New York City!!
A city like no other. There are so many things to see and do with many people to meet. Cultures, languages, food and museums are in abundance. This is true for anyone, well traveled or not. Now import one child, 5 years old from Texas whose tallest building is only 20 stories tall, and for most of his life has traveled to and from places by car, and excitement is sure to prevail.
I got to experience this excitement with my nephew, Kristion on his trip to NYC. What would he want to see? What would give him that great excitement?
The thing I am learning about New York City is you can't do everything so you must tailor your visit to your child and the things that make him excited. To make the most of this you too have to start to think like a child. Once you do you can start to answer some of these questions. What does he like to do? What will be most memorable? What will be the physical limitations? What does he like to eat? There are things I thought he must see but then realized he was just too young to experience those. Putting myself in his mind frame got me to thinking. I wanted him to experience NYC to the fullest but also have the joys of being a child. He loves aviation and can spot an airplane in the sky travelling above at 550 mph at 40,000 feet, and the sight of a helicopter or plane brings a shout of joy, "Look Uncle John!! A plane.....Over there!" . Bingo!! I'll take him to see the Intrepid Museum. It is a retired aircraft carrier whose career has seen several wars, survived a kamikaze attack, and after a refurbishment is back on the shores of the Westside pier of Manhattan housing some impressive aircraft, a submarine, the Concorde and just recently the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
Along with the amazing display of aircraft, the shuttle and submarine is a great amount of hands on learning for children of every age. What is life like on a ship? How do planes fly? Spacecraft of different eras. You can even board the submarine and see what it is like on board. There is a galley on one of the lower levels of the main ship catered by Au Bon Pain with food, drinks and ice cream and even PB&J sandwiches for the children.
For more information on the Intrepid and it's offerings you can go to their website and explore. http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/
What to do next. In the age of electronics and toys a child is sure to have excitement in Times Square. Times Square alone is one that I myself, after all these years, still enjoy seeing. Sure it has lots of people and lots of noise but the feeling you get when you are there is like no other. The bright lights, the street performers, people watching, the sounds, the smells. And for a 5 year old from Texas this is quite the sight. You can see the police men and women as they patrol the area and might even catch a glimpse of the police horses as well. A rather large McDonald's with a view is there as well for that quick, cheap and kid friendly meal. Also there is the 4 story Toys R Us with a giant Ferris wheel inside the store. Who wouldn't want to ride on this. They also have a Lego section to excite the child in almost every man (and woman) with massive Lego sculptures of King Kong climbing the Empire State Building, Darth Vador, and other rotating designs and larger than life statues of the hottest toys!!
There is also a little hidden secret in Times Square that will keep your tot occupied for hours if you want, and it is free (as long as you have an iTouch or iPhone). There are stairs on the northern side of TS just above the TKTS booth and directly below the Coca Cola sign. Climb these stairs and get to the top stair. Now go to you "App Store" on your iPhone (or iTouch) and search for the app "Hyundai Race". Download it for free. Once you have the app on your device you can now play their game using the large billboard screen you see just beneath the Coke sign. Launch the app and follow the instructions for connecting to their wifi signal. Now race away until your hearts are content. What kid doesn't want a billboard several stories tall to be their screen to play a car racing game? I must admit I go and play it at times myself just to have a bit of fun.
Any trip to New York during the summer would not be complete without a trip to Coney Island. Luna Park (http://www.lunaparknyc.com/) is a newly added addition to the revival of Coney Island and is located just between the landmark "Cyclone" Roller Coaster (which debuted in 1927) and Deno's Wonder Wheel Amusement Park (built in 1920) (http://www.wonderwheel.com). They are right off the boardwalk. While there are a few rides for the bigger kids some are just for the smaller kids and there are quite a few for kids of all ages. The "Tickler" is a great smaller sized roller coaster where after a few turns on the rails your car unhinges and starts spinning while continuing down the track. Several dips, twists and turns later you come to a stop to ride your next ride. Games are in abundance here to have a chance to win that stuffed animal or toy of your liking and you can purchase 4 hour unlimited ride tickets in the day time up until 6pm, or you can pay for credits and just pay for a ride by ride basis.
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| Getting ready to ride "The Tickler". |
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| Hang on Uncle John!! I'm about to rock this speedboat!! |
After riding rides till your hearts are content, and making sure to ride on the Deno's Wonder Wheel, you can stroll through the parks and play the games, walk the boardwalk or enjoy one or many of the culinary treats awaiting you. French Fries, Lemonade, Cotton Candy, Hot Dogs and Knishes are among the treats. You have to stop by Nathan's on Surf Avenue for the original Coney Dog (Hot Dog). 
Now for the icing on the cake, for a 5 year old with a love of aviation and anything to do with it I took him to the Pier 17/Southport area of Manhattan. Right off of Wall Street it is in the historic area of town with quaint streets and historic buildings. But for the 5 year old, the sight of helicopters taking off and landing almost continuously from the heliport was breathtaking. To surprise him I took him on a 15 minute, wallet busting, exciting flight of a lifetime. For around $169 per person you can ride in the helicopter above the island of Manhattan, circling the Statue of Liberty and riding up the Hudson seeing the sights of the Freedom Tower (WTC site), Empire State Building and the Intrepid all from the air. Despite the cost, the excitement on the little one's face will be well worth it!!
These are a few of the things that I chose to do with my nephew on his trip to New York. There are many more things that are kid friendly. Keep in mind to see the Statue of Liberty, Bronx Zoo, Central Park, National History Museum and a trip to the top of the Rockefeller Center as well as numerous other places in New York. The ideas are limitless.
