All Weekend

FringeJr – Downtown Manhattan
The massive New York International Fringe Theater Festival is back and while there are 200-plus offerings, there are four FringeJr shows that are aimed specifically at families. This weekend, catch the lit-themed puppet show Blown Away by Poetry and Grimm: A New Musical featuring musicalizations of famous fairy tales. In advance: $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12; at the door: $18 for adults, $10 for children under 12.

The White Doe – Upper East Side
More offbeat theater: The Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theater mounts its puppet adaptation of The White Doe, a 18th-century Czech folk tale about an evil steward who schemes to steal his lord’s wife but is thwarted by the title character. $18 for adults, $12 for children under 12.

Civil War Weekend
Head to Governors Island's Fort Jay and Castle Williams to learn about the war with living historians who will host a variety of educational programs. Enjoy historic weapons demos, period music and reenactments. FREE

Maker Weekend – Corona
The New York Hall of Science hosts another weekend of creative projects in honor of the upcoming World Maker Faire. Kids can create bottle-cap animals and cereal-box robots, build a buzzer or play with Zoobs. Afterward, stick around and explore the many attractions in nearby Flushing Meadows Corona Park. Free with admission: $11 for adults, $8 for children ages 2-17, free for kids under 2.

Saturday, August 11

Summer Streets – Manhattan
It's the second installment of NYC's annual car-free Summer Streets. 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 rest stops along the way for cool activities like a brand-new zip line at Foley Square, a rock climbing wall in Soho, plus cycling tips, pop-up playgrounds, live performances and more. Read our tips for enjoying Summer Streets before you go. FREE

Fresh Ground Pepper Eco-Circus – Kips Bay
Solar One, the green energy, arts and education center in Stuyvesant Cove Park, hosts an afternoon of circus-themed acts. Catch zany clowns, jugglers, tumblers, acrobats and more. There will also be a midway featuring games, refreshments, face painting, magicians and fortune tellers. FREE

Coastal Classrooms Family Day – Coney Island
Explore Coney Island Creek and learn about the creatures who live there with educators. FREE

Archery – Inwood
If our recent roundup of places for kids to learn archery piqued your interest, head to Inwood Hill Park today for a free lesson courtesy of the Urban Park Rangers. FREE

Greek Family Dance – Battery Park City
Hit Battery Park City's waterfront esplanade for a festive dance party hosted by acclaimed Greek folk musician Demetri Tashie. We assume a few plates will be broken. FREE

Seining the River Wild – Dumbo
Learn about the ecosystem under the Manhattan Bridge with staff from the Coastal Marine Resource Center, who'll help kids catch, log and release fish and other East River creatures. FREE

Family Day at the Center: Building Bridges – Greenwich Village
Visit the Center for Architecture to explore different types of bridges and learn how they were constructed. Afterward, families will build a model bridge to take home. Preregistration required. $20 for a family of four.

Hands-on History: A Barn Full of Animals – Jamaica
The King Manor Museum sheds light on one of our country's founding fathers, Rufus King, and the many animals he kept at his home via stories, activities and crafts. FREE

Astrograss – Midtown West
Catch kids' bluegrass band Astrograss in an outdoor concert in Bryant Park. FREE

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, August 12

SummerStage Uptown Family Day – Harlem
The final SummerStage Family Day of the season takes place in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park and features performances by Jazz for Young People and Double Dutch Dreamz, live deejay Bobbito Garcia and a dance party by Little Club Heads. FREE

Hip Tot Music Fest: Suzi Shelton – Boerum Hill
Kids' crooner and local mom Suzi Shelton hits the stage to play tunes from her latest CD, Tomboy in a Princess Dress. $12 adults, $8 for children, infants free. $35 family four-pack also available.

Second Sundays for Families: Caribean Tales – Corona
Explore the Queens Museum of Art's exhibit Caribbean: Crossroads of the World, and then fashion masks and instruments inspired by the artifacts on display. Storyteller Michael Manswell will also share Caribbean folk tales and FreeStyle will be hosting interactive activities. FREE

The Itty Biddies – Long Island City
Spend the afternoon in our neighborhood of the month, Long Island City, grooving to funky tunes by all-female trio The Itty Biddies, who make music with a melodica, a stand-up bass and two ukuleles. 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 juggling, a kids' activity tent, a ukelele social, biking, a watermelon eating contest and live music.. FREE

Clean Streets=Clean Beaches-Day of Service – Citywide
Help the NYC Department of Environmental Protection clean up some of the local beaches you've been enjoying all summer by picking removing trash and litter. A great way to give back to your community! FREE

Kids Beach Ecology – the Rockaways
More beach fun: Learn about the ecology of Queens' Rockaway Beach with the Urban Park Rangers. FREE

Historic Richmond Town Community Day: Ice House Frolics – Staten Island
Head to NYC’s only living history museum to party like it’s 1899! Hit the retro sprinklers, watch an old-fashioned ice cream-making demo, try your hand at making soap, sip on mint iced tea and explore the old buildings. Free with admission: $8 for adults, $6 for children ages 12-17, $5 for ages 4-11.

Summer Nostalgia Ride: To the Rockaways by Rail and Bus
– the Rockaways
The New York Transit Museum hosts its final summer excursion on vintage MTA equipment. This trip is particularly cool because travelers will ride retro trains and buses on the same day. Head out on the R1/9 cars from the '30s and '40s and travel through Jamaica Bay to the Rockaways, where Ralph Kramden-era buses whisk you to Gateway National Park for a day at the seaside. $50 for adults, $25 for children ages 2-17.

See all Sunday events.

Outside of NYC

Visit Camden New Jersey’s Adventure Aquarium for Shark Fest, the spot's summer-long celebration of fearsome sea creatures.

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