Doing NYC with a Six Year Old

A while back, I got an e-mail from our reader, Corinne, who asked for some tips on what to do in NYC with her six year old daughter. There wasn't time to make it into a post, so I e-mailed her back with a few of my own ideas. I hope they had a good time.

For future NYC visitors with children, I thought I would post my reply and hopefully everyone will add you own ideas because in no way is this list complete:

Central park - Don't miss the carousel, the Alice in Wonderland statue and the Central Park Zoo (make sure to stop by the petting zoo part of it too).

The Museum of Natural History has a great Discovery Room for kids. Really fun and interactive. Their special exhibits are always facinating as well.

You can't miss FAO Schwartz (5th Ave) - Really cool hands on stuff. Making a custom Madame Alexander doll is really cool though pricey (about $40).

Oh and she will probably enjoy the huge Toys R Us in Times Square. The ferris wheel, the animatronic dinosaur, the barbie house and the interactive projection screen on the floor are all really fun.

Dylans Candy Bar is a heavenly place for kids as well. Lots of candy (and eye candy) and yummy ice cream. (eastside across from Bloomingdales)

She'll love Chinatown. All the cheap trinkets and strange fruits. Try some fresh lychees from a corner stand and go to the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory for some yummy ice cream . You have to at least taste the strange flavors even if you end up with strawberry in the end.

Going to the top of the Empire State Building is always exciting and taking the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty is another tourist must. There are always entertaining street performers down there too so make sure you leave yourself enough time to stop and enjoy (it would be good to keep some $1 in your pocket as well).

Take her to see the temple on 65th Street and Columbus. It will always hold a special place in my heart as I attenedd church there for 3 years and was in NYC for the temple dedication and Jubilee.

I hope you can make it to a Broadway show. Any of the Disney ones are really enjoyable for kids.

Another fun place to hang out is the South Street Seaport--all the way at the southern tip of Manhattan. There is shopping, a decent food court, street performers, boats and a nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

One thing I like to do when people visit is to make sure they experience all the forms of transportation in the city. We take buses, the subway, at least one taxi ride, a ferry, and sometimes a horse drawn carriage ride in the park (this last one can be expensive during peak seasons).

Hmmmm, what else. Search the web for "free NYC activites". There are a lot of sites that keep calendars of fun free events around the city.

And don't pass up The Met. You can read newmom's post "A guide to the Met" to get some pointers. A six year old might not last long there, but I think there is plenty to keep her interested for at least an hour or two.

Make time to play in one of the many playgrounds that spot the city and if you're there in the summer, bring a bathing suit (or a change of clothes) and cool off in the water sprays.

I hope this helps and have FUN!!!