and best of all ice cream.

*Walk down to the docks near Thames Street at see that water, boats, and sunset.

*Hike along the Cliff Walk. I would have loved to do this at sunrise or sunset, but it was still a gorgeous view in the afternoon when we fit it in.

If you’re looking for a calm, relaxing summer getaway this is absolutely perfect.

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This is one of the more unique places we have visited and it is just a mere hour or so from the heart of Brooklyn.

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To get to Fire Island you can drive onto one of the ends, but to access the portion where people actually live you will need to take a ferry. Ferry service is very limited in the off season so make sure to check the schedule carefully.

We went the first weekend in April when some of the residents were slowly heading back to the island to start their gardens and uncover their houses from any Winter disruption.

We rode the ferry from Sayville to Cherry Grove. We left Sayville at around 11 and took the 3:30 ferry back in the afternoon. Use the bathroom in the bar/restaurant at the Sayville ferry station – it will be your last chance for a while.

Bring cash!! They did not accept cards for ferry tickets – but the parking lot across the street did take our Visa.

It is a relatively brief ride but we did bring some binoculars to keep our excited twins focused.

One of the most unique things we discovered was that it is a town built on boardwalks and stilts. This of course makes sense given it’s role as a barrier island, but it still felt so surreal to walk around a mostly deserted town on long boardwalks.

Following Hurricane Sandy’s destructive wake much of this has been re-done so the boardwalks are smooth and would be stroller friendly.

They are definitely great for racing along. Our twins tested this out fully.

Our favorite part was the beach.

It is long but not super deep. I imagine in the summer this is crowded with swimmers and sunbathers, but in the early Spring it was completely deserted except for the array of beautiful seashells and rocks.

We came home with pocket fulls.

This time of year the island is largely deserted. We often felt like we were the only people on the island.

One of the reasons we picked Cherry Grove was it’s proximity to the Sunken Forest which is part of the National Park Service.

After a walk up the beach we quickly walked to the other side of the island again and found the trail for the Sunken Forest.

Kids ran through it chasing the items on our sensory Scavenger Hunt.

We hypothesized about the habitants of pond nests and were captivated by a lone deer on the boardwalk.

Along the way we found spots to rest and eat the sandwiches and snacks we had carried to the island.

NOTHING is open.

If you’re hoping to shop or get a bite come back during the regular season which starts after Memorial Day.

There was one bar half open next to the ferry dock. They invited us in for a quick soda and we thankfully got to use their bathroom. Otherwise everything else was closed until Summer.

This was not your typical Fire Island experience but we loved it. We loved the quiet. We loved feeling like we had discovered a quiet uninhabited corner of the world.

Our kids had space to run and explore and came home bursting with as many questions as their pockets contained shells.

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]]> https://bambinitravel.com/spring-day-on-fire-island-with-kids/feed/ 2 2086 https://bambinitravel.com/new-york-city-with-kids/ Wed, 10 Jan 2018 06:00:05 +0000 https://bambinitravel.com/WP/?p=3135 New York City with kids is an experience. Whether you are visiting or relocating to one of the 5 boroughs it is important to start with that knowledge. Like everywhere we’ve lived, there is good and bad. New York City is overwhelming and exciting. It …]]>

New York City with kids is an experience. Whether you are visiting or relocating to one of the 5 boroughs it is important to start with that knowledge.

Like everywhere we’ve lived, there is good and bad.

New York City is overwhelming and exciting.

It is loud and busy and full of opportunity.

It is smelly and dirty and also full of light and green spaces.

New York City is an experience.

What I love most about moving as much as we do is the opportunity to really delve deep into wherever we are living. It’s kind of like immersive family travel.

We know wherever we are now is temporary and so we explore and see as much as we can and just experience it in a way we might not if we were settling in for good.

When we moved to New York City we were determined to experience the city as much as we could. This is the culmination of our year and a half living in one of the greatest cities in the world.

New York City with Kids

Resources

• My First Trip to New York – helpful book that focused on the kid friendly side of NYC.
• Fodor’s Brooklyn – not family specific, but awesome advice for what’s worthy of visiting in Brooklyn.
• Mommy Poppins New York City – great blog for getting an overview of the many, many options in NYC for families.
• A Child Grows in Brooklyn – more Brooklyn focused blog for families. 
• Little Kid Big City – another great NYC based blog. LOVE her Instagram feed. She also has a really fun NYC guide book / choose-your-own-adventure book for kids also called LITTLE KID, BIG CITY that is really fun.
• Globetrotting Mommy – this mommy and her little girl are big adventurers based in NYC.

Things to Do

I divided this area up by borough to hopefully make it more navigable and helpful.

Start with: 10 Must Do Things for Families in New York City or Thanksgiving Weekend in NYC with Kids

Manhattan

• 9 Hours in Lower Manhattan
• Sea Glass Carousel in Battery Park with Kids
• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and Liberty State Park with Kids
• 5 Things to Know Before Visiting the One World Trade Center with Kids
• What to Know Before You Visit Intrepid Sea Air and Space Museum with Kids
• Children’s Museum of Art
• A Visit to the Museum of Math in New York with Kids
• Grand Central Station with Kids
• Guggenheim with Kids
• Central Park with Kids
• Unofficial Guide to the Playgrounds in Central Park
• Kellogg’s NYC: Kid Friendly & Allergy Friendly Snack Spot
• Non-Touristy Things to do in NYC

Brooklyn

• What to do at the Brooklyn Bridge Park with Kids
• Brooklyn Botanical Gardens with Kids
• A Visit to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
• Marine Salt Marsh Hike with Kids

Queens

• 5 Reasons to Head to the New York Hall of Science

The Bronx

• New York Botanical Gardens with Kids

Seasonal Events

• How to Enjoy the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Kids
• Thanksgiving Weekend in NYC with Kids
• 5 New York City Christmas Events Families Shouldn’t Miss
• New York Botanical Gardens Train Show

The Museum of Math is a fascinating museum for those intrigued by Math – and even for those less Math inclined (raising my hand). I recommend it for anyone ages 5 and up.

