Cool Mom Spring: NYC Edition

How to have the best spring with your toddler in NYC? Lean in. Get on the swings & maybe stay up a little past your bedtime. Here are 10 suggestions for making the most of the best season in the world’s greatest city.

The Met Ball / Met Playroom Special - Spend 30 minutes at the playroom (lower level) in exchange for your 30 minutes looking at the costume exhibit. Everyone wins when it’s over and you get hot dogs from the Hot Dog King and eat them on a Central Park bench.

Queens Night Market - Get that kid out of their comfort zone…. or at least have them try fried chicken bites from Korea instead of your freezer. Highlights for me include the Burmese tea leaf salad, but your kid will probably prefer the Romanian ice cream that is served in a fried dough cone.

New York Botanical Gardens (Bronx) - The adventure garden alone is worth the trip, but the orchid show is NYC themed and your kid will probably like that as well. Sebby loves the Botanical Gardens and has quickly learned our rule “smell, don’t touch!”

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens - No kid specific activities, but toddlers love cherry blossoms and the Japanese garden is so cool. Take them here and then get pastéis de nata from Lisbonata (the raspberry one is the best of all the Portugese egg tarts!!)

Heckscher Playground - is the biggest in Central Park and has the best water features. While you’re there, you aren’t far from the Central Park Zoo. Save on admission and just go see the sea lions (visible for free!) I also want to take my kid to the whale playground in Chelsea.

Queens County Farm Museum - Take that baby to feed some animals! This weekend they have a carnival :)!!

Bronx Zoo - You gotta do it. But honestly, you can (and should) wait until they are 3. Younger kids will absolutely not appreciate it to it’s full ability (I tried, twice.) Make a bucket list of the 3 animals you most have to see, and make sure the tram is running on the day you go.

High Line walk - followed by splitting fries and fun bevs for you both at Pastis (or wherever tbh!) If your kid still has energy left, take them to the Biennial at the Whitney— the rooftop alone is worth the price of admission.

The American Museum of Natural History - Make an appointment with the butterflies, we’re learning about bugs! We’re learning about bees! Create a Spring-specific itinerary :) The animals can wait until Fall.

Take a Ferry Ride - Cheap and they’ll love it. If you can, take it to Astoria Landing and you’ll be right at the Noguchi museum. They are on culture pass (free admission for NYPL members) have incredible cherry blossoms in the courtyard :)

What isn’t on my list that should be? I’m thinking I’m going to have my baby try Taiyaki ice cream for the first time….

xo

Mackenzie