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33 Best Things To Do in NYC November 2023 with Kids

Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is a sparkly holiday lights display that dazzles all ages. Photo by Ros Muggeridge
Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is a sparkly holiday lights display that dazzles all ages. Photo by Ros Muggeridge
10/29/23 - By Drew Kristofik

In November, New York City gears up for holidays from Election Day to Veterans Day to Thanksgiving and then scrambles full steam ahead to Christmas.

November ushers in the holiday season in NYC and the biggest events on our calendar are, of course, the Macy's balloon inflation and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at the month's end. But there's plenty of fun before those giant balloons take flight. Families can check out the annual Canstruction exhibition, glide on Brooklyn Bridge Park's brand-new ice skating rink, or run away to the Big Apple Circus.

Elephants reveal their Secret World at the American Museum of Natural History, Trolls are taking over CAMP, and there's a tidal wave of kid-friendly shows, including Pinkalicious, the Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker, and a reimagined Jungle Book.

As we head into the thick of the holidays in NYC, holiday lights are sparkling all over town, including Lightscape in Brooklyn, Illuminate the Farm and Astra Lumina in Queens, the Bronx Zoo's Holiday Lights, and NYBG Glow. And, at month's end, Santa starts popping up all over—most notably at Macy's Santaland.

Our Family Activity Calendar is packed to the brim with goodies every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.

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The Bronx Zoo's imaginative Holiday Lights debut before Thanksgiving. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher
The Bronx Zoo's imaginative Holiday Lights debut before Thanksgiving. Photo by Julie Larsen Maher

Top Things To Do in NYC with Kids this November

Camille's Rainbow

Inwood Pumpkin Pageant

Inwood–FREE
Wednesday, November 1
The Inwood Pumpkin Pageant returns to Isham Park for another spooky display of Halloween artistry. Local residents bring their carved jack-o'-lanterns to the park the evening after Halloween for a grand community event. READ MORE

Day of the Dead Celebration

Astoria, Queens–FREE
Thursday, November 2
The Museum of the Moving Image invites visitors to celebrate Day of the Dead with a performance by Aztec Mexica dance, poetry, and music from indigenous dance troupe Yayauhki Tezcatlipoka, and a face-painting session inspired by historical characters from Día de Muertos. All ages are welcome to explore the public altar in the museum’s courtyard, followed by a catrina and catrin contest hosted by artist historian Rosa Ruíz and Catrinamía. READ MORE

31st Annual Canstruction Competition 2023

Battery Park City–FREE
Thursday, November 2-Monday, November 13
An extraordinary annual design competition, and the most unique food charity in the world, Canstruction challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food.  READ MORE

Celebrate Día de los Muertos

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Saturday, November 4
Honor your ancestors at the Brooklyn Children's Museum's Día de los Muertos events. Enjoy art-making, dance, music, and food, explore an artist marketplace, and visit a community ofrenda to add memories and stories of your loved ones. READ MORE

Jackie Robinson Museum Fall Fun Community Day

Tribeca
Saturday, November 4
Stop by for fall fun for all ages including guided museum tours, Jackie Robinson trivia, and a chance to view objects not regularly on display at the museum. READ MORE

Mario the Maker Magician

Soho
Opens Saturday, November 4
Fresh off of a hit run at the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Mario the Maker Magician makes his off-Broadway debut in this self-titled one-man show at Soho Playhouse. READ MORE

Interactive Puppetsburg Show at The Wild Greenpoint

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Tuesdays November 7, 14, 21, and 28
Puppetsburg shows feature a different story each week that involves dancing, instruments, dress-up "photo-ops," one-on-one time with handmade puppets, and bubble time. READ MORE

Big Apple Circus

Upper West Side
Opens Wednesday, November 8
For its 46th anniversary season, the Big Apple Circus teams up with Europe’s beloved Circus-Theater Roncalli for an all-new show, Journey to the Rainbow. READ MORE

Electric Root Presents The Sound of (Black) Music

Upper West Side
Thursday, November 9
Gospel, funk, soul, and Afrobeat come together in a joyful presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein songs as viewed through a utopian, afrofuturistic lens. The Sound of (Black) Music is a vibrant one-act concert reimagining of the classic musical, featuring songs such as “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” all recast through a Black Roots music kaleidoscope. READ MORE

Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off

Upper East Side
Opens Friday, November 10
Two bakeries from each borough were selected to create a gingerbread display following the theme of Winter in New York and best representing their respective neighborhoods, communities, or boroughs. See the sweet creations on display at the Museum of the City of New York. READ MORE

La MaMa Kids: Woods

Lower East Side
Saturday, November 11-Sunday, November 12
Puzzle Theatrer presents puppetry that conjures a green leaf that grows on a dead branch, pieces of wood that come together to form strange creatures, some hostile, some comical…A curious world that surprises, amazes, and inspires. READ MORE

Family Concert at the Jewish Museum: Yaniza

Upper East Side
Sunday, November 12
Sing and dance with Yaniza, a singer-songwriter and long-time early childhood educator born and raised in NYC. Yaniza shares original songs, including Fly Away (Free Bird), Grateful, and Happiness about life lessons and her diverse background of being Dominican, Black, and Jewish. READ MORE

17th Annual Brooklyn Children’s Book Fair

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, November 12
The annual Brooklyn Children's Book Fair brings together 40 Brooklyn authors and illustrators to share their latest books. Throughout the day, children and their companions can attend readings and presentations, learn about the creative process, get books signed, and have fun drawing and coloring. READ MORE

