A Real-Life Guide to New York City With a Toddler (From Someone Who’s Done It)

I voluntarily tagged onto my husband’s work trip to New York. Sounds ideal right? But as departure crept closer, a nervy question kept popping to the forefront of my mind: just how exactly would I entertain my energetic and curious (polite terms) two-year-old in New York for seven full days alone? Would I leave bald and broken, yearning for our local soft play, or would NYC work with me to deliver the trip of his tiny lifetime so far? 

After all, New York is the city of skyscrapers and very fast walking, none of which pairs naturally with a small person who detests the stroller but has no idea how to stay in one place. In a twist of irony, if you’re raising a FOMO-prone tot, the city that never sleeps is probably the best possible match. Still, I wouldn’t be able to do my usual hand over to dad between meetings for 15 minutes of peace. It was just me and a wriggly toddler in the Big Apple, a bag full of snacks and portable home comforts, and an optimistic nap schedule. But if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere…right?

Fortunately, this wasn’t my first rodeo in New York, so I was less interested in chasing the best rooftop bars or landmark moments, which made surrendering to things to do with a toddler in NYC that we could both enjoy surprisingly easy. I also knew that I had to see the city at his level to really enjoy this trip myself, so I looked for simple joy and formulated an itinerary based on all the things would satisfy my toddler and my own inner child; think trains overhead, mirrors underfoot, helipads, pebble beaches, playgrounds with views and lots of books. 

Here is my tried and tested guide to visiting New York with a toddler, from the best playgrounds in New York to low-effort, high-reward activities that keep small humans delighted and parents as sane as is possible. It’s organised by neighbourhood and built on the most important mantra that all travelling parents need to follow: embrace the madness so you don’t go mad.

Midtown

Times Square (but at dawn)
Go early, as in, very early. Our slow adjustment to the five-hour time difference had us ready to leave by 5am, which sees Times Square at its calmest. There were very few people in sight, and certainly no Transformers characters or Lady Libertys seeking tips with a Venmo QR code. The huge screens and lights made for some wide-eyed wonder for our little one who stared up in awe before breakfast.

The LEGO Store
Taking your toddler to the LEGO store on Fifth Avenue to play for free rather than buying anything? A masterstroke of genius and a multicoloured mirage of sanity. There are proper installations for adults and kids to admire, like the full-size yellow NYC taxi built entirely from LEGO, an impressively detailed city skyline, and multiple DUPLO and LEGO play stations. Mine spent an hour or so in this unofficial crèche, building and dismantling alongside other children, with us parents exchanging relieved glances.

Grand Central Station
Still one of the great buildings on earth, and perhaps even better through toddler eyes. Grand Central Station is big and echoey, and in a constant state of motion, which makes it catnip for kids. Trains arriving, trains leaving, all thrilling for him (and all free) while I enjoyed standing still in a beautiful building without having to do anything. If trainwatching isn’t enough, you can actually jump on a train to Bronx Zoo.

Summit One Vanderbilt
Expensive, overstimulating, and (whispers) astonishingly good for toddlers. Summit One Vanderbilt is the best observation deck in New York to visit with a toddler. The mirrored rooms are a hit, with floors, ceilings and walls all reflecting back an infinite number of you and your child against the Manhattan skyline (which for a two-year-old is apparently the height of fun). The main event however is the balloon room, Affinity, a vast, silver-white space filled with enormous floating Mylar balloons that are gently lifted by fans around the mirrored space. Schedule the visit early on in the day as it really is a frenzy at sunset, and be sure to plan a long lazy lunch afterwards (with a hopeful promise of a nap).

New York Public Library for Children
A visit to the Library on holiday? Absolutely. I felt superior for having done my homework on this. Located inside the Children’s Center in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the children’s library is huge and designed for small people with big curiosity. There are books at toddler height, puzzles, soft seating, and a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the book-sorting room, which is all books sliding past on conveyor belts and scanners. My two-year-old stood utterly captivated for about twenty minutes, which is the adult time equivalent of an hour for me. There’s also a free rooftop terrace upstairs and cafe with great views.

The FDNY Fire Zone & Gift Shop
The FDNY Fire Zone is a small detour with an outsized payoff. There’s a real fire truck parked inside, child-sized fire service costumes to try on, and children are given a free plastic fire hat to take home. Expect this to become the most cherished souvenir of the trip. Endless buttons to press, steering wheels, sirens and hoses? Bloody brilliant.

Central Park

Heckscher Playground
Sometimes all you need is a good park to do the parenting for an hour, and Heckscher Playground is one of the best playgrounds we’ve encountered anywhere. Large and  thoughtfully designed with views of the Midtown skyline, toddlers can climb, slide, splash (season permitting) and burn off energy here.

Skip the Zoo and spot the Turtles
The Central Park Zoo is perfectly nice, but spotting turtles in the open is magic for kids, and a win that requires almost no effort or expense.

