Discovering New York City with our three kids—aged 14, 13, and 10—proved to be a fun and memorable journey. They accidentally learned a few things as well! Here’s a glimpse into our week-long exploration:

1. Spyscape At Spyscape, an interactive museum, we immersed ourselves in the world of espionage. The kids were drawn to the screens and interactive activities, and I liked reading the stories of spies at work – both from decades ago and quite recent.  
2. American Museum of Natural History They’ve all seen the movie Night in the Museum, so fun to see some familiar elements. We booked the special exhibits and they came out quoting fun facts about elephants from The Secret World of Elephants. The movie Sea Lions: Life by a Whisker is charming and well done. The dinosaur exhibit is the best in the world!
3. The Play That Goes Wrong I have the kids do research to find activities they want to do, and the kids stumbled upon “The Play That Goes Wrong.” This is a murder mystery with a lot of physical comedy and we were all laughing throughout the show. This was one of the top highlights of our trip.
4. September 11th Memorial Tour Opting for a more intimate tour experience with Context Travel, we delved into the history of the financial district and paid homage at the 9/11 Memorial. The guide’s ability to engage our boys made this a poignant and educational outing.
5. Statue of Liberty / Ellis Island Pro tip: tickets for the pedestal or crown let you skip the larger lines and get through a lot faster. We spent probably a little too long at the Statue of Liberty museum seeing how she was built. Ellis Island is a deeper experience. The movie is a must-see….a moving portrayal of the American immigrant experience..
6. Central Park with Bikes We’ve outgrown the zoo and the kids were absolutely not interested in a long walk. It’s easy and relatively inexpensive to rent bikes, and it’s a fun and easy way to explore Central Park. We started at the Central Park South and Central Park West corner and went out of the park to have treats at Milk.
7. Suffs The Musical Discovering “Suffs The Musical” added a cultural twist to our itinerary, celebrating the American suffragist movement with an all-female cast. It was both educational and entertaining—an eye-opening experience for all.
8. MOMA The kids were a little museum’d out, but I could not pass up the opportunity to pop into MOMA. What I like to do is to start with the gift shop so they see the major works available, and then go look at the museum map. Everyone picks ONE thing they want to see. Then we go off and see the chosen exhibits. Sometimes they’ll get engrossed in something and we spend more time. And sometimes we check the boxes and we’re done. This was a quick trip, but I saw Starry Night, so my day was made.
9. National Museum of Mathematics Recommended by a friend, the interactive exhibits engaged the kids in playful learning. Though geared towards younger visitors, it sparked curiosity and fascination.
10. American Dream Mall Yes, this is a mall. We’ve been here before as it’s just a few miles away from Newark airport and a great place to burn a few hours if you have a long layover or need to park yourself somewhere before a flight. This mall is insane. There’s an indoor water park, ice skating rink, ski hill, as well as an arcade and different escape games and other immersive experiences. It’s a happy place for all three of them.

Our week in NYC was a blend of discovery, laughter, and learning—a testament to the city’s endless opportunities for family adventure. 

What are your top recommendations for New York City with kids?