All Weekend

Canstruction – Battery Park City
One of our November Go List picks: Gawk at incredibly creative sculptures at this 22nd annual display at Brookfield Place. All of the works are constructed from full cans of food, and once the exhibition is dismantled, they're donated to City Harvest. Check out our slide show from last year's edition—they really are amazing! FREE but bringing cans of food to donate is encouraged

Squirrel Stole My Underpants – Upper West Side
Hit Symphony Space to catch this quirky solo show about a young girl whose panties are stolen off her clothesline by a naughty rodent. When she goes after him, a whole new world springs up from her laundry basket as she makes her way through unfamiliar lands. $21 for adults, $14 for children

The Magic Flute – Midtown West
Introduce the kids to opera at the New Victory Theater. Hailing from South Africa, this unique, multicultural adaptation of Mozart's famous opus has been streamlined to two hours, and is performed in English with an orchestra of handcrafted marimbas, two dozen soaring voices and a trumpet creating the sound of the titular instrument. My son and I saw the production last weekend and were totally charmed. $15-$38

Wildlife Weekend – Glen Oaks
Get up close and personal with cool creatures at the Queens County Farm Museum's final Wildlife Weekend of the season. See birds of prey in action, enjoy face time with frog and bugs, take a pony or hayride, and feed the farm animals. $9
 

Saturday, November 8

New York Festival of Light – Dumbo
Another November Go List pick: Marvel at the magic of light at this first annual outdoor fest in Dumbo. The three-day event wraps up Saturday night, and it sounds like an eye-popping experience for all ages. Highlights for families include Howard Ungerleider's high-tech laser light show in the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge, a performances by Off-Broadway favorite iLuminate, and Tupac Martir's exhibition of umbrellas with LEDs that are triggered by sensors. FREE

Pinkalicious – Prospect Heights
Head to the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library to see this musicalization of Victoria and Elizabeth Kann popular picture book about a little girl with an unhealthy addiction to pink cupcakes. FREE

Elizabeth Mitchell and Your Are My Flower – Midtown West
Catch a no-cost concert in Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Room by acclaimed kids' singer Elizabeth Mitchell and her band as they cover the Allman Brothers and David Bowie, and play their own original tunes from their album Blue Clouds. FREE but RSVP to 212-247-7800 required as availability is extremely limited

MoMA Family Films: Through Thick and Thin – Forging Friendships – Midtown West
Catch a trio of shorts about friendship at MoMA: Low Down Underground, a tale of pals on the subway; Macropolis featuring an unlikely cat and dog pair; and hot cocoa-loving BFFs Rabbit and Deer. Afterward, stay and enjoy the museum at no additional cost. FREE but tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 10am

Skippyjon Jones – Upper East Side
Catch TheaterworksUSA's charming musicalization of Judith Schachner's 2003 picture book about a Siamese cat who masquerades as Skippito Friskito, a Zorro-like, Spanglish-speaking Chihuahua. $20-$35

Feathered Friends Children's Workshop – Morningside Heights
Go bird-watching at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Learn about the important role the creatures play at the landmark, and explore Xu Bing's fantastical installation Phoenix. After the tour, families will craft birds out of paper and clay, and design their own peacock feather. $8 per child-adult pair.

5 Dutch Days – Ridgewood
Celebrate NYC's historic roots at the Vander Ende-Onderdonk House, the oldest Dutch colonial home in town. Kids can help make doughnuts, write with quill pens, try on wooden shoes, trade with wampum and tour the building. $3 for adults, free for children

See all Saturday events.
 

Sunday, November 9

We the People – Upper East Side
Another great TheaterworksUSA musical, this one aimed at school-age kids. When a young teen decides to run for student council, four founding fathers (Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams and George Washington) magically appear to help school her on democracy and our great nation. $20-$35

Fall Harvest & Husk – East Harlem
Learn about Manhattan's original residents, the Lenape Indians, at the Museum of the City of New York. Explore their culture and craft corn-husk dolls. Free with admission: $14 adults, free for children under age 20

Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth – Coney Island
Marvel at kid circus performers at Coney Island USA. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus presents this revue of jugglers, aerialists, hula hoopers, unicyclists and acrobats, all under age 21. Got a kid who'd rather be in the spotlight than sit on the sidelines? The troupe is still looking for additional performers. $15 for adults, $10 for children under age 21

See all Sunday events.

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