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Best Things To Do with Kids in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

1. Jalopy Theatre and School of Music

Catch a performance at Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, where a husband and wife duo have made music from around the world accessible to the community for more than a decade. The school also offers children's music classes.

2. Smith Street Stage

Check the Smith Street Stage calendar for a local, family-friendly production, including outdoor theater.

3. Hannah Senesh Community Day School

Enjoy inexpensive family programming during a community event hosted at the Hannah Senesh Jewish day school on Smith Street.

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The Brooklyn Strategist lets kids enjoy some analog gaming. Photo courtesy of the shop

4. The Brooklyn Strategist

Drop into analog gaming mecca The Brooklyn Strategist where families can bond over every imaginable board game. It hosts super fun birthday parties, too.

5. Playday

This loft-like studio offers a wide range of art classes and creative programming to inspire children's imagination and foster their creativity.

6. Celebrate Bastille Day

Join this annual celebration at family-friendly Bar Tabac's annual fete featuring frites, foosball, and a pétanque tournament.

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Kids have a blast playing in the Brooklearn play space. Photo courtesy of Brooklearn

7. Brooklearn

This combined colorful play space caters to children under age 6 with drop-in play, workshops, parties, and more.

8. The Beam Center

Sign up for a class or camp at the neighborhood's Beam Center, a maker space where kids and teens work with teaching artists on collaborative project-making. It also offers a popular FREE annual summer Inventgenuity festival on Governors Island.

9. Cobble Hill Cinemas

See the latest release at Cobble Hill Cinemas, which offers discounted admission on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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Kids have a blast racing down the twin slides in Carroll Park. Photo by Sara Marentette

Best Playgrounds in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

10. Carroll Park

Delight your little one with an afternoon at this beloved playground, home to lots of FREE activities. There are sprinklers in the summer and separate play areas for big and little kids, plus ball courts and room to run.

11. Cobble Hill Park

Head to the cozy Cobble Hill Park, grab a bench, and let the kids explore the sandbox or slide. The park is home to many community events and holiday parades, too.

12. LICH Playground

Enjoy the ride-on toys, slides, and more equipment at the sweet playground on Henry Street at Pacific Street, often referred to as the LICH Playground, because it's technically on the hospital's grounds.

13. DiMattina Playground

Experience the hidden fun at the DiMattina Playground. This narrow slip of a spot includes a playground for big kids with some serious slides, water sprinklers, a toddler-sized play area, and swings.

14. Van Voorhees Playground

Head just south of all the action at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to Van Voorhees Playground, which boasts shade, lots of space to scooter, and awesome sprinklers in the summer.

15. Boerum Park

The sweet Boerum Park is everything you would expect from a smaller neighborhood playground. Kids love racing through the play structure, while parents enjoy the shady seating.

16. Mother Cabrini Park

Take little ones to the fenced-in playground known as Mother Cabrini Park, an underused gem for younger kids.

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The Cobble Hill Halloween Parade is an annual rite of passage for area kids. Photo by Sara Marentette

Free Things to Do with Kids in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

17. Cobble Hill Halloween Parade

Take part in this super sweet neighborhood Halloween parade.

18. Mosaic House

If you haven't yet had the fortune of stumbling upon Susan Gardner's bejeweled Mosaic House on Wyckoff Street. One of our favorite secret spots for kids in NYC, it's worth a special trip.

19. Atlantic Antic

Mark your calendar for the awesome annual event which is NYC's largest annual street fair. The day is filled with FREE music, yummy food stalls, pony rides, and more family-friendly fun.

20. The Transit Garden

Pop into the charming Transit Garden, created when the community transformed an unused MTA lot into a beloved community resource.

21. Invisible Dog Art Center

Enjoy imaginative multimedia exhibits at the Invisible Dog Art Center, where there is no admission fee to see exhibitions, and the majority of the ticketed events are by donation.

Best Stores for Kids in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

22. Pizzazzz Toyz and Kidz

Play with the train set and pick up a gift or birthday balloons at the family-run Pizzazzz Toyz and Kidz.

