All Weekend

Kids Rule Weekend – the Bronx
Head to the Lehman College campus for two days of outdoor family fun. Enjoy games, magic shows, family performances by the school's resident Children’s Theatre Company, water slides and pony rides. FREE

Sanitation, or, Off the Grid – East Village & South Bronx
Theatre for the New City's politically charged Street Theater Company premieres its brand-new traveling musical this weekend in Manhattan and the Bronx. Subtitled "An Operetta for the Street," the show tackles the timely issue of income disparity as three city sanitation workers pool their resources to finally go on a much-needed vacation. Don't worry that it's too complicated for kids: The show was created to appeal to all ages and to inspire thought-provoking post-performance discussions. FREE
 

Saturday, August 3

Summer Streets – Manhattan
NYC's annual car-free fest returns and it's one of our top picks for the month. Cycle, scooter, skate or stroll your way from the Upper East Side all the way down to the Brooklyn Bridge. Be sure to hit the interactive rest stops along the way for cool live performances, yoga sessions, parkour demos, a zip line at Foley Square, a rock climbing wall in Soho, cycling lessons, bike tuneups and helmet giveaways. There are two cool new additions this year: Risa Puno's Course of Emotions, a public art/mini-golf course at the 52nd Street rest stop and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer's interactive light and sound installation Voice Tunnel in the Park Avenue Tunnel. Go early as the special attractions get mobbed fast. Check out our dedicated post with important tips about doing Summer Streets with kids. FREE

LIC Block Party – Long Island City
Get artsy in Long Island City at this second annual fest cosponsored by the SculptureCenter and the Purves Street Block Association. Enjoy lots of creative activities for all ages like doughnut-making, third eye face painting, coffee ground readings, funky makeovers, bizarre balloon twisting, thaumatrope making with the Museum of the Moving Image and rock art with the Noguchi Museum, to name a few. There will also be live music, a marketplace and eats from local restaurants. FREE

Plover Appreciation Day – Rockaway
Head to Rockaway Beach to celebrate the Piping Plover, a small shorebird that frequents the NYC waterfront. Enjoy bird-themed games, crafts and giveaways. FREE

Little Red's Hood – Brooklyn Heights
Catch CityParks PuppetMobile's urban retelling of the classic fairy tale, set in NYC of course, at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6. Afterward, hit the pier's fabulous playground—it boasts one of the best water play areas in the city. FREE

The Muppets – South Street Seaport
Head to the South Street Seaport for an outdoor screening of the 2011 mega-hit starring Kermit, Piggy and the rest of the gang. The perfect way to end the day after romping around Imagination Playground. FREE

Dragon Boat Family Festival – Soho
In honor of next weekend's Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival, the Museum of Chinese in America invites families to enjoy cultural fun like drum-making workshops, drop-in dragon crafts, storytelling, paper-cutting demos and kid-friendly gallery tours. $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 2-12

See all Saturday events. 

Sunday, August 4

Mommy Poppins Family Cruise: Stories & Songs of the Sea – South Street Seaport
Our brand-new Family Cruise Series with Manhattan by Sail kicks off this weekend with two fun-filled outings on New York Harbor. Join us on the Civil War-style schooner Clipper City for incredible views of the Statue of Liberty, sea songs and stories by Bill Gordh, face painting, sailor skill demos and a free goody bag for every child. Tickets are going fast so buy yours today. $39 for adults, $35 for seniors, $25 for children under 13

Pirate School! – Red Hook
Ahoy mateys! Get your pirate on with David Engel's hilarious solo show at the Waterfront Museum. Kids can learn how to stand, talk, sing and laugh like buccaneers during this madcap interactive adventure. In advance: $13 for adults, $10 for children; at the door: $2 more per person. Busy on Sunday? You can catch an encore performance of Pirate School! and enjoy other swashbuckling fun on our two Mommy Poppins Pirate Cruises on Tuesday, August 20.

A Clearing in the Forest: Islands of Green – Upper West Side
Central Park's Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade is transformed into a Caribbean Island with a no-cost performance by Steel Impressions. FREE

Astoria Park Shore Fest – Astoria
Enjoy car-free fun in Queens as Shore Boulevard is closed to traffic and opened to family activities like live ukelele and other music performances, crafts and games. Bring your dogs as there's usually canine fun, too. FREE

See all Sunday events.

Outside NYC

Head to Phillipsburg, New Jersey for the 76th (!) annual Warren County Farmers’ Fair and Hot Air Balloon Festival featuring animal exhibits, a classic car display and lots of beautiful balloons.

Roar! It's DinoTrux Weekend at Field Station: Dinosaurs. Trucks and dinosaurs? Sounds like a preschoolers' dream!

Another oldie but goodie: Easton, Connecticut's 76th (again!) annual Fireman's Carnival promises cool rides, sinful food and lots of old-fashioned fun.

Don't forget: There's more fun to be found in our Event Calendar.