Rowboats at the Loeb Boathouse
In a previous life, I’d be sat on a rowboat with a punnet of strawberries, gliding under Bow Bridge to meet views of the Upper West Side. Now I fear that my child, who hasn’t seemed to grasp that he cannot lie down in water, will jump overboard to get a better look at the turtles. Standing by the lake and watching boats glide past is a much safer option.

BrooklyN

Main Street Playground & Pebble Beach

I wanted to do the walk over Brooklyn Bridge again (because how can you not?), but needed a reward for my antsy boy who would be stuck in his stroller for 45-minutes, not seeing much but the steel cables overhead. Right at the foot of Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO lies Main Street Playground, where children play happily below while the trains clatter overhead (cue a very animated ‘look mama! Train!’ every few minutes). Parents simultaneously get skyline views and a chance to go a little slower. After, grab a matcha from Cha Cha Matcha inside Time Out Market or a soft serve from OddFellows on Water Street, and then follow the path to Pebble Beach for the best view of the Manhattan skyline and a whole load of pebbles to keep your little one occupied.

Jane’s Carousel

Jane’s Carousel is one of the most magical things to do with a toddler in New York. This 1922 Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel has been restored and placed in one of New York’s best viewpoints. Wooden horses spin slowly inside a glass pavilion with East River views, making it feel special and nostalgic without tipping into sensory overload like so much of the city does. Tickets are $2 per ride, with a child under 42" tall included in the same $2 ticket and there’s a proper buggy park too.

Domino Park

Set along the East River in Williamsburg, on the site of the old Domino Sugar Factory, Domino Park is the most whimsical, imaginative playground I’ve seen, and one of the best places in New York to visit with a toddler. Industrial remnants are woven into imaginative play structures, all with the most cinematic views back towards Manhattan (I spent a large amount of time photographing the skyline). It also sits right next door to Taco Cina, perhaps a deliberate move for food planning once hunger inevitably strikes. The winds can get cold here on the water, so wrap that little one up!

DUMBO House

Of course, this is a members’ club, but if you do have access (or a friend does), Dumbo House provides a moment for civilised parenting. Food, drinks, bathrooms for nappy changes and quiet spots for naps are all contained in one beautiful environment with the best viewpoint of Brooklyn Bridge. The relief of chasing my mini Usain Bolt around in an enclosed place was welcome.

Lower Manhattan & Battery Park

SeaGlass Carousel
If there is one thing to travel to the tip of Manhattan for, let it be this. A ride on the SeaGlass Carousel in Battery Conservancy is spellbinding, like stepping inside a Disney film about a child’s subconscious. Sit down and strap in to bioluminescent fish that glow and rotate gently as they slowly move up and down to soothing music – perfect if your little one needs a reset. We loved it so much we rode it twice (‘AGAIN!’ is always the clearest possible five-star review from a toddler).

Battery Playscape

As an ex-teacher, I’m always interested in learning concepts. Battery Playscape is a park that has been clearly designed for open-ended play, and beautifully maintained, home to what may be the cleanest, finest sandpit in New York. There are climbing structures, different lengths of slides, imaginative play areas, and problem-solving activities, all inspired by coastal ecology and framed by harbour views right out to the Statue of Liberty. Bring spare clothes for wet, sandy play, and then spares for the spares.

Helicopter Watching at HeliNY Helipad

An unexpectedly riveting hour for both of us was spent watching helicopters land and take off at HeliNY, slicing through the air against a backdrop of Downtown Brooklyn’s brown-brick jungle on the other side of the East River. My son, who has strong feelings about ‘he-co-cof-ters’, was the most thrilled he’s ever been, while I found myself equally absorbed in this accidental New York moment.

Sunset Ferry from Pier 11

Ferries are one of New York’s great parenting cheats. We took a sunset ferry from Pier 11 up the Hudson, watching the skyscrapers light up as the sky turned orange. Some practical advice though, if your child has even a hint of restlessness, stay inside. The upper deck is windy, crowded, and made for people who don’t suddenly sprint. Inside, there’s space to sit and point things out. Download the NYC Ferry App in advance so you can buy tickets easily.

The West Side

The High Line

The High Line, a disused elevated rail line repurposed into a walking trail, is a joy to walk on a sunny day, and is best approached with a toddler in sections rather than a test of how far you can go. The joy here is in stopping to look at art installations (the giant pigeon is a much-loved star), watching traffic crawl far below, looking out for peeks of the Empire State Building, and cooling off in the shallow, trickling water features on warmer days. Still, know when to quit, with exit points almost at every block.

Little Island
If energy levels allow, peel off the High Line in the Meatpacking District at Little Island. Opened in 2021 and perched improbably on the Hudson atop a forest of tulip-shaped concrete pillars, Little Island is park-slash-art installation. It rises and falls in gentle hills, with winding paths, lawns, small amphitheatres and lookout points where you can watch ferries slide past and the skyline stretch north and south. It’s a beautiful spot of calm, unless, of course, someone has missed a nap, in which case even an artificial island cannot save you.