There are many fun things to do with kids in Brooklyn. From riding fun attractions to seeing vintage trains to enjoying entertainment, there’s a large variety of family-friendly activities you can choose from!
Traveling with kids can be very fun and New York City has a lot to offer for all ages. And if you’re in the city with kids, you definitely shouldn’t miss out on Brooklyn. This neighborhood is filled with lots of great activities for you and your family.
In this guide to the best things to do in Brooklyn with kids, you can find the most fun family-friendly activities.
Fun Things To Do With Kids in Brooklyn
Go to Luna Park in Coney Island
Luna Park is a fun amusement park that you can find in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
This amusement park opened in the year 2010, but there used to be an amusement park here that operated for about 50 years, called Astroland.
There are 36 attractions at Luna Park that are great to check out with children.
For example, there are several thrill rides here, including roller coasters that can be great for older children.
Furthermore, there are a lot of rides that are great for children, such as the teacups amusement ride of Luna Park.
In addition to that, you can find all kinds of arcade games at Luna Park as well.
Go to the New York Aquarium
The New York Aquarium, which is located next to Luna Park, is the oldest aquarium that is still operating in the United States.
The aquarium was founded in the year 1896, but it moved to its current location in 1957.
The New York Aquarium is operated by the Wildlife Conservation Society, which also operates several of New York City’s zoos, such as the Bronx Zoo and the Central Park Zoo.
The aquarium makes for one of the best things to do with kids in Brooklyn and has many different exhibits where you can see close to 300 species of marine wildlife.
For example, you can see sharks, harbor seals, penguins, and cownose rays at the New York Aquarium.
Furthermore, it is possible to see animals up close here during special “wild encounter” experiences.
Address: 602 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Check Out Jane’s Carousel
Jane’s Carousel, located in Brooklyn Bridge Park, is a beautiful historic carousel that is a great place to take the kids.
This carousel was built in 1922 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It was restored and can be seen by the public since 2011. What’s great is that the carousel has its original colors, so you can see the carousel like it was in 1922.
The carousel is housed inside a glass pavilion to keep it safe from all weather conditions.
The carousel has 48 wooden horses and two chariots that can be a lot of fun for children to ride.
Furthermore, the carousel overlooks the East River, and you can enjoy great views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River from here.
Go to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Brooklyn Children’s Museum is a museum that was founded in 1899 as the first children’s museum in the world.
You can find a lot of different exhibits here through which children can learn new things in a hands-on, physical way.
One of the exhibits that you can find here is the “World Brooklyn” exhibit. Here, children can play inside kid-sized shops that are based on real shops that can be found in the borough.
For example, you can see a bakery, a grocery shop, and lots of other miniature shops here.
Another interesting exhibit is the “Neighborhood Nature” exhibit. Here, children can learn about life sciences in a community cork garden and see much more.
Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Visit the New York Transit Museum
The New York Transit Museum is a very interesting museum that can be great to check out with the whole family.
You can find this museum in a former subway station called the “Court Street” station.
Many objects related to transportation in New York City can be found at this place. For example, there are many old subway cars that are very fun to check out for children.
In addition to that, there are all kinds of memorabilia that relate to tunnels, buses, railways, and the New York City Subway.
Another interesting activity that you can do with kids is joining a nostalgia ride. This is a ride that you can do in summer. During this, it is possible to ride vintage trains to locations in New York City.
Address: 99 Schermerhorn St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Visit Williams Candy Shop
Located in Coney Island, NY, you can find William’s Candy Shop which is one of the best places to visit with kids in Brooklyn.
This is a very old candy shop that is more than 75 years old. You can find the candy shop at 1318 Surf Avenue in Brooklyn.
You can get all kinds of fresh candies here that are very sweet and delicious to try, and there are many vintage treats.
For example, William’s Candy Shop is known for its tasty candy apples. Other delicious treats include Marshmallow Balls, popcorn, cotton candy, and ice cream.
Address: 1318 Surf Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11224
Visit the Brooklyn Museum
The largest museums in Brooklyn can be great to check out with children, and what’s great is that general admission is free for children between 4 and 19 years old, and children below 12 enjoy a discounted price for ticketed exhibitions.
The Brooklyn Museum is a very large art museum with a collection of about 500,000 objects.
