Tisch Children's Zoo - Best of NYC Activities with Kids and Baby - Top 30 Things to Do This Summer

We here at Little Babe and the Big City Guide are super excited to do a hotlist of the very best places you visited with your little ones this summer.  We plan on kicking off an every day feature to capture all the great parks, museums, and festivals appropriate for baby, toddler, preschooler and big kid in this great city.  We have a great list in mind, but we really want to hear from you - so, please let us know your favorite top 5 by dropping us a line at info@littlebabebigcity.com.  At the end of the summer, we'll tally the votes and publish the results.  

To get us started, check out today's focus:  The Central Park Children's Zoo / Petting Zoo

Central Park Children's ZooThe Central Park Zoo is a longtime favorite for New Yorkers, parents and nonparents alike.  But when you have a stroller and a hankering for a leisurely walk, the zoo becomes a key destination point on a mild, preferably noncrowded weekday. The admission to the petting zoo is included in the price of a regular ticket and offers kids a chance to pet and feed some of the animals.  There are goats, sheep, pigs and cows and it's a wonderful chance to get your toddlers up and close since the main zoo might be better for the older kids who have the patience and understanding to observe from a distance.  

Located at 64th and 5th Avenue, be mindful of the entrance from 5th, it has a lot of steps so if you are coming with a stroller, you need to go around to the 59th street entrance to the Park and stroll your way back around.   Also, the Zoo is open year-round which is fabulous, but hours are shortened during the winter so the zoo closes at 4:30 instead of 5:30 in the summer, and starting in September it closes at 5pm. An adult ticket is $12 and kids 3-12 are $7.  The Zoo has a 4D experience theatre that rotates between two family friendly shows - one being Dora and Diego and the other called Ice Worlds.  The 4D experience works best for kids 4 and up though it says 3+, my experience is that 3 year olds are still freaked out by this sort of thing.  

The Central Park Zoo is appropriate for kids of all ages - it's a nice stroll and view for your infant, a fun interactive experience for your toddler and preschooler, and an educational tour for your big kid.  Be mindful of the various locations for restrooms in Central Park on your visit, (but don't worry there is one at the Zoo once you walk through the ticket gate).