Show up to watch the CBS Early Show at59th Street and 5th Avenue and you can get in on the free backstage tour. (credit: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

We know that tweens are hard to please. These picks are sure to entice and engage them without being too mature or even worse – too babyish!

Rockefeller Center

www.rockefellercenter.com
Various locations

This plaza in the middle of Manhattan has everything your tween could want in an NYC experience. Take your master builder to the brand new Lego Store. They can sidle up to the Master Builder Bar where they can watch videos, take trivia tests, and learn how to tackle the most difficult models. Then head to Top of the Rock for an awesome view of NYC with a dose of history built in.

Chinatown Dim Sum and Bargain Shopping

18 East Broadway
New York, NY 10002

For a full cultural immersion nothing beats Chinatown. Try Golden Unicorn for a dim sum lunch – a traditional Chinese meal where the food comes around on carts. Simply point to what you want and you’ll pay by the plate. Kids love the dumplings, steamed buns, and noodles. The atmosphere encourages trying new foods too. When you’ve had your fill head down Canal Street for some handbag, sunglasses and watch shopping, and let your kids try their hands at haggling and bargain hunting. 18 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002

The Shark Speedboat

www.circlelinedowntown.com/shark.asp
Pier 16, South Street Seaport
New York, NY 10038

We know Manhattan is an island, but your kids will have a whole new appreciation for the New York Skyline after zooming around the island on this 30-minute thrill-ride. The Shark Speedboat leaves from South Street Seaport.

CBS “The Early Show” & Backstage Tour

Early Show Plaza 59th Street and 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022

What kid doesn’t want to be on TV? Join a taping of CBS The Early show and then give your tween a taste of what it takes to make a show work with a CBS Early Show free backstage tour. Take pictures at the news desk and pretend they’re the meteorologist when they pose in front of the weather maps.