The collection of the museum is very diverse, and you can find objects here from all around the world and many periods in time. In total, the collection spans a period of about 3,000 years. Because of this, there is a lot of art for children to learn about.
For example, children can learn about Egyptian antiquities at the Brooklyn Museum.
Address: 200 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11238
See a Movie at Williamsburg Cinemas
Seeing a movie is also one of the best things to do in Brooklyn with kids and a great place for this in Brooklyn is Williamsburg Cinemas.
This is a modern movie theater that you can find at 217 Grand Street in the Williamsburg neighborhood.
The movie theater has 7 screens in total and each screen has a Dolby sound system, such that you can have a great cinema experience.
Furthermore, the movie theater has great affordable concessions, such as delicious popcorn.
Another interesting thing to know about the movie theater is that many movie premieres took place at this place.
Address: 217 Grand St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Visit the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a lovely botanical garden in the borough where many specialty gardens can be found.
What’s great is that many activities for children and families take place at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and these activities make the garden a great place to check out with kids in the borough.
For example, there are interesting nature walks during which you can learn about bird migration that are great for the whole family.
Also, there are storytime events that are fun for kids.
It is also possible for children to do special children’s garden classes during which they can learn about gardening from garden staff.
In addition to that, there is a discovery garden for kids where children can learn about habitats and garden wildlife, among other subjects.
Get Ice Cream at Ice Cream House Bedford Avenue
Getting ice cream is another fun activity to do with kids, and there are many good ice cream stores in Brooklyn.
One of the best places to get ice cream is Ice Cream House Bedford Avenue, which is located at 873 Bedford Avenue.
This is an ice cream store where you can get all kinds of ice cream. For example, this place has delicious soft ice cream and hard ice cream. In addition to that, there are sundaes, ice cakes, and all kinds of other desserts that are delicious.
What’s great about Ice Cream House Bedford Avenue as well is that it has a very colorful interior, which makes it a kid-friendly spot!
Address: 873 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205
Go to the Kings Theatre and See a Performance
The Kings Theatre is a wonderful performing arts theater that you can go to with kids.
This is a historic venue that used to a a movie palace that was opened by Loew’s Theatres in 1929. It closed in 1977 and was later renovated.
The theater is on the National Register of Historic Places and has an incredible design. The auditorium of the theater has a lot of beautiful golden decorations that are amazing to see.
Lots of different types of events take place at Kings Theatre, including great shows for kids.
It is also possible to do a tour of the theater, which could also be fun to do with kids.
Address: 1027 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226
Go to the Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park
Urban Air Adventure & Trampoline Park is a fun indoor adventure park that’s perfect if you’re looking for family-friendly activities in Brooklyn.
You can find a lot of attractions here that are great for all ages.
For example, there are bumper cars at this place that are a lot of fun for children to ride.
Furthermore, there is a ropes course, there are climbing walls, it is possible to do virtual reality experiences here, and there is a tubes playground.
In addition to that, there is a large area with trampolines that children can jump on and have a lot of fun.
These are just some of the fun attractions that can be found here, as there’s so much to do at the Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park.
Address: 4422 2nd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Ride the East River Ferry
There are several routes of the East River Ferry that connect Brooklyn to other parts of Brooklyn and to Manhattan.
The ferry is a convenient way to get around in New York City, but it can also be a lot of fun to ride the ferry with kids.
From the water, you can enjoy great views of the Manhattan skyline, the bridges on the East River, and many other things.
Bowl at Melody Lanes
Melody Lanes is another great place for families to visit. This is a bowling alley with 26 lanes that can be found in Sunset Park at 461 37th Street.
In addition to that, the bowling alley has a collection of arcade games that are great to play, and you can get good food at Melody Lanes.
Address: 461 37th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Go to Dyker Heights During the Christmas Season
The neighborhood of Dyker Heights is a very special place and going there is a great thing to do with kids in Brooklyn during the Christmas season. That’s because of what the neighborhood is known for, incredible Christmas lighting displays.
Throughout the neighborhood, there are many houses with amazing over-the-top Christmas decorations.
For example, there are huge Santa decorations, and colorful lights, and there are many places where you can listen to Christmas carols.
Because the light displays are so amazing, they are great to see with kids during the Christmas season.
