0 to 13 Months
2 to 4 Years
5 to 8 Years
9+ Years

Central Park Carousel
Central Park, midpark at 64th St., 212-879-0244
It only costs $2 for a three-and-a-half-minute, fun-filled ride on one of the largest merry-go-rounds in the entire country. [Manhattan]

Henry Luce Nature Observatory
Central Park, midpark at 79th St., 212-772-0210
Located in the funkily designed Belvedere Castle, the Observatory offers your kids a chance to see some of the park's natural history artifacts (including skeletons), as well as learn how to use their microscopes and telescopes. They'll also lend your family a field pack, which includes maps, notepaper, binoculars, and reference materials, which all help to make your exploration of the nearby Turtle Pond even more fun. [Manhattan]

North Meadow Recreation Center
Central Park, midpark at 97th St., 212-348-4867
After your kid has scaled one of the climbing walls, you can borrow a well stocked Field Day Kit that'll provide enough entertainment to last the whole day. Simply leave a photo I.D., and you get an assortment of sports balls, bats, Frisbees, hula hoops, and jump ropes. [Manhattan]

Cathedral of St. John the Divine
112th St. and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-316-7540
Travel to Morningside Heights and soak up the beauty of the largest cathedral in the world and its adjoining biblical gardens, complete with roaming peacocks! [Manhattan]

Adventures of the Real Winnie-the-Pooh at the New York Public Library
Fifth Ave. at 42nd St., 212-621-0626
This ongoing exhibit about the popular kids' books is great for the little ones. When you're done checking the exhibit out, get lost in the Library's endless bookcases and view the rest of the building's breathtaking art. Be sure to browse the Library's online calendar for a list of fun and free events at other Manhattan branches that'll wow the kids, from toe-tapping musical performances to classes on how to draw comic book characters to even diving into the world of sharks. [Manhattan]

New York City Police Museum
100 Old Slip, between Water St. and South St., 212-480-3100
Your kids get to experience a day in the life of one of New York's finest through a computer simulation program. They can also test out a police siren, take each other's mug shots, and even explore a real city jail cell. Admission is a suggested donation of $7 for adults, $5 for children 6 to 18; free for kids under 6. [Manhattan]

Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd. at 135th St., 212-491-2200
African-American culture comes alive at the Harlem division of the New York Public Library, which houses inspiring photographs, films, art, readings, film screenings, and performances. [Manhattan]

Children's Museum of the Arts
182 Lafayette Street, between Broome and Grand, 212-274-0986
One of the oldest of its kind in the world, this kids' museum promotes self-expression and self-esteem through the visual and performing arts. If you drop in on a Thursday between 4 and 6 p.m., it's pay-as-you-wish for its workshops and creative play. [Manhattan]

Central Park Zoo
Central Park, at 5th Ave. and 64th St., 212-439-6500
Take a walk on the wild side by visiting the resident snakes, sea lions, monkeys, and many other creatures that can be found right in the middle of Central Park. Admission is $8 for adults, and $3 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. Those under 3 get in for free. The exhibits are open 365 days a year and include a steamy indoor rain forest and an Arctic penguin habitat, among many others. [Manhattan]

Bryant Park
Sixth Avenue, between 40th and 42nd Streets, 212-768-4242
This midtown retreat is a great place to just relax, people watch, or even to catch a free outdoor movie during their popular summer series. There's also a free outdoor reading room where the public can check out books and magazines—no library card needed! And don't forget to pay a visit to Le Carrousel, the park's merry-go-round that costs just $2 per ride. [Manhattan]

The Ultimate Playground Tour
Test your kid's endurance by trying to hit as many of the 21 playgrounds in Central Park as possible. Some highlights: the Diana Ross Playground, at West 81st Street, at one time voted the city's best by New York magazine; the Wild West Playground at West 93rd Street, an all wood park offering a frontier feel right in the heart of the big city; the Ancient Playground, at East 84th St., with its Egyptian-themed pyramids; the Billy Johnson/Rustic Playground, at East 67th St., featuring a beautiful stone bridge and spraying fountains; Safari Playground, at West 91st St., created with an African adventure theme, complete with tree houses, majestic hippos, and cooling water sprays; and Bendheim Playground, at East 100th St., which is the only playground in the Park that accommodates disabled children. It also has a refreshing corkscrew walk-through shower that's perfect for cooling down in the summertime. [Manhattan]

Indoor Recreation Centers
Get your game on by investing in your neighborhood's center, where you can open up a world of low-cost activities for you and your family. Run by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, there are conveniently located sites in all five boroughs. Memberships are just $50 a year ($75 if the center has a pool) for adults, with no charge at all for kids under 18. So for less than $7 a month, you can tap into your local center's pool, gym, dance studios, art studios, game rooms, basketball courts, and more. [all boroughs]

Street Fairs and Festivals
Hit the pavement and scope out some of the low (or no) cost street fairs, festivals, and performances that go on all year around the city, such as the Association of Jazz Festival on July 27th and the Manhattan Youth Fair on August 1, for example. [all boroughs]

