Things to Do in Prospect Park

Small enough that toddlers don't melt down. Sea lions, barn animals, nature theater.

Run by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Discovery Trail, barn with domestic animals, sea lion pool, nature theater. The whole thing is compact enough that a 2-year-old can actually enjoy it without getting overwhelmed. Book tickets online in advance -- required.

450 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Daily 10am-5pm (seasonal hours vary) · Ages 0+

Splash pad named Best of NY by New York Magazine. Free. Summer only.

Multiple free playgrounds and the LeFrak Center Splash Pad, named Best of New York by New York Magazine. Splash pad free for kids 12 and under, 10:30am-6pm, Memorial Day through mid-September. Harmony, Vanderbilt, and Imagination Playgrounds round out the options.

171 East Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11215 · Park open daily 5am-1am, splash pad 10:30am-6pm (seasonal) · outdoor

Coffee for you, playroom for them. Classes, sing-alongs, new-parent meetups.

Cafe with a playroom attached. You drink coffee, they play. Also runs construction workshops, sing-alongs, yoga, and new-parent meetups. Free Wi-Fi. The kind of place where nobody gives you a look when your toddler screams.

1007 Church Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218 · Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8am-6pm · (718) 469-0140 · indoor · Ages 0–6

100+ food vendors. Free to enter. Kids run on the grass while you eat.

100+ food vendors every Sunday in Prospect Park, April through October. Free to walk around -- just pay for what you eat. Kids get to run on the grass between bites while you try the ramen burger or whatever's new.

Breeze Hill, Prospect Park, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Sundays 11am-6pm, Apr-Oct · outdoor

Free nature programs for kids. Birdwatching, pond exploration, nature walks.

The Audubon Center at the Boathouse runs free nature programs for families -- birdwatching, pond dipping, nature walks, and animal encounters. Electric boat tours of Prospect Lake also available ($8 adults, $4 kids). The building is a restored 1905 boathouse on the lakefront. Open seasonally.

101 East Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Sat-Sun 12-5pm (seasonal, Apr-Nov), select weekdays · Ages 0+

$2 a ride. 53 hand-carved horses. Been here since 1912.

A 1912 carousel with 53 hand-carved horses, a lion, a giraffe, and a deer. $2 per ride. Located near the Prospect Park Zoo entrance. Open weekends year-round and daily in summer. The kind of thing toddlers want to ride seven times in a row.

Flatbush Ave & Empire Blvd, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Thu-Sun 12-5pm (seasonal), daily in summer · outdoor · Ages 0+

Eleven hard courts at the Parade Ground managed by the Prospect Park Alliance. During the outdoor season (May through October), eight courts are available to NYC Parks tennis permit holders. During the indoor season (late October through early May), all 11 courts are covered by a bubble and available for hourly rental. Single-play passes are available for those without a seasonal permit.

50 Parkside Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226 · Daily 7am-11pm (seasonal hours vary) · (718) 436-2500

Ice skating November through March, roller skating and splash pad in warmer months. Covered and uncovered rinks connected. Skate rental available. Free Monday afternoon skating for kids in winter.

171 East Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11225 · Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Fri evening 7pm-10pm, Sat 9am-6pm & 7pm-10pm, Sun 9am-6pm (seasonal) · (718) 340-3312

3.35-mile car-free paved loop around Prospect Park. Rolling hills, Long Meadow and Prospect Lake views. Home course for the Brooklyn Half Marathon. Free, just show up.

Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11238 · Daily, open 24 hours · outdoor

Soccer fields at the Parade Ground next to Prospect Park, grass and synthetic turf. Free for pickup under 20 people; groups of 20+ need an NYC Parks permit. Also baseball diamonds and cricket pitches.

Coney Island Ave & Parkside Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226 · Daily dawn to dusk · (718) 965-8974 · outdoor

Dedicated pickleball courts at the Parade Ground in Prospect Park, part of the Parks Department's expansion of the sport across the city. Free for permit holders ($15 single-play). The courts are newer and the lines are clear. Pickup games on weekday mornings draw a regular crowd of all ages.

Parade Ground, Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226 · Daily dawn to dusk (seasonal) · outdoor