# Boroughs & Brood

> Things to do in New York City with kids, from a family who keeps coming back: honest guides, a weekly calendar of family events called The New York Almanac, the playground map, and one free email a week. Written by Dan Fitzpatrick with his wife Julia, a British family with two children, six and seven, who visit New York City regularly (they do not live there). Every venue and event is checked against the organizer's own page and linked. Covers the five boroughs of New York City and day trips from the city, for New York parents and visiting families.

## Key pages
- [The New York Almanac](https://boroughsandbrood.com/almanac.html): weekly-updated calendar of family events across the five boroughs and on day trips, with subway stops, ages, prices, a map view and a calendar subscription (ICS: https://boroughsandbrood.com/calendar.ics)
- [All guides](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides.html): evergreen guides to things to do in New York City with kids, each with a Practical box (subway, stroller, restrooms, cost, time, check first)
- [Boroughs](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs.html): Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island and day trips
- [The Brood List](https://boroughsandbrood.com/brood-list.html): 40 things to do in New York with kids, famous and lesser known, each with subway, stroller, restroom and cost details, a map and a tick list (markdown of the whole list: https://boroughsandbrood.com/brood-list.md)
- [The Brood List, printable](https://boroughsandbrood.com/brood-list/print.html): all 40 as a tick list to print, grouped by borough
- [Lesser-known things to do in NYC with kids](https://boroughsandbrood.com/brood-list/hidden-gems.html): the lesser-known half of the Brood List (20 so far)
- [The best playgrounds in New York City](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds.html): our picks in every borough with ages, restrooms and the nearest subway, all 1,012 NYC Parks playgrounds on a map with spray showers and the nearest accessible subway station, sprinklers by borough, indoor play for rainy days (markdown: https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds.md)
- [NYC playground map](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/map.html): every NYC Parks playground with filters for borough, spray shower and a nearby accessible station; data at https://boroughsandbrood.com/data/playgrounds.json
- [NYC sprinklers and spray showers](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/sprinklers.html): all 0 NYC Parks spray shower sites by borough and park, with the season dates
- [The NYC subway with a stroller](https://boroughsandbrood.com/subway-with-a-stroller.html): every MTA accessible station on a map and by borough, family attractions with a step-free station nearby, and the rules (elevators, service gates, buses, the Staten Island Ferry) (markdown: https://boroughsandbrood.com/subway-with-a-stroller.md)
- [Indoor play in NYC](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/indoor.html): 15 indoor play spaces for rainy and freezing days, with ages, prices and hours
- [Best playgrounds in Manhattan](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/best-manhattan.html): our 10 favorite Manhattan playgrounds with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway
- [Best playgrounds in Brooklyn](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/best-brooklyn.html): our 10 favorite Brooklyn playgrounds with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway
- [Best playgrounds in Queens](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/best-queens.html): our 10 favorite Queens playgrounds with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway
- [Best playgrounds in the Bronx](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/best-bronx.html): our 10 favorite Bronx playgrounds with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway
- [Best playgrounds on Staten Island](https://boroughsandbrood.com/playgrounds/best-staten-island.html): our 10 favorite Staten Island playgrounds with ages, restrooms, spray showers and the nearest subway
- [Things to do with kids this weekend](https://boroughsandbrood.com/this-weekend.html) and [this week](https://boroughsandbrood.com/this-week.html): refreshed every week
- [Newsletter archive](https://boroughsandbrood.com/archive.html): The Weekend Brood, every Thursday at 7am
- [About](https://boroughsandbrood.com/about.html)
- [How we make it, sources and AI use](https://boroughsandbrood.com/how-we-make-it.html)

## Guides
- [Things to Do on Staten Island With Kids, Starting With the Ferry](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/things-to-do-on-staten-island-with-kids.html): The best things to do on Staten Island with kids start with the free Staten Island Ferry (about 25 minutes from Lower Manhattan). Then try the Staten Island Children's Museum and the free grounds at Snug Harbor, the Staten Island Zoo (free after 2pm on Wednesdays) and the harbor views at Fort Wadsworth.
