NEIGHBORHOOD TOP PICKS
While we are missing being on the town with our kids in NYC, we've found ways to bring the fun & culture home during this crazy time.
We'll keep updating and expanding these carefully curated listings so subscribe to our email list and follow us on insta for updates (and please share your favorites with us).
Noodle Loaf
Fan-favorite songs and games from the award-winning podcast Noodle Loaf, the interactive play-based world of music created by musician, best-selling children’s book author and podcast host, Dan Saks, come to the real world. At this family-friendly event, Dan Saks and his children will lead the audience in singing and moving, and perform read-alouds from Dan’s…
Jazz at Lincoln Center Family Concerts: Who Is Thad Jones
Learn about the trumpeter-composer-bandleader Thad Jones in this hour-long interactive performance. Recommended for ages 5–12, but children and adults of all ages are welcome.
At the lovely Rose Theater in the Shops at Columbus Circle (where you can also explore Art Camp) with a stunning view of Central Park.
Also at 3 pm.
Broadway Playhouse: Broadway Today
Learn about the great writers of American musical theater today with songs from The Lion King, Six, The Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Wicked, Chicago and more in a fast-paced, funny interactive concert for kids featuring hilarious, talented performers.
Includes mini-musicals, sing-alongs, games and more musical fun in an intimate theater – come early to enter…
Dream Big, Laugh Often: And More Great Advice from the Bible Book Launch & Art Workshop
Celebrate the publication of Dream Big, Laugh Often and More Great Advice from the Bible with a special reading, hands-on family workshop, and book signing with the co-authors, artist Hanoch Piven and educator Shira Hecht-Koller.
Inspired by the art of Piven and by the 14 colorful Biblical characters who offer their advice, families are…
CMS Kids: Who is Dvořák?
In this fun and interactive program, learn composer Dvořák’s friendship with Brahms and how Dvořák was inspired by the lively and dramatic music from where he was born.
A relaxed, inclusive concert experience curated for ages 3-6 and adapted for neurodiverse audiences, including children with autism or other special needs. These performances are…
Living History: Meet An 18th-century Black Tradesperson
Learn about 18th-century trades through the experiences of free black tradesmen such as potter Thomas W. Commeraw. Learn about what life was like for these skilled artisans and create a craft to spark your interest in 18th-century crafts!
Presented in connection to the exhibition Crafting Freedom: The Life and Legacy of Free Black…
Discovery Walks for Families: The North Woods
Learn about the design of the largest of the Park’s woodlands, a 40-acre forest retreat in the middle of New York City, and how the plants and trees contribute to the health of an urban woodland community. Includes hands-on exploration and guided activities in a complementary Discovery Journal.
Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah & DOMESTICANX
Butterfly fans can virtually follow the transnational migratory journey of a single monarch butterfly in Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah, a digital artwork by the Cuban-born and Houston based artist Reynier Levya Novo. Tracking its travel from southern Canada across the United States to Mexico
Find familiar items like beds, flowers and portraits in the paintings,…
Shearing of the Heather & Community Parade
Bring musical instruments and join in s community parade through the Heather Garden led by traditional bagpipers. Learn why Fort Tryon Park has the largest heath and heather collection in the northeast, and how to propagate your own heathers with clippings from the shearing. Make flower-themed crafts, join a scavenger hunt, get your face painted…
Morningside Easter Egg Hunt
Hop on over to Morningside Park for an Easter egg hunt (10:15 am), nibbles, drinks, art and sensory activities. Bring your own basket.
NYSoM Easter Eggstravaganza
Enjoy Egg Hunts (groups of 5-15 hunters at a time), an Easter Activity Village with painted Easter Egg giveaways and Easter crafts, a visit from the Easter Bunny and more spring festivities.
Simone Saunders: Unearthing Unicorns
The debut solo exhibition by artist Simone Elizabeth Saunders showcases large-scale textile artworks that explore the iconography of the famed high Renaissance era Unicorn Tapestries and Art Nouveau advertising through a contemporary Black feminist lens. Vibrant hand-tufted textiles remix these allegories and put Black womanhood as the center, embodying joy, strength and resilience.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella
See the Broadway adaptation of the classic musical with new characters, a hilarious libretto, surprising twists, and an unforgettable score from Rodgers & Hammerstein in an intimate theater.
Also at 1 pm
Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color
Did you know Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture was once colorful? Learn the colorful backstory of polychromy (“many colors” in Greek) in an exhibit highlighting cutting-edge scientific methods used to identify ancient color and examining how color helped convey meaning in antiquity.
