New York with kids: The best things to do

A kid in Times Square, New York City. Photo / Joshua Earle on Unsplash

New York – such an iconic city. The inspiration for countless musicians, poets, writers, and the setting of so many well-known films featuring those distinctive yellow taxis, sky-scraping buildings, streets of retail therapy and brash, confident attitude. It's a place everyone should visit once in their lives.

The good news is, if you missed doing it in your youth - hanging out in fabulous bars, eating everything imaginable, thrashing your credit card and soaking up the art and culture - it's still a great place to visit later in life with kids in tow.

Here are some ideas if the Big Apple is part of your family travel plans for 2020.

Don't miss the classics

While it's great to lose yourselves cruising the neighbourhoods and exploring real local life, you can't miss the classic experiences New York is so well known for.

Go up the Empire state building, wander through Central Park (it has 21 playgrounds!) take the free Staten Island ferry past the Statue of Liberty. Go full tourist - your children will love having pictures in all the places they've seen so many times in books and films.

Hit up the museums

There is a museum for almost every kid's taste in this city. Don't miss the American Museum of Natural History which attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world every year and of course, The Met (ask for their free family guides).

There's also the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the Strong National Museum of Play, New York Hall of Science, New York Transit Museum and so many more. Even in the rain, New York provides hours of fascination.

Eat everything

You will never starve in this city, that's for sure. From sushi to tacos to floppy thin crust pizza, pastrami sandwiches and of course classic New York hot dogs, there really is something to please everyone.

If you are there over a weekend, Smorgasburg - the largest weekly open-air food market in America with over 100 local vendors - is a must-visit.

If your kids (and maybe even you?) are dessert fans, you may also want to check out Ample Hills Creamery, CoolMess, Blue Marble Ice Cream, Eddie's Sweet Shop or Morgenstern's for sweet treats.

Indulge in the joys of Broadway

Seeing a show on Broadway is a very New York experience and there are plenty kids will love such as Aladdin, The Lion King and of course Frozen. If theatre is their thing, you can even take a behind-the-scenes tour of the production of Wicked or of Disney's New Amsterdam Theatre so they can see what goes into creating huge live shows.

Walk the city

If you're wanting to burn off some energy after being confined to a hotel room, there are plenty of great places to wander - not just Central Park.

Walk the Williamsburg Bridge and end up in Domino Park or take the ferry to Governor's Island and meander down the winding paths stopping at food trucks and playzones (check dates before going).

The High Line is also worth a visit - built on an abandoned train track, it's great for strolling with views of the Meatpacking District and Chelsea, and plenty to do along the way.

Coming soon

Though not strictly classic New York experiences, there will definitely be kids who are pretty excited that 2020 will see the opening of a huge Harry Potter Flagship store with the largest-ever collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts product, and the opening of the biggest Legoland yet - Legoland New York Resort.

International phenomenon KidZania will also open its doors in 2020 in New York. This city just keeps getting better.