From Broadway to the Bronx, New York offers a dazzling array of shopping, cultural and entertainment experiences. The Big Apple is also a great place for families to explore, with an impressive variety of adventures that will leave your kids with a treasure chest of memories.

Coney Island is certain to be a highlight of your family’s trip to New York City thanks to its fun amusement parks. Attractions range from The Cyclone (one of the oldest wooden rollercoasters still in operation in the USA) to the Wonder Wheel (a steel ferris wheel opened in 1920). The amusement parks also feature an assortment of skill games and sideshows where kids can win souvenirs of their trip to New York

If you’re in New York City over the summer and looking for an affordable outing tailor made for kids, catch the free Governor Island Ferry at Battery Park to an island renowned for its Old-World charm.

Governor Island is home to old forts and castles, walking and cycling routes and even a small beach – not to mention an assortment of fairs and festivals throughout the year.

Wow your kids with a visit to some of the more spectacular exhibits at the celebrated American Museum of Natural History. The fourth floor of the museum features dinosaur halls packed with breathtaking fossil reconstructions. Space-exploration and ocean exhibits are also likely to entertain your children. You can buy an illustrated activity-orientated guide for your kids online before you go.

The Brooklyn’s Children Museum is another excellent “edutainment” destination. The museum was specifically designed for kids, and serves to simultaneously entertain and inform, with a variety of interactive exhibits ranging from natural history to cultural displays.

A day trip to the Bronx Zoo is a great way to spend a day in the sun. This sprawling 265 acre facility is home to over 5,000 species of animal, including gorillas, bears and even the rare snow leopard. An emphasis on animal welfare and species survival also makes it an opportunity to educate. Don’t miss out on the daily live feedings of the zoo’s penguin and seals.

Fun should be free, and the Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a great opportunity to let children burn off some energy in an exciting adventure playground, located in the Brooklyn Waterfront complex. Parents can relax in the food court while children play, and enjoy the views of Manhattan and New York Harbour.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to architectural attractions in New York City, with destinations like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. But few of these can match the excitement of soaring to the top of the 86 storey Empire State Building on high-speed elevators, before enjoying breath taking views of the city from the observation deck.