NYC with a toddler: navigating a mother-daughter trip to the big city

When we first found out my little sister would be graduating in NYC with her Master’s of Physical Therapy, we weren’t sure we would be able to attend. Plane tickets for the four of us would cost a lot, and we would have to travel during the last week of school for my husband who is a teacher. Eventually, we made the decision to make it a girls trip and were able to find low-cost flights for the two of us. My daughter, who is turning three in a couple of weeks, had been on one flight before at 19 months, so I wasn’t sure how she would handle it now that she was older, but I knew we could do it. Plus, my mom would be on our return flight, so we really only had to make it there on our own.

The Flight

We flew Delta and they were super nice! A hot tip that helped us: if you message customer service a few days before your flight and they’ll give you assigned seats next to each other in the back for free! It’s perfect if your kiddo is new to using the potty.

We took the No Reception Club Getaway bag (use code INLITERALCOLOR20 for a discount) as a personal item and it worked great to keep everything easy to organize and access for the flight. I packed my rolling carry on and the No Reception Club Hideaway Duffel as my daughter’s carry on. Since I was alone, I did gate check our Bombi stroller (we have the V1) just to make it easier and because it would have counted as another carry on.

We used the CARES harness on the plane and it was super easy to install. I didn’t practice beforehand but I did watch a two min YouTube video to quickly get the hang of it. It kept her safe and secure during both flights. On the return flight home, she fell asleep the whole flight and was able to sleep comfortably.

One other thing we did was invest in a refurbished iPad for travel. I’ve been wanting to get one for awhile because my husband’s ipad is one of the really expensive ones and I feared it getting damaged or stolen if we used it for traveling with this kids. With the case, this one came to under $145. It was a great tool to have with us in addition to the other activities I brought. I made an Amazon list for all of the things we used on the trip if you want to check that out.

Getting Around

At home my daughter barely ever gets in a stroller, but having one was essential for the trip. We walked like 16-17K steps a day! The Bombi handled everything like a champ. I can’t say enough good things about this stroller. My kid who never naps, fell asleep every day in this thing.

When looking up directions, you can set Google maps to use “accessible routes” and it will tell you how to get where you want to go using buses and subway routes with elevators. Everything took double the time than what I’m used to, but it wasn’t bad. More tiring for sure, but what isn’t more tiring with small kids?

The few times I did consider taking an Uber with a car seat, it was like $140 to get anywhere, so we just did public transportation and walking the entire time.

Things We Did

Outside of my sister’s graduation and family time, we kept to budget and kid friendly activities.

The M&M store: This was my child’s one request because she’s absolutely obsessed with tiny M&Ms. Times Square gets SUPER crowded, so I recommend going earlier in the day if you are going to brave this area. Personally, I usually stay away from here unless I need to go, but kids love it.

Central Park: We ended up at the Heckscher Playground, which was great. It had a big sandy area for kids to play, a water area to splash, slides, swings, and climbing. Unfortunately, the bathrooms were closed for some reason, but we still had a lot of fun. I found a guide online that shows all the playgrounds in central park, which is super helpful since the park is huge and you may end up in a different area. Central Park has a ton to do that we didn’t get to like a zoo, splash pads, and lot of other playgrounds. You could spend multiple days exploring the park and not see it all. Next time we go to New York, I am packing our collapsible sand bucket and a few sand toys. My daughter was lucky to find kids that shared with her, but she definitely had a lot of feelings about not having toys of her own to enjoy the sand.

The Staten Island Ferry: The best things about the Stated Island Ferry are that it is FREE and it has amazing views. My daughter absolutely loved the boat ride. If you ride it to Staten Island, you can immediately go and get the next boat back. The round trip ride takes less than hour and it is so peaceful. If your kiddo is too young to appreciate the Statue of Liberty and Ellis island, or if you just don’t want to spend the money, this is a great alternative.

The South Street Seaport: This was my absolute favorite place to visit as a child. My mom said it was because I was obsessed with whales and was always convinced I would see one in the water. It is a cool place to watch the big boats and if you go on certain days, they do have a museum you can visit inside one of the boats. The Seaport is about a 15 minute walk along the water from The Staten Island Ferry, and you can grab something to eat near there too.

The Strand Bookstore: This bookstore has a children’s section on the second floor that is absolutely wonderful! With a little table for kids to explore books, a family restroom, and a huge selection, it is definitely a favorite. We got a few thin, light books to add to our collection since they were easy to carry.

Washington Square Park: If you do venture to The Strand, Washington Square Park is about a 10 minute walk through one of my favorite areas of NYC: The Village. This area is home to NYU (New York University) and there is always music and art going on in the park. The playground is very similar to the Heckscher Playground in Central Park and has the same big sandy area for kids to play, a water area to splash, slides, swings, and climbing. There are no bathrooms and I saw many parents and nannies changing kids out in the open, which was new to me.