Best thing about being a kid? It may be hard to nail down just one.
Letting loose, laughing without abandon, worry-free fun; oh, and stuffing your face with your favorite treats, with complete disregard for calories.
When working hard in a city that never stops, it’s important to carve out some time to decompress and have some good, honest fun.
So in honor of reliving those youthful days in a singular moment of pure, unadulterated joy, here are the top 10 places to act just like a kid again in NYC.
1. Trapeze school (various NYC locations)
Learn to fly. Enough said.
If that isn’t reason enough, or the trapeze terrifies you, bop around on the trampolines for some classic kid fun.
2. Roller rink at Pier 2 (Brooklyn Bridge Park)
Who said roller-skating wasn’t cool anymore?
Just don’t forget to bring a fanny pack chock-full of Starburst while you skate.
3. Batting cages at Chelsea Piers (Pier 62 - 23rd Street & Hudson River Park)
brodskyorg Chelsea Piers; NYC. #Manhattan #HudsonRiver #ChelseaPiers #NYCLiving #NewYorker #NYCTravel #ChelseaNYC
De-stress by whacking a few balls as hard as you can at Chelsea Piers.
At least you can pretend the professional baseball career worked out, right?
4. Two Bits Retro Arcade (153 Essex Street)
Craving some rainy day kid’s play? Head to the Lower East Side with a roll of quarters and you’re set.
Step back in time with this bar, an arcade lover’s dream.
Games line the walls, beckoning you at 25 cents a pop. Biggest difference is now you can kick back and play with a drink in hand.
5. Mini-golf at Pier 25 (North Moore & West Streets - Tribeca)
Reminiscent of many of your childhood summers, this pier in Tribeca will bring you back.
Was there any better feeling as an eight year old than sinking a hole-in-one?
,6. Ping-pong at SPiN (48 East 23rd Street)
If playing ping-pong wasn’t throw back enough, you can pong on Tuesdays decked out in the featured decade theme for that week.
Match your fashion to the decade, and potentially win some cool stuff.
7. Paint Along NYC (129 East 27th Street)
artpicmusiclvr Paint night. (Not necessarily an activity for Type A People). #nofilter #paintalongnyc #painting #brooklynbridge #sunset
There’s still time. It’s not too late. You can still be a famous artist.
Channel your inner Van Gogh and spend the evening painting a canvas.
Fun fact? It’s BYOB.
8. Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Avenue - Williamsburg)
urbanofficeny Epic night of #bowling and #music with HOK last night! Geen Ween does Billy Joel was awesome just like the fried chicken #geenween #billyjoel #brooklyn #brooklynbowl
Bowling, live music, and good food… a perfect trifecta.
Picture this: bowling and jamming with a chicken drumstick in one hand, and a drink in the other.
Only problem we see is not having enough hands.
9. Brooklyn Boulders (575 Degraw Street - Brooklyn)
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Because climbing trees in Central Park is probably looked down upon, right?
Get in your monkey time (or fulfill that urge to do so) at this indoor rock climbing gym in Brooklyn.
10. The Sweet Life (63 Hester Street)
thesweetlifenyc Happy Spring (more like continuous winter) !! If its Spring or Winter its always a great season to stop by and get some candy at #thesweetlifenyc We have gummies, jellies, marshmellows, chocolate, nuts, tea, dried fruit, etc #thesweetlifenyc #lowereastside #sincethe80s #1982 #candy #chocolate #gummies #marshmellows #softypops #chinatown #nuts #tea #instagram
No childhood adventure would be complete without your favorite treat, so round out your romp down memory lane with a visit to this Chinatown candy store.
They will most definitely have your favorite childhood (or adulthood) candy. Take pleasure in the fact that you can buy in bulk, too.
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