- [Things to Do in the Bronx With Kids: The Zoo, the Garden and More](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/things-to-do-in-the-bronx-with-kids.html): The best things to do in the Bronx with kids are the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden, which sit side by side in Bronx Park. For a second day, try Wave Hill in Riverdale (free on Thursdays), the free Bronx Museum on the Grand Concourse, or the City Island Nautical Museum, where under 12s are free.
- [Things to Do in Queens With Kids: Flushing Meadows to Rockaway](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/things-to-do-in-queens-with-kids.html): The best things to do in Queens with kids are NYSCI, the Queens Zoo and the Playground for All Children, all in Flushing Meadows Corona Park and all reached by the 7 train. For quieter or cheaper days, try Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City (free), Queens County Farm Museum in Glen Oaks (free entry, pumpkin patch and corn maze this month) and the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge near Broad Channel.
- [Things to Do in Brooklyn With Kids: A Day Plan for Each Part](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/things-to-do-in-brooklyn-with-kids.html): The best things to do in Brooklyn with kids are around Prospect Park (the zoo, the carousel, the Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum), at Brooklyn Children's Museum (ages 6 months to 10, free Thursdays 2pm to 5pm) and along the waterfront at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Free picks include Weeksville Heritage Center and Domino Park, and the Transit Museum is the best rainy day option.
- [Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade With Kids: Where to Stand](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/thanksgiving-day-parade-with-kids.html): The 2026 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is Thursday, November 26 and is free to watch. It starts at Central Park West and West 77th Street and finishes at Herald Square, and NYC Tourism lists it as the 100th parade. Macy's start time and viewing rules for 2026 weren't readable when we checked on October 5, 2026; last year it ran 8:30am to noon, and the places recommended for spectators were Central Park West between 60th and 77th Streets, Central Park South and Sixth Avenue north of 38th Street.
- [Where to Find a Restroom in Manhattan With Kids: The Honest Map](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/restrooms-in-manhattan-with-kids.html): The most reliable public restrooms in Manhattan for a parent with kids are the staffed ones in Bryant Park (7am to 10pm in October), the Hudson River Park piers, Moynihan Train Hall (open 5am to 1am) and NYPL branches during library hours. NYC Parks comfort stations are free but listed as 8am to 4pm, so don't count on them late in the day, and the two automatic restrooms in Madison Square Park and Washington Heights cost 25 cents.
- [Rainy Day Things to Do in NYC With Kids (Beyond the Big Museums)](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/rainy-day-things-to-do-in-nyc-with-kids.html): The best rainy day things to do in NYC with kids beyond the big museums are the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn, the Children's Museum of Manhattan (best for ages 0 to 6), MoMath, the Brooklyn Children's Museum (ages 6 months to 10, free Thursday 2 to 5pm) and the free National Museum of the American Indian and Bronx Museum of the Arts. Libraries are the cheapest dry option.
- [Pumpkin Picking Near NYC 2026: Farms by Train, Car and Ferry](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/pumpkin-picking-near-nyc-2026.html): For pumpkin picking near NYC without a car, the easiest options are the free pumpkin patch at Queens County Farm Museum (all October), Pumpkin Point on Governors Island (free, October 24 and 25, reached by ferry) and Decker Farm at Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island (October weekends). With a car, Elwood Pumpkin Farm in Huntington ($10 a person), Harvest Moon in North Salem (tickets usually sell out) and Secor Farms in Mahwah, NJ are all within roughly an hour.
- [NYC With Toddlers and Babies: What Actually Works](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/nyc-with-toddlers-and-babies.html): The easiest places for NYC with toddlers are the Children's Museum of Manhattan (PlayWorks for ages 0 to 4, free stroller check), Heckscher Playground in Central Park (with restrooms in the Heckscher Building 6:30am to 9pm), the NYSCI Preschool Place in Queens and the Staten Island Children's Museum. The Bronx Zoo is free for children 2 and under, and Brooklyn Public Library runs Babies and Books and Toddler Time sessions.
