New York City parents need playgrounds as much as they need air: to stave off the tedium of our apartments and give kids a chance to roam. But when your closest playground starts to feel like your backyard and your neighborhood starts to feel like your living room, its time to cross some borders. With this handy guide, a visit to a new playground comes complete with a great bite to eat because after all of that running, swinging, sliding and climbing, your kid is sure to work up an appetite.

Play at Tompkins Square Playground, Eat at Dumpling Man

With baby swings, a sandbox, three jungle gyms, tire swings and a sprinkler, there’s something for everyone at Tompkins Square Playground. After a morning of running themselves ragged, hungry kids will love an order of dumplings from the Dumpling Man. It opens at 11:30 a.m., and though there’s no room inside for strollers, you can park yours on the sidewalk and eat at the outdoor (and below street level) countertop and bench.

Go: Tompkins Square Park, East 9th St. at Ave A; Dumpling Man, 100 St. Marks Pl., East Village

Do you have a favorite playground and lunch combo? Share your tips in a Comment below.

All images by Anna Knoebel

–Anna Knoebel

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