Great Spots for Kids in New York City

After I attended the BlogHer '10 conference in NYC, my family joined me for several days of sight-seeing afterwards.  We had a blast!  Here's what we did:
 
Times Square

This place is as glittery as Vegas!  The kids enjoyed shopping at M&M World and Toys R Us, the largest toy store in the world, with a 20-ft tall T Rex and a 60-ft tall Ferris wheel.

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States in 1886, as a symbol of freedom and democracy.  We took the ferry to Liberty Island and went up to the pedestal, where we learned how the statue was built and created.  Be sure to buy your tickets online in advance in order to go up to the pedestal or even to the crown.

Empire State Building

The elevator ride up to the 86th Floor Observatory was fast, although there were long lines in order to get there.  Be sure to print your tickets online in order to bypass the ticket line when you arrive.  Up at the top, we got to meet King Kong!  Plus, there were wonderful views of New York.

Central Park

We enjoyed the snow leopard, polar bears, sea lions, penguins, and puffins at the Central Park Zoo.  Then, we watched a puppet show at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre called "Three."  This story is about the "Big Bad Wolf" very badly wanting to become the "Big Good Wolf" and his struggle to reform.  Afterwards, we took a short walk to Belvedere Castle, which offers a beautiful view of the park.

The Metropolitan Musem of Art

We enjoyed our time here seeing the works of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Seurat, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Matisse, Gauguin, and Picasso.

American Museum of Natural History

This giant museum houses dinosaur bones, all kinds of animal exhibits, and a beautiful collection of gems, as well as a planetarium and an IMAX theater.  We got to see Lucy at the Hall of Human Origins.  I especially liked the Hall of Ocean Life where we learned about fascinating underwater creatures.

Dim Sum in Chinatown

We ate at Jing Fong in Chinatown, at 20 Elizabeth St.  This is a very large banquet hall packed with people, offering very good, traditional dim sum.  Don't be surprised if your small group is seated with another small group at a very large table.  This is how it's done here.

Dylan's Candy Bar

This wonderful store carries 5000 kinds of candy--including gummy worms, cola bottles, wax lips, Pixy Stix, Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Beans, and Pez.  The founder is Dylan Lauren, the daughter of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, who has loved candy ever since seeing Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at the age of 5.