could someone tell me if it's an easy walk through the park to get from the museum of natural history on the west side to the metropolitan museum of art on the east side? if the walk is too long, over 1/2 an hour (i'm dragging some lazy kids with me)what would be a good alternative?

Such an easy walk!! We do it all the time,just enter the park across the street from the museum,on the left corner and walk straight(sort of) past the Great Lawn and you can see the roof tops of the Met Museum.
It isn't more than about 15-20 minutes and that is with a Pup pulling me!

We do it all the time. However, with kids that don't like to walk, take the M79 bus across the park. It's $1.50 per person (change only unless you have a MetroCard (highly recommended)) except that small children (not sure of the age) are free. You can catch the bus at 81st and Central Park West (just north of the Museum of Natural History) and jump off at 79th and 5th Ave - generally speaking one stop away(there is one stop in the middle of the park, but the bus hardly ever stops there). From 79th and 5th, it's a block or 2 north to the Met. Have fun. The walk is really not bad - especially if it's nice weather.

Walk is approximately 1/2 mile - 20 minutes at best with children. If you decide to walk go to 81st ST. and enter park on the north side of 81st to cross the park. You could walk on the sidewalk of the 81st ST. automobile transverse but I wouldn't recommend it - cars zipping by can be intimidating. The option is the crosstown bus which can be picked up at the corner of 81st. and Central PArk West. If you have the $4 Metro card (unlimited rides for a day) take the bus.

It all depends on the weather and how tired the kids are after the natural history museum. Both are enormous places with fabulous and numerous gift shops. You can easily kill 4 hrs at each. If you really want to do both in a day I suggest starting really early (if you take the C or B train check out the neat mosaic dinosaurs in the subway station at 81st) and eat lunch between the museums--hot dogs out front or the cafeteria in the museum (not so great). Then take a taxi across--this bit of indulgence will cost the same as multiple bus fares unless you all have the fun pass (unlimited for each all day). Good luck--suggest Egyptian stuff & temple of dendur, roof top Oldenburg exhibit at Met and maybe armour and roman sculptures.

It appears that the above posters are New Yorkers and are familiar with Central Park. For someone who doesn't walk there everyday, it's much easier to get lost than it appears since there is no such thing as going "straight" across the park! I tried to make it across the park to the Met last week, was confident that I was going in the right direction, and ended up at the zoo...ok, so my sense of direction sucks. Anyway, on the way back from the Met I followed 81st street. It's not a pretty walk but it's a lot faster with less opportunity to get lost!