- [NYC Subway With a Stroller: Elevators, Etiquette, What to Avoid](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/nyc-subway-with-a-stroller.html): Strollers are allowed on the NYC subway as long as you're using them to carry a child; the MTA says to fold the stroller and carry your child on stairs and escalators, and use elevators when possible. In the MTA's data, 125 of 445 station complexes are fully accessible and 15 are partly accessible, so check the MTA's elevator status page before every trip. Up to three children under 44 inches ride free with a paying adult, and the fare is $3.
- [Kid-Friendly Restaurants in NYC That Won't Glare at Your Stroller](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/kid-friendly-restaurants-in-nyc.html): For kid-friendly restaurants in NYC with a checked kids' menu, try Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Harlem, Layla Jones in Cobble Hill (kids' pasta from $9.95), L&B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn, or Bareburger in Astoria. Ellen's Stardust Diner in Midtown has stroller parking with free locks, Johnny's Reef on City Island has picnic tables and a $3 hot dog, and Serendipity 3 is the splurge, with kids' meals at $12.95 to $14.95.
- [Indoor Play Spaces in NYC for Freezing Days: Paid, Free and Library](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/indoor-play-spaces-in-nyc.html): For an indoor playground in NYC, paid open play runs from $15.99 an hour per child at House of Wonder in Clinton Hill (adults free, walk-ins welcome) and $20 an hour with one adult at PeekABooo in Long Island City, to $35 for 50 minutes at Chelsea Forest Play (reservation required). For cheap or free, try the Brooklyn Children's Museum on Thursdays 2pm to 5pm, or a Brooklyn Public Library Open Play Hour for kids 5 and under.
- [Ice Skating in NYC With Kids: The Main Rinks Compared, With Prices](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/ice-skating-in-nyc-with-kids.html): The big free-admission rink is The Rink at Bryant Park's Winter Village (October 28, 2026 to February 28, 2027), though skate rental there runs $18.72 to $64.48. Rockefeller Center opens October 10 with tickets from $22 for a 60-minute skate, and Wollman Rink in Central Park lists opening day as October 24. For lower prices, check the Davis Center in Central Park (children $5), NYC Parks' World Ice Arena in Queens and Lakeside in Prospect Park.
- [Halloween in NYC With Kids 2026: Parades, Candy and Pumpkins](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/halloween-in-nyc-with-kids-2026.html): Halloween 2026 is Saturday, October 31. The Village Halloween Parade steps off at 7pm on Sixth Avenue (free and very crowded), Park Slope's family parade lines up at 6pm on Seventh Avenue, and the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo runs weekends through November 1 with a costume parade, included with zoo admission. For calmer and cheaper, try Wave Hill-O-Ween on Thursday, October 29 (free) or the free Pumpkin Point patch on Governors Island on October 24 and 25.
- [Free Things to Do in NYC With Kids: 15 That Are Actually Free](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/free-things-to-do-in-nyc-with-kids.html): The best free things to do in NYC with kids are the Staten Island Ferry (free every day), the High Line, Little Island, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Bronx Museum of the Arts and Queens County Farm Museum (free except on ticketed days). Wave Hill in the Bronx is free all day on Thursdays. Watch the fine print: skating at Bryant Park is free but skate rental is not.
- [First Trip to NYC With Kids: A Three-Day Plan That Doesn't Break Anyone](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/first-trip-to-nyc-with-kids-three-day-plan.html): For an NYC itinerary with kids over 3 days, give each day one area: Lower Manhattan (free Staten Island Ferry, SeaGlass Carousel, the free National Museum of the American Indian), the Upper West Side (American Museum of Natural History and Central Park's Diana Ross Playground), and Brooklyn (Jane's Carousel and Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park). Rain plans: the National Museum of the American Indian, the New York Historical and the New York Transit Museum.
