NYC with Kids (8 yr old girl, 6 yr old boy) ???

Any hot tips? Were coming from Australia for 3 days in NYC (+ Disneyland, SFO etc). We%26#39;ve been before without kids so need a little help. Planning to do quick museum visits (Children%26#39;s, MOMA, Met), Central park (zoo, carriage ride), ESB, Statue of Liberty etc. Which space show would you suggest for AMNH?. Only there Mon, Tue, Wed mid Sept. Wish we were staying longer. Have I missed anything unmissable? We just love NY and hope the kids can keep up with us. Any suggestions for great meals? Best kids clothing / shoes? etc etc....

NYC with Kids (8 yr old girl, 6 yr old boy) ???

A must do that my boys enjoyed recently whilst in NYC was the American Museum of Natural History. They have many exhibits of life sized dinosaurs, blue whale, and various other wild animals. Plus lots of other stuff to explore. The space exhibit was good but alot of it went straight over my kids heads it was very technical. We had watched Madagascar which is first set in Grand Central Station this brought the place alive for the boys when went into it because they could relate to it better. (It is also a good place to eat lunch). Same goes for the Fantastic 4 and Ghostbusters (I know that is an old one but they enjoy it).

Toys R Us on Times Square is worth a visit, it is huge same goes for FAO Shwartz. If you shop in Macys go to the visitors centre and you can get 11% discount of your purchases except perfume and cosmetics this is because you are an international visitor. The carousel ride in Central Park is good and costs only $2. Clothes wise we bought items in the outlet malls whilst visiting LA and Vegas so I can%26#39;t really comment on NYC clothes for kids.

Hope this may of helped and wish you all a fabulous holiday.

NYC with Kids (8 yr old girl, 6 yr old boy) ???

Dyalns%26#39; Candy Bar (even though it is terribly overpriced.)

Economy Candy www.economycandy.com in the Lower East Side.

Skip the carriage ride, since you%26#39;re pressed for time and it ain%26#39;t cheap. It doesn%26#39;t smell that nice, unless you%26#39;re accustomed to farm life.

If you want to venture into Queens, check out the Hall of Science.

I agree, the Toys R Us at Times Square is a must, the kids might even want to ride on the only indoor ferris wheel. Another must-see is the planetarium.

Oh, and if you have time, you might also want to check out the NBC gift store. They have tours of parts of the studio, and they let you try your hand at a mock news weather report, which the kids might find amusing. The best part about it? It%26#39;s free!

Thanks all,

Where is Dylan%26#39;s Candy Bar? Is it a sweet shop?

And is the planetarium the one at Museum of Natural History? Should we book the space shows in advance?

What about Empire State and Statue of Liberty - do I need to book in advance. We don%26#39;t usually like to be this organised - more spur-of-the-moment but just want to cram in sooo much.

I plan to take my daughter to the American Girls Shop (She%26#39;s still saving!), where would you suggest the boys (Dad and 6 yr old) go to pass the time while we%26#39;re there?

I%26#39;ve never been to Greenwich Village, any suggestions...and how do we do Brooklyn Bridge (day/night / combined with something else???)

I would definitely book the Statue of Liberty in advance if you are interested in going up to the Observatory level as they sell out quickly. If you are early risers, try to get on the first ferry of the day because the security line is only about 45 minutes. They recommend allowing 2 hours for the lines for all ferries after the first.

You can also prebook the Empire State Building but that only allows you to bypass the ticket purchasing line. You will still have to stand in the line for elevators to the top.

Hope this helps. Have a great trip!

The NBC studio tour is unfortunately not free. We thought it was OK but not a highlight.

Thanks all. I%26#39;ve booked the Statue of Liberty trip for 8.45am, any idea what time it will finish? Also we have the All loops tour included in the price of our airfare , from your experience does this work well or is it too slow in the traffic. F

Take a look at cjlb%26#39;s fabulous trip report (and link to photos). You%26#39;ll get loads of great ideas.

Just from my experiences, my ideas are: skip the NBC tour, your kids are too young. I%26#39;d even consider skipping the ESB unless you have your heart set on it. The lines are just so long and it%26#39;s a lot of standing for young ones. I doubt they%26#39;ll appreciate the view. Takes up a good chunk of your time also and 3 days isn%26#39;t very long. Your daughter will love The American Girl Store...maybe hubby and son could go to NBA a few blocks down if he is a sports fan..or if you are there in the winter they could watch skaters at Rockefeller Center, or play games at ESPN Zone. Have fun