You’ve been cooped up with the kids long enough, mom and dad! Spring means it’s time to start venturing outside, in and around the NYC area, for fun ways to entertain and even educate your children.

We compiled a list of several of the best kids’ spring activities you can find in the boroughs (and few farther out) to help you exercise your child’s body and brain.

Best kids’ spring activities in NYC: Nature in bloom

New York Botanical Garden — Head to the Bronx to see the azalea gardens and hundreds of cherry trees coming into bloom. Don’t forget to check out the amazing annual indoor orchid show. The Everett Children’s Adventure Garden offers 12 acres of fun just for little ones. If you can’t make it to the Bronx, visit the city’s other beautiful botanical gardens. The ones in Brooklyn or Queens also have nature trails and special children’s programming.

Macy’s Annual Flower Show (click link for dates) — You don’t need to brave chilly weather or muddy paths to indulge in the beautiful blooms of spring in New York City. For two weeks every March/April, Macy’s Herald Square flagship store puts on an amazing indoor display of floral and plant life tied to together by a theme like fairy tales or space adventure. Best of all — it’s free.

Visit your local park — Every NYC borough offers a little slice of nature amid the concrete and steel jungle. In addition to greenery for play and chilling, New York City parks offer tons of programming for kids of every age. Go to the NYC Parks website, click the Kids tab and find some fun for the family.

Best kids’ spring activities in NYC: Animals (and more!)

Visit a zoo — Beat the summer crowds and heat at any of the four NYC zoos (Bronx, Central Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and Queens) or the New York Aquarium by Coney Island in Brooklyn. Better yet see all of them or visit your favorite multiple times at a great discount by becoming a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

Queens County Farm Museum — If your wee one loves animals, but the zoo can be a bit overwhelming, head over to these historic 47 acres in Floral Park, Queens — home of NYC’s last remaining working farm. You can roam the grounds, visit the petting zoo and feed the chickens, pigs, geese, goats and other creatures anytime, but the weekends are when the fun really happens. The spring brings hayride season (for a nominal fee) and events such as an Apple Blossom Children’s Carnival, Sheep Shearing Festival, Easter egg hunt and a season farmer’s market.

Best kids’ spring activities in NYC: Outdoor thrills

Adventures at Governors Island — Governors Island is just one big playground to begin with: great biking, walking trails, playgrounds and amazing water/downtown views. But now it has Adventures. Literally get lost in the challenging Amazen’ Maze. Play 18 holes of mini-golf. Scale one of three 25-foot outdoor climbing walls. Zipline at 21 mph down a 300-foot long cable while taking in sensational views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor and downtown Manhattan. Check website for age/weight restrictions and hours.

Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventures — Little Tarzans (age 7 and up) and their parents will love this climbing park, with aerial courses for all abilities, and a 400-foot-long zipline that crosses the Bronx River. Check website for age/weight restrictions and hours.

Fly a kite — The spring winds and less-crowded parks and beaches make this the perfect time to let children test their aviation skills. Kite flying is allowed anywhere in Central Park but open areas like the Great Lawn and North Meadow are obviously the best. Any of the beaches in the NYC boroughs are also great. Also consider Liberty State Park in New Jersey, just across from the Battery, for spectacular views of the harbor; the enormous Freshkills Park in Staten Island or Long Meadow in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

Best kids’ spring activities near NYC: Ice cream!

The Museum of Ice Cream — What kid, from 1 to 100, does love ice cream? This imaginative, multi-sensory experience features 13 installations across three floors in the heart of SoHo. You can slide down an epic three-story slide, take a celestial ride on a pink MOIC subway, dive into the largest Sprinkle Pool and, of course, sample its signature flavors and ice cream treats. Reserve tickets in advance, kids age 2 and under free.

Best kids’ spring activities near NYC: Indoor water parks

If the unpredictability of the spring weather makes you nervous, look into one of the many indoor water parks in our vicinity.

One of our faves is Great Wolf Lodge in Scotrun, Penn., (that’s the Poconos, folks) It’s about a 90-minute drive from Manhattan.

If you want to stay in state, maybe head to the Monticello in the Catskills for The Kartrite, also 90 minutes. Opened in March 2019, it’s New York’s largest indoor water park at two acres. It features 15 water slides and coasters, a wave pool, lazy river and indoor beach.

