NYC with a 2 year old - fun activities?

February 15, 2013 11:18 AM

I'll be spending the day with my two year old son in New York (staying in Cobble Hill, probably heading into Manhattan) on Sat. 3/2, and am looking for suggestions for fun, reasonably-priced activities that we can do together.

He's in a deep trains, garbage trucks, and construction equipment phase right now, so bonus points for anything that will get him near or into any of them.^*

* The MTA Transit Museum is already being considered as a possibility.

posted by ryanshepard to travel & transportation around New York, NY (14 answers total)

NY transit museum definitely, as you said. He will love it. And he'll probably like just riding the subways and buses. If the weather is not biting, you can spend a decent amount of time in a park, esp a big one like Central or Prospect, working your way around a few playgrounds. My kid is outside for hours at a time, until about the mid-20s, as long as she's got lots of layers on.
posted by gaspode at 11:35 AM on February 15 [2 favorites]

Maybe the Brooklyn Kids Rock! festival?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:43 AM on February 15

Definitely hit up the Transit Museum. I'm not sure how much you read up on it but the downstairs level (it's inside an unused train station) is just a bunch of train cars from decades past you can walk around in.
posted by griphus at 11:49 AM on February 15

Transit museum is the best value for your dollar in NY museums and it works for any age.
posted by josher71 at 11:52 AM on February 15

the central park zoo has a penguin house! (also, it's not far from the american museum of natural history...)
posted by sexyrobot at 12:02 PM on February 15

Transit Museum is definitely the best bet, especially if they're doing any 'educational' program (basically arts and crafts or playing with train sets).

If you do come into Manhattan, the Children's Museum (CMOM) has a lot of things on a 2-year old level.

Or if you decide on the Central Park Zoo, and the weather's not too gross, it's just a block or so from the Billy Johnson playground, which has one of the best slides in the city.
posted by Mchelly at 12:13 PM on February 15

Staten Island Ferry always a big hit with my 2.5 year old. Also the Doughnut Plant on the LES. You can take the F train there from Cobble Hill and play a little at the playground at the East Broadway stop when you arrive. If it's a mild day, the Imagination Playground at South Street Seaport is fun--you can take the subway from Borough Hall (you'll prob need a stroller to get from train to playground, though, too far for a toddler to walk.)

Also if mild, the playground, sandbox, and park at Pier 6 in Brooklyn is fun and within walking distance of Cobble Hill.
posted by Ollie at 12:15 PM on February 15

Jane's Carousel in Brooklyn Bridge Park.
posted by lunalaguna at 12:29 PM on February 15 [2 favorites]

Yes, the Transit Museum is AMAZING for that age. Really, really great and very easy to get to from Cobble Hill. It's fascinating for adults, too.

Also great is Jane's Carousel, which is $2 per rider.

I would avoid CMOM (Children's Museum of Manhattan) on the weekend during cold/flu season, especially for that age. It's genuinely disgusting because so many of their exhibits encourage handling and touching and people love to take their sick toddlers there (sigh). Otherwise, it is a really interesting place that toddlers love, albeit a bit pricey.
posted by the young rope-rider at 12:32 PM on February 15

Yes, definitely definitely transit museum. It's so close to you if you're staying in Cobble Hill. Also, Jane's Carousel is great, and if he likes boats it's right on the water. Maybe even if he doesn't like boats he will after the visit to Brooklyn Bridge park!
posted by sweetkid at 1:38 PM on February 15

The Brooklyn Children's Museum is very nice for that age.
posted by xo at 1:41 PM on February 15

Probably not as fun as the transit museum but my inner 2-year old was amused to discover recently that the Newtown Creek Sewage Treatment plant has a visitor's center and tours. It's open in the afternoon on 3/2/13 and is in Greenpoint not far from Cobble Hill.
posted by Wretch729 at 1:51 PM on February 15

Wretch729 - just last night, he pointed to the water going down the drain after his bath and asked "where it go?" It might be time for a field trip to a sewage treatment plant.
posted by ryanshepard at 2:12 PM on February 15 [1 favorite]

As Ollie mentioned, the Staten Island Ferry - it's FREE (or was 2 years ago) and you get to see the Statue of Liberty and the city from the water. Pretty neat.
posted by cellura p at 12:30 PM on February 16