Located across the street from Madison Square Park and a few blocks from my beloved Flat Iron Building it is centrally located and easily accessible from the N Q R or W 23 Street Subway Station.

When you enter, you are greeted by this track for square bicycles. My kids found this endlessly entertaining. Truthfully so did I.

read also: Everything guide to nyc with kids

On the main floor there were also several areas with manipulates to explore how shapes work. I loved the open ended nature of these opportunities.

One of my favorite parts about the museum was the inventive uses of technology. This area above encouraged you to make patterns on the wall with a projector.

There was also an awesome gross motor number challenge that involved full body movement and technology. All of us ages 5-63 gave that one a try.

Our favorite nook was probably the pattern painting shown below.

These were all found on the first floor. You can head downstairs for more fun, but the ideas down there are more complicated and aimed at older children and adults. Our kids still had a lot of fun down there but needed more assistance and understood the concepts a little less.

This is one of the few museums that we have visited that had something for kids and teens and adults. We all found something that fascinated us.

A truly unique museum.

The incredible parks throughout the city are rarely included on the tourists must dos, except for Central Park. (For good reason, it is awesome).

When you go to New York City with kids (and possibly even without) there will be moments when you want to escape the bustle. If you live here that is even more true.

Fortunately there are many spots where you forget, just for a moment, that you are in a huge city.

Spots where your kids can run free. Spots where it is quiet(ish). Spots where green outweighs horns and hurrying.

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is one of our favorite such spots.

4 Things to Do with Kids at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

1. Scope out their events

Their event calendar is often busy with fun things for families. One of our favorites is FREE tuesdays! Children under 12 are always FREE however so this is a relatively inexpensive adventure any day of the week.

2. Visit the Children’s Garden

We usually start our visit at the Children’s Garden. It is a delightful, thoughtfully laid out space for kids to explore. It does tend to get more crowded as the day progresses so starting here affords us some quieter time to move about as we want.

Often there are stations for kids set up in this area – check the calendar. On this particular morning there were instruments to try of all kinds.

There were various booths set up around the child gardens. Each had a theme and all were staffed with attentive, wonderful staff, but our favorite was the booth about Monarch Butterflies. Even I learned something and our kids loved every bit of it. From completely the butterfly life cycle to pretending to be butterflies themselves.

Read Also: Our Favorite Things to Do with Kids in New York City

3. Have Lunch

There is a nice spot near the conservatory for lunch. They have yummy (slightly expensive options) and spots to sit outside. Picnicking is not otherwise allowed in the gardens. Bathrooms are located in the building next door for a convenient toilet try break!

4. Wander the Gardens

After lunch we venture into the rest of the gardens which are HUGE. Walking around you wonder how this can all possibly be tucked into Brooklyn between the busy streets.

One of our favorites was the Rose Garden. There we saw beautiful roses (of course), bees and butterflies. Perfect for a Spring Adventure!

I usually treat walks in gardens the same as hiking and remember the 2 essentials to keep my kids engaged.

Before we know it most of the day has flown past. Our feet are tired but we are happy for a day of exploring and nature. If you still have energy though, Prospect Park which houses the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has fun playgrounds and lots of rolling space to roam. It reminds me of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco if you’re familiar with that.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a truly wonderful spot for families. I highly recommend it if you are in Brooklyn with kids.

I know what’s you’re thinking – You take them all. the. way. to Queens? It is SO far away. Is it really worth the drive?

Before moving to New York City I completely underestimated the largeness of the city. Obviously I knew there were tall buildings and lots to do, but it’s a tiny little island right?

There is some truth to that. The whole city is only 305 square miles. That is tiny really. London, for a little comparison, is almost twice as big at 606 square miles.

That being said, with the intense traffic and population congestion (over 27,000 people per sq mile), it takes far longer to get across a few miles than anywhere else I’ve been. A fact I am still adjusting too.

However, I’m wandering off the point. It might take you a while to get there, but the NY Hall of Science is worth the drive and here’s why…

5 Reasons to Head out to Queens Today

There are so many things to love about the New York Hall of Science, but there are some things that stand out. The things that my kids adore time and time again. The things you should make sure not to miss when you go. And the things that make the drive out there entirely worth the trip.

1. Connected World exhibit

This is by far the coolest use of technology I have ever seen for kids. This interactive exhibit allows you to interact with huge projections of environments.

2. Hands on Explorations

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a huge vatt of bubbles in my kitchen. Many experiments are too messy, big, or expensive to reproduce at home, but at the Hall of Science your kids can dig their hands into some really big projects. This huge bubble area was a favorite the last time we visited. There are a huge variety of STEM related projects to try throughout the museum.

3. Dedicated Space for Littles

There is a five and under space for the littlest scientists. It is just as full of hands on things to maniuplate, create, and build with and my kids are clinging onto every month they can still visit this area.

4. Gross Motor Activities

The museum definitely engages the mind, but it also encourages you to move. We love this exhibit Sports Challenge exhibit right now. In the summer they also have an awesome outdoor exploration space and mini-golf. You can see the full list of exhibits here.

5. Special Exhibits

There is always something new and always something going on at the NY Hall of Science. Right now through the holidays you can see these amazing gingerbread house on Gingerbread Lane, but there are constantly new things popping up. We got every month or so and there is always something new to explore. You can find them all on their events page.

Overall, if you have a kid who loves to explore and ask questions (that’s all of them right?!) they will have a blast at the New York Hall of Science.

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