Things to Do in New York City for Kids & Families for Labor Day Weekend 2010: Festivals, Story Times and Free Museums

How can it be Labor Day weekend already? Seems like we were writing about what to do for Memorial Day Weekend! There is still time to wring the last few drops out of summer before back to school become a reality. There is plenty of fun to be had in The Big Apple and beyond – arts and crafts, a celebration of the new Cat in the Hat cartoon, storytimes, a huge parade and even a unicycle festival.

It is the first weekend of September which means there are a bunch of museum freebies to take advantage of – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, The Brooklyn Museum and The Queens Museum are among them.  Plus as a Labor Day gift Cooper Hewitt is offering free admission all weekend, too.

I am actually looking forward to back to school. By the end of summer I am usually exhausted from running around for eight weeks and long for a return to a less hectic routine.  If you are planning your child's re-entry to the school year you may be thinking of after school activities like soccer, free after school classes, or programs for special needs kids.  And don’t miss our newly revamped and updated After School Classes Guide to find the best for your little scholar.

Read on to plan a great Labor Day Weekend.  We hope it is a great one.

All Weekend:

Flag Making & Craft Projects– DUMBO
On Saturday and Sunday head to the new Pier 6 Playground for some fun Americana craft making.  FREE

Cat in the Hat Premiere Celebration – The Bronx
Preview an episode of the new Cat in the Hat cartoon by visiting the Bronx Zoo. On Saturday, Sunday and Monday visitors can join in on fun animal themed scavenger hunts or Cat in the Hat story time.  Of course, it wouldn’t be complete with out a visit from the cat of the hour. FREE with zoo admission.

Saturday September 4, 2010:

Sing-a-Long Story Time– Greenpoint
Kids will love to sing with Miss Nina and her pink guitar especially when she sings about their favorite books like Llama llama Red Pajamas, Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are.  FREE

NYC Unicycle Festival—Financial District
Try your hand at unicycle riding in a car free environment. Or just watch the world class single wheel entertainment from the King Charles Troupe and other performers, organized unicycle games, races and competitions too.  FREE

West Indian American Day Jr. Carnival – Crown Heights
All the excitement of Carnival for the smaller set - catch the festive parade of kids donning Carnival garb as they travel from Kingston Ave and St. Johns Place to Franklin Ave South, to President Street, into Brooklyn Museum Grounds at Washington Avenue for a competition. FREE

Sunday September 5, 2010:

Parked – Financial District
All your favorite food trucks in one place!  Hungry NYers will find  the Red Hook Lobster Pound, Van Leeuwan Artisan Ice Cream, Hallo Berlin and Rickshaw Dumplings (there are 20 trucks on tap to appear) selling their wares on Colonels Row.   Live music and a live DJ just add to the fun. FREE (bring money to buy food.)

Monday September 6, 2010:

Habana Outpost’s Back to School Bash—Fort Greene
Stop by Brooklyn’s eco-eatery for a day of fun to end summer 2010.  Arts and crafts, stilt walkers, clowns, dancing, face painting and lots more will surely entertain the troops.  Plus there will be free notebooks and pencils for school while supplies last. FREE

Holiday Monday at the Met -- Upper East Side
The Met is normally closed on Mondays but on select holiday Mondays it opens up and offers fun family programs for kids aged 5 – 12 and their parents. Explore the masterpieces then sketch and discuss.  FREE with museum admission.

Raising Citizens: Celebrating Community Workers – Upper West Side
A whole day of fun celebrating the true meaning of Labor Day by celebrating the important people in our neighborhood that help us through their occupations.  Arts and crafts projects for everyone and older kids can meet a real community worker (Chef Ben from Artie’s Delicatessen) and watch a play on the origins of Labor Day presented by The Push Cart Players.

Out of NYC:

Check out our Travel Guide – great ideas for a last minute end of the summer getaways – like a trip to Providence, Club Getaway or a cool dinosaur park, apple picking,  county fairs or amusements parks that you can visit whether you have a car or not. 

Head to New Jersey for some old fashioned fun at The Gloucester County 4-H Fair Association  Labor Day picnic.  Admission includes hamburgers and hot dogs, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides and live music from Susie McEntire.   $10 a carload.

Long Island's beaches are always worth the trip and even more so this weekend when they all seem to have something cool planned, like the fish dissection program scheduled at Jones Beach.  FREE.