Go to Chuck E. Cheese Brooklyn
Chuck E. Cheese Brooklyn is another great place to check out with kids.
You can find a location of the popular chain for family entertainment at 139 Flatbush Avenue in the Atlantic Terminal Mall.
At Chuck E. Cheese, there are many different types of all-you-can-play arcade games, which makes it a very fun place for kids.
Furthermore, you can get delicious pizza here, which makes it an even better experience for the whole family!
Address: 139 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
See Animals at the Prospect Park Zoo
There are many great zoos in NYC and a day at the zoo is a fun activity for the whole family! A great zoo that makes for a family-friendly activity in Brooklyn is Prospect Park Zoo.
This zoo is located in Prospect Park and can be found very close to the Brooklyn Museum.
Prospect Park Zoo’s history goes back to the year 1890 when it was opened as a menagerie. It became a zoo in 1935.
At Prospect Park Zoo, you can see many different types of animals. In total, there are about 900 animals and 175 species of animals.
For example, you can go here to see sea lions, rare frogs, tropical birds, and many other animals.
Address: 450 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225
Check Out Area 53
Area 53 is a fun family entertainment center with a lot of fun activities for children.
Area 53 has two locations. One of these locations is in the Dumbo neighborhood and it is possible for children to play laser tag here.
The second location can be found in Williamsburg. Here, the adventure park of Area 53 can be found.
There are a lot of slides here, there is an arcade, and there are many other fun activities for children at this location. Area 53 also has on-site food.
Address: 53 Bridge St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Attend an Event at the Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the library system of the borough, and it has different branches throughout Brooklyn. Because of that, there is likely a branch near you wherever you are in Brooklyn.
The library is a great place if you love books, but that’s not all why going to the library can be a fun activity with kids.
You can go to an event at the library, and these take place at many of the library’s branches.
For example, your child might go to a “DUPLO” event and play with fun toys. Also, there are all kinds of “storytime” events and many other kid-friendly events that I’m sure your child will enjoy!
Go to the Toys 4 U Toy Store
You can find three locations of the Toys 4 toy store in Brooklyn. For example, you can find one of the locations at 232 Lee Avenue.
This is a toy store that opened in 1972 and the stores have a lot of different types of toys.
The toy stores also have a great atmosphere and are great to visit with your child.
What’s great is that this toy store also sells a lot of inexpensive toys!
Address: 4714 13th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Visit the Jewish Children’s Museum
The Jewish Children’s Museum is a children’s museum that is located at 792 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn.
This is a very large Jewish children’s museum that promotes Jewish heritage and where children can learn about this.
The museum has a permanent collection with educational exhibits that let children learn about Jewish life in a fun way.
For example, there are exhibits where children can “shop” for kosher groceries. Furthermore, there is a Noah’s Ark ball pit and there are many exhibits related to Biblical times.
Each exhibit focuses on another part of Jewish culture or history.
Address: 792 Eastern Pkwy, Brooklyn, NY 11213
Go to an Event at the Barclays Center
The Barclays Center is a large arena in Prospect Heights where many different types of events take place.
The arena has a capacity of 19,000 people and is the home of the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Liberty. So many basketball events take place here. These types of events can be great if you’re wondering what to do with kids in Brooklyn.
In addition to that, lots of family-friendly events take place at the Barclays Center. For example, you can sometimes attend a “Disney on Ice” event at the center, and there are many other great events to join with kids.
Address: 620 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217
Go to Max Adventures
Max Adventures is a great place for a kids birthday party.
At this place, there are many different attractions and during a kids birthday party, children can play for a few hours. Also, some of the packages include food as well and all kids birthday parties here are private experiences.
One of the attractions here is a laser maze attraction. Kids have to get from one end of the room to the other end while avoiding the lasers.
Furthermore, there are many arcade games at this place, there is an axe-throwing attraction with soft axes, there are virtual reality experiences, and there are many other fun and exciting attractions.
Address: 2378 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234
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When choosing one of the things to do in Brooklyn with kids from this article, I recommend choosing a place nearby as well where you can have food and drinks. This will make your experience with children much more comfortable!
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Thanks for reading my guide to the best things to do with kids in Brooklyn. As you see, there are many family-friendly activities you can choose from!