Jessica Shyba is a wife and mom of two young children who recently moved to Manhattan from the Bay Area of California. She writes about her family's acclimation to life in the Big Apple in her blog, Momma's Gone City. In today's guest post, she shares five free things to do with kids in New York City. 

Enid A. Haupt Glass Garden: Originally created as a soothing retreat for patients at NYU's Rusk Institute, the Enid A. Haupt Glass Garden is also open to the public 365 days a year and is a fantastic place for visitors to enjoy as well. For us, the garden offers a reprieve from the streets and business of the city. My kids love the calm, quiet environment and looking at the beautiful plants, most of all in the winter when it is too cold to enjoy the outdoors.  When the weather is warmer, we often prefer to spend time in the 5,500-square-foot children’s PlayGarden, which is full of trees and shrubs and offers kids many ways to learn about horticulture.

Scholastic Store: We especially like to visit this amazing SoHo bookstore on rainy days because it's a big, bright and colorful place to be, and the books are always wonderful.  Many areas of the store are geared for toddlers and preschoolers, including Clifford’s Dog House and the Creative Corner and Klutz Activity Center. Every Saturday afternoon, the store hosts a completely free and fabulous event that is different every week, from book readings to character visits to pirate ship adventures.  There’s always something happening to pique a child's interest.

Children's Museum of Manhattan: On the first Friday of every month, admission is free from 5pm to 8pm. Still, with four stories, each geared to a different age level, this museum offers an adventure that could last all day long if you want it. We will typically spend an hour on the fourth floor, which is for babies and toddlers, and another hour on the Dora the Explorer floor that is targeted to 2 to 4 year olds. There are arts and crafts, puzzles, games and all sorts of activities that keep the kids happy and interested for long periods of time. For my kids, the highlight is "driving" the bus and fire truck. We see a lot of those since moving to NYC, so it is a big treat for them.

Chelsea Market: Everyone in my family loves to explore this market (75 9th Avenue, between 15th and 16th Sts).  Posman Books is a fabulous book store with an adorable kid's section.  There is a little table where children can read and color, and all of the shelves are low enough for the little ones to find their favorite books.  We just love visiting all of the different bakeries (Eleni’s and Fat Witch Bakery) and food markets.  There’s a beautiful little water fountain in the middle of the market that my kids find fascinating, and I love the cobblestone walkway and old feel of the building. Oh, and Fat Witch Bakery will even give out free brownie samples!

Union Square Greenmarket and Playground: One of my all-time favorite things to do is go to farmer’s markets.  The Union Square Greenmarket is the best I have ever seen, with so many local farmers offering up a variety of wonderful foods.  The Greenmarket is open year-round, every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.  The kids love the apple samples and picking out flowers for the dinner table.  After we explore the food stalls, we like to visit the brand new playground.  It is beautiful and modern looking, and has separate sections for different ages of kids.  We stick to the toddler area, which has nice mats and a water-and-sand area (better in the summer), and a nice-sized climbing area for little ones.  Even in the winter, it’s nice to get outside and play a little! 

More New York City with Kids:
Land of the Free: 5 fab freebies in New York City
Land of the Free: 5 more fab freebies in New York City
Insider Guide to New York City