Museums for 2 Yr Old

I take my 17 mo. old to the museum in Montclair, NJ. At certain days, they have story time and he loves to walk around and has his faves. He always ask for them when we go. I think at 2, I'll take him to the childrens' museums in NJ or NYC. I thinking about taking him to the MOMA too for the free nights. He is a mellow kid so I take him with me wherever I go.

Definitely do Natural History. It is so family friendly. No problem with strollers. He'll love the dinosaurs. My kids started going there at his age.
It is not a museum, but my kids LOVE the N Y Botanical Garden. They have a Children's Garden (there are always a few crafts for them there). They also have a family garden. During the holidays they have a famous train display (you need an additional ticket and it does get VERY crowded, but worth it).
Also check out Metropolitan museum of Art. I brought my kids to the Brooklyn museum recently and they LOVED it. Not crowded, nice roomy cafeteria, EASY on site parking if you are driving. Have fun!

We are waiting to take my 3.5 year old son to Natural History until he is 4 or so (he is a high energy kid not a calm one). He has enjoyed a few children's museums but not in NYC. There is also the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City (I think it is accessible by PATH train).

It really depends on your child. I personally think Central Park Zoo and the Children's Museum are better choices for a 2 years old. Natural History Museum is excellent. What I usually do is that I choose 1 to 2 themes to view with my daughter first. If she's not tired after that, I'll let her wonder around. I totally agree with a reply below that said the kids might really enjoy the Natural History Museum when they're 4, but again, it depends on each child. if your son is really into art, the Whitney Museum of American Art could be another option. Have fun.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art allows strollers, except in special exhibits. Small children can tire easily in such a huge place, so it's a good idea to have it on hand. At the info desk they can give you a booklet suggesting things to do with children in the museum. It might tell you to look around for triangles, or puppies, and count them. There are also programs specifically for children at the Met as well as the Brooklyn museum. You can probably find info on their websites. Happy museum-going...good for you for exposing your child to all that our city has to offer!!
billiediscoverytoys.blogspot.com for other interesting info.

The Hall of Science in Queens is the best I have found. It is huge, and most of it is geared towards kids. They also have a specific toddler area where they have great things to play with, puppet shows, storytime, arts and crafts. My 2 year old loves not only the toddler area but also many other things in the rest of the museum, e.g. the cars you can pretend to drive and the outdoor "science" playground. There is a real rocket outside the museum.
There's also a huge playground next to the museum (not part of the museum) called the "playground for all children."

The Children's Museum in Manhattan is very good, as is the Brooklyn Children's Museum. The latter has "stores" similar to what you would actually find in Brooklyn, e.g. a Mexican bakery where the kids can pretend to bake, pizzeria with Italian ice, and a Caribbean store. My 2 year old loved the very real looking city bus that kids can pretend to drive. There's a toddler area for under 5 that includes a water play area and arts & crafts.

Yesterday we went to the Steppingstone Children's Museum in Conn and were a little disappointed, it was cramped and only entertained the kids for 1 1/2 hour.

I highly suggest Museum of Natural History! My 20-month old son loves it! He of course doesn't spend much time on all displays, but loves seeing all the life-like animals! He zips around in amazement and couldn't be happier. I am sure not to spend that much time there, maybe an hour or more each time we go. They usually let you walk around for free after 4:30 on weekdays because it is close to closing time (not sure if this is official policy though), because the cost of entry is quite expensive.

My son also loves any of the NYC zoos. We most often go to the Central Park one, because it is close and very easy to view quickly. But it is the smallest one. He loves the penguins there.

And be sure to visit Central Park where they can see the horses/carriages go by and admire squirrels and birds too -- all while letting off steam running around!

Good luck!
C.

CMOM -- Children's Museum of Manhattan is perfect for him. I took my daughter from when she was 8 months and I hope she will still enjoy it when she is 10. Natural History is great but I think 4 years is when they really begin to get it.

A trip to the Transit Museum in Brooklyn once in a while will also thrill him to bits.

The children's zoo in Central Park & the Brooklyn Children's Museum near Prospect Park.