Socrates Sculpture Park
Take the kids to Queens and visit the Socrates Sculpture Park. Unlike many antiseptic museums where touching the art is tantamount to a felony, this free park encourages visitors to race around the grounds, touch, and even climb on, the art as they like. A short subway ride from midtown Manhattan, this outdoor park is open year-round and sits right on the East River with open views of Manhattan. An abandoned landfill until 1986, this area has been totally reclaimed and renovated. year round activities and educational programs for kids rotate annually. Past events have included kite day, a summer solstice celebration and outdoor art making workshops, outdoor cinema in the early summer evenings and a Halloween Harvest Festival.
Socrates Sculpture Park
PO Box 6259, 32-01 Vernon Boulevard
Long Island City, New York 11106
(718) 956-1819
socratessculpturepark.org
Coney Island
Jump on the F train to Coney Island and cool the kids off with a jump in the sea. For kids, being a tourist is hard work. After enduring mommy and daddy for hours as they stand and admire Grants Tomb, they might need a little time to cut loose. A part of Brooklyn, Coney Island offers not only the sea, but a carnival type atmosphere along its boardwalk. If they're brave enough, strap the kids in for a ride on the thrilling Cyclone roller-coaster and dare them not to scream on that first, dizzying drop facing the ocean. If you happen to be in the area towards the end of June, the annual Mermaid Day Parade should not be missed.
Coney Island
1208 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11224-2816
(718) 372-5159
coneyisland.com
Sony Wonder Technology Lab
Make reservations well in advance for this very popular facility in midtown Manhattan. Designed with the intention of making learning a fun, entertaining and hands-on experience, the Sony Wonder Technology Lab explores technology through a number of modern exhibits. Visitors log in upon arrival by creating a digital profile that includes audio and favorite color and music preferences from which they can identify themselves as they explore the lab. Exhibits include a Virtual Surgery area, a nanotechnology exhibit, a Robot Zone, an Animation Studio, the Production Studio and a Game Builder, where kids can create a computer racing game, and a Wonder of Music section where kids can try their hand at instruments that represent string, keyboard, percussion and brass or woodwind instruments.
Sony Wonder Technology Lab
550 Madison Avenue
New York, New York 10022
(212) 833-8100
sonywondertechlab.com
