Things To Do With Kids in New York

The Rainbow Play Space East Village

📍 New York, NY

The Rainbow Play Space is an inclusive indoor playground in NYC's East Village designed for babies and children ages 0-7, featuring open play areas with toys and play houses, curated enrichment classes (art, music, STEM, sensory), and community events. The venue also offers special programming for parents including wellness classes and educational workshops, making it a comprehensive family community space.

Little Sharks Playground

📍 Staten Island, NY

Little Sharks Playground is a 4,000 sq ft indoor play facility in Staten Island offering thrilling climbing structures, ball pits, slides, tunnels, and other interactive play equipment designed for children. The venue provides food, snacks, coffee, and beverages for families, and specializes in customized birthday parties with themed decorations and entertainment.

West Thames Playground

📍 New York, NY

West Thames Park is a large, award-winning playground in Battery Park City offering water play, sand areas, climbing structures, and basketball courts designed for younger children. The park also features additional sports facilities for teens and adults, plus open lawn space for family activities. It's a free, year-round public space perfect for families with children up to age 12.

GP81

📍 Brooklyn, NY

GP81 is a climbing-focused gym in Bushwick, Brooklyn, featuring multiple wall angles from beginner-friendly to advanced (including a 30-foot 45° wall) and dedicated training areas. The community-driven facility welcomes climbers of different abilities, making it suitable for families introducing children to rock climbing with proper supervision.

9/11 Memorial Pools

📍 New York, NY

The 9/11 Memorial & Museum features two reflecting pools set in the footprints of the Twin Towers, honoring victims of the 9/11 and 1993 attacks. The venue offers family-friendly tours, youth programs, and age-appropriate educational exhibits including a special exhibition on children's art, making it suitable for families wanting to teach older children about this important historical event.

Play Street Museum - Upper West Side

📍 New York, NY

Play Street Museum Upper West Side is an interactive children's museum featuring themed exhibits like a doctor's office, pet shop, fire station, and grocery store where kids can engage in imaginative, hands-on play. The venue offers reserved playtime sessions throughout the day, special events, birthday parties, and craft activities in a shoe-free, supervised environment where parents must remain with their children.

The Gravity Vault Westbury

📍 Westbury, NY

The Gravity Vault Westbury is an indoor rock climbing gym offering both top-rope climbing and bouldering for families and children. Kids as young as 4-5 can participate in climbing activities with trained instructors, and the facility offers dedicated kids' classes, birthday parties, summer camps, and youth climbing teams. Staff-led climbing sessions make it accessible for families without prior experience.

The Rock Club

📍 New Rochelle, NY

The Rock Club is a massive indoor climbing facility featuring multiple wall styles suitable for all skill levels, including dedicated beginner areas, bouldering, and rappelling. The gym offers family-friendly pricing with discounted rates for children and structured programs like spring break camps and beginner climbing instruction, making it an excellent introduction to climbing for kids.

Sweetspot Playhouse

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Sweetspot Playhouse is an indoor playground and learning center in Brooklyn designed for children aged 9 months to 8 years. The 6,000 square foot facility offers various play activities and learning opportunities, with extended hours (10am-8pm daily) and options for birthday parties and memberships.

Hapik Industry City

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Hapik Industry City is an indoor rock climbing gym in Brooklyn designed for families with climbers of all ages and abilities. The facility features themed climbing walls with adjustable difficulty levels, a 26-foot ropes course, auto-belay safety systems, and a soft play area for younger children, plus birthday party packages and group programs. Staff provide comprehensive safety briefings and supervision, making it an excellent venue for children to build confidence and independence in a secure environment.

Rainbow Playspace

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Rainbow Playspace is a clean, well-maintained indoor play area with two Brooklyn locations (Sheepshead Bay and Bensonhurst) where children can explore, play, and learn in a safe environment. The venue offers birthday party hosting, a friendly staff, free Wi-Fi for parents, and affordable pricing for frequent family visits.

Domino Park

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Domino Park features a seasonal ice skating rink at a waterfront Brooklyn location with family-friendly programming including skating lessons and birthday party options. The venue is situated in a green space with playground facilities and East River views, offering winter ice skating as part of a broader recreational park experience.

