Weekend Fun for NYC Kids: Come Out & Play Family Day, New Museum Block Party, Walking with Dinos, SummerStage Kids July 19-20

7/16/14 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

It's another summer weekend full of fabulous and mostly FREE family fun. Five of our top event picks of the month take place on Saturday or Sunday: the art-filled New Museum Block Party on the Lower East Side, the jazz-themed SummerStage Queens Family Day in Long Island City, Come Out & Play Family Day on Governors Island, the eye-popping Walking with Dinosaurs - the Arena Spectacular at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, and a pair of family shows at the New York Musical Theatre Festival.

There's some great culture on tap, too, including a family party at the Whitney's Jeff Koons: A Retrospective, the opening weekend of the Museum of the Moving Image's What’s Up, Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones exhibit, and a pair of music-filled tributes to late songwriter and activist Pete Seeger.

Whatever you do this weekend, be sure to share your family's playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. You can also click through photos submitted by other readers—some of them are truly inspiring.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide. And if you're craving air conditioning, check out our Indoor Activity Guide for great ways to beat the heat.

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All Weekend

Walking with Dinosaurs – the Arena Spectacular – Fort Greene
A July Go List pick: Gawk at incredibly realistic, life-size dinos in this 90-minute spectacle at Barclays Center. Cutting-edge technology and animatronics bring the Tyrannosaurus rex and other species to life as they care for their young, hunt for food and fight, just as they did before they became extinct. Read our full review. $30-$115 but save $10 on Sunday night's performance with the code MPOPPINS.

What's Up, Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones Opening Weekend – Astoria
Head to the Museum of the Moving Image to learn about the life and legacy of late artist Chuck Jones who created Bug Bunny, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote and other beloved cartoon characters. In addition to watching many of his animated shorts, and perusing his original drawings, sketches and storyboards, on Saturday, children ages 7 and up can drop in to the Moving Image Studio to create their own character sketches, flip books and animated shorts. Free with admission: $12 for adults, $6 for ages 3-12

Kid-friendly Shows at the New York Musical Theatre Festival – Midtown West
Another July Go List pick: Catch two family shows at this lauded theater fest this weekend: Rescue Rue, a modern-day musical fairy tale about a shelter dog who finds a forever home with a NYC family, and a musical adaption of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen. $25

Space and Science Festival – Midtown West
Celebrate STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts and the 45th anniversary of the moon landing at the Intrepid's fest, which takes place in the museum and outside on Pier 86. Explore special space and science displays, tour the US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle, meet real-life astronauts, catch planetarium shows and enjoy tours of the ship. Free with admission: $24 for adults, $19 for children ages 7-17 years, $12 for ages 3-6 but save 20% with this coupon
 

Saturday, July 19

New Museum Block Party – Lower East Side
Another July Go List pick: Enjoy live performances and interactive art at the New Museum's annual fest in nearby Sara D. Roosevelt Park This year, families can use images from the museum's collection to craft memory games, construct a cube made out of archival pics, and create pieces inspired by the artists on exhibit. Need to escape to air conditioning? All festival-goers snag free passes to attend interactive museum tours throughout the day. FREE

Come Out & Play Family Day – Governors Island
And another July Go List pick: Ferry over to Governors Island to participate in multiple interconnecting games themed around time travel. Find the official Time Travel Agency to get started, and then play as few or many as you'd like. Games are best suited for children ages 6 to 11 and their adult companions, and participation is first come, first served. FREE

Jeff Koons: A Retrospective Family Opening – Upper East Side
Explore the Whitney's final exhibit in its uptown building: a museum-wide retrospective of controversial contemporary artist Jeff Koons. At this special kid-centric event, families are let into the museum 90 minutes before the general public, and children can enjoy hands-on art projects. While the exhibit isn't aimed at kids, they're sure to love Koons' pop-culture-infused sculptures like "Balloon Dog (Yellow)", "Balloon Rabbit (Red)" and "Michael Jackson and Bubbles." (Just avoid his NC-17-rated work on the third floor.) Free with admission: $20 for adults, free for children under 19

Courtly Costumes Art Workshop – Flatiron
Check out Madison Square Park's current public art installation Folly and then create 19th-century-style crowns and sashes inspired by the sculptures. FREE

Natural Areas Open House – Randall's Island
Hit the amenity-filled isle to enjoy nature explorations, arts and crafts, games and bird-watching. FREE

CDs for Me – East Harlem
Tour the cool NYC graffiti exhibit City as Canvas at the Museum of the City of New York and then create CD covers inspired by the street art on display. Free with suggested admission: $10 for adults, free for children under age 13

South Bronx Seeger Festival – Hunts Point
Celebrate late legendary folk singer Pete Seeger at this fest along the Bronx River featuring live music (hip-hop, reggae and folk are all on the lineup), no-cost boat rides and other activities. This event is part of the five-day Seeger Fest taking place in NYC and Hudson Valley. FREE

See all Saturday events
 

Sunday, July 20

SummerStage Queens Family Day – Long Island City
Our final July Go List pick of the weekend: Head to Long Island City's waterfront Queensbridge Park to catch performances by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Rashida Bumbray, and Michael Mossman & Copland Jazz. There will also be Disney giveaways and other kids' activities. FREE

Kids Anatomy Workshop – Gowanus
Here's an offbeat activity: Head to the recently opened Morbid Anatomy Museum where kids can create their own anatomy-inspired artwork with medical illustrator Emily Evans. Free with admission: $10 for adults, free for children under age 13

Chelsea Block Party – Chelsea
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Rubin Museum of Art with an indoor/outdoor party. On the street, enjoy Himalayan and South Asian cultural performances, art projects and ethnic eats. Inside, explore the galleries and participate in the museum's new Family Sunday Programs. FREE

Lincoln Center Out of Doors: Memorial Concert for Pete and Toshi Seeger – Upper West Side
More Seeger Fest fun: The annual Lincoln Center Out of Doors fest kicks off with this musical tribute to the late songwriter and activist featuring performances by Judy Collins, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame), kindie rock pioneer Dan Zanes and Grammy winner Tom Chapin. FREE

See all Sunday events.
 

Don't forget: There's more fun to be found in our Event Calendar. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.