# A 5-day New York plan for families \(kids \~6 & 9\) > Five days in New York with kids 6 and 9: dinosaurs, zoo feedings, a free ferry past the Statue of Liberty, a riverside carousel and the High Line. Canonical: https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny/5-day-with-kids HTML: https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny/5-day-with-kids - City: New York, NY - Trip: Family trip · 5 days · 10 stops - Audience: families - Last reviewed: 2026-06-23 - Plan this trip: https://wonderkit.app/start?city=New+York&source=premade_trip&vibe=family&wk_src=itin-new-york-ny-5-day-with-kids&itinerary=new-york-ny%2F5-day-with-kids&wk_cta=markdown ![A 5-day New York plan for families \(kids \~6 & 9\)](https://wonderkit.app/og-heroes/new-york-ny/5-day-with-kids.1ef8d65a.jpg) Dinosaurs and a blue whale, sea lions at feeding time, a free boat past the Statue of Liberty, a carousel on the East River, a park built on an old rail line: five days in New York give kids around 6 and 9 one big thing each morning and room to breathe after it. Each day has a single anchor, an easy backup and an eat-and-rest break, built for short legs, strollers and subway stairs. Swap days freely to match your crew's mood and the weather. ## Day 1 — American Museum of Natural History ### Anchor: American Museum of Natural History Open with the thing every kid this age already wants: dinosaurs, the blue whale and the space hall. The newer Gilder Center adds a live butterfly vivarium and an insectarium, and for the first time lets you walk the whole 10-building campus without hitting a dead end, which matters when you're steering tired kids. Strollers are welcome throughout, except in the theaters, which have dedicated stroller parking. ### Backup: Central Park *Easy backup:* If the museum is overwhelming or sold out, Central Park is directly across the road. Walk in and let the kids run; nobody needs a ticket for that. ### Eat & rest Eat at the museum's table-service or casual spots, or carry lunch a few minutes into Central Park for a grass-and-sky reset before the afternoon. *Go right at opening and plan at least a half day. Stroller entrances: Rose Center \(81st St\) and Gilder Center \(Columbus Ave\). Break for lunch before the 2pm wall.* Day reference: 1 ## Day 2 — Central Park \(Zoo, carousel, playground\) ### Anchor: Central Park Zoo *Central Park.* After a museum day, a gentler one outdoors, all in one park. The Central Park Zoo is small and walkable, and the sea lion and penguin feedings run on a schedule kids love to catch. In the Tisch Children's Zoo nearby, little ones get close to goats, sheep and pigs. Cap it with a ride on the vintage hand-carved Central Park Carousel, mid-park near 65th Street. ### Backup: Heckscher Playground *Easy backup:* Heckscher Playground, the park's largest, near 7th Avenue and Central Park South, has separate areas for younger and older kids, restrooms on site and summer sprinklers: the place to burn the last hour. ### Eat & rest Pack a picnic or grab from a cart; shaded lawns are everywhere, and the Heckscher restrooms make it an easy place to camp for a while. *Everything is a short, flat walk from everything else. Easy half day; stretch it if the weather is good. The zoo runs year-round.* Day reference: 2 ## Day 3 — Staten Island Ferry & the harbor ### Anchor: Staten Island Ferry Skip the paid harbor cruise. The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs all day every day, and carries you 25 minutes past the Statue of Liberty and the Lower Manhattan skyline. No tickets and no fixed boarding time is exactly the low-stress setup you want with a 6- and 9-year-old. For the best Statue views, stand on the right leaving Manhattan and on the left coming back. ### Backup: The Battery *Easy backup:* If a boat doesn't appeal, The Battery at Manhattan's southern tip has open waterfront, harbor views and room to roam without boarding anything. ### Eat & rest Snacks are sold on board. Back in Manhattan, the Financial District has plenty of casual lunch spots before you head uptown. *It's a there-and-back ride: re-board for the return at the St. George terminal. Boats get crowded, so keep kids close. Half day, very flexible.