Explore Nature with Kids in NYC Parks, Natural Areas, and Beyond!

By Emily Walker, Senior Manager of External Affairs

Are you looking for nature-oriented ways to get outside and learn more about NYC’s green spaces and natural areas with your little ones? NAC staff have compiled some ideas for ways you can get your families outside and into nature year-round. 

As a starting point, it’s worth mentioning that nature can be found everywhere, even in our local playgrounds, community gardens, and pocket parks! If you don’t live directly next door to a large park with natural areas, starting to explore the nature that is close to your home can be a great way to start observing plants, animals, and insects. Small patches of nature can always offer an opportunity to engage your kids in conversation about what you are seeing.

Take a hike

If you’re looking to explore larger natural areas and hit the trails with your kids, NYC Parks has a hiking trails map on their website. NYC boasts 300 miles of trails in its parks, and trails range from forested natural areas to lakes and ponds, to wetlands and grasslands. Some of the most surprising and exciting landscapes in NYC can be found on our nature trails, and offer a great opportunity for kids to explore nature in their own backyard. You can even use your time on the trail to do a nature scavenger hunt for kids (just try to be mindful of being respectful of wildlife and leaving no trace!) 

Set your sights on birds

For budding birdwatchers, our trails system also offers some of the best birdwatching in the city. Using the “Explore” function on the eBird app is a great way to learn about recently observed bird species in city parks, and can help guide your birding explorations! (NAC staff also put together a list of some of the best parks for birding, which you can read here!) You can also get down in the duff and turn over logs and rocks on the trail to see what you might find. The Seek app is a great way to identify the flora and fauna you find in our forests, and can offer a fun way to do nature observations in real time. 

Attend a nature education program or event

Our friends at NYC Parks offer many great (and free!) programs for kids and families year-round. A great place to start is to view the roster of upcoming Urban Park Ranger programs happening citywide. These events are a great way to learn more about specific topics, often with a focus on NYC’s wild flora and fauna. There are also seasonal events offered each year by the Rangers, including the NYC Urban Wildlife Festival and Raptorfest. The Urban Park Rangers also staff Nature Centers in every borough, offering additional opportunities for hands-on learning and nature education. Visit the NYC Parks Nature Center map to find the nearest option to you.

Utilize NYC’s multi-modal transportation!

Is your kid transit-obsessed? Try to combine fun adventures with various forms of transit to your park destination! NYC has some of the best multi-modal transit options in the country, ranging from our subways, buses, ferries and water taxis, and bikeways, all of which offer fun ways to arrive at parks and natural areas across the five boroughs.

Explore a botanical garden

In addition to our public parks, NYC boasts a number of cultural institutions that can deepen your connection with urban nature. The city is home to four botanical gardens, most of which include natural areas in their landscapes. The New York Botanical Garden (the Bronx), Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Queens Botanical Garden, and Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden (Staten Island) all offer year-round access to some of the most beautiful horticultural displays in the country. Our gardens are a great way to introduce the littlest New Yorkers to the wonders of the plant world! If you’re looking for indoor fun, the American Museum of Natural History has exhibitions on local ecology, including in the newly-opened Gilder Center. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum includes exhibitions on local wetlands and tidal ecosystems, as does the N.Y. Aquarium. 

Volunteer and give back to your community

Last, but not least, we encourage you to get NYC’s youngest park-goers involved in stewardship. NAC and NYC Parks offer up-to-date lists of volunteer opportunities in local parks and natural areas near you. Volunteering in parks and on trails is a great way to connect as a family, give back to your local park, and instill a sense of community with your kids (it can also be a great way to start to get to know the hard-working NYC Parks staff who help keep your local park clean and beautiful!)

Kid-friendly nature itineraries for each borough!

• The Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park – Grab some carrot cake and treats at Lloyd’s on Broadway, head to the Nature Center and go for a hike on the John Muir trail to the Croton Weir building to see the old pump house for the Old Croton Aqueduct, built in 1842. 
• Brooklyn: Prospect Park – Visit Winner in the Park and head to Dog Beach for some fun dog-watching. Once your little ones have had their fill of canine fun, you can hit the trail and visit the newly accessible Fallkill Trail. From there, you can head into the Ravine for a moderately strenuous hike over hilly terrain that passes through some of Brooklyn’s oldest remaining forest.
• Manhattan: Inwood Hill Park – Grab a coffee or hot chocolate at Buunni and then head into the park. The Inwood Hill Center Nature Center and playground is now open! You can meet a ranger and learn about some of the local animals you’ll find in the park. Go for a hike on the Blue Trail and see some cave dwellings used by the Lenape tribe for shelter and keep an eye out for glacial potholes! You can also swing by Muscota Marsh and keep an eye out for the seal who likes to sun himself on the rocks! 
• Queens: Forest Park – Start your time in the park by visiting Strack Pond, a beautiful example of a restored glacial kettle pond in the middle of Forest Park. Bring your binoculars and look for birds in the trees and plants that surround this freshwater pond! After hitting the trail, you can visit the seasonal Forest Park Carousel Amusement Village for fun rides and snacks!
• Staten Island: Greenbelt Nature Center – For a fun multi-modal adventure, take the Staten Island Ferry and transfer to the Staten Island Railroad. From the New Dorp station, you can transfer to the S57 bus line and take it to the Rockland Ave./Brielle Ave. stop. Head into the park to start your adventure in the green heart of Staten Island by visiting the Urban Park Rangers at the Greenbelt Nature Center, where you can learn more about the rich ecology of the Staten Island Greenbelt. From there, you can hit the Blue Trail into Latourette Park for some wetlands explorations and birdwatching!

We hope these ideas help inspire fun family outings in our parks, gardens, and natural areas year-round! Looking for more natural areas to explore? Check out our blog post on the top five natural areas to visit in the snow!