One of the best city breaks you'll ever take is to
New York. It's a destination made for kids, who can identify loads of locations from movies and television shows - from the Museum of Natural History to Times Square and the Statue of Liberty. With the loonie still riding high, this summer is as good as any to take in the sights and sounds of Manhattan. Here's a three-day itinerary that you can use to have the time of your lives.
Day One:
Head to Central Park for a nice walkabout, with a stop at the very affordable and fun
Zoo. Kids will remember it's where the stars of the movie
Madagascar escape from, and it's a great spot to while away a summer day. Afterwards, if you need to cool off, you can stroll over to New York's most famous toy shop - FAO Schwartz - and the Apple Store next door for some inspired browsing. Nearby is Dylan's Candy Bar, a celebrated sweet shop that has treats for every taste and wallet. End the afternoon by setting off on Gray Line's
Night on the Town tour, which includes a guided walking tour of the cool new
High Line park in the Meat packing district, a romantic dinner at one of Little Italy's oldest restaurants, a cruise on board NY Watertaxi where you'll stop for a champagne toast and close-up view of the Statue of Liberty, and a ticket for a jaw dropping view of the city skyline from the
Top of the Rock Observatory.
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New York City Attractions for Kids
A hot dog at Nathan's Famous in Coney Island is a must-do, and now that Luna Park has reopened with brand-new rides, a trip to Coney is a great way to spend an afternoon. Nearby you can catch a Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game at KeySpan Park, or take in a traditional circus show under a big top. Ringling Brothers have set up a tent for the second summer running, helping ensure the rebirth of Coney Island isn't shortlived.
ILONA BIRO
Christian Charisius, Reuters
The Big Apple with Little People
It's hard to know where to begin in New York, but a great way to start is by taking in the famous skyline from the water. Hop on the Staten Island ferry, or book one of the boat trips around the harbour. We took a wonderful Gray Lines tour of New York by night, that included a champagne tour around the harbour, with excellent commentary.
The Big Apple with Little People
One of the joys of visiting New York is the city's vast store of public art. As you roam the streets of Manhattan, you'll likely stumble upon a few. Kids adore these unexpected surprises almost more than grownups do, and love posing beside their favourite 'finds'.
The Big Apple with Little People
More wonderful public art can be found around every corner - especially in the midtown business district.
The Big Apple with Little People
The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMA, is an art gallery that kids enjoy almost as much as grownups. To really appreciate it, they should be of a certain age - 12 is about right - so they can recognize certain iconic works of art. Mark Rothko's art speaks to kids somehow, and became one of the day's best discoveries.
The Big Apple with Little People
Here's Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night, one of the most beloved and reproduced of all paintings at the MoMA. Discovering this painting just hanging on the wall with all the others, was a treat for Max, since he and his class had been assigned to write a poem about it at school this past year. It was incredible to see it up close and personal.
The Big Apple with Little People
It's important to reward kids whenever they indulge their parents in any way. So after slogging through a museum, or, enduring another grownup-selected attraction, it's wise to treat them to whatever sweet shop is in the vicinity. In New York this meant Dylan's Candy Bar, which is handily located not far from Central Park Zoo and FAO Schwartz.
The Big Apple with Little People
With candy, chocolate and ice cream on three floors, Dylan's is hard to beat. At 3 in the afternoon it was swarming with kids, looking for their favourite brands of candy, and filling up on chocolate samples. While Dylan's has their own chocolate bars, the real joy of this place is exploring the sheer variety of candy here - everything from old-style taffy to the latest colour of M&Ms.
The Big Apple with Little People
Kids adore the glitz and glamour of the theatre district, so seeing a show is essential to understanding the eternal magic and appeal of Broadway. The best family show on Broadway right now is Mary Poppins, in a truly remarkable Disney production that wows everyone who sees it.
The Big Apple with Little People
Laura Michelle Kelly as Mary Poppins takes to the sky and flies high above the audience, which leads to oohs and ahhs from parents and kids alike. The stellar cast, including Christian Borle as Bert, awe-inspiring sets and excellent choreography all add up to a fine night out. Recommended for kids 6 and up, it's playing at the gorgeous art nouveau New Amsterdam theatre.
The Big Apple with Little People
If you're going to visit one museum in New York City, let it be the Museum of Natural History. While the anthropological collections are simply amazing, and the animal galleries with their dioramas rate as works of art, we had the most fun trying to place scenes from the 2004 movie, Night at the Museum. Here, the kids pose with the Easter Island stone head that comes alive in the movie and demands bubble gum from the Ben Stiller character.
The Big Apple with Little People
Day Two:
Start at the Museum of Natural History, and take in the Whoopi Goldberg-narrated show in the Planetarium. Then tour this amazing (and cavernous) place, trying to spot scenes from the Ben Stiller movie, Night at the Museum. After, take the subway down to Madison Square Park, where you'll find the
Shake Shack - a retro burger-and-frozen-custard spot that has become so popular it's expanding all over town. Try a Concrete Jungle to experience the decadence of real frozen custard - delish! Now that you're fortified with the one-two-punch of fat and sugar, it might be time to head down to Brooklyn's
Coney Island for a throwback to the way New Yorkers spent their weekends in the last century. If you bring your swimsuits you can cool off the old fashioned way, in the Atlantic Ocean, before trying all the brand new rides at the newly reopened
Luna Park. You see, Coney's undergoing a renaissance this summer, with an all-new boardwallk and pavilions to change in, and lifeguards that actually keep swimmers safe. After a swim you can check out the circus (Ringling is here all summer) or see if there's a
Brooklyn Cyclones baseball game that evening - the stadium's just down Surf Avenue, a short walk away. End the day with a chili dog from Nathan's Famous and you'll have had the ultimate Coney island adventure.
Day Three:
On your last day, take in a matinee of the best family show on Broadway right now,
Mary Poppins at the beautiful New Amsterdam theatre. Have lunch in the Theatre District at
John's Pizza, housed in an old church where the pizza is wood-fired and absolutely wonderful. If you haven't yet gone up to the top of the Empire State Building, this might be the time to do it. It's included in the
City Pass - a wonderful all-inclusive pass that is the best way to save money on attraction entrance fees. If you have time, Bloomingdale's is right across the street and worth a peek, if you haven't picked up those essential souvenirs. As the weekend draws to a close it's time to get to the train or subway station for a ride out to the airport. There's so much to do in NYC you can start thinking about your next trip as you head to LaGuardia or JFK. Hopefully you've been taking advantage of the
Metro Card passes, which give you unlimited use of the transit system for as many days as you need.
To start planning your holiday to New York City, go to the
NYC & Co website, which is the most comprehensive travel guide to the city with all the information you'll need.
For a budget guide to New York City, read WalletPop's
NYC on the Cheap. 
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