Toys "R" Us Ferris Wheel
44th St. and Broadway
You can catch a ride aboard the indoor 60-foot tall Ferris Wheel for $4 per person. Then head off to test your video game skills in the "R" Zone's 5,500-square-feet of electronic games that you can play on huge plasma screens. [Manhattan]

Prospect Park Carousel
Willink entrance, at Ocean and Flatbush Avenues and Empire Boulevard, 718-282-7789
Cap off a day in the park with a $1.50 ride on one of the ponies that circle this famed merry-go-round, which was built in 1912 and is one of the only wheelchair accessible carousels in the entire world. [Brooklyn]

Prospect Park Zoo
Prospect Park, 450 Flatbush Ave., 718-399-7339
Go see where the wild things are and watch your kids come face-to-face with prairie dogs and walk amongs some wallabies! Admission is $6 for adults, and $2 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. Those under 3 are admitted at no cost. The zoo is open 365 days a year. [Brooklyn]

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
900 Washington Avenue, 718-623-7200
Take the time to smell the roses—and the slew of other beautiful flowers—offered here, where admission is always free for children under 12. Regular admission for adults is $8, but everyone gets in for free on Tuesdays, as well as on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, as long as there's not a special event going on. Call ahead to find out if there is. [All ages]

Brooklyn Bridge Promendade and Pierrepont Playground
Furman Street at Pierrepont Place
Take a family stroll and check out some of the most memorable views of the city. Don't forget to wave to the Statue of Liberty or to stop by the playground to take advantage of its great climbing structures and swing sets. [Brooklyn]

Brooklyn Children's Museum
Corner of Brooklyn Avenue and St. Mark's Avenue, 718-735-4400
This museum was specifically designed for kids, and is planned to reopen by summer 2008 after months of renovations. Among the museum's highlights are an Animal Outpost, a greenhouse and garden, a Music Mix exhibit, a stage to play around on, and a Totally Tots section, just for those under 5. Admission TBA. [Brooklyn]

Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, 718-347-3276
Take a free tour of this farm, which was built around 1697, and then buy some feed to give out to the resident goats and sheep. You can even take a hayride for just $2. General admission is free, except for during special event weekends, which are usually listed on their website. [Queens]

Queens Zoo
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 53-51 111th St., 718-271-1500
Get wild with this collection of animals that are native to North and South America, including bald eagles, mountain lions, bison, Roosevelt elk, and more. Admission is just $6 for adults and $2 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. Those under 3 are admitted at no cost. The zoo is open 365 days a year. [Queens]

Wave Hill
West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, 718-549-3200
This breathtakingly beautiful 28-acre public garden and cultural center is free to visit all day on Tuesdays, as well as from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. Hailed as one of the most stunning views in New York, the gardens and its various art exhibits overlook the Hudson River and the Palisades. [Bronx]

Bronx Zoo
2300 Southern Boulevard, 718-220-5100
Get your kids some face time with the resident polar bears, flying bats, ferocious crocodiles, Congo gorillas, and other exciting animals. On Wednesdays, the Zoo has no set admission price. It's a pay-what-you-wish donation, so your family can have a really wild time for a very tame price. Regular admission is $15 for adults and $11 for kids 3-12 years old. [Bronx]

Clay Pit Ponds State Park
83 Nielsen Avenue, 718-967-1976
Enjoy a breath of fresh air by the shore at this 260-acre nature preserve that features a variety of unique habitats, including wetlands, sand barrens, ponds, and woodlands. You can explore artifacts left by the Leni Lenape Indians, or learn about local ecology on one of the park's nature walks. [Staten Island]

Staten Island Botanical Garden
1000 Richmond Terrace, 718-273-8200
Garden grounds are open from dawn until dusk at no charge, though the noteworthy Chinese Scholars Garden, complete with reflecting ponds and scenic courtyards, requires a $5 admission fee for adults and $4 per child. [Staten Island]

Staten Island Ferry
In Manhattan: 1 Whitehall Street at South Street
In Staten Island: 1 Bay Street, Richmond Terrace
Take in the sights of New York Harbor and the lower Manhattan skyline as you ride this iconic New York institution for free. Don't forget to stop by the big and colorful kid-friendly fish tanks at the St. George Terminal. [Staten Island]

Staten Island Children's Museum
1000 Richmond Terrace, 718-273-2060
Coax out the explorer in your child with the museum's pirate ship, play firehouses, and igloos. There's also plenty of bugs, fish, guinea pigs, and birds for them to examine, along with kid-sized ant hills they can crawl through. Admission is $5 per person, but check their website for coporate-sponsored days on which you might be able to visit for free. [Staten Island]

Staten Island Museum
75 Stuyvesant Place, 718-727-1135
In addition to some great art, this museum also boasts a bunch of other exhibits that'll stimulate young minds, like the Wet Collection, which consists of about 1,300 specimens of mostly amphibians and reptiles, as well as small mammals and birds. Recommended admission is only $2 per adult and $1 for children 12 and older. Kids under 12 are free. [Staten Island]