Exploring the Upper West Side’s Kid-Friendly Attractions

The Upper West Side of New York has been called America’s most kid-friendly place outside of Orlando. That should come as no surprise, considering the neighborhood is nestled between Central Park and Riverside Park. While Disney World may be over 1,000 miles south, there are still plenty of kid-friendly things to do 0n the Upper West Side.

Crafty Kids

If the kids in your life love to make things, several sites on the UWS provide ample opportunity to keep them busy. Little Shop of Crafts offers supplies for pottery, mosaics, and a number of other kid-friendly crafts. If your kid absolutely loves crafting, consider having his or her  next birthday party at the store. You can also sign your little one up for an in-store class or workshop, such as an after-school fine arts class.

Do you love to knit or crochet and want to pass that love on to your kids? Head to Knitty City, on 79th street. The yarn shop has classes and workshops for adults and kids, ranging from Crochet 101 to a knitting club.

If your kid has a thing for the history of the middle ages, he or she will get a kick out of the free workshops offered at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The workshops take place each month and help kids learn more about the cathedral’s architecture and art.

Kid-Centric Museums

Got a few curious kids? Take them to one of the Upper West Side’s famous museums. You can start at one museum made just for kids, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Open six days a week, admission to the museum is usually $11. On the first Friday of each month, however, admission is free from 5pm until 8pm. The museum takes a multi-pronged approach to learning, with exhibitions that focus on sparking creativity, encouraging healthy and active habits, and teaching kids the basics of science.

The American Museum of Natural History is another kid-friendly, must-see museum. Open every day (except for Thanksgiving and Christmas), admission to the museum is $12.50 for kids under age 12. The American Museum of Natural History has a mix of temporary and permanent exhibitions. In the permanent exhibitions, kids can get a close look at ancient fossils, explore space in the planetarium, or marvel at rare gems and minerals.

Dining Out as a Family

NYC is full of restaurants, but not all of them market to the under-12 crowd. Just because you have kids, doesn’t mean you’re stuck eating at home all of the time. A few kid-friendly restaurants cater specifically to children, while others feature family-friendly options. Enjoy an Alice in Wonderland themed tea or breakfast at the original location of Alice’s Teacup. Although the restaurant is small, its limited reservation policy encourages families to be spontaneous and simply walk in, rather than call ahead. For a much more casual bite, you can bring the kids to Gray’s Papaya, one of the last remaining hotdog and papaya juice vendors in the city.

NYC is the city that never sleeps. While you will want your kids to go down for a nap at some point, you can rest assured that the Upper West Side has plenty to keep them busy in the meantime.