* Day reference: 3 ## Day 4 — Brooklyn Bridge Park & DUMBO ### Anchor: Jane's Carousel The trip's best skyline, with a carousel to go with it. Jane's Carousel, a restored 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion on the East River, is an inexpensive, low-key hit at this age. Around it, Brooklyn Bridge Park is free, with big playgrounds, open lawns and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges overhead: the kind of view kids actually remember. The carousel runs a reduced off-season schedule and closes some weekdays, so check the day's hours. ### Backup: Brooklyn Bridge Park *Easy backup:* If the carousel line is long or it's closed, the park's playgrounds and lawns are plenty on their own, and they cost nothing. ### Eat & rest DUMBO has casual, kid-tolerant food right by the park, and the lawns are made for takeout while the kids decompress. *F train to York Street or A/C to High Street. A low-pressure day: stay for half of it or all of it.* Day reference: 4 ## Day 5 — The High Line, Chelsea Market & Little Island ### Anchor: The High Line Finish with a walk in the sky. The High Line is an elevated park on an old rail line, mostly flat, with gardens, public art and city views from above the street. Its Pershing Square Beams section was redesigned for kids to climb and play, so they get a stop to move, not just stroll. Walk as much of the 1.5-mile path as they have in them, then exit at street level. ### Backup: Little Island *Easy backup:* Little Island, the small park on pilings over the Hudson nearby, has paths, lawns and an amphitheater: a calm green place to land if the High Line feels too busy. ### Eat & rest Chelsea Market, at the High Line's southern end, is an indoor food hall where even picky eaters find pizza, burgers, bakeries or gelato. Take it to go and picnic on Little Island or a High Line bench. *Keep it to a half day, so the last day ends before anyone is worn out.* Day reference: 5 ## Rainy-day & heat-of-the-day backups \(indoor\) Save these for the day the weather turns or the kids need air conditioning: - Children's Museum of Manhattan \(Upper West Side\): hands-on exhibits and a multi-level play space, a rainy-day lifesaver aimed at the 6-year-old end of your crew. Timed entry can sell out on rainy weekends, so check ahead. - Intrepid Museum \(Sea, Air & Space\): walk a real aircraft carrier, plus the Space Shuttle Enterprise and the USS Growler submarine, a strong pick for the 9-year-old. The submarine has a 40-inch minimum height. - American Museum of Natural History \(Day 1\) doubles as the all-weather anchor if you'd rather move it here. ## Where to eat without a meltdown You don't need reservations to feed kids well in New York: - Eataly Flatiron + Madison Square Park: La Pizza & La Pasta is the family-friendly counter \(high chairs, no reservations, the line moves fast\). Seating is tight at peak, so carry food across to the park’s playground and lawns. - In the parks, carts and open lawns make the easiest lunch. Before you go, lay the five days out at home and let the kids vote on the order; the ferry and the carousel make good bargaining chips. ## Plan this trip with your group [Start from this plan in WonderKit](https://wonderkit.app/start?city=New+York&source=premade_trip&vibe=family&wk_src=itin-new-york-ny-5-day-with-kids&itinerary=new-york-ny%2F5-day-with-kids&wk_cta=markdown): invite your group with one link, everyone votes on what stays, and the plan is rebuilt around your dates in about a minute. Free to start; a person completes it in the web app. ## Keep exploring - [Things to do in New York City with kids — what's on now](https://wonderkit.app/discover/new-york-ny/families) - [Things to do in New York City: events, food & weekend ideas](https://wonderkit.app/discover/new-york-ny) - [5-Day San Diego with kids](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/san-diego-ca/5-day-with-kids) - [5-Day Washington, DC with kids](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/washington-dc/5-day-with-kids) - [Fall weekend in New York with kids](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny/fall-weekend-with-kids) - [Christmas in New York with Kids](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny/christmas-weekend-with-kids) - [Thanksgiving Weekend in New York with Kids](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny/thanksgiving-weekend-with-kids) - [All New York itineraries](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/new-york-ny) Every place on this page is verified — [how we check](https://wonderkit.app/itineraries/how-we-verify) --- Content from WonderKit public guides. 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