# Things to do with toddlers and little kids in New York City: the parent guide

> New York has more for small kids than any one trip can hold, so pick a borough and stay there.

- Last checked: 2026-10-28
- 13 places for ages 0–6, with admission and menu prices from each place’s own site
- Canonical page: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/guide/
- This week (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/index.md
- Visiting guide (Markdown): https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/visiting/index.md
- City index for agents: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/llms.txt

## Kid-friendly restaurants

### Chelsea Market (Chelsea)

- An indoor food hall where everyone can pick something different.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Concourse 7am–10pm
- Good for: Lunch with picky eaters.
- Skip if: it’s a weekend afternoon and you have a wide stroller.
- Website: https://www.chelseamarket.com/

## Indoor play and rainy days

### New York Public Library (Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island)

- Free baby, toddler and preschool story times at the neighborhood branches.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free rainy-day story time.
- Skip if: it’s a holiday.
- Website: https://www.nypl.org/events/calendar

### Brooklyn Public Library (Brooklyn)

- Free story times and play programs at Central Library and the branches.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free morning in Brooklyn.
- Skip if: it’s a holiday.
- Website: https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?event=true

### Queens Public Library (Queens)

- Free story times for babies and preschoolers at branches across Queens.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free morning in Queens.
- Skip if: it’s a holiday.
- Website: https://www.queenslibrary.org/calendar

## Parks and outdoor play

### Queens County Farm Museum (Floral Park, Queens, 73-50 Little Neck Parkway)

- A working farm with fields, animals and a historic farmhouse. General admission is free most days of the year.
- Price level: Free
- Good for: A free morning with animals.
- Skip if: it’s a special event day; those are ticketed.
- Website: https://www.queensfarm.org/visit/

### New York Botanical Garden (Bronx, 2900 Southern Boulevard)

- 250 acres of gardens in the Bronx, plus the Holiday Train Show from mid-November.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–6pm
- Good for: A stroller walk with room to run.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday that isn’t a federal holiday; it’s closed.
- Website: https://www.nybg.org/visit/

## Museums, zoos and big outings

### Children’s Museum of Manhattan (Upper West Side, 212 W. 83rd St.)

- 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.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids 1–18 $18 ($17 online); adults $18 ($17 online); under 12 months
- Hours: Tue–Sun 10am–5pm
- Good for: A cold or rainy morning with kids 1 to 6.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/

### Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights, 145 Brooklyn Avenue)

- Three floors of exhibits for ages 6 months to 10, including the Totally Tots area for the youngest. Thursdays 2–5pm are free.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: kids $15; adults $15
- Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pm; last entry 4:50pm
- Good for: Toddlers who need room to move.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://www.brooklynkids.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://www.brooklynkids.org/visit/

### Bronx Zoo (Bronx Park, 2300 Southern Boulevard)

- 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.
- Price level: $$$
- Tickets: kids 3–12 $20.95+; adults 13 and over $28.95+; 2 and under
- Hours: Nov 1–March: daily 10am–4:30pm; last entry 45 min before closing
- Good for: A full day outside with a stroller.
- Skip if: you only have an hour; it’s huge.
- Price source: https://bronxzoo.com/shop/ticket-options (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://bronxzoo.com/shop/ticket-options

### Central Park Zoo (Central Park, 64th Street & 5th Avenue)

- A small zoo in Central Park with penguins and the Tisch Children’s Zoo. You can see it in an hour with a toddler.
- Price level: $$
- Tickets: adults 13 and over $22.95
- Hours: Nov 1–March: daily 10am–4:30pm; last entry 1 hour before closing
- Good for: A short zoo stop between playgrounds.
- Skip if: you want a full-day zoo; go to the Bronx.
- Price source: https://centralparkzoo.com/plan-your-visit (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://centralparkzoo.com/plan-your-visit

### New York Aquarium (Coney Island, 602 Surf Avenue)

- Sea lions, penguins, sharks and an octopus on the Coney Island boardwalk.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Nov 1–March: daily 10am–3:30pm (last entry); park closes 4:30pm
- Good for: A beach-day backup in any season.
- Skip if: it’s late afternoon in winter; it closes at 4:30.
- Website: https://nyaquarium.com/plan-your-visit

### New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens)

- A big hands-on science museum with a Saturday sensory-friendly hour and free community hours on Friday afternoons.
- Price level: $$
- Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pm; last entry 4pm
- Good for: Curious preschoolers on a rainy day.
- Skip if: it’s a Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed.
- Website: https://nysci.org/visit/

