New York has more for small kids than any one trip can hold, so pick a borough and stay there.
The places we go back to all year. Where to eat with a toddler, where to burn off energy when it rains, where to splash, what’s worth the admission, and where to spend a night without going far.
Places where a dropped fork is no big deal and nobody minds a little noise.
An indoor food hall where everyone can pick something different.
For rainy mornings, cold afternoons and anyone who needs to run in circles for an hour. For toddler classes and every indoor playground we’ve checked, with prices and sock rules, see indoor play in NYC.
Free baby, toddler and preschool story times at the neighborhood branches.
Free story times and play programs at Central Library and the branches.
Free story times for babies and preschoolers at branches across Queens.
Pools, fountains, zoos and theme parks: the big all-day outings.
A working farm with fields, animals and a historic farmhouse. General admission is free most days of the year.
250 acres of gardens in the Bronx, plus the Holiday Train Show from mid-November.
Museums, animals and farm days that hold a little one’s attention.
Floors of hands-on play for babies through grade-schoolers, with daily drop-in art and story programs included in admission. You can leave and come back the same day.
Three floors of exhibits for ages 6 months to 10, including the Totally Tots area for the youngest. Thursdays 2–5pm are free.
The city’s biggest zoo. From November through March tickets cost less, but the Children’s Zoo, the monorail and the butterfly garden are closed.
A small zoo in Central Park with penguins and the Tisch Children’s Zoo. You can see it in an hour with a toddler.
Sea lions, penguins, sharks and an octopus on the Coney Island boardwalk.
A big hands-on science museum with a Saturday sensory-friendly hour and free community hours on Friday afternoons.
A small, friendly children’s museum on the Snug Harbor campus.
These don’t change week to week. Last checked . Hours and prices change, so check the place’s own site before you go. Know a spot we missed? Tell us at hello@littlesweekly.com.
Where a family can go in NYC without paying for admission. For free days, free events and this week’s free outings, see every free thing to do in NYC.
Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten IslandNew York Public LibraryFree baby, toddler and preschool story times at the neighborhood branches.FreeIndoorBrooklynBrooklyn Public LibraryFree story times and play programs at Central Library and the branches.FreeIndoorQueensQueens Public LibraryFree story times for babies and preschoolers at branches across Queens.FreeIndoor
Floral Park, Queens, 73-50 Little Neck ParkwayQueens County Farm MuseumA working farm with fields, animals and a historic farmhouse.FreeFree or cheap for babies and toddlers, and easy with a stroller.
Upper West Side, 212 W. 83rd St.Children’s Museum of ManhattanFree under 12 months.$18 ($17 online) eachunder 12 monthsIndoor
Central Park, 64th Street & 5th AvenueCentral Park ZooSmall and stroller-friendly.Adults $22.95Coney Island, 602 Surf AvenueNew York AquariumShort loops and lots to see low down.Crown Heights, 145 Brooklyn AvenueBrooklyn Children’s MuseumBuilt for 6 months and up.$15 eachIndoorRecurring and free. Times change by branch, so check the calendar.
Weekday mornings at most branchesFree baby, toddler and preschool story times in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island.
Schedule ↗Weekday morningsFree story times at Central Library and the branches.
Schedule ↗Weekday morningsFree story times at branches across Queens.
Schedule ↗Baby storytimes, places where babies get in free, and where to change and feed. For rainy days, see indoor play places; for zero-cost ideas, see free things to do.
under 12 months
Admission page ↗2 and under
Admission page ↗under 1
Admission page ↗Santa visits and Christmas lights only run part of the year, so they have their own pages with this season’s dates and prices. For holiday and indoor rinks with season dates, prices and skate aids, see ice skating with kids in NYC.
The guide is the evergreen list. Here’s what’s happening in New York City right now.
Yes. CMOM and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum are built for them, and the Central Park Zoo is small enough for one morning.
Library story times, NYC Parks events, Queens County Farm on most days and Thursday afternoons at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
Go indoors: New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library. They’re all under one roof, and most work for a short visit around nap time.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan: Free under 12 months. Central Park Zoo: Small and stroller-friendly. New York Aquarium and Brooklyn Children’s Museum are also easy with a baby or toddler. Free for the littlest: Bronx Zoo (2 and under) and Staten Island Children’s Museum (under 1). See best for under 3s.
New York Public Library: Weekday mornings at most branches. Brooklyn Public Library: Weekday mornings. Queens Public Library: Weekday mornings. Library storytimes don’t need a ticket, but times change by branch, so check the calendar first. See library storytimes, and this week’s dated sessions are on the NYC weekly list.
Every one of the 13 places is somewhere we’d take a baby, toddler or preschooler, with a note on who it suits and when to skip it. Prices, hours and menus come from each place’s own site, and 5 of them have checked admission or menu prices. The guide was last checked Oct 28, 2026. How we choose and check.
2 and under; kids 3–12: $20.95+; adults 13 and over: $28.95+. We checked this on its official site on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
Under 12 months; kids 1–18: $18 ($17 online); adults: $18 ($17 online). We checked this on its official site on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.
One short email every Thursday evening with the five things we’d leave the house for in NYC.
