Charlotte's Web – Corona
Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Sunday, February 8 at 1 and 3pm
$14
Ages 3 and up
Bring tissues to TheatreworksUSA's hour-long stage adaptation of of E. B. White's classic children's novel about the unlikely friendship between Charlotte the spider and Wilbur the pig. Can't make this performance? The same production is also playing at the Kaye Playhouse on the Upper East Side on Sunday, March 15 and Saturday, March 21.

Everything About a Family (Almost) – Chelsea
TADA! Youth Theater, 15 West 28th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue
Through Monday, February 16. See our listing for the complete schedule.
$25 for adults, $15 for children
Ages 4 and up
My daughter and I saw this exuberant musical revue a few weeks back and we're still singing some of its songs. Conceived and written by former members of TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble, which is made up of talented local youngsters ages 8 to 18, the show is set on a cruise ship where two two families are having reunions. One angsty teen who feels like she doesn't fit in with her relatives joins the other clan, only to realize family can't be replaced. The plot is loose but the numbers are tight, with wonderful lyrics exploring a variety of issues children's can relate to, like living in an older sibling's shadow, the challenges of puberty and losing a loved one. Even if your kids are too young to understand the deeper meaning of the songs, they should still enjoy the energetic singing and dancing, and the fact that the entire cast is made of up children.

The Woodsman – Midtown East
59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street between Madison and Park Avenues
Through Sunday, February 22. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$30 but you can snag $20 tickets through February 8 as part of 20at20
Ages 10 and up
I loved this inventive reimagining of the Tin Woodman of Oz's back story so much, I saw it twice: once with a grown-up and then again with my nine-year-old so she could enjoy the low-tech stage magic of Strangemen & Co.'s unique production. Though aimed at adults, it's definitely tween-friendly, and uses physical actors, evocative Bunraku puppets, moody songs, an immersive set and sparse dialog to tell the dark tale of a woodsman in a doomed romance with a wicked witch's slave. I didn't see any children at either performance I attended, which is a shame. The level of creativity and imagination onstage may be best appreciated by kids, who are all inherently artists.

Cambuyón – Midtown West
The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Friday, February 6-Sunday, February 22. See our listing for the complete schedule.
$14-$38
Ages 6 and up
Even everyday objects like crates, bottles and matchboxes can make music once the members of this international ensemble get their hands on them. In the tradition of Stomp, this percussive production at the New Victory Theater fuses tap-dance, hip-hop and drumming for a fast-paced show that will get your toes tapping and your hands clapping. Want to see it for less? Join us for a special Mommy Poppins Night on Saturday, February 14 when you can save 20% on tickets and enjoy an exclusive cookie decorating session after the performance.

The Light Princess – Midtown West
The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Friday, February 27-Sunday, March 8. See our listing for the complete schedule.
$14-$38
Ages 5 and up
Princess shows are usually as cliche as happily ever after, but not in this case. Based on a 19th-century Scottish fairy tale by George MacDonald about a princess cursed to live without gravity, this musical was developed at Cambridge, Massachusetts' innovative A.R.T. Institute and stars students from Harvard's graduate acting program. to. I'm excited to introduce my royal daughter to a princess who didn't come from Disney!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites – Tribeca
Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street near West Street
Saturday, February 28 at 1:30pm
$25
Ages 3 and up
This beautiful, black-light puppet spectacle by the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia is perfect for preschool fans of Eric Carle's sweet and simple picture books. The bill includes the troupe’s signature show, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, along with an adaptation of Little Cloud. Can't make this performance? The same production is also playing at the Skirball Performing Arts Center on Saturday, April 4 and at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, April 19.

Blocks – Fort Greene
BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place
Saturday, February 28-Sunday, March 1 at 10:30am and 1:30pm
$12
Ages 6 and under
The best bet on this list for babies and toddlers! This whimsical and wordless physical comedy was created for very young theatergoers by Sweden's lauded troupe Teater Tre. Three clowns play with colorful blocks to build, break and rebuild structures and relationships. At just over half an hour, it's a perfect first-time show for tots. $12

The Magic Garden, or, The Princess Who Grew Antlers – East Village
Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue at 10th Street
Thursday, March 5-March 22. See our listing for the complete schedule.
$15 for adults, $8 for children
Ages 5 and up
A wacky new show from the veteran Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre, this production features three fairy tales that all have to do with antlers. But these aren't straightforward adaptations: The playwright and the ensemble keep "forgetting" key parts of the stories, so they share the bits they remember and then make up the rest. This is definitely one of those shows that's better seen than described.

Miss Nelson Is Missing – Upper West Side
Mary Lea Johnson Performing Arts Center, The Calhoun School, 433 West End Avenue at 81st Street
Saturday, March 7 at 2pm
$10 for adults, $5 for children
Ages 5-11
Based on Harry G. Allard Jr.'s picture book of the same name, this hour-long musicalization comes from Two Beans Productions. Find out what happens when Miss Nelson's students, the worst behaved class in the whole school, get a terrifying new teacher. After the performance, enjoy complimentary milk and cookies.

Beats, Rhymes and Breaking – Upper West Side
Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 at 11am
$21 for adults, $14 for children
Ages 3 and up
Don't try this at home kids! The incredibly athletic dancers in the Manzana City Crew have all the right moves, including head spins, windmills, pops and locks. This high-energy break-dancing extravaganza is great for kids who aren't into traditional narrative shows.

Hakanaï – Fort Greene
BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place
Friday, March 20-Saturday, March 21 at 7pm; Sunday, March 22 at 6pm
$12
Ages 8 and up
And now for something completely different. A lone dancer moves within a mysterious cube, interacting with wall projections, and tracing figures with his limbs, hands and feet. Want to step into this immersive installation yourself? You can make a reservation to check it out for free on Saturday or Sunday afternoon before the show.

Camp Kappawanna – Chelsea
Linda Gross Theater, 336 West 20th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues
March 21-April 12: Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am; Wednesday, April 8 and Friday, April 10 at 10:30am
$20 for adults, $15 for children
Ages 5 and up
As a Gen Xer, I'm super excited about Atlantic for Kids' new musical with songs cowritten by '90s dorky diva Lisa Loeb. (Stay! We missed you!) Inspired by her own summer experiences back in the day, this musical chronicles the misadventures of 12-year-old Jennifer, who's leaving home for the first time to go to sleepaway camp. I don't know much more than that, but I don't have to. I'm there.

Harold and the Purple Crayon – Flatbush
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road near Kenilworth Place
Sunday, March 29 at 2pm
$9
Ages 4 and up
Crockett Johnson's classic children's book about a boy with a purple crayon and a very active imagination comes to life courtesy of Philly's Enchantment Theatre Company. Harold's art-fueled adventures are realized through life-size puppets, masks, music and multimedia.

Find out about other great things to do with kids in our Winter Fun Guide, including the best museum exhibits and film series for families.