After living in New York for almost 15 years, 5 of those with kids, I’m thinking I’m overdue to share my recommendations for what to do with kids in Brooklyn. Whether you’re a new parent in the borough or visiting New York with your kids, this guide will share family-friendly activities in Brooklyn. I’m focusing on things to do with toddlers in Brooklyn, and generally little kids under 5.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden: No matter the time of year, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a great destination with kids. In springtime you can enjoy the cherry blossoms, summer brings the beautiful rose gardens, fall brings changing leaves and the chocolate and chili festival, and in winter you can enjoy a nighttime stroll through Lightscape with a cup of hot cocoa. Plus, the Kids Discovery Garden offers some hands-on crafts and other activities for little ones to enjoy yearround.
Prospect Park Zoo & Carousel: Take a spin on the carousel right outside the zoo’s entrance, then explore the Prospect Park Zoo. This zoo is quite small, which makes it great for younger kids and those who only want to spend an hour or two at the zoo. The highlights include the sea lion feeding, the red pandas, and the barn where you can feed sheep, llamas, and the like.
LeFrak @ Prospect Park: This center is home to roller skating and a giant splash pad in the summer and ice skating in the winter. If you’re looking for New York City ice skating that isn’t packed to the gills with tourists, this is a great option as it caters more to locals. There are picnic tables and a fairly nice snack bar as well, making this a great stop for getting out in hot or cold weather.
Brooklyn Children’s Museum: A great interactive children’s museum, especially for kids under 5. Descend through the light tunnel to the Brooklyn neighborhood play area complete with storefronts for kids to immerse themselves in pretend play: open a pizza parlor, run the bodega, and more. Totally Tots is another fun stop, an interactive play space for kids under 6 that includes a huge water play area. Other exhibits rotate.
New York Transit Museum: If you want to do one museum with your kids in Brooklyn, this is the one I’d recommend, especially if you have a lover of vehicles in your home. The star of the show are the historic subway cars parked on a real decommissioned subway platform, which you can hop on and off and explore. The museum itself is underground in an old subway station, and includes not just trains but also buses for your kiddo to “drive.”
Pizza or bagels in a park: One of our favorite things to do in good weather is grab a sausage, egg, and cheese on an everything bagel or pick up a takeout pizza and bring it to the park for a picnic. There are plenty of great parks and bagel and pizza joints to pick from—you really can’t go wrong!
Visit Prospect Park: The Central Park of Brooklyn, Prospect Park has many of the same highlights as Central Park, but a more local vibe. After the zoo and carousel, you can also feed the swans in the lake, bike the park loop, hike to a waterfall or two, visit the farmer’s market at Grand Army Plaza, catch a free concert or movie in the summer, or visit one of the many playgrounds scattered throughout.
Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge: It’s an iconic New York activity for a reason. Strolling over the Brooklyn Bridge will give you breathtaking views of the city. Walking from Manhattan into Brooklyn is the classic route. Most people will tell you to grab a slice at Grimaldi’s, but there can often be quite a wait for this famous pizza joint, so try Juliana’s next door or Forno around the block as well. Take a ride on Jane’s Carousel and let the kids explore Brooklyn Bridge Park before heading home.
Day in Coney Island: Coney Island just doesn’t get enough love, in my opinion. It’s such an iconic New York destination! Start with rides and carnival games at Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel, two amusement parks located right next to each other on the boardwalk. Both have a good selection of kid-friendly attractions like a carousel or bumper cars, but the famous Wonder Wheel is in Deno’s. Then grab hot dogs from the original Nathan’s on the boardwalk. Next, take a stroll over to the Coney Island Museum, which preserves some of the amazing artifacts from the boardwalk’s colorful history. You can also catch The Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which features performers who swallow fire and swords, walk on glass, or perform aerial feats, an homage to Coney Island’s history. End with ice cream at Coney’s Cones.
New York Aquarium: You could try to add this stop to your Coney Island itinerary, but the New York Aquarium is also worth a trip on its own. The highlights are the Sharks pavilion and Spineless, an exhibition on invertebrate sea life like octopi and jellyfish. There is also a fabulous interactive Playquarium great for kids under 5, including a touch tank.
Caitlin Kenney Smith 