See our full list of area indoor water parks and helpful tips for other locations, ways to save money and have more fun.

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You can also check out our friends at New York Family magazine for updated lists of seasonal events and Mommy Poppins NYC for other great suggestions for things for families and children to do in and around NYC this spring.

Photos: Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Governors Island

Dads have stories big and small. Most are not spectacular, and a lot of them are really messy and complicated. But dads have meaningful stories to tell.

So this past Wednesday two dozen dads came to the Bronx Zoo to share the idea of #DadStories.

#DadStories are mostly about small things, simple things, but important things all the same.

That’s why the NYC Dads Group believes in #DadStories beyond a marketing campaign. “It’s the small moments that are important for parents. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey,” said Lance Somerfeld, the NYC Dads Group co-founder.

The #DadStories concept was hatched by Baby Bjorn, and they co-sponsored the launch event at the Bronx Zoo along with the GOOD+ Foundation. Dads are storytellers, too, and it was time to highlight their parenting stories.

Overall, it was a spectacular event at the world-renowned Bronx Zoo, for an awesome cause, and surrounded by some amazing company.

So, when the NYC Dads Group was invited to the #DadStories event, they were thrilled to show up for it.

Of course, having interactive attractions at the event didn’t hurt either. Baby Bjorn set up their #DadStories photobooth that resulted in adorable, amusing, and unpredictable shenanigans.

After all, everyone loves photo booths.

Seriously. Evvverrryone loves photo booths!

The NYC Dads Group started off mostly as a way for fathers to meet up, make friends with other fathers, and even network, so ample time at the Bronx Zoo was made for that.

But now it was time for the best part, navigating through the Bronx Zoo. The Dads strapped on their new Baby Bjorn Carrier One Spring Collection that are sleek and comfy, and made their way through some captivating animal exhibits.

Can we just say how kids and animals in the same picture is just gold? Because, it’s just visual gold.  Each photo captures memorable #DadStories.

GOLD!

And then, giraffes got involved! That guaranteed that while maybe the majority of #DadStories are small, with the help of the Bronx Zoo, these stories would be pretty big indeed!

All in all, a very awesome day for the NYC Dads Group. Big thanks to Baby Bjorn for creating this winter adventure at the Bronx Zoo, and we look forward to sharing our #DadStories in the days ahead.

See you there at one of our future Meetup events!

Disclosure: NYC Dads Group has an ongoing partnership with Baby Bjorn and were compensated for hosting this baby-wearing experience.  

I just got home from the Bronx Zoo with my son, Jake, and we’re already looking forward to our next trip – our third of this spring.

“Isn’t that expensive?” you may ask.

My answer: Not if you get a membership to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

After our second time at the zoo this year, I started to feel the pinch in my wallet. After a little online research, we learned how a membership pays for itself after a few trips and provides a year’s worth of entertainment.

Get the best deal for the Bronx Zoo:

• Go to the Wildlife Conservation Society membership page.
• Chose the plan and price that best suits your family.

Some of the options include:

• Unlimited admission for two adults and all your kids (up to 18 years old) to not just the Bronx Zoo but also to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn and the city zoos in Central Park, Prospect Park and Queens.
• Unlimited admission to certain attractions and rides
• Free parking (for an additional one-time add-on fee)
• A 10% discount on food and souvenirs
• Discounts on tickets to special events and attractions, such as the Bronx Zoo’s annual Holiday Lights

Imagine all the different adventures, fun and memories you could create with the kids for one price.

Say you get the membership this week. At-home parents could take their children for just a few hours on a weekday morning (better because it’s less crowded), see two or three of the myriad of exhibits the zoo has to offer, grab lunch at the concession stands (or pack your own and save) then still make it home for the kids’ mid-day nap. You had a great day, right?

Then, do the same thing again in a week … or two … or three. You’re a member now, so pull out your membership cards and bring the kids back to the Bronx Zoo at no additional charge.

See just a few new exhibits each time because, as we all know, a young child’s attention span can last for only so long, and after several visits, you’ve seen the entire zoo and maybe more. After or in between, visit the aquarium and other zoos – admission fee already paid.

That’s what Jake and I plan to do this summer, and we highly recommend that you consider it, too. You and your kids will love it.

Photo credits: Seal and polar bear – Always Home and Uncool. Bronx Zoo entry gate: Wikipedia