Best Free Things to Do in NYC With Teens (That My Teen Actually Loved)
Some of our favorite experiences from our mother-daughter trip to New York City didn’t cost anything at all.
Yes, we loved seeing Wicked on Broadway, but some of the moments we still talk about were completely free—walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, relaxing in Central Park, exploring Little Island, and watching the skyline from the Staten Island Ferry.
If you’re planning a trip to New York City with teens, these are the free activities I’d prioritize.
If you’re just starting to plan your trip, I’d recommend reading my 3-Day NYC Itinerary first. It shows exactly how we fit many of these free attractions into one long weekend.
Quick Snapshot
💰 Budget: Free
🚶 Great for: Teens & tweens
📍 Time needed: Pick 3–5 each day
❤️ Steph’s favorite: Brooklyn Bridge
1. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge ⭐ Steph’s Pick
Walking across the Brooklyn Bridge ended up being one of our favorite memories from the trip.
We started on the Brooklyn side, which gave us incredible views of the Manhattan skyline as we walked toward the city.
If I were planning another trip, I’d pair this with breakfast at Time Out Market or a visit to Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Why teens love it
🏙️ Skyline views
📷 Great photos
🗽 Feels like a real NYC experience
2. Explore Central Park
We spent several hours wandering Central Park and never got bored.
Instead of rushing from attraction to attraction, we slowed down, grabbed drinks at the Boathouse, and simply enjoyed being outside.
Sometimes teenagers (and their moms) need a break from museums and crowds.
Central Park is perfect for that.
3. Ride the Staten Island Ferry
The Staten Island Ferry offers one of the best free views of the Statue of Liberty.
If it’s your first trip to NYC, I think it’s worth doing once.
My daughter liked seeing the skyline but was definitely ready to get back to SoHo afterwards—which is exactly why I recommend balancing sightseeing with neighborhoods teens actually enjoy.
4. Visit Little Island
Little Island completely surprised us.
This floating park has walking trails, gardens, places to sit, and incredible Hudson River views.
It felt much calmer than many of NYC’s major attractions.
I’d absolutely visit again.
👉 Read: Why Little Island Was One of Our Favorite Stops in NYC
5. Browse FAO Schwarz
Even if you don’t buy anything, this famous toy store is worth visiting.
My daughter loved looking through the huge Jellycat section and watching the employees demonstrate the interactive toys.
6. Explore SoHo
You don’t have to spend money to enjoy SoHo.
One of our favorite afternoons was simply wandering the neighborhood, people watching, window shopping, and stopping whenever something looked interesting.
7. Walk Through Chinatown
Our hotel was in Chinatown, so we wandered these streets several times.
Watching the markets, bakeries, and busy sidewalks gave us a completely different feel from Midtown.
8. Wander Chelsea Market
While lunch isn’t free, walking through Chelsea Market definitely is.
Food halls are one of my favorite stops when traveling with teenagers because everyone can choose exactly what they want.
9. Visit Times Square at Night
I personally don’t need to spend much time in Times Square.
My daughter loved it.
Sometimes seeing the bright lights once is enough to understand why everyone talks about it.
10. People Watch in Washington Square Park
Street performers.
Chess players.
Students.
Dogs.
Washington Square Park feels like New York.
Grab a coffee and spend half an hour watching the city go by.
Is NYC Expensive With Teens?
It certainly can be.
But that’s one of the reasons I like mixing free attractions with one or two paid experiences.
Our biggest splurge was Wicked on Broadway, but we balanced it with activities like Central Park, Little Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Staten Island Ferry—all of which cost nothing.
How We Made NYC More Affordable
People often ask how we afford trips like this.
For this trip we used:
✈ Southwest Companion Pass
🏨 Hyatt points
💳 Airport lounge access through Capital One Venture X
Covering our flights and hotel with points meant we could spend our budget on Broadway, great food, and experiences instead of worrying about hotel costs.
If you’re curious, I’ve shared exactly how we use travel rewards in How We Used Points and Southwest Companion Pass to Make Our NYC Trip More Affordable.
Planning Your NYC Trip?
If you’re visiting New York with teenagers, these articles will help you plan your trip:
3-Day NYC Itinerary for Moms and Teen Girls
How We Used Points and Southwest Companion Pass
Why Every Parent Should Take a One-on-One Trip With Their Teen
Why Little Island Was One of Our Favorite Stops in NYC
Frequently Asked Questions
The Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Little Island, the Staten Island Ferry, and SoHo were our family’s favorites.
Yes.
We found three days gave us enough time to see major attractions while leaving room for shopping, neighborhoods, and spontaneous stops.
Yes.
Walking through Central Park is completely free, and it became one of our favorite parts of the trip.
Yes.
The Staten Island Ferry is free and offers excellent views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.
How We Made This Trip More Affordable
One question I get all the time is how we afford to travel during school breaks. I’m a teacher, so we have to travel during peak seasons.
We don’t try to use points for everything. Instead, we use travel rewards to cover the biggest expenses—usually flights or hotels—so we have more room in our budget for the experiences we care about.
For this trip we:
✈️ Used the Southwest Companion Pass for our flights
🏨 Booked Hotel 50 Bowery using Hyatt points transferred from our Chase Sapphire card
💳 Relaxed in the Capital One Lounge before our flight home
Covering those larger expenses meant we could happily spend money on Broadway, pizza, shopping in SoHo, and exploring the city together.
The Credit Cards We Personally Use
Several readers have asked which travel credit cards we actually use, so I’ve listed them below. These are simply the cards that have worked well for our family. As always, make sure any credit card is a good fit for your own financial situation, and we always pay our balances in full each month.
- Chase Sapphire – We use it to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which we’ve transferred to Hyatt for hotels in New York City, Paris, and Costa Rica.
- Capital One Venture X – We love it for airport lounge access, travel credits, and earning miles that we’ve used for trips like our Eurostar journey from London to Paris.
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Card – This helped us earn the Southwest Companion Pass, which has saved us hundreds of dollars on flights.
👉 If you’re curious, I’ve included my referral links above.
Before You Book NYC
🏨 Hotels
Hotel prices in New York vary a lot depending on the season. We always compare cash prices before deciding whether to use points.
🎟️ Activities
If you want to add one or two paid experiences, I’d book these first:
Hi, I’m Steph—teacher + mom who plans affordable family adventures for teens and tweens
I share realistic, memorable travel ideas for families with teens and tweens, including teen-friendly itineraries, points and miles strategies, and tips for making family travel easier, more affordable, and less stressful.
Planning your own family adventure? Explore my travel itineraries, points guides, and favorite travel resources to help you create unforgettable trips—without breaking the budget.
Learn more about me and why I started sharing affordable family travel ideas →
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