I’m currently on the train to New York for a quick work trip, and I’m using it catch up on some blog post I’ve wanted to write since the summer. A few kid-free hours on the Amtrak to NYC feels like the apt time to share a few pics and tricks from my last visit to New York with a kid-in-tow! We are very lucky that my sister and brother-in-law live in Brooklyn and give us a reason to visit every few months. On our most recent trip, my sister planned tons of kid-friendly New York City activities that made it a magical experience, and the reason that Jane loves visiting the Big Apple! Sharing a few of the fun things we did below, in case it helps plan your next NYC family trip! 
The Color Factory. I think that Jane would definitely list The Color Factory New York as her favorite part of this trip. I’ve been to a few of these interactive visual experience/Instagram moment things, and my experience is that they’re usually not worth the money and a little run down once you get up close and take away the Instagram filters. But! The Color Factory exceeded all of our expectations and was a really cool experience for kids and grown-ups alike. The tickets are timed and you weave your way through several themed rooms. Most of the rooms have a spot where you can scan a QR code and get your picture taken with cameras that are installed into the exhibit. There were also fun takeaways, like colorful macarons on a conveyor belt, NYC themed jelly beans, and some fun surprise prizes at the very end of the exhibit. We loved the confetti room (as seen below, Jane making snow angels in piles of confetti on the floor, try not to think about the germs) and the massive pastel ball pit at the end of the tour (again, ignore the germs, we had fun). It was a great activity to do on a summer day when the air conditioning was cool and New York was sweltering hot, definitely a fun-for-all-ages event! 
High Tea at Brooklyn High Low. We stayed in Brooklyn at my sister’s apartment, and she planned an afternoon tea service at Brooklyn High Low, a tea room. The space was decorated with vintage furniture and art, and coming off of Jane’s love of Alice in Wonderland, it all felt very Mad Hatter. We sipped our teas by the fireplace in big wing back chairs and indulged in a section of tea sandwiches and assorted fresh pastries. The experience was delicious and while it wasn’t entirely a kids-focused menu or restaurant, they made Jane feel really special with her fancy tea cup and bite-sized desserts. At the end of our afternoon tea, the manager gave Jane a necklace with a little tea cup on it, and said that every time you visit they’ll gift you a new tea cup charm to add to the necklace – it was totally unexpected and made her day! I feel like this would be a great spot for celebrating a special occasion with a few friends. 
The Encanto Experience at Camp Stores. Another stop on the whirlwind weekend of fun activities my sister planned for Jane was the Encanto Experience at Camp Stores (5th Ave location!). We had done the Paw Patrol Experience at the Camp Store in Burlington, MA before, and were interested to see how the Encanto experience matched up! The decorations and music at the Encanto experience were great, but it was a bit more self-guided than the other Camp Stores events we’ve done. Your family can weave their way through each of the Encanto character’s rooms behind their magic doors and enjoy interactive experiences and photo ops in each room. Jane was probably at the high-end of the age range for this activity, I think kids in the 3-5 range would be at the sweet spot for enjoying the sing-alongs and playscapes! 
PS for some more NYC family-friendly activity ideas, check out this post where we visited the American Musuem of Natural History, explored central park and the Alice and Wonderland statue, and snagged tasty treats at Laduree!
