With spring break coming up fast, I figured it’s a good time to present the idea of taking a weekend trip to New York City over the break. This city is basically a giant playground that every little and kid at heart is sure to enjoy. From entertaining broadway shows to world-class museums and iconic attractions in time square to fun at the park, there will never be a dull moment in “the city that never sleeps!” This article will highlight family friendly NYC spots and tricks and tips for travel.
WHERE TO STAY
Before I get into all where to play, I want to address where to stay. Many families avoid NYC travel because of the high hotel prices. One of my biggest suggestions is to stay in New Jersey and play New York. We saved over a hundered dollars a night by staying in NJ. While in New York last weekend we stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott in North Bergen, New Jersey. They have amazing Facebook and Trip Advisor reviews and for good reason.
This gorgeous hotel is brand new and just opened a few months ago. They offer affordable priced family friendly getaways. The rooms are spacious and the accomadations are amazing. What’s not to love about a delicious complimentary breakfast, free parking and shuttle services to public transit such as bus stop, train station or ferry port.
It was so easy to get to New York from New Jersey. We enjoyed riding the ferry to NYC the most! Taking the ferry over to New York was lots of fun and affordable to. I highly recommend taking the ferry in the morning, nothing is more beautiful than watching the sun rise over the city scape. The articles cover photo I took from our morning ride around nine in the monring; isn’t the view breath taking?
Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott
1707 69th Street
North Bergen, NJ 07047
201-272-6600
WHERE TO PLAY
Shows
I’m a huge believer in exposing children to theater early, it will instill a love for the arts. My grandmother began taking me to community theatre productions when I was a young girl and to this day I love watching shows and even acting in local community theater productions. There is a huge selection of family friendly shows on Broadway this year that are sure to be entertaining and captivating. Check out this site for Kids Go Free event to see when kids get into shows free. When planning a trip with kids it’s best to have your tickets purchased well in advanced. However, if you are will to take a chance there lotteries you can enter to win cheaper tickets. Some lottery programs can be entered online the night before the show opens. Here are a list of the amazing shows available in 2018:
- Aladdin
- Anasasia
- Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
- Frozen
- Harry Potter
- Lion King
- Once On This Island
- School of Rock
- SpongeBob Squarepants
- Wicked
Shopping
As you have probably already heard there have been a few changes to New York City’s toy scene. Toys “R” Us and FAO Schwarz are no longer an option. However, have no fear, there are still some great stores to visit that everyone is sure to love.
Parks
Don’t forget to check out a park while in the Big Apple. I recommned Central Park for it’s unique history, accessibility and design. Did you know the park displays over 50 monuments, sculptures and fountains. Perhaps most important to families, the park offeres 21 playgrounds, charming paddleboat rentals and the Central Park Zoo.
Museums & Zoos
New York offers spectacular museum that the whole family will enjoy. There are so many museums to choose from to foster the inner scientist engineer, mathematician, paleontologist or artist in all of us!
I highly recommend visiting the American Museum to admire the gargantuan dinos! If you have little ones that do best through hands on exploration than be sure to check out the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
My tip or trick to visiting museums would be to read up on all the free museum days. The link listed above will provide information on which museums offer free general admission daily or through special event days. Here is a list of great museums to visit while in town:
- American Museum of Natural History
- Bronx Zoo/Wildlife Conservation Park
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum
- Central Park Wildlife Center and Children’s Zoo
- Children’s Museum of Manhattan
- Ellis Island
- Madame Tussaud Wax Museum
- The Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
- Queens Museum of Art
Top Recommended Event For 2018
We actually just returned from NYC to attend the 2018 Toy Fair as press. It was a lot of fun. Toy Fair isn’t open to the public; however, Play Fair is!!! Play Fair is a celebration of play and entertainment for all ages. It’s an immersive, experience-rich event for children, parents, families, and teenage and adult fans. With hands-on exhibits, awe-inspiring displays, dozens of toy and entertainment brands, and never-before-seen exclusives, attendees can feel, touch, and take home their favorite toys and games — and be the first to glimpse the toys of tomorrow!
The picture above was taking at Toy Fair 2018, where I got to meet the creators of the Striktly Brik game Brik Buster Tower Topping Game! After my adventures at Toy Fair, I can’t wait to return to Play Fair.
- Friday, November 3rd- 5PM – 7PM
- Saturday, November 4th- Session 1- 10AM – 2PM/ Session 2: 3PM – 7PM
- Sunday, November 5th- Session 1- 10AM – 2PM/ Session 2: 3PM – 7PM
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