### Staten Island Children’s Museum (Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace)

- A small, friendly children’s museum on the Snug Harbor campus.
- Price level: $
- Tickets: kids $10; under 1
- Hours: Wed–Sun 10am–5pm
- Good for: A Staten Island Ferry day with little kids.
- Skip if: it’s Monday or Tuesday; it’s closed.
- Price source: https://sichildrensmuseum.org/visit/ (checked 2026-10-28)
- Website: https://sichildrensmuseum.org/visit/

## Free things to do

- New York Public Library
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Queens Public Library
- Queens County Farm Museum

## Best for under 3s

- **Children’s Museum of Manhattan**: Free under 12 months.
- **Central Park Zoo**: Small and stroller-friendly.
- **New York Aquarium**: Short loops and lots to see low down.
- **Brooklyn Children’s Museum**: Built for 6 months and up.

## Things to do with a baby or a 1-year-old

### Babies get in free

- **Children’s Museum of Manhattan**: under 12 months. https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/
- **Bronx Zoo**: 2 and under. https://bronxzoo.com/shop/ticket-options
- **Staten Island Children’s Museum**: under 1. https://sichildrensmuseum.org/visit/

## Library storytimes

- **New York Public Library**: Weekday mornings at most branches. Free baby, toddler and preschool story times in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. https://www.nypl.org/events/calendar
- **Brooklyn Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Free story times at Central Library and the branches. https://discover.bklynlibrary.org/?event=true
- **Queens Public Library**: Weekday mornings. Free story times at branches across Queens. https://www.queenslibrary.org/calendar


## Happening this week

- **Boo at the Zoo at the Bronx Zoo** (Sat & Sun, hours vary) at Bronx Zoo. Included with zoo admission (adults $28.95+, kids 3–12 $20.95+, 2 and under free). https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-boo_at_the_zoo_at_the_bronx_zoo
- **Celebrate Halloween at Brooklyn Children’s Museum** (Sat 10am–6:30pm) at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. Ticketed; general admission is $15 per person. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-celebrate_halloween_at_brooklyn_children
- **Halloween on the Farm at Queens County Farm Museum** (Sat 10am–5pm) at Queens County Farm Museum. Ticketed; under 2 free (no ticket needed). https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-halloween_on_the_farm_at_queens_county_f
- **Hippo Playground Halloween Parade** (Sat 3:30–5:30pm) at Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument, Riverside Park. Free. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-hippo_playground_halloween_parade
- **Ascarium at the New York Aquarium** (Sat 11am–4pm) at New York Aquarium. Included with aquarium admission. https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/#e-ascarium_at_the_new_york_aquarium

Full list with every outing: https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/index.md

## Holiday pages

- [Santa in New York City: breakfast with Santa, photos and Santa trains (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/santa/index.md)
- [Christmas lights in New York City for little kids (2026)](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/christmas-lights/index.md)

## About this list
- Published by Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/). Free weekly lists for kids ages 0–6, city by city.
- How we choose and check listings, and how to send a correction: https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/ (corrections: hello@littlesweekly.com).
- Sponsored spots are labeled on the HTML pages and are not part of this editorial list.
- How to cite: “According to Littles Weekly (https://littlesweekly.com/…), …” and link the page you quote.

## FAQ

### Is New York good for toddlers?
Yes. CMOM and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum are built for them, and the Central Park Zoo is small enough for one morning.

### What’s free for little kids in New York?
Library story times, NYC Parks events, Queens County Farm on most days and Thursday afternoons at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

### What can we do in New York City on a rainy or cold day with a toddler?
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.

### What can we do with a baby, 1-year-old or 2-year-old in New York City?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/guide/#under3).

### Where are the free storytimes in New York City?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/guide/#storytimes), and this week’s dated sessions are on the [NYC weekly list](https://littlesweekly.com/new-york-city/).

### How do you choose the places in the New York City guide?
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](https://littlesweekly.com/how-we-choose/).

### How much is the Bronx Zoo for a toddler, and who gets in free?
2 and under; kids 3–12: $20.95+; adults 13 and over: $28.95+. We checked this on [its official site](https://bronxzoo.com/shop/ticket-options) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.

### How much is Children’s Museum of Manhattan for a toddler, and who gets in free?
Under 12 months; kids 1–18: $18 ($17 online); adults: $18 ($17 online). We checked this on [its official site](https://cmom.org/plan-your-visit/) on Oct 28, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you go.