New York at Christmas with kids.

[Chippytheelf29]

Hi
I am extremely excited as I've just booked New York for mid December for a short break. I've never been and have always wanted to go at this time. Even more so now as we have kids. The kids are 8,6 and 2 and I'm wondering if anyone had any off the beaten track suggestions for places to see in New York with kids?

Do think about weather and have some blizzard back-up plans!

It's flipping FRREEEEEEEEEEEZING

Bool the ice skiing, Bryant Park is quieter than central

They have some impressive displays in the shops.

There's not a whole lot for kids to do generally. Toys R Us had a ferris wheel thing in the middle years back, which was fun.

Get weekly pass and use the underground. Watch out though (unless things have improved) 1) tre trains take off really quickly and you'll slide down the benches.
2) it's fucking FILTHY. Rubbish between tracks, grime everywhere.
3) there's often dancers and musicians on the platforms etc all good fun

We went to a church (will dig out the name) that had a good service

Thanks a million. We were in Lapland last year so I thought we'd be equipped for the cold but I'm worried now! Apparently there's a windchill?
Ooh I'd love to go to a church service if you do come across it.

Toys R Us isnt there anymore.so.dont waste time looking for it.

There is a Pinball Museum ( not really a museum more like a pinball arcade but the machines are old) you pay per hour so you don't feel you are constantly wasting money - might be fun for the older two and get you out of the cold for a bit, the owners are lovely it's over near the Natural History Museum.

Natural History Museum - if you go to the deal rather than use a machine you can pay what you wish - we paid a dollar each that way you can just see the bits the kids will like without feeling like you have wasted your money.

National Museum of Mathematics - sounds boring is actually lots of fun for kids

Go on the Roosevelt Tram you can use your Metro Card from the subway - doesn't take long but the kids enjoy it and there are good views.

Oh and Dave and Buster's near Time Square it's a big arcade with restaurant attached. You load money into a card and the kids put the card in the machines to play - our kids loved it and again gets you out of the cold and you will actually be able to let go of the two year olds hand for a moment!

Oh and Central Park Zoo is nice - not too big they have Snow Leopards, and grizzly bears as well as lots of other things. They also have a tropical indoor area where you walk through and loads of lovely tropical birds walk around your feet - again nice and warm!

Oooh, how Lovely! I went at this time before I had ds, would love to take him. Not off the beaten track but a ride in a horse and carriage in central park is amazing when the snow is actually falling
I'd watch home alone 2 for ideas!

We went for Christmas last year with 4 kids, it was amazing but god it was so busy!!
It was cold but we still were outside a lot so did the zoo in Central Park, skating at Bryant park, horse ride around Central Park (lovely man squeezed us all in, don’t think he should have!). Inside we did touristy things, we liked the public library as they had the actual piglet, pooh bear etc belonging to Christopher Robin. Diners are really good way to eat as they whack the food out really quick!
One other thing though is jet lag hit us all hard so we were up at 4am first few nights raring to go! Most of the diners opened at 6am for breakfast though!!
We all loved it, best holiday ever.

We went over New Year a couple of years ago and it was excellent. Temp varied: only bitterly cold second half of trip. If you are st Central Park think at opening time, it’s big busy fir a couple of hours. Definitely book to Radiocity Christmas Spectacular.

December is the peak time of year for visitors because of New Years Eve. Its less rammed in terms of sheer numbers of people particularly at Times Square and the Rockefeller Centre however but still busy.

Wrap up warm and take thermals, it can be extremely cold there at that time of year. I was there last year and it was minus 7 in the daytime; the windchill made it feel colder. Not too much snow but that wind was indeed biting.

The Toysrus store in Times Square that 001 mentioned closed some time back sadly.

The NYC metro is run down because it is a victim of chronic underfunding in terms of trains, tracks and signalling. The Museum of Natural History is good to see and is near its metro station.

The Rockettes are a must and FAO Schwarz is the most amazing toy store which you just have to look around especially considering Toys R Us is now shut.

Thanks so much everyone. Great suggestions. Just looking up the rockettes and it looks so christmassy I think it's definitely going on the list.

I think you will find FAO Schwarz has closed down also.

Would second a recommendation to see the Rockettes Christmas show (there are some performances on youtube as well).

Unfortunately the FAO Schwarz store is closed for now. It became a pop up store within Bergdorf Goodman last year (now closed) but there are plans to open at the Rockefeller Center later this year.

There’s a very good (but very busy!) Lego store at the Rockefeller centre. Close to that there’s also an ‘American Doll’ store which my 9 year old loved (but you can’t get in the uk). American history museum was so much bigger than I thought but we had the photo by ‘dum dum’ that everyone else was queuing for too!!