23. Books Are Magic

Load up on books or enjoy a children's author meet-and-greet at the beloved Books Are Magic.

24. Runnin' Wild Shoes

Pick up an adorable pair of shoes at children's boutique Runnin' Wild Shoes.

25. Acorn, a Brooklyn Toy Shop

If gorgeous, handcrafted wooden toys are your thing, you will be enchanted at Acorn, a Brooklyn Toy Shop.

26. Born/B'tween

Parents love the stylish baby duds, and tweens love the tiny but carefully curated girls' clothing section at Born/B'tween.

27. Freebird Books

Peruse the impressive collection of used books at neighborhood favorite Freebird Books, which has a sweet backyard that opens when the weather is warm.

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Everyone gets a scoop of their own at the Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. Photo by Sara Marentette

Family-Friendly Restaurants in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

28. Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain

Indulge in a classic egg cream served up right at the charming Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain, a restored 1920s pharmacy that feels like stepping back in time.

29. Van Leeuwen

Sample some homemade ice cream, including delicious vegan options, at Van Leeuwen.

30. The Chocolate Room

Celebrate any occasion with a trip to The Chocolate Room where the namesake sweet is served in a variety of ways.

31. One Girl Cookies

One Girl Cookies serves classic cookies, tea cookies, bar cookies, vegan cookies, and more plus more treats both sweet and savory, plus coffee, tea, and plenty of breakfast pastries.

32. F. Monteleone Bakery & Cafe

Load up with Italian cookies for your next playdate from F. Monteleone Bakery & Cafe, one of the many Italian bakeries that lines Smith Street. This one also whips up inexpensive birthday cakes.

33. Carroll Gardens Greenmarket

Stock up on fresh produce for the week at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket, open on Sundays year-round. There's also a recycling bin where you can drop off outgrown clothes.

34. Bien Cuit

Score a serious French croissant, which literally melts in your mouth, at NYC cult-favorite Bien Cuit on Smith Street.

35. Shelsky's on Court Street

Introduce your kids to a legit NYC bagel at Shelsky's on Court Street at Atlantic Avenue. Go for a "Member of the Tribe": Eastern Gaspe Nova, and your choice of scallion or plain cream cheese on a bagel or bialy.

36. Cobble Hill Coffee Shop

If someone needs pancakes, look no further than the Cobble Hill Coffee Shop, where we love to sit at the counter like in the "olden days."

37. Kid-Friendly Coffee Shops

Other popular coffee spots in the 'hood for parents (and kid noshes) include Konditori and the spacious East One Coffee Roasters.

Best Classes for Kids in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

38. Gotham Archery

Sign your big kid up for one of the excellent classes or summer camps at Gotham Archery.

39. Homage Skateboarding Academy

Seek some thrills at Homage Skateboard Academy.

40. Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Enroll your active kiddos in one of the wonderful after-school classes at Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

41. Cobble Hill Ballet

This neighborhood dance school operates out of a gorgeous studio and specializes in teaching ballet to kids ages 2 1/2 and up.

42. Gumbo

Gumbo is a sanctuary for new parents and includes a children's boutique that hosts daily kids' classes in multiple languages.

Where to Stay with Kids in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and Boerum Hill

43. New York Marriott at Brooklyn Bridge

Although technically in nearby Downtown Brooklyn, this Marriott makes a perfect jumping-off spot to explore Brooklyn and Manhattan. Located minutes from the Brooklyn Bridge, you're close to many attractions, neighborhoods, dining options, and major subway lines.

44. NU Hotel

Located directly in Boerum Hill, this hotel offers great add-ons, including breakfast, Wi-Fi, loaner bikes, and an all-day coffee bar for a nominal fee. Guests can also request a Discover Downtown Brooklyn Pass from the front desk, which offers discounts to local attractions.

45. Holiday Inn Brooklyn Downtown

The indoor heated pool, proximity to plenty of shops and restaurants, plus a diner where kids eat for free makes this hotel a great family-friendly lodging option. Plus, it's just two blocks from a subway station.

Originally published in 2017. Mariko Zapf contributed additional reporting.

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