The Paley Center's must-see holiday extravaganza fills five floors with holiday fun and winter wonderland magic. Photo courtesy of PaleyLand
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Toys for Tots brings Christmas joy to children in need. Photo courtesy of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
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The Tianyu Lights Festival transforms the Citi Field parking lot into a magical holiday destination with larger-than-life lanterns and kid-friendly activities. Photo courtesy of the festival
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Enjoy the Coca-Cola Winter Wonderland experience at the Apollo for free. Photo courtesy of the Apollo
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During Christmas in NYC, Midtown Manhattan is chock-full of glittery eye candy. Photo by Ally Noel
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The stunning Peace, Love, and Lights drive-thru at Bethel Woods returns for another season of bringing visitors joy.
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The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is an iconic NYC holiday destination. Photo courtesy of Rockefeller Center
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Lightscape at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has become an enchanting holiday tradition for many families. Photo courtesy of the garden
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Things To Do in NYC This Weekend & Beyond: KAWS Opens, Pop-Up Ice Performance, Nature Explorations

Step into Geometric Shapes, Artechouse's new multimedia installation. Photo courtesy of Artechouse
Step into Geometric Shapes, Artechouse's new multimedia installation. Photo courtesy of Artechouse
2/24/21 - By Drew Kristofik

The last week in the-longest-February-ever brings some serious fun. Celebrate Purim with the Jewish Museum. You can also catch a gorgeous city skate pop-up concert in Midtown and check out the new Kaws exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Need more art? Artechouse's new installation, Geometric Properties, opens Monday, March 1.

Connect with the great outdoors by learning how to track animals, build a perfect fire, or simply look for early signs of spring in Inwood Hill Park. 

Poppins@Home is a perfect place to find online fun for kids. Top picks this week include a Harry Potter-inspired Wonderful World of Wizards series. We've also got music classes from Alina Celeste and a preschool class teaching science through the alphabet.

As we head into spring, the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar should start blossoming with safe, fun outdoor activities—like Easter egg hunts! So check often to see what lies ahead.

Editor's note: While we are trying to promote safer activities that occur outdoors or with social distancing guidelines in place, please keep your family and others safe by always wearing a mask and maintaining an appropriate distance. If you arrive at an event that appears too crowded, try using the “nearby” search feature on our Event Calendar to find something else to do. Keep in mind, reservations are required for many of these events, so plan your outings in advance, and be sure to click through to our listing for all the details, including address, time, and pricing.

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See the art of Brooklyn-based artist KAWS with a monumental, career-spanning exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
See the art of Brooklyn-based artist KAWS with a monumental, career-spanning exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

Best Things To Do in NYC This Week With Kids

City Skate Pop-Up Concert

Midtown West–FREE
Thursday, February 25
Ice Theatre of New York presents City Skate Pop-Up Concerts featuring impressive young skating apprentices and professional ensemble members from Ice Theatre of New York. READ MORE

KAWS: What Party

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Opens Thursday, February 25
KAWS: What Party is a sweeping retrospective featuring more than 100 broad-ranging works by Brooklyn-based artist KAWS (Brian Donnelly, American, born 1974). The exhibit includes rarely seen graffiti drawings and notebooks, paintings and sculptures, smaller collectibles, furniture, and more. READ MORE

Skyline Drive-In

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Friday, February 26: The Jungle Book (PG)
Saturday, February 27: The Muppets (PG)
Sunday, February 28: Wreck It Ralph (PG)
The Skyline Drive-In, on the Greenpoint waterfront, offers family-friendly movies with the Manhattan skyline as its backdrop. Don't have a car? No problem—socially distanced seating on lawn chairs is also available, weather permitting. READ MORE

Historic New York: The Blockhouse

Central Park–FREE
Saturday, February 27
Join the Urban Park Rangers for a hike through Central Park's northern edge to learn about the fortifications that were built for the Battle of 1812 in the area. The Blockhouse is one of two structures that pre-dates the creation of Central Park. READ MORE