The Secret World of Elephants Opening Week

Upper West Side
Opens Monday, November 13
How do elephants “hear” with their feet, use the 40,000 muscles in their trunks, or reshape the forests and savannas they live in, creating an environment upon which many other species rely? The Secret World of Elephants reveals new science about both ancient and modern elephants. READ MORE

CANCELED. Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker

Midtown West
Opens Tuesday, November 14
In its world premiere, Sugar Hill reveals the glamour of the 1930s as seen through the lens of the nonconformist daughter of a high-society Black family in Manhattan and her own fantastic dreamworld in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of Harlem. A jazz-steeped reimagining of the classic tale, this Nutcracker dance-story sends a stirring message that champions individuality and the journey to find the power of your unique self.   READ MORE

Glide at Brooklyn Bridge Park Opening Week

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Opens Wednesday, November 15
Glide at Brooklyn Bridge Park makes its debut this week, bringing ice skating to the green space for the first time! READ MORE

Jungle Book Reimagined

Midtown West
Thursday, November 16-Saturday, November 18
A rethinking of the Rudyard Kipling classic The Jungle Book updates the original's colonizer-centric perspective to tell the story of the young girl, Mowgli, as a refugee child stranded by the cruel realities of climate change. READ MORE

Lightscape

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Opens Friday, November 17
Explore the Brooklyn Botanic Garden after dark during the illuminated spectacular, Lightscape, which celebrates the beauty of nature in winter on an enchanting trail animated by dazzling light, color, and sound. READ MORE

Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Friday, November 17
Holiday Lights return to the Bronx Zoo, bigger, brighter, and greener than ever before. The beloved holiday tradition covers acres of the zoo, lighting the grounds with custom Asian lanterns, wildlife-themed LED displays, and animated light shows on the historic Astor Court. READ MORE

NYC Winter Lantern Festival

Glen Oaks, Queens
Opens Friday, November 17
The NYC Winter Lantern Festival transforms the Queens County Farm Museum's grounds into an immersive river of light. Holiday lights and homemade lanterns take the shape of flowers, tractors, farm animals, and more, forming a dazzling seasonal display. READ MORE

Circus Vazquez

Randall's Island
Opens Friday, November 17
Behold the pink-and-blue big top hiding the wonders of Circus Vazquez. Traveling the world from its roots in Mexico City, this international circus overflows with talents from a multi-national cast whose performances dazzle. READ MORE

NYBG Glow

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Friday, November 17
Visitors can explore a glowing world of color and light at the New York Botanical Garden's outdoor light show. Washes of brilliant colors, thousands of dazzling, energy-efficient LED lights, and picture-perfect installations enliven the gardens and collections. READ MORE

New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Friday, November 17
The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show returns for its 32nd year! Model trains zip through a miniature wonderland of nearly 200 New York landmark replicas, each re-created from natural materials such as leaves, seeds, twigs, bark, acorns, and cinnamon sticks. READ MORE

Young People’s Concert: Time Capsule

Midtown West
Saturday, November 18
Take a trip into the YPC vault and explore past programs led by beloved conductors, including Leonard Bernstein, who popularized this program for generations. READ MORE

James and the Giant Peach

Upper East Side
Saturday, November 18-Sunday, November 26
Roald Dahl's fantastical tale of a boy, his insect friends and their amazing journey across the ocean in a giant peach features a wickedly tuneful score by the Tony Award-nominated team of Pasek and Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman) and a curiously quirky book by Timothy Allen McDonald . READ MORE

Trolls x CAMP

Chelsea
Opens Saturday, November 18
Step into the joyful, rainbow-colored world of Trolls for a one-of-a-kind musical adventure at Trolls x CAMP. Play and explore in Bergen Town, Vacay Island, and Pop Village —all your favorite locations from the Trolls movies brought to life! It all culminates with a wild, interactive car chase and a live Trollpop concert . READ MORE

Astra Lumina

Flushing, Queens
Opens Friday, November 24
Astra Lumina at Queens Botanical Garden is one-mile-long enchanted night walk through the garden that guides visitors on a journey to discover the wonder of visiting stars. Through the magic of projections, lighting, and music, astral energy transforms the garden into a celestial pathway, connecting visitors to the stars and the vast world around them. READ MORE

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation

Upper West Side–FREE
Wednesday, November 22
The Macy's Balloon Inflation returns! Watching the giant balloons expand is a tradition for many NYC families—almost as important as the Thanksgiving Day Parade proper.  READ MORE

97th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Midtown West–FREE
Thursday, November 23
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to once again march down the streets of New York City for its 97th annual holiday celebration. READ MORE

Macy's Santaland

Midtown West–FREE
Starting Friday, November 24
Santa swoops back over to Macy's for visits with his littlest fans! Wander the rainbow road to his workshop, where you'll meet jolly old St. Nick. Share your wishlist before receiving a special gift and posing for a keepsake photo. READ MORE

PaleyLand Opening Weekend: Meet Santa, My Little Pony and More!

Midtown West
Opens Saturday, November 25
PaleyLand returns with the arrival of Santa Claus and a packed schedule of weekend meet and greets, photo ops with beloved holiday characters, including Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Hermey the Elf, Blizz the Snowman, and a Toy Soldier. READ MORE

Pinkalicious The Musical-Sold Out

Midtown West
Through Sunday, November 26
Pinkalicious can't stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe—a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out how to get out of this predicament. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Museum of the City of New York
The New York Botanical Garden
Actors Temple Theatre