The Children’s Museum of Manhattan: Great Upper West Side Place for Kids

One of New York’s most fun, exciting and educational spots for children to visit is the Children’s Museum of Manhattan (CMOM), located in the Tisch Building at 212 West 83rd Street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues. Since its founding in 1973, the museum has continued to grow, with over 350,000 visitors each year and outreach programs that bring exhibitions and performances to nearly 50 locations throughout New York City.

Utilizing interactive exhibits and a wide range of programs and performance, CMOM’s vision is to inspire and educate children and families about themselves and the world around them. It achieves this goal through four main areas of focus: Early Childhood Education designed to prepare young children to succeed in school; Creativity in Art & Science to develop analytical skills and creative thinking; Exploring World Cultures to foster an awareness and understanding of the rich, global society in which we live; and Healthy Lifestyle programs that provide a compass for achieving and maintaining a sound physical, emotional and environmental lifestyle.

But most importantly, it’s about fun! The Children’s Museum of Manhattan wants children and families to enjoy exploring and participating in the diverse array of performances, classes and interactive exhibits it has to offer, like:

PlayWorks™, an entire floor of fun devoted to pre-schoolers, where play and learning are combined to build children’s social skills, independence, problem-solving abilities and knowledge about math, science, art and literacy in a stress-free, interactive environment. The 4,000 square foot space includes an area for sand play, a soft crawling section, a fire truck, deli, giant Lite Brite®, MTA bus and a talking dragon that “eats” letter. Parents will enjoy the opportunity to observe their children as they grow, learn and interact with their peers;

EatSleepPlay™, an area for children of all ages, lets parents and young people learn about living a healthier lifestyle, with activities and information based on the most up to date behavioral and medical research that provides important facts and lessons about diet, sleep and exercise. In this area, children can crawl through a larger than life digestive system and see how nutrients get absorbed in the body, see a giant heart pumping, compare the energy of pedaling a bike versus dancing, running or bouncing, and learn the benefits of vegetables and fruits from the Super Sprowtz™ hero team at an oversized NYC Green Cart;

City Splash, located in the Sussman Environmental Center, is an outdoor play area where children can float boats down a stream, splash in puddles, experiment with objects floating and sinking, and learn about water’s properties in an intuitive way.

The museum also hosts an ever-changing number of exhibits that introduce new concepts, showcase artwork or present historical information. Currently on display are:

10-Foot Cops: The NYPD’s Mounted Unit. This exploration of the New York Police Department’s long-time association with horses features more than 40 original artifacts, including saddles, uniforms and historic photographs. Children and adults will enjoy learning about this rich history of New York’s finest.

Björk’s Biophilia: Nine original musical compositions by Icelandic artist and singer Björk combine with videos and images that weave together a captivating tapestry of technology, art and music.

Adventures with Dora and Diego: Children from age 2 to 6 will be enthralled by this multimedia series of exercises involving the rescue of animals in trouble, all the while learning about them and their habitats. They’ll also help Dora and her friends arrive at a fanciful fiesta through problem-solving activities and learn about Latin American culture.

In addition to these, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan hosts a rotating series of art installations and each week more than 80 classes, performances and workshops, all of which are free with admission. Be sure to check the museum’s calendar for upcoming activities, events and performances at http://www.cmom.org/visit/calendar.

The museum’s normal hours are Sunday through Friday 10am – 5pm and Saturdays from 10am – 7pm. For the summer season, the museum will also be open on Mondays. The museum has a wheelchair lift and ramp for handicap access.

Admission is $11 dollars for Children and Adults, $7 for Seniors and free for children under 12 months old. Also, on the first Friday of every month there is no admission between 5pm – 8pm.

So, take advantage of this wonderful, educational and fun experience that New York offers to enrich your children’s lives. You won’t be disappointed.