I am bringing my children to NYC for the 2nd time in mid March. We did the Empire State, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island last time. Would like to show them something different this time. They are ages 9, 7 & 5. -- 2 girls and a boy. We would prefer not to wait in long lines -done that already. Any thoughts?

–Katie

We've found that almost every tourist activity in NYC has advance ticket sales online! What about the New York Duck Tour (one of those buses that drives into the Hudson River), the Intrepid (fantastic), Top o' the Rock and ice skating at Rock Center, the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium. What about booking a private art tour at the Met or MOMA? Not sure when in March you'll be here but the Children's International Film Festival is on and if the weather's good, the Bronx Zoo is a wonderful day out. Maybe take in a Knicks game or a Rangers game? One last thought--the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame Annex in Soho was a lot of fun for both the kids and the grownups!

We have some family friends staying with us next week and we're looking for a group activity that would be good with parents and tweens. Any thoughts?

–Shari

Take a look at the Lower East Side Walking Tours. They have tours specifically geared toward families that involve food, facts, and fun. They also have shopping tours, architectural tours, and historical tours for grownups, in case you want to send the kids to a movie and go yourselves.