New York with kids

A Dream Family Trip to New York

Thinking of visiting New York with children? We took our 6 year old daughter in April 2025 and this is what we did...

New York with kids
Top of The Rock

My husband and I have always loved New York. So much so, that we actually got married there ten years ago.  As we have always talked about New York to our daughter, Arla, she has always been keen to visit. I have to say I was a bit nervous about travelling long haul with her for the first time (Arla's 6), as well as knowing how she would cope with a sight-seeing holiday. I needn't have worried - she absolutely loved it and is already asking when we can go back!!

Here are some of our highlights and a few top tips. I have also listed our full itinerary at the bottom of this article.

The Best Time to Visit New York

We travelled to New York in April and the weather was lovely. It was sunny everyday and we managed to avoid the rain. I would recommend travelling in Spring as you're likely to avoid the hottest or coldest time of year. A little bit of rain wouldn't spoil your trip. We stayed for five nights, so there was enough time to cover off a lot of the key sights.

Central Park New York in Spring
Central Park

Travelling to The States

We flew from Manchester with Virgin Atlantic and the flight time was not much longer than travelling to the Canary Islands but with the added luxury of a bigger plane. The flight was actually less than six hours coming back! 

When I have travelled to New York previously I have vivid memories of waiting in line for security for hours, but travelling as a family meant we skipped the awful queues entirely. It was the same coming back through security to travel home, so travelling with kids has it's advantages!

Top Tip - if you are comfortable carrying your luggage, it is likely to be quicker to get into central Manhattan (Penn Station) using the AirTrain and the LIRR. Taxis can work out expensive and often take longer because of the amount of traffic in New York. Obviously if you're travelling with very small children and buggies, a taxi might be your best option.

New York Food

Pretzel - Eating in New York with Kids

If you ask Arla what her favourite thing was about New York, she will probably mention food! We made sure to sample lots of the local delicacies whilst we were there including bagels, ice cream, pizza, snow cones and pretzels.

Getting Around Manhattan

Exploring New York with a Child
The Highline

We used the subway a lot whilst in New York. As we were there for 6 days, a 7 day pass worked out good value for us, but you can use contactless payment in a similar way you would on the London Underground.

Otherwise we did end up walking a lot. I wanted to try and keep the walking to a minimum so that Arla didn't tire to quickly, but I think because the weather was so nice we did still end up doing a lot of walking. Arla never once complained about the amount of walking we did. One day we walked nearly 8.5 miles! It made me realise that she probably has more stamina than me.

The American Language

Arla was fascinated with the American accent. Although, she has, of course, heard it many times on television. She also had a fascination with the fact that the American's use different words to us for certain things, like "soda" instead of "fizzy drink" or "restroom" instead of "toilets". So she was always asking us, "Mummy, what do they call ......?"

Our Favourite Bits of New York

Top of the Rock - New York with children
Top of The Rock

You can't go to New York without seeing the city from up high. So many people will queue for hours to go up the Empire State Building but we actually prefer to go to Top of The Rock as you get a great view of both Central Park and the Empire State Building. My husband and I were shocked how many new buildings had been added to the skyline since our last visit.

American Museum of Natural History - Family trip to New York
The American Museum of Natural History

You will always see The American Museum of Natural History recommended as a must-see for families visiting New York and I would agree. There is so much to see and keep the kids interested for a few hours. We also booked one of the extra ticketed events: "Passport to the Universe".

Dumbo NYC - Great for families
DUMBO

If you want to escape the craziness of Manhattan, I would highly recommend a trip across the water to Brooklyn. This time we visited Dumbo, which is a lovely area between Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge with great views back towards Manhattan. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a must for kids - there are lots of play areas and a lovely pebble beach. We also had great food at the Time Out Food Market. We loved that everyone could have something different, although you might be stuck for choice as there are so many delicious options.

Dumbo - family trip to New York
DUMBO

Our Full New York Itinerary

Here's a list of everything we did whilst we were in New York. Feel free to use it for your own checklist!

We stayed at the INNSiDE New York NoMad Hotel for 5 nights.

Travelling to New York with kids
Central Park

Conclusion

We had the most amazing time in New York as a family. Obviously, due to the expense of this trip it's not the type of holiday we would go on regularly, but it has made me more confident about taking Arla on more long haul trips as we would love to show her more of the world. 

We saw so much of New York on our trip but, of course, there are so many things we didn't do, but that just means we'll have to go back!

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to drop me a message, I'll happily chat to you about all things New York!

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