All Weekend

World Maker Faire New York 2012 – Corona
The grounds of the New York Hall of Science explode with all kinds of inventions and creations, everything from knitting to robotics, circus to interactive sculptures, computers to crafts. Many exhibitors host hands-on activities for all ages. Last year we saw kids deconstructing computers, weaving bracelets, doing circus tricks, playing with remote-control robots, building complicated structures out of intricate oversize blocks and much, much more. The Young Makers are particularly inspiring, with kids showing off their cutting-edge and kooky projects. And everyone loves the life-size working replica of the Mouse Trap board game. Read our in-depth post for more info and a list of tips about doing Maker Faire with kids. $27.50 for adults, $12 for children ages 2-17; at the door: $30 and $15 respectively.

Dumbo Arts Festival – Dumbo
This massive, three-day festival fills the always funky Brooklyn neighborhood with visual arts, live performances and interactive activities for all ages. New this year is Art Village, a kids' activity area curated by the Children's Museum of the Arts featuring a slew of hands-on fun for families. Read our post for the scoop on Art Village and other cool kids' stuff at the fest Afterward, be sure to hit Brooklyn Bridge Park for its awesome playgrounds, public art and $2 rides on the stunning Jane's Carousel. FREE

Boo at the Zoo – the Bronx
The Bronx Zoo kicks off its annual Halloween festivities this weekend. Families can tour a not-too-scary haunted mansion or take a haunted hayride through Creepy Hollow. Tamer activities include dancing to Gigi and the Lend Me A Hand Band, animal-themed puppet shows by Noel MacNeal of Sesame Street, costume parades, a hay maze, crafts and trick-or-treating. Boo at the Zoo is wildly popular so expect crowds. All activities are free with Total Experience Tickets: In advance: $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for children 3-12; at the door: $32.95 and $22.95 respectively.

Last Weekend for Governors Island – Governors Island
The art-filled isle closes for the season on Sunday. So it's your last chance to play a free game of mini-golf, romp in the interactive sculpture garden, take a leisurely car-free bike ride, picnic on the grassy lawns and enjoy gorgeous views of lower Manhattan until 2013.

Saturday, September 29

Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day – Citywide
Thirty-two New York City culture spots are offering free admission today courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine. We have a comprehensive list of museums in our post, but best bets for kids include the New York City Fire Museum in Hudson Square, the Bard Graduate Center, which has a great circus exhibit on view, and the New-York Historical Society, home to the DiMenna Children's History Museum. Make sure you find out how to print out your free tickets before you go. FREE

Chile Pepper Fiesta – Prospect Lefferts Gardens
While the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's fiery festival isn’t aimed specifically at kids, there are plenty of family attractions to make it worth your while. Kids can plant chile peppers to take home, make beaded necklaces from recycled paper, take a West African dance class or catch hot performances like pepper juggling and fire swallowing. There will also be live music on two stages, and lots of spicy grub. $15 for adults, free for children under 12.

Common Ground Family Festival featuring the Morningside Lights Illuminated City Parade – Morningside Heights
Head to Morningside Park for this annual family favorite featuring face painting, pony rides, balloon art, live music and a performance by the Swedish Cottage Marionette Puppet Theatre. Bring your own picnic dinner or grab great grub from the food trucks on hand. As darkness falls, the fest culminates in an amazing spectacle: Morningside Lights, a procession of illuminated cityscape sculptures that are being created in free art workshops at Columbia University's Miller Theater all week long. There's still time to sign up for building sessions this week in the afternoons and evenings. FREE

Fiesta! Celebrating Hispanic and Latin American Culture – Upper East Side
The Metropolitan Museum of Art celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month with live music by the Mariachi Real de México band, lots of varied art workshops, bilingual storytimes and interactive dance workshops from Ballet Hispanico. Free with admission: $25 for adults, free for children under 12.

Fall Family Art Workshop – Flatiron
In honor of Leo Villareal's BUCKYBALL—a 20-foot LED statue made of geometric shapes that's set to debut in Madison Square Park next month—kids can create their own interlocking luminescent puzzles. Villareal is the same artist behind the awesome Hive, an LED honeycomb that's mounted on the ceiling of Bleecker Street's uptown 6 subway station. FREE

Hands-on Gardening – Upper East Side
Head to the Mad Fun Farm for hands-on gardening activities. Families can help nonprofit organization Concrete Safaris plant bulbs, harvest crops, spread wood chips and more. FREE

National Estuaries Day Festival – Douglaston
Enjoy a canoe or kayak ride, a nature walk or one of the other special activities celebrating Alley Pond Environmental Center's local estuary Little Neck Bay. FREE

The Deedle Deedle Dees – Carroll Gardens
This year's Carroll Park Kids' Concert Series wraps up with a concert by the Deedle Deedle Dees. Pre-show activities include a freestyle hula-hooping jam and a set by Kidville's Rockin’ Railroad Band. Free but donations encouraged.

Saga-Sites Kick-Off Workshop – Murray Hill
Families can explore the new exhibit Saga-Sites: Landscapes of the Icelandic Sagas at Scandinavia House with artist Einar Falur Ingólfsson, whose work is featured in the display, and a pair of art educators. Afterward, kids will create art inspired by their virtual trip to the exotic land. Preregistration recommended. FREE

See all Saturday events.

Sunday, September 30

Medieval Festival – Inwood
Party like it's 1399 at this fest along the Hudson River. Watch knights joust and other pageantry of the era, enjoy live strolling musicians, dramatic minstrels and juggling jesters, and browse the old-school wares at many vendors. FREE

Atlantic Antic –Brooklyn
Brooklyn's biggest street fair boasts