Both are serious fun, but Brooklyn Boulders wins by a half-step for its focus, coziness, and lower prices.

Since the playground has just been renovated, it’s all in impeccable shape, and there’s no limit on how long you can stay for your $8 admission.

Great teaching centers for …

This 125,000-square-foot pier is all about one sweet little family-friendly word: variety.

Cliques from local high schools mix and mingle in a space that would please even helicopter parents.

Appeals to Generation Tech kids who are more accustomed to switching on a Wii than throwing a ball around outdoors.

Owners Shelley Kramer and Carl Blake heavily favor products that are ecofriendly or local.

No pandering, no nursery rhymes, no saccharine kiddie music.

Since the institution is committed to accessibility and affordability, fees are kept shockingly low.

Metro Minis, on the first floor of a gracious prewar building on Park Avenue, has about 30 brands, beautifully organized by type.