Presented alongside original Greek and Roman works representing similar subjects…
Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah & DOMESTICANX
Butterfly fans can virtually follow the transnational migratory journey of a single monarch butterfly in Reynier Leyva Novo: Methuselah, a digital artwork by the Cuban-born and Houston based artist Reynier Levya Novo. Tracking its travel from southern Canada across the United States to Mexico
Find familiar items like beds, flowers and portraits in the paintings,…
Freedom Music Jam Virtual Family Concert Festival
Join the Jewish Museum for a Passover extravaganza featuring art, music, and dancing!. Set yourself free to the joyful sounds of Grammy winner Joanie Leeds, craft a holiday work of art, create a freedom shaker, add to a giant mixed-media Seder themed installation, explore the galleries, and more.
Mozart for Munchkins UES
Swing into spring with jazz jams. Dance, sing and clap along to a jazz set is curated for kids and their grown-ups featuring drums, bass, piano, and saxophone.
Featuring Evan Harris and his band. Includes interaction with musicians throughout the concert and a post-show instrument petting zoo.
Nick Cave: Forothermore
Explore the career of Nick Cave, internationally celebrated for his elaborate installations and textile works, including his iconic Soundsuits, which blend sculpture, costume design, and instrument-making. See sculpture, installation, video, and rarely seen early works. The title is a neologism, a new word that reflects the artist’s lifelong commitment to creating space for those who…
Fish in a Tree
This new play with music for young audiences adapted from the best-selling novel, uses live video technology, dance, and music to explore the journey of Ally, a smart girl with a big imagination and dyslexia.
Join Ally as she discovers that great minds don’t always think alike in an intimate multi-media production that celebrates neurodiversity,…
Nordstroms x Slumberkins Launch Event
Celebrate the Nordstroms x Slumberkins collaboration with readings of Bigfoot, You Are Lovable and Hammerhead, Mad’s Not Bad by the authors – and founders – Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen. Plus enjoy an afternoon of crafting inspired by the company’s creatures and their support of emotional growth, and enjoy a special gift with…
Jazz at Lincoln Center Family Concerts: Who Is Thad Jones
Learn about the trumpeter-composer-bandleader Thad Jones in this hour-long interactive performance. Recommended for ages 5–12, but children and adults of all ages are welcome.
At the lovely Rose Theater in the Shops at Columbus Circle (where you can also explore Art Camp) with a stunning view of Central Park.
Also at 3 pm.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center
Take a spin on the world’s most famous ice rink. This urban rink is one of the smallest and most expensive in the city, but the iconic location is pure magic.
Register for timed tickets in advance, online. Admission varies widely by day and time, so go early in the day, week and…
Hippo Ballerina & Friends
See a smaller version of Danish artist Bjørn Okholm Skaarup’s whimsical Hippo Ballerina previously seen in Dante Park and Pershing Square, along with Hippo Ballerina, pirouette and Rhino Harlequin, pirouette. These outdoor installations are part of his Commedia dell’arte series.
Intrepid Access Family Program
In a monthly program for kids ages 5-18 with learning and developmental disabilities, families take a guided, interactive tour of the Museum and participate in art-making activities that everyone can enjoy. Register online in advance.
See our guide to the Intrepid Museum.
The Affordable Art Fair: Stroller Hours
Browse original contemporary artworks ranging between $100 to $12,000. 10 am–12 pm is reserved for parents, children and strollers. Lounge on Play Kits provided by Lalo and enjoy mess-free arts and crafts hosted by The Babysitting Company.
All ages are also welcome during normal fair house (Thu-Fri 12 pm–6 pm, Sat 12 pm–8 pm &…
Tony Oursler: mAcHiNe E.L.F.
Enter an immersive forest of giant crystals reflecting whirling digital video imagery from an overhead projection. Shaped mirrors and refraction screens amplify and colorize the images from different angles. Combining new and archival footage with interventions from AI technology, Oursler explores a series of poetically associated themes in the work, including the digital sublime, melting…
Reviving the Pop Shop
See and shop Keith Haring’s iconography in a tribute to his famous “Pop Shop” store, previously located at 292 Lafayette St in downtown Manhattan. Browse vintage items including clothing and jewelry, Haring’s art-themed merchandise such as stickers and post-cards, to actual wall fragments of the Pop Shop interior – famously painted from floor to ceiling…
Poster Kids: East Meets West
Join Poster House on select Sunday mornings for a family-friendly, interactive poster tour and a related art-making experience.
