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Free activities for Kids in NYC include the Children's Museum of the Arts, which has pay-what-you-wish Thursdays from 4-6pm. Photo courtesy of the museum
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Kids as young as 14 can apply for an eco-focused internship at Alley Pond Park in Queens. Photo courtesy of the Alley Pond Environmental Center
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See the skyline from a whole new vantage point on the Roosevelt Island Tram. Photo courtesy of NYCGo
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Photo courtesy of PLAY Greenpoint.
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Get a Broadway-caliber serenade during a birthday dinner at Ellen's Stardust Diner.
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Ask Mommy Poppins

1/15/07 - By Anna Fader
Dear Mommy Poppins: When I come home from work I want to play with my three year old son, but I just don't know what to do with him. I feel terrible about it, but, while I'm a project manager at work, I can't manage the simple act of finding something to do with my kid. Signed, Feeling Played Dear Played, It can really be a blow to your self-image as an ГѓВјber-parent to be sitting there staring at your child and wondering what in the world you could actually stand to do together. Especially when they're little, the days can seem very long and playing Power Rangers can get old fast.

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This past December I made a simple discovery. If I buy them the toys I like to play with and show them how I like to play it, playing with the kids just becomes...playing. This holiday season I did a lot of shopping for the kid (in me). Now, not only is it easier to initiate games with my kids, but sometimes the fun continues after they're in bed. Mommy Poppins Do you have a question for Mommy Poppins? Email your question.

About the Author

Anna Fader

Founder of Mommy Poppins

A fourth-generation Brooklynite, Anna started Mommy Poppins in 2007 to help families find the best things to do with kids in NYC, with a particular emphasis on sharing activities that are free, affordable, and enriching. The site, used by millions of families, has grown to become the ultimate resource for parents in the major US cities, plus travel guides for 100s of destinations.

Anna is a believer in the magic of summer camps, traveling with kids, and that you can raise kids on a budget and still have a rich life full of amazing memories. Anna's first Mommy Poppins book, The Young Traveler's Journal and Activity Book, published in 2025 and co-written with her daughter, Amelia Eigerman, brings that ethos to life, in addition to this website.

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