Rainy weekend in NYC with toddlers

[Anonymous]

We'll be in NYC with small kids (4, 1.5) this weekend, staying on the upper east side (92nd and 2nd ave). Our plans of spending time in Central Park and visiting playgrounds are upended by the weather. What are your recommendations for toddler friendly activities given the forecast?

[Anonymous]

I thought the Gazillion bubbles show was ok, worth doing once. It was pretty loud - I had wished I brought noise canceling headphones for one of my kids.

[Anonymous]

Following--will also be there this weekend, also staying on UES.

[Anonymous]

There is a kid museum up in the 70s on the west side. Aside from that it’s tough. Go to books of wonder (5th ave and 18th) for a great kids bookstore. See if they have any readings or story time? And not sure if the Harry Potter exhibit (historical society maybe?) would have things to touch and walk thru.

[Anonymous]

Books of wonder-Harry potter special Friday and picture book event on Saturday: https://booksofwonder.com/booksofwonderevents.aspx


Join BOOKS OF WONDER for another PICTURE BOOK BONANZA!
We will be joined by author RHODA KNIGHT KALT for Tigers & Tea with Toppy, author KRYSTYNA PORAY GODDU for An Unlikely Ballerina, and illustrator CHRISTOPHER CYR for Who Will Bell the Cat?


And if you skip the event, they do have an uptown store: http://booksofwonder.com/storehoursanddirections.aspx

One thing — we found it a PITA to get from ues to uws. We ended up canning a lot — which is even a bigger pita with a 1 y/o.

[Anonymous]

Our go to for rainy days in NYC is the Natural History Museum, but everyone else goes there too so it's gonna be crowded. Supercrowded on Saturday because they have a trick or treat event then.

There's the National Geographic Oceans exhibit in Times Square, haven't been but looks interesting.

If you don't mind a little outdoor walking, maybe the Bronx Zoo? There are a lot of indoor exhibits and walking around outdoors in the rain between them is fine if you're dressed appropriately. I'm thinking intermittent drizzle, not downpour.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the knights at the Met? also you can take the Roosevelt Island tram back and forth. My kids loved that at age 4.

[Anonymous]

Yes, focus on the cool things that aren't tourist attractions, such as the tram, Grand Central Station, off-hours milk and cocktails at a high-floor bar. Transit museum in Brooklyn may be fun for the four year old depending on interests, but it's a schlep. Lot's of second- and third-tier museums don't get that crowded but are still pretty interesting.
You can still do a horse-drawn carriage through central park (I think), they provide somewhat sketchy blankets and I believe the wagons are covered...
Real bummer that FAO schwartz closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, focus on the cool things that aren't tourist attractions, such as the tram, Grand Central Station, off-hours milk and cocktails at a high-floor bar. Transit museum in Brooklyn may be fun for the four year old depending on interests, but it's a schlep. Lot's of second- and third-tier museums don't get that crowded but are still pretty interesting.
You can still do a horse-drawn carriage through central park (I think), they provide somewhat sketchy blankets and I believe the wagons are covered...
Real bummer that FAO schwartz closed.

Transit museum is great and not far into Brooklyn at all so many not be a schlep depending on where you are going/coming from. My kids loved the bubble show FWIW.

[Anonymous]

It's not going to rain Friday, Sunday, or Monday.

[Anonymous]

I’d cancel. Rain, NY and toddlers sounds miserable.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the responses. We can't cancel since a relative had booked our hotel using his points, and H's mom and siblings are all going, so we can't bow out. We're the only ones with small children; it is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We'll be in NYC with small kids (4, 1.5) this weekend, staying on the upper east side (92nd and 2nd ave). Our plans of spending time in Central Park and visiting playgrounds are upended by the weather. What are your recommendations for toddler friendly activities given the forecast?

Playspace NYC - http://www.theplayroomnyc.com/faq/

92Y - GymMaze, etc. http://www.92y.org (The site seems to be down right now.)

The Oculus - The shopping mall/transit station in the new WTC building. It had everything: Eataly!
A LovePop cart. Weird chairs. A toy store. Police dogs...

[Anonymous]

Put on raincoats, people. Not ideal but not awful. The Intrepid Museum has indoor and outdoor stuff. The Bronx Zoo s awesome but a big day. Go to natural history but arrive before it opens. And enjoy the hotel downtime.

[Anonymous]

check out mommypoppins for ideas. also, i love the playroom/kids area at the ny public library in the east 50s (it was redone within the last few years; sorry can't look it up right now). near moma i think.