This month, Poster Kids will focus on the museum’s latest exhibition Made in Japan: 20th-Century Poster Art. Learn to identify popular motifs in both traditional Japanese and modern Western design. Then create artwork using themes from…
Louis Vuitton X Yayoi Kusama Pop-up Store
Explore a spacious store covered in artist Yayoi Kusama’s signature black and yellow polka dots and mirrored spheres. Lots of fun photo-ops among a colorful collaboration featuring the dots on iconic LV bags, shoes and more. There’s a claw machine, but purchase is required for a token.
Another pop-up in Soho (102 Prince St) features…
Bubble BUMP!
Climb into a bumper car and prepare to collide with pink bouncy balls at an outdoor nostalgic ode to 80s punk culture. Safety pins, mohawks and other renegade symbols along with hot pink “Barbiecore” uniforms suffuse the hip space with a downtown, DIY attitude.
Dine rinkside in cozy rocking chairs with furry blankets on
Small Is Beautiful: Miniature Art Exhibition
See the biggest international exhibition entirely devoted to mini art with +130 exclusive pieces from +30 artists. Look for several pieces created exclusively for the event and hidden in unusual corners. Watch videos of behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the art.
Join Creative Workshops for Kids every Sunday, ($38, includes admission) to make…
James Hsieh: No Place I’d Rather Be
Vibrant embroideries and hand-sewn textile sculptures by multi-disciplinary artist James Hsieh juxtapose childlike wonderments with adult thoughts and emotions in 28 Liberty’s ground-level amphitheater and retail space. Walk though fantastical nature in immersive environments and watch whimsical animations on oversized screens.
See the artists at work Mondays & Tuesdays from 12-6 pm.
Presented with Art…
20at20 Off-Broadway
March 20-April 9, get $20 tickets to participating Off Broadway plays and musicals at the box office twenty minutes prior to curtain.
Kid-friendly options include Dog Man, Easter Bunny HOP! Live, Fish in a Tree, Gazillion Bubble Show, The Little Mermaid, The Play That Goes Wrong and The…
The Water Arch
Come to the Seaport Museum to take part in this free hands-on art installation that highlights the ever-increasing use of clean drinking water in an intriguing and immersive way.
Created by the Netherlands-based pioneer in media design, Dropstuff Media, The Water Arch is an abstraction of a classic barrel organ. Standing at the center of…
The Skyscraper Museum Family Program: Be an Engineer, Just Like Rosie Revere!
Join a read-aloud of Andrea Beaty’s Rosie Revere, Engineer, and learn about the role of engineers. Kids then use their own creative minds to use everyday materials to build tall structures.
Free, but online registration required. Walk-in spots sometimes available.
The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen
A sequel to Aesop’s classic fable finds the tortoise and hare 10 years down the road, with children of their own dealing with smart phones and video games. Old man Tortoise and Big Daddy Hare must come together despite their differences to find and save their children. Features Lightwire’s electroluminescent puppets and a creative use…
Prospect Park Zoo
This former menagerie is designed to allow up-close animal viewing, perfect for families with young children who want to learn about wildlife.
Explore a Discovery Trail and encounter 400 animals of 150 species including red pandas, dingos, procupines and a host of beautiful birds. Visit unique small cats, sea lions and Chinese-big headed turtles.
The Roller Wave
Skate inside the new 24,000-square-foot space invoking the golden era of roller discos in the 1970s. Enjoy live DJ music, delicious food and beverage options at a Buds2Roses, food hall, a live podcast space, and an arcade, all with retro Brooklyn decor.
Socks required. Lockers available to rent. Skate lessons available Saturday from 11am-1pm.
The…
Pizza Making Workshop
Head to Fornino on the fifth floor of Time Out Market New York for a fun, kid-friendly pizza making workshop.
Includes pizza-making materials, dough, toppings, goodie bags, chef hats, aprons, sparkling pomegranate juice and two complimentary tickets to Jane’s Carousel, which is right outside of the market.
Esencial
Acclaimed Spanish cirque company Vaivén Circo invites young minds to join them on an adventure of imagination. Five performers leap, dive, dance, and juggle through a puzzle-like world of pillars and arches that constantly unfolds into new possibilities. With infectious energy and humor, they use world-class acrobatics to create a mesmerizing story of collaboration and…
Sensory-Friendly Concert with Lloyd H. Miller
Join a highly-interactive concert / sing-a-long / play-along led by Lloyd H. Miller, long-time Jalopy performer and music therapist at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Everyone is welcome but this show is specially designed for neurodiverse children between the ages of 3 and 12 and their families.
