New York City with Kids

They'll totally love it! If its hot, you just buy fruit and ice cream on the street and go to the park or to a museum.

Sorry you don't like it, it's such an amazing and vibrant place!
My kids (and my husband and I) all love the Natural History Museum. Watch "Night at the Museum" to get you in the mood.
We also really enjoyed the Staten Island Ferry. It was free and such an amazing view of the NYC harbor.
In addition we loved Little Italy, the Met, some Broadway shows (Hairspray and Billy Elliott) and just riding the subway and walking around Central Park. And the Central Park Zoo is very small and easy.
Life is an adventure. EXPLORE. And take your kids with you!!!

NYC is a fabulous place for kids. Fire museum, Museum of Natural
History, Central Park Zoo, The Lion King show on Broadway, Childrens
Museum, South Street Seaport, Times Square Toys R Us with the ferris
wheel iinside, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Liberty Science Center in NJ.
A ride on the Staten Island Ferry (it is free), Circle Line Cruise. Does
this help. There is so much more! Take them and have a blast. It is a great place.

NYC is an AMAZING place for kids. The weather for the zoo is usually fine in June and July - just pick the coolest day predicted on your visit. The Museum of Natural History is great. So is Central Park - plenty of space for playing and running around. The central park zoo is way smaller than the Bronx - if you don't want to spend a whole day at the zoo it's great. The entire upper west side is incredibly child friendly - they often seem to outnumber the adults. I personally would skip the Children's Museum - no better than the average.

Also - Chinatown is a lot of fun. Plus GREAT little places to eat. Dim Sum is a great way to start the day. Little Italy (right next to Chinatown) always seems to have a street festival going - fun and your kids are old enough to know to keep in sight.

The Natural History Museum and all the dinosaurs are perfect! My kids liked the Central Park Zoo - it's smaller. And nearby is the statue of Balto. If you DO go to this area, find the book about Balto and read it to them so that the statue means something to them.

Dawn

Is it the heat that puts you off? If so, do stuff earlier in the day.

We spent time with my 5 year old there twice this year, as my hubby's working there. Son LOVED it. There's the Natural History Museum, kids museum, Rockafeller center, central park, Staten Island Ferry, etc. It's a blast :)

Go to the smaller Central Park Zoo. Read up on NYC's website on tourist info. and decide what looks interesting. Then discuss it with your sister. I SO want to go with my twins (4.5). They did great in Chicago last week. Until reading this post, I had no idea NYC had so many great things for kids!

Since you have no desire to go, make sure you make your intentions clear. I am sure your sister can honor that. Alternatively, if you want, let your twins go for a short trip with their auntie. The three of them might have a great time, or it might prove an absolute disaster and your sister won't be so adamant about doing a day trip to NYC with the kids again.

good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

BTW, we live in NYC, and work full time, so all of our activities are unfortunately during peak season and peak hours. It is what our DS knows. While we'd rather have more flexibility, somehow we manage. If you want to, you can too.

Ohhh, you are lucky to be going. I've been to NYC without kids several times and loved it - missed it when I left. If I didn't have ties here, I'd live on the east coast for sure.

I say do some research for things that are kid friendly - I'm sure there are lots of things on their tourism site.

I'd bring my kids in a heartbeat, except they are 3 and 6 so we're not quite ready for that yet, but I bet your 6 year olds will love it!

I agree with Mamazita - explore, adventure, showing your kids the big city. Fun!