Ready? Let’s go!
American Museum of Natural History
It’s in Manhattan and a bit trickier to get to, but… it’s worth it, a perfect destination for kids age 2–18. Honestly, this trip ranks as a high point of my life. My son has speech delays, particularly with expressive language, but he was greeted by two dinosaur sculptures in the lobby and to a whole room of people he declared: “This is wonderful! Wonderful!” An ordinary exchange for some children, but it was very special for us. To my four-year-old, the taxidermic animals were even more thrilling than the Bronx Zoo because they were close up. In the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, he loved pretending to swim underneath the famous blue whale sculpture. Bonus: they’re great about accepting “pay what you can.”
Pro Tip: The dinosaur exhibits are popular, aka crowded, so start there while your energy is high. The animal displays are spacious but cafés and gift shops might be a little tighter for mobility devices. Bring your own snacks and camp out someplace quiet.
Now with Sharks!
This is a regular for us. We first brought our son here as a baby, and decided to make it an annual trip. All children love animals, and fish are the least threatening kind! There are also sea lions, otters, walruses, and penguins. Although the aquarium was hit hard during Hurricane Sandy and lost its octopus, the wonderful koi pond, the seahorses, and the jellyfish room, it feels good to give money that will help rebuild the shark nursery. Another fab thing about the aquarium: it’s open 365 days of the year.
Pro Tips: Arrive early. Avoid the aqua theater shows if your child has trouble with crowds or sitting still. The adjacent parking lot is expensive ($13) but can beat circling for street parking plus a long walk/roll.
Gardens offer a sensory experience that can be enjoyed by children regardless of their abilities. “Greenhouses and gardens provide a sense of calmness and tranquility. For someone like Alexander who also has sensory processing disorder the calmness and quietness of gardens and greenhouses give him a sense of safety. It also allows him to get up close to the plants… touch them smell them and engage with them when he is ready. This experience sometimes is difficult to do outside when there are so many other distractions,” says my dear friend Julie Khoury, whose son Alexander has cerebral palsy. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens offer “Free Winter Weekdays” through the end of February. There are workshops and events, and while the Origami Academy may be too advanced for your child, the Lego Japanese Garden (Feb. 7, 2016, 10 a.m.–Noon) may be the perfect pace.
Pro-Tip: The Discovery Garden is great even on bad weather days.
Move over, Thomas the Train! The price is definitely right ($7 adults/$5 kids), and so is the location: downtown Brooklyn. Situated underground in a subway station from 1936, there’s lots to do, and activities are free with admission. On March 6, from 10 a.m. to noon, the museum hosts “A Special Day for Special Kids” and although registration is required, tickets are free. This event is in collaboration with Extreme Kids & Crew—a community center for kids with disabilities. Special activities and a quiet room are offered. Special needs families will have exclusive use of the museum before it opens to the public.
Pro-Tip: Take transit, don’t drive! Their website includes directions via subway from almost anywhere.
Exploring teaches children to embrace new experiences. And to a child, an undiscovered park is one of the greatest joys. My son loves a tiny park near his speech therapy appointments, even though the playground is nearly squished against the I-278. It was at new parks that my son first began climbing. Prospect Park has the most affordable zoo in the city, and bicycle rental, including coupes and surreys. For older more physically able kids, Brooklyn Bridge Park has springtime roller-skating, or there’s lots to watch and take in. Greenpoint’s Transmitter Park is a favorite because of its wide pier and great view of the city. Try visiting a different library than usual. Would your child want to walk—or get a push—over the Williamsburg Bridge or the Brooklyn Bridge? What about donuts out, or ice cream in an old-fashioned soda fountain? How about a shopping trip? Whatever you do, remember that your kid is working extra hard when trying new things, so reward them with a treat or two. It’s not every day; it’s a special day, just like your kid.
It’s not just about where to go, but how to go. Studying the maps online together alerts my son to the trip ahead, and allows us to plan a route so we don’t exhaust ourselves getting there and the things we most want to see come first. You can have your child help shop for snacks, or pack their own bag. You know best what your kid will enjoy, or fear, what is within their abilities, or still outside of them. For some kids, the most important thing is wheelchair accessibility; for others, like my son, it’s an environment that isn’t intimidating or overly directed. My dear friend Julie Khoury, whose son Alexander has cerebral palsy, says that on outings they are looking for someplace “very spacious and accessible, a place to maneuver a wheelchair around. This is always a key component to all parents who have kiddos in chairs.”
In my experience, seeing just a few exhibits is fine. Don’t dwell on the ticket price versus the amount of time spent. To only see three or four rooms at a museum may feel anticlimactic to you, but your child is smaller and more easily impressed. A great half-day is better than a full day followed by a full-on meltdown.
When planning something new, I want to be at my best, and most patient. I tend to say, “Maybe we’ll do something special this week,” rather than commit to a specific morning or afternoon. Then if we’re short on sleep or my son is having an emotional day, there’s less disappointment to rescheduling.
Try putting the camera away. Friends on Facebook matter much less than the adventure, and the bond that builds between parent and child as you explore. A short cell phone video will commemorate a trip as nicely — and there’s no pressure to look at the camera. Another trick is to photograph what you see. Then you can review and talk about it later. Keep costs low with an id NYC card, which includes free membership to many museums. Search promo codes and buy tickets online in advance. Ask to “pay what you can” — many places in New York allow it.
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Emily Schultz is the author of the novel The Blondes. She lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with her family.