Children's Museum of Manhattan

Always crowded and a perpetual rainy-day saver for neighborhood mommies (and, often, nannies) this is a play center where interactive exhibits are scaled down for little people. It features discovery centers for toddlers, a postmodern media center where technologically savvy kids can work in a TV studio, and the Inventor Center, where all the latest, cool tech stuff like digital imaging and scanners is made available. Expect the kids’ stuff to be filtered through a sophisticated city lens, though, as recent exhibitions showed the illustrations of Susan L Roth as a way to learn about the Pakistan village of Korphe, and broke down the facades of various toys in an aim to show kids how they worked. During summer months, little ones can splash around with outdoor waterwheels and boats for lessons on buoyancy and currents. The museum also runs craft workshops and readings on weekends.