Ferox Ninja Park - Trampolines, Ninja gym, Parkour

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Ferox Ninja Park is an indoor ninja gym and trampoline park with locations in Brooklyn's Greenpoint and Dumbo neighborhoods. The facility offers trampolines, parkour equipment, and ninja training courses designed to help children develop athletic skills, coordination, and confidence in a supervised environment.

World of Birds

📍 The Bronx, NY

World of Birds is a 30,000-square-foot exhibit at the Bronx Zoo featuring exotic birds from around the world in naturalistic habitats including deserts, rainforests, and alpine forests. The exhibit includes interactive touch exhibits, open-air viewing spaces with no glass barriers, and beautifully recreated environments that transport visitors to wild habitats globally. It's wheelchair accessible and open year-round, making it an engaging destination for families interested in wildlife and nature.

Central Park

📍 New York, NY

Central Park offers families a vast green space with numerous attractions including the Central Park Zoo, vintage carousel, boat rentals on the lake, and dedicated playgrounds. The park features scenic walking paths, open fields for recreation, and hosts community events throughout the year, making it an ideal destination for families to enjoy outdoor activities together.

Central Rock Gym - Chelsea

📍 New York, NY

Central Rock Gym Chelsea offers indoor rock climbing for all skill levels in a safe, supervised environment with dedicated kids' programs. The facility also provides yoga and fitness classes, making it a versatile destination for active families. With beginner-friendly instruction and climbing walls designed for various ages and abilities, it's an engaging way for children to build strength, problem-solving skills, and confidence.

Movement Gowanus

📍 Brooklyn, NY

Movement Gowanus is New York City's largest climbing gym, offering 36,000 square feet of climbing walls suitable for all skill levels, from introductory bouldering to advanced lead climbing. The facility features yoga, fitness classes, and an outdoor roof deck, with family memberships available and introductory classes designed for beginners of all ages.

VITAL Climbing Gym - West Harlem

📍 New York, NY

VITAL Climbing Gym in West Harlem and Upper East Side offers rock climbing and bouldering for families with dedicated youth programs, camps, and a Monkey Club for younger climbers. The gym provides classes, bouldering clinics, and private training options suitable for various skill levels and ages. Equipment rentals (climbing shoes, chalk bags) are available at affordable rates.

Umpire Rock

📍 New York, NY

Umpire Rock is a natural rock outcrop in Central Park's southwest corner that offers families opportunities for rock climbing, exploring, and scenic picnicking. Located next to Heckscher Playground and Ballfields, it's an ideal spot for children to learn about Manhattan's geology while enjoying outdoor adventure and views of the Midtown skyline.

Children's Zoo

📍 The Bronx, NY

The Bronx Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the United States, featuring a diverse animal collection with interactive experiences like wild animal encounters with penguins, cheetahs, and sloths. The zoo offers family-specific programs, feeding demonstrations throughout the day, and virtual experiences, making it an engaging destination for children of all ages to learn about wildlife conservation.

MetroRock Bushwick

📍 Brooklyn, NY

MetroRock Bushwick is an indoor rock climbing gym offering climbing opportunities for children and adults of all levels. The facility provides belay classes to teach proper safety techniques and operates extended hours (8AM-10PM weekdays, 9AM-10PM weekends) to accommodate family schedules. They also offer outdoor climbing programs and host community events, making it a welcoming space for families to build strength, problem-solving skills, and confidence together.

Launch Family Entertainment Queens

📍 Queens, NY

Launch Family Entertainment in Queens is a full-featured trampoline park offering trampolines, rock climbing, ninja courses, dodgeball, basketball, and arcade games suitable for the whole family. They provide exclusive Toddler Time sessions for ages 5 and under, birthday party packages with food and party hosts, and group event options. With a 4.7 Google rating and positive family testimonials, it's designed to tire out kids with active, supervised play.

Movement Harlem

📍 New York, NY

Movement Harlem is a 16,000 square-foot bouldering gym located across from the Apollo Theater, offering climbing activities for all skill levels including beginner introductory classes designed for new climbers. The facility features hundreds of climbing routes, yoga and fitness classes, and a supportive community atmosphere, with family membership options and kids-friendly beginner programs available.

Catch Air Coney Island

📍 Brooklyn, NY