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Head to the CAMP curbside cafe on 16th Street and 5th Avenue for crafting and ice cream.Photo courtesy of the store
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8/7/20 - By Drew Kristofik

If remote learning has taught us anything, it's that the 'classroom' can be anywhere. And since outdoors is this summer's (and likely this fall's) favorite location, we feel especially grateful that NYC has plenty of open spaces that creative companies are now making use of for outdoor classes for kids.

We're seeing a surge of entertaining and educational pop-up fun for kids and families populating sidewalks, parks, and rooftops, in just about every borough these days. Whether your kid is into tennis, art class or music class, soccer, cooking, or circus arts, there's something literally "out there" just waiting to be discovered. Keep an eye on our NYC calendar, too, as we make the gradual transition from virtual to REAL, in-person things to do.

For more outdoor options, take a peek at all the city playgrounds now open, and our great list of outdoor adventures. Or, find online classes and more virtual entertainment options on our Poppins@Home platform.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Classical music class in Central Park with Mozart for Munchkins. Photo courtesy Mozart for Munchkins.
Classical music class in Central Park with Mozart for Munchkins. Photo courtesy Mozart for Munchkins.

Manhattan

Camp Store

Flatiron
Daily, 12pm-5pm
Camp's back in business at its Flatiron hub, offering outdoor crafting, drinks, snacks, and ice cream on the regular. READ MORE

Color Me Mine UWS

Upper West Side
Tue-Sun, 12pm-5pm
Have fun painting pottery and ceramics at Color Me Mine. Choose the perfect ceramic piece, paint it, and leave it for the studio to fire. Pricing includes the cost of pottery as well as a studio fee. Check the calendar for monthly kids' events like Kids Night Out, Friends and Family Paint Date, or Student Days, where high schoolers receive a discount.  READ MORE

UWS Kenshikai Karate & BJJ

Upper West Side/Central Park
Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri; class times vary
UWS Kenshikai Karate & BJJ offers small-group, in-person, karate classes for kids ages 4 and up. Some classes are held in the dojo; others are held outdoors in Central Park. READ MORE

Mozart for Munchkins

Upper West Side/Central Park
Tuesdays, 8:45am and 10am
Mozart for Munchkins hosts a special classical and jazz set curated for little ones and their grown-ups, including Frosty and Snowman and Winter Wonderland. READ MORE

Trapeze School New York

Soho
Daily through October; Class times vary.
Kids ages 9 and up can fly through the air with the greatest of ease –– while wearing a mask and meeting all the current safety recs –– at the Trapeze School New York's outdoor facility, open May through October. READ MORE

Food Fun at South Street Seaport

Seaport
Fridays at 10am, through August 28
Made Fresh Daily hosts outdoor food fun classes for little ones and their adult companions. Each kid gets a kit (which includes all the ingredients), instructors wear masks, and social distancing is observed. READ MORE

Parkour – Mixed Ages

Central Park's Umpire Rock
Saturdays at 11am, through October 31
Kids congregate (with social distancing and masks in place) near Central Park's Umpire Rock to learn fundamental Parkour moves, building strength and control. Stay after class for communal training. READ MORE

The Greens at the Seaport

South Street Seaport
Daily, 11am-11pm
The rooftop gaming lawns at The Greens are now open for socially distanced competition. Games include bocce ball, cornhole, ladder ball and giant jenga and groups of up to eight people can play.   READ MORE

Sportime NY - Randall's Island

Randall's Island, Upper East Side
By appointment
Sportime on Randall's Island provides tennis programs for kids ages 3 and up, observing COVID-19 guidelines, including mask wearing and social distancing. READ MORE
Treebath is forming outdoor learning pods, including in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of Treebath
Treebath is forming outdoor learning pods, including in Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Photo courtesy of Treebath

Brooklyn

Prospect Park Tennis Center

Prospect Park South
Daily, 7am-11pm
The Prospect Park Tennis Center is open for day and evening tennis. Families can book a private or semi-private lesson (up to four students) with a roster of talented tennis pros. Or just book some court time to play! READ MORE

LeFrak Center at Lakeside

Prospect Park
Daily, 10am-8pm
Starting Saturday, August 1, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside is open daily for biking, boating and water play, with food and drink available for takeaway from the Bluestone Cafe. READ MORE

The Muse Brooklyn

Bushwick
Daily, by appointment
Brooklyn's mecca for circus arts, the Muse, offers outdoor classes for kids ages 5 and up teaching circus skills like silks, trapeze, acro, juggling, and more. Classes begin Friday, October 2, and space is limited. READ MORE
Super Soccer Stars NYC is rolling out in-person camps and classes with new social distancing guidelines. Photo courtesy of Super Soccer Stars
Super Soccer Stars NYC is rolling out in-person camps and classes with new social distancing guidelines. Photo courtesy of Super Soccer Stars

Multiple Locations

Super Soccer Stars NYC

Manhattan: UWS, Tribeca | Brooklyn: Prospect Park & Downtown
Queens: LIC & Rockaways | Bronx: Van Cortlandt Park
Class dates and times vary
Super Soccer Stars offers classes citywide that aim to teach soccer skills in a fun, non-competitive, educational environment. The sport is used to build self-confidence and develop teamwork skills. Super Soccer Stars classes start at age 12 months with parent-and-me soccer classes, and its programs carry athletes through childhood and up to age 18. READ MORE

Treebath Outdoor Programs

Central Park West & East |The Battery |Prospect Park
Sept 14 - Oct 9, times vary
Treebath's "pod" class programs for kids ages 3.5 to 8 will be available in several popular parks this fall, based on family demand. Register online with friends to schedule morning or afternoon sessions in a park near you. READ MORE

Wildman Steve Brill Foraging Tours

Inwood Hill Park | Central Park | Forest Park | Prospect Park
Ongoing; Tour dates/times vary
Wildman Steve Brill is back in city parks this summer, rummaging through the weeds to find delicious, often overlooked, goodies. Sign up for a tour, now following all the COVID-19 precautions, to learn what's safe and what isn't when it comes to wild cuisine. READ MORE

Fresh Air Summer Spaces

Manhattan | Brooklyn | Queens | The Bronx
Mon-Thur, sign up for specific time slots
The Fresh Air Fund, in response to COVID-19, has created Fresh Air Summer Spaces, fun, free and safe play spaces for New York City children. Fresh Air staff supervise a wide range of fun-filled activities, from making kaleidoscopes and birdhouses to drills in basketball and dance parties. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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