Sounds of Nature

Jamaica, Queens–FREE
Saturday, February 27
The Urban Park Rangers help families discover music in nature by using natural materials and exploring the sounds inside the park. READ MORE

Sports Blitz

Oakland Gardens, Queens
Sunday, February 28
APEC's animals are performing their warmups and gearing up for serious sports fun. Come decked out in your favorite team's gear and your thinking caps to brainstorm what games frogs, tarantulas, ostriches, and squirrels excel at, based on their unique skill sets. READ MORE

Outdoor Skills: Animal Tracking

Marine Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, February 28
Head to Marine Park and join the Urban Park Rangers to search for animal tracks. Learn how to identify tracks and understand the behavior of animals who call the park home. READ MORE

Fire Building - CANCELED

The Bronx–FREE
Sunday, February 28
Head to the lovely Van Cortlandt Park to join forces with the Urban Park Rangers, who teach families primitive and modern methods for making fire safely and responsibly while exploring the great outdoors. READ MORE

Nature Exploration: Inwood Hill Park

Inwood Hill–FREE
Sunday, February 28
Discover the natural beauty of Inwood Hill Park on a moderately-paced hike with Urban Park Rangers leading the way.  READ MORE

Artechouse: Geometric Properties

Chelsea
Opens Monday, March 1
Artechouse presents an audio-visual installation by artist Julius Horsthuis: an immersive cinematic journey where the sheer beauty of mathematics, nature, and architecture coincide. READ MORE
Catch the last few days of the BAMkids Film Festival's digital run with family-friendly shorts, interactive arts workshops, and more. Photo courtesy of BAM
Catch the last few days of the BAMkids Film Festival's digital run with family-friendly shorts, interactive arts workshops, and more. Photo courtesy of BAM

Top Virtual Events This Week

Quarentuna! A FunkeyMonkeys Variety Show + Purim Spiel Zoomtacular

FREE
Thursday, February 25
NYC's Jewish Museum invites families to experience a mash-up of hilarious Zoom antics, classic video footage, and new clips in a virtual variety show with the balloon-wearing beloved monkey crew. READ MORE

Family Party (at Home!)

Sunday, February 28
Grab the kids, some art materials, and your dancing shoes, and get ready to amplify your weekend at home with an hour of art-making, movement, and creativity—and help raise funds for family programs at the Brooklyn Museum. READ MORE

Mara the Storyteller

FREE
Sunday, February 28
Performance storyteller Mara Menzies draws on the rich African storytelling tradition and sprinkles in her own brand of magic during the Sugar Hill Museum's special storytime. READ MORE

BAMkids Film Festival 2021

Through Sunday, February 28
Brooklyn’s favorite film festival for kids returns with virtual and IRL options to see family-friendly shorts and more READ MORE

Intrepid Adventures: Intrepid Women

FREE
Tuesday, March 2
NYC's Intrepid Museum celebrates Women's History Month by highlighting some of the brave, unsung women who paved the way for the inclusion of women in air and space. READ MORE
There's always something new to see on The High Line, including Simone Leigh’s Brick House on the Plinth through spring 2021. Photo courtesy of Friends of the High Line
There's always something new to see on The High Line, including Simone Leigh’s Brick House on the Plinth through spring 2021. Photo courtesy of Friends of the High Line

More Things To Do in NYC This Month

What's Open Now in NYC For Kids

Despite the pandemic, there are still plenty of things to do in NYC right now. READ MORE

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These winter walks are even more lovely with a fresh coating of snow. READ MORE

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From swanky to old-school, here are a dozen bowling alleys where kids are welcome. READ MORE

New Jersey's Liberty State Park: A Perfect Family Day Trip

Enjoy all the amenities of this waterfront park on a family day trip. READ MORE

21 Top Indoor Play Spaces in New York City

A day indoors is a lot of fun at these local romper rooms. READ MORE

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