Limited admission so that there will be…
Matilda
See 1996 (non-musical) film adaptation of a Roald Dahl work with Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman on teh big screen. Matilda Wormwood, a gifted girl is forced to put up with a crude, distant father and mother, and Agatha Trunchbull, the evil principal at Matilda’s school. However, when Matilda realizes she has the power of…
Arthur Avenue
Experience Little Italy in the Bronx with a variety of food vendors, filled-to-order cannolis and old-school atmosphere (including elderly gentlemen hand-rolling – but not smoking – cigars . We love the prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, eggplant parm and roasted peppers at Mike’s Deli; order in advance by phone to skip the often long line.
Other great…
Playground for All Children Pelham Bay Park
This playground is one of several throughout the city aimed at providing a recreation area that all children, able bodied and disabled. Colorful play equipment and handrails that can be reached by children using crutches or wheelchairs, textured pavement and Braille signs to help guide the blind, and swings are accessible to all.
All can explore a fun spray shower, a natural area with accessible boardwalk and activity stations, a shallow pond with wetland plantings, a sensory corner, adjustable basketball hoops, bleachers with shade covers, benches, game tables, picnic tables and more.
Bronx Zoo
See tigers, bears, gorillas and over 650 other species of awesome animals at this 265 acres+ zoo. Tons of indoor and outdoor attractions – expect lots of walking, but strollers welcome (and available for rental). The roads are scenic with pretty trees, waterfalls – and some bold peacocks.
Different sections of the zoo correspond to…
Wave Hill
Explore 28-acre of gardens and woodlands with more than 4,000 varieties of trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants and dramatic views of the Hudson River.
🎨 Join nature-inspired family art projects on Saturday & Sunday mornings, plus special events featuring live animals
🖼 Visit indoor rotating nature-inspired multimedia art exhibits in the Glyndor…
The Orchid Show: Natural Heritage
Be enveloped in artist Lily Kwong’s fantastical vision in The Orchid Show’s 20th year. Thousands of vibrant orchids enfolded into rolling mountains create a meditative and captivating design inspired by her ancestral connections to the natural world
* The show itself is in the Haupt Conservatory and climate-controlled, but there is a bit of a…
Malevo: Argentine Dance
Created by director, choreographer, and dancer Matías Jaime, this thrilling all-male group specializes in Malambo—a traditional Argentine folk dance of great virility and dexterity—and seeks to take it beyond its limits with a modern, avant-garde, and transgressive approach, merging it with other dance styles like flamenco and urban percussion.
Bartow Pell Easter Egg Hunt
Hunt for eggs in a lovely formal garden adjacent to a stately historic mansion and take photos with the Easter Bunny. Bring your own basket. Advance registration required for one hour slots.
Parking is across the street and down a bit so come early and be prepared for a walk. Don’t miss the Lenape wigwam…
Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure Reopens
Hangout in the treetops at the Bronx Zoo’s sustainably created aerial ropes course. Ride a 400-foot-long zipline over the Bronx River and/or swing from rope to rope, skateboard high above the ground, and navigate your way through the trees i seven courses of varying difficulties.
Make a day of it with a visit to the…
WBO Spring Egg Hunt
Join Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center for its Annual Spring Egg Hunt. Activities include fun spring games, arts and crafts, egg hunt, potato sack races and much more.
Egg Hunt for ages 4–6: 11:30 am–12:30 pm
Ages 7–9 years: 12:30 pm–1:15 pm
Older children are welcome to take part in all other activities.
Easter Egg Hunt & Family Fun Day
Join the Easter Bunny for an egg hunt in the Bronx. Fun for the whole family. Enjoy music, games, prizes, candy, and more.
Tickets include entry into the egg hunt with candy and cash prizes, an egg hunt bag, access to all games and activities, a photo with the Easter Bunny and complimentary snacks.
20at20 Off-Broadway
March 20-April 9, get $20 tickets to participating Off Broadway plays and musicals at the box office twenty minutes prior to curtain.
Kid-friendly options include Dog Man, Easter Bunny HOP! Live, Fish in a Tree, Gazillion Bubble Show, The Little Mermaid, The Play That Goes Wrong and The…