SHOWS FOR KIDS
Nestled between two gorgeous parks, this family-friendly neighborhood has culture for all ages among pretty brownstones and fancy high rises. Also see our guides to midtown and Central Park, plus upcoming events.
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Stomp
126 Second Avenue at St. Mark's PlaceMatchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and more fill the stage with energizing beats at, this inventive show stage show that’s dance, music and theatrical performance blended together in one electrifying rhythm. No plot, just a rotating cast of eight energetic performers making musical magic out of unexpected objects.
⏱ One hour 45 minutes with no intermission.
💥 Very loud music and drumming – consider bringing protective headphones.
🎟 Through May 29, $20 tickets available at the box office twenty minutes prior to curtain through 20at20 Off-Broadway.
🎟 Frequently at TKTS for $52.
🎟 Find special offers on the show website; currently get 3 tickets for the price of 4.
Tuesday-Friday 8 pm
Saturday 3 pm & 8 pm
Sunday 2 pm & 5:30 pm
The Play That Goes Wrong
340 W 50th StIn this hilarious hybrid of Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, the opening night of a murder mystery play-within-a-play quickly goes from bad to utterly disastrous. A play (not a musical) full of slapstick, physical comedy.
⏱ Two hours with one intermission – lots of action and no time to be bored.
❤️ Some (silly) innuendo and groping in the ‘acting’ and an actress in modest lingerie because she lost her dress.
🤨 Lots of loud noises and walls crashing down and frequent (silly) ‘injuries,’ can be loud and startling.
🎟 Through May 29, $20 tickets available at the box office twenty minutes prior to curtain through 20at20 Off-Broadway.
🎟 $34 tickets available through digital lottery
🎟 Frequently at TKTS for $57.
🎟 The theatre is only 350 seats and one level; any seat offers a great view of the stage.
Wednesday-Monday 7 pm
Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 2 pm
Aladdin
214 West 42nd StBased on the 1992 animated film, the Disney Theatrical Productions musical tells the story of a street-smart commoner whose life changes when he meets a magical genie that can grant him three wishes. Hear all the classic songs, plus new ones that deepen the main character’s stories. Abu has been replaced by a trio of goofy friends who provide comic relief as they try to assist Aladdin. Lots of spectacular costumes, sets and production numbers with great dancing, plus hilarious riffing from Genie. A great first Broadway shows for kids.
⏱ 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission
💥 Some loud noises and scary special effects like loud surround-sound spooky voices. Some mostly comical sword fighting. A rare show where no one dies, but Aladdin does sing about his dead parents.
🎟 Enter the digital lottery for $30 tickets starting at 7 pm the day before the show through 8:30 am on the day of the performance.
🎟 Frequently at TKTS for $99.
🎟 $63+ tickets usually available at TodayTix.
🎟 Sign up for the email list for special promotions.
🎟 Mezzanine seats offer a great view except for row A with the safety bar that might block the view of smaller audience members. The balcony is very steep, not for anyone scared of heights.
🎟 Booster seats are available on a first come first serve basis. Ask an usher when you arrive.
Tuesday-Thursday 7 pm
Friday 8 pm
Saturday 2 pm & 8 pm
Sunday 1 pm & 6:30 pm
Gazillion Bubble Show
340 W 50th StBubble lovers can get their fix at this long-running show that combines spectacular light and laser effects with masterful bubble artistry. Great first show with only 60 minute running time and casual atmosphere. Warning, front rows might get wet.
$49 tickets available for some performances with code GBPBL45. $39-$49 tickets availble through TodayTix.com.
$20 (cash-only) lap seats for age 2 years & under available at the box office.
Strollers can be stored at the theater’s coat check for $1 per item.
Friday 7 pm
Saturday 11 am & 2 pm
Sunday 12 & 3 pm
Brooklyn Shakespeare Festival: Romeo + Juliet
220 36th StreetSee an energetic, fast paced and passionate version of Romeo + Juliet at the outdoor MainStage theatre in IC Courtyard 1/2. Shows begin June 22nd.
See our guide to Industry City.
Creative Breaks on Little Island
Hudson River Greenway at West 13th StreetVisit Little Island for weekly artmaking, dance, storytime music and more activities for all ages with teaching artists and guest organizations like The GIANT Room, Oye Group, Free Black Women’s Library, New Victory Theater, Alvin Ailey, Greenwich House Music School and Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art
Stop by the Art Cart for DIY activities and pick up a Discover the Island scavenger hunt.
Timed entry reservation no longer required.
The Puppet Cycle: Small World Stories
401-397 9th Ave at West 31st StreetArtist-created puppets bring to life two original short plays and a musical number. Jen Silverman’s Frown Town looks at the upside of feeling down, and Dipika Guha’s Elephantasia features a pachyderm who dreams of flight.
Performed on a solar powered movable stage—a specially adapted cargo bike—that will tour selected locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. From Phantom Limb Company, commissioned by Arts Brookfield.
At 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm & 6 pm.
Free Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It
81 Central Park West Upper West SidePublic Works’ acclaimed musical production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It returns to Central Park, bringing together its diverse ensemble of both professional actors and community members from across New York. Adapted by Shaina Taub and Director of Public Works Laurie Woolery, featuring music and lyrics by Taub, this ambitious work of participatory theater has been hailed as “thrilling & terrifically vital” by The New York Times. Forced from their homes, Orlando, Duke Senior, his daughter Rosalind, and niece Celia are banished to the Forest of Arden. There, they discover a community of acceptance and transformational love, where all are welcomed and embraced.
Free tickets are distributed on each performance day at noon via lines at The Delacorte Theater. Create a Public Theater Patron ID online before you get your ticket. Each person (age 5+) can get two (2) tickets while supplies last. After the final ticket is distributed, anyone who did not obtain a ticket may wait in a standby line to maybe get tickets right before the show.
Some tickets will be distributed throughout the boroughs with locations changing by day. Skip the line and enter an in-person lottery at the Public Theater at 12 pm or a digital lottery on the TodayTix app.
Become a Supporter for $300 (tax-deductible) for a guaranteed seat.
Proof of a COVID-19 vaccination required.
Wake Up, Daisy!
Central Park, West 79th Street & West DriveThe historic, cozy Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre is back in action with modern take on Sleeping Beauty. Marionettes and music tells the story of Daisy, a lively little girl living in the heart of New York City in an apartment overlooking Central Park. At Daisy’s much-anticipated birthday party, she encounters three special guests, known as her “Squad-parents”, from Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx who grant her the gifts of courage, knowledge, and a second chance. When an unwelcome guest shows up and casts a curse on her, Daisy’s life is forever changed, but through the support of her friends and an adventure throughout the city, Daisy’s strong self-determination and vivid imagination may be all she needs to break the curse.
Capacity is limited for social distancing. Unassigned seating on benches in a small theater (grown-ups are encouraged to sit in the back). Stroller parking available in the lobby. Near the lovely Shakespeare Garden.
Thursday-Sunday 11 am & 1 pm
Broadway In Bryant Park
42nd Street & Fifth AvenueEnjoy excerpts from Broadway and Off-Broadway shows while lounging on the lawn of Bryant Park. Represented casts include “The Lion King,” “Chicago,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wicked,” “Stomp,” “A Strange Loop,” “Six” and “Funny Girl.” See our guide to food in Bryant Park for picnic ideas.
Bryant Park Camp Kids
42nd Street & Fifth AvenueHappening Bryant Park hosts weekly music, magic, puppet shows, and science projects with arts and crafts between each show.
On the Upper Terrace in the park, just behind the New York Public Library.
Also ride the small, charming Le Carrousel and see what else there is to do and eat in Bryant Park.
Arte Pa’ Mi Gente Arts Festival
107 Suffolk StreetCelebrate Latin American culture and identity at a festival bringing together top talent from different cultural groups for families to experience arts of all kinds. This year’s festival theme is “Archipelago of Culture,” highlighting the importance of island culture and Afro-Caribbean artistic traditions.
Enjoy outdoor performances, workshops, films, and concerts, designed for families and across age groups. Guests include a workshop led by Dr. Drum, director of BombaYo, a musical group that ignites the ancestral rhythms of Bomba, an African derived music and dance tradition developed in Puerto Rico, a Latin Cabaret featuring Mestizo, and workshop activations from The People’s Bus civic engagement initiative by artist Yazmany Arboleda as the newest destination point of La Plaza at The Clemente. Teatro SEA presents outdoor performances of its original puppet theater production Cesar Chavez and the Migrants.
Shop an arts fair with individual artists and local gallery sellers, food vendors and artesanía caribeña (Caribbean cultural arts & crafts).
Summer Sundays: New York City Children’s Theater | FIVE
45 Rockefeller PlazaEach Sunday, sing, learn, play and create with musical performers, artists, and other special guests. This Sunday, see New York City Children’s multimedia musical FIVE, featuring live music, puppetry, videos and sensory objects. Explore the five senses while celebrating the unique boroughs of NYC with Piper the Puppet.
Performances at 11 am & 12:30 pm.
See our guide to more art, fun and food at Rockefeller Center.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show
East 63rd Street & Sixth AvenueSee faithful adaptations of author/illustrator Eric Carle’s Brown Bear, Brown Bear and The Very Hungry Caterpillar featuring fantastical larger-than-life puppets and audience participation. Bring a blanket to spread out on the rainbow DiscoOasis with the backdrop of Central Park.
Mondays 10am, 12pm & 2pm through August 29th
Le Carrousel Extravaganza
42nd Street & Fifth AvenueEnjoy rotating entertainment by the charming Le Carrousel – scientific marvels, singing and hopping along, trickery and magic, storytimes and puppet shows.
See our guide to Bryant Park.
ABCirque and Play
350 Moffat StreetWatch an NYC circus troupe juggle, flip, and fly high with aerial acrobatics. Afterwards, audience members of all ages can take center-ring – 45 minutes of show-time are followed by 30 minutes of try-time for all with the pros. Take a swing in an aerial hammock, hula-hoop, juggle and take photos with the stars.
OperaCades
500 West 70th StreetOpera on Tap brings a family-friendly, immersive opera experience to Pier I with performances, games, and other Coney Island-inspired amusements.
Met Opera Live in HD Festival
65th Street & BroadwayThe Met’s 13th Summer HD Festival features ten thrilling performances from the Met’s Live in HD series of cinema transmissions—plus a special film screening of West Side Story co-presented with Film at Lincoln Center. Kid-friednly options include Donizetti’s comic La Fille du Régiment on September 1 and an abridged, English-language version of Massenet’s Cinderella on September 3.
Go early to get one of the 3,000 seats set up in front of the opera house each night, or set up a picnic blanket in the back. Get a treat from the L’Art del Gelato stands.
Playscape Performs: Sova Dance and Puppetry & Teatro Sea
Battery Place (State Street & Whitehall St)See puppetry throughout Battery Playscape with shows by Sova Dance and Puppetry and Teatro Sea. “Marvelous Metamorphoses” from Sova Dance and Puppetry unravels to present bizarre and beautiful transformations in our world like caterpillar to butterfly, polliwog to frog, and more. Teatro Sea performs a bilingual, one-woman show about the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, which combines storytelling, music, visual arts, puppets and audience participation