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.

The building itself is fascinating. The outside is a tiled brilliant yellow construction that reaches to the sky. Inside is an oddly laid out but fun collection of exhibits. My favorite parts were the large windows that allow sunshine to flow into the play spaces. A rarity with Children’s Museums.

After you enter, your kids will likely notice this rainbow ramp leading downstairs. My kids were eager to race through it.

At the bottom there is a community play area where you can make pizza and more. It celebrates the diversity of Brooklyn, one of my favorite things about our city.

This portion mirrors much of Sunset Park, the Chinatown of Brooklyn. My kids were delighted by the familiar sights.

The under 5 space is long and stuffed with interesting sensory intrigues and play ideas. This music wall was her favorite part.

The water area was his favorite part of the under 5 space. If you have an under 5, make sure to spend some time here. We will definitely go back at least once more before my 5s outgrow this area.

On the second floor there is a building area. My kids could have spent the entire day here.

There were blocks in big, medium and small sizes. They also had these unique wall blocks that you build up and out from the wall. These had a dreamy, imaginative feel to them.

The visiting exhibit upstairs about architecture and building was also fascinating.

Overall, I was hugely impressed by the beauty and diversity of experiences included in the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. I highly recommend a trip. We will be back soon.

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Truthfully, before we moved here in May of 2016 I hadn’t spent much time across the bridges. Don’t get me wrong, Manhattan is awesome but hop one borough away and you might be amazed at all there is to offer.

Where to start? Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

Walk, drive or train across into Brooklyn and the first thing you will meet is Brooklyn Bridge Park. It runs 85 acres along the East River waterfront from Atlantic Avenue, past the Brooklyn Bridge, all the way to the Manhattan Bridge.

The unique park is divided into Piers 1 through 6. Each is part of the waterfront revitalization and includes a variety of playgrounds, diverse topographies, landscaping, art pieces and more. There is truly something for everyone in one of these nooks.

If you follow us on Instagram, you saw our playground pit stop early in our Brooklyn adventure with the gorgeous Manhattan skyline in the background. We have since explored Brooklyn Bridge Park several more times with our twins and we have some don’t miss spots for this fun Brooklyn spot.

The park website has a pretty good map, but let me give you a little tour…

What to do at Brooklyn Bridge Park with Kids

Main Street

Sitting North of Pier 1 and directly under the Manhattan Bridge is this fantastic nautical themed playground. Our kids have a fantastic time running around here. The Education Center also has wonderful programming for preschoolers.

The downside: you hear every single train that rumbles across the bridge and they are not quiet.

The upside: There is a bathroom in the Education Center next to the playground, the play structure is tons of fun, and if you wander inland a couple of blocks there are yummy things to eat and a cute bookstore to explore.

Empire Fulton’s Ferry

Head South from the Manhattan Bridge and you will wander into this little section. The highlight? Incredible views of Manhattan and Jane’s Carousel. I was amazed at how reasonably priced a ride on the carousel is per person and with the glass windows you really can’t beat the view. Just down the street you will also find two of the best pizza joints in all of New York City.

Pier 1

Strutting just a few yards South from the snacks and excitement of Empire Fulton’s Ferry, is Pier 1. If you’re visiting with toddlers this is the spot for you. This playground is best for the 3 and under crowd.

Pier 2

Head further South and you’ll be sure you wandered into an outdoor gym. Covered, but open air sections offer basketball courts, bocce ball courts, shuffleboard courts, a roller rink and more. These are all available for walk up use and come complete with lockers, water fountains, and restrooms.

In the Summer, Pier 2 also offers free kayaking programs and a pop-up pool. It’s all kind of too awesome for words.

Pier 3 + 4

While these piers offer some pretty places to explore and great views across the harbor, if you’re walking with kids they will likely be less impressed by these sections. Keep heading South to Pier 5.

Pier 5

Here you can find some fun field events on the waterside soccer fields, but the highlight for kids are the two playgrounds. There are two – one for younger children that is perfect for toddlers and babies on the move and another climbing structure for older kids. Neither is as expansive as the playgrounds at Main Street, Pier 1 or Pier 6 but they are enjoyable and offer some spectacular views.

Pier 6

At the Southern-most end of Brooklyn Bridge Park is Pier 6. In some ways it is tucked away, so much so that we missed it the first time we visited. It is worth searching for however, because this little nook has one of the most fantastic playgrounds I have ever seen. For Southerners, this reminds me most of the amazing Shelby Farms Park playground in Memphis TN.

Whatever your child’s preference – sand, water, slides, swings, or exploring – one of these five playground nooks will hit the spot. Get here early to avoid the crowds because these playgrounds are worth the hype.

Note: The sand area is reserved for the 5 and under crowd and the water lab is turned on only in the Summer. Also, the Governor’s Island Ferry runs from this Pier.

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