- [Dyker Heights Christmas Lights With Kids: How to Do It Without a Tour](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/dyker-heights-christmas-lights-with-kids.html): The Dyker Heights Christmas lights are free and best seen on a weeknight between about 5pm and 9pm, around 84th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. Nobody publishes official dates: guides say the lights go up around Thanksgiving weekend (Thanksgiving is November 26, 2026) and stay into early January. Take the R to 86 St and walk about 20 minutes, and use a restroom before you arrive, because there are none in the residential blocks.
- [Christmas in NYC With Kids 2026: Tree, Trains, Lights, Rinks](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/christmas-in-nyc-with-kids-2026.html): For Christmas in NYC with kids in 2026: the Rockefeller Center tree arrives November 7 and its lighting ceremony is December 2; the Radio City Christmas Spectacular opens November 4; the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park opens October 28 with a free-to-enter rink; the Botanical Garden's Train Show starts November 14, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Lightscape November 20 and the Bronx Zoo's winter lights November 21. Department store windows and Union Square's market hadn't been announced when we checked on October 5.
- [Central Park With Kids: Day Plan, Playgrounds and Restrooms](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/central-park-with-kids.html): For Central Park with kids, start at Heckscher Playground (West 61st to 63rd, restrooms inside), then the Carousel at 65th Street and the Central Park Zoo ($16.95 for ages 3 to 12, date-specific tickets). Safari Playground at 91st Street is best for toddlers, and Belvedere Castle is free but has no restrooms.
- [Best Museums in NYC for Kids (and Which Ones Are Pay What You Wish)](https://boroughsandbrood.com/guides/best-museums-in-nyc-for-kids.html): The best museums in NYC for kids are the Children's Museum of Manhattan (ages 0 to 6), Brooklyn Children's Museum (6 months to 10), the American Museum of Natural History, the Intrepid and the New York Hall of Science. Pay what you wish is mostly for New York State or City residents, so visitors pay full price at the big ones; the Queens Museum is pay what you wish for everyone.

## Boroughs
- [Manhattan](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/manhattan.html): Central Park in the middle, with the big museums lined up along both sides of it (the Natural History Museum on the west, the Met on the east), the High Line on the West Side, and the ferries from Lower Manhattan to the Statue of Liberty and Governors Island. It's dense, so most days are short walks between long stops, and the hunt for a restroom is a real part of the plan.
- [Brooklyn](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/brooklyn.html): Prospect Park and its zoo, Brooklyn Bridge Park on the waterfront, the beach and the boardwalk at Coney Island, the Brooklyn Children's Museum in Crown Heights and the cobbles of DUMBO under the bridge. It's a borough of neighborhood playgrounds, bakeries and big green spaces, and a lot of it is free.
- [Queens](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/queens.html): Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home to the Unisphere, the New York Hall of Science and the Queens Museum with its scale model of the whole city; Rockaway Beach at the end of the A train; and Astoria, for food and the Museum of the Moving Image. The 7 train ties most of it together.
- [The Bronx](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/bronx.html): The Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden, side by side, are the big two; Wave Hill's gardens over the Hudson, the seafood and boatyards of City Island and a game at Yankee Stadium are the rest of a very good list. Pelham Bay Park, the biggest park in the city, is up here too.
- [Staten Island](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/staten-island.html): The free Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty is the headline, and the Staten Island Children's Museum and Snug Harbor's gardens are a short ride from the terminal at St. George. Inland, the Greenbelt has proper woodland trails and a nature center. It's the quiet borough, which is rather the point.
- [Day trips and weekends away](https://boroughsandbrood.com/boroughs/beyond-nyc.html): A day or a weekend out of the city: the Hudson Valley's towns and hiking, the Long Island beaches and Montauk, the Jersey Shore, the Catskills, Lake George and the Berkshires. Most are a train ride or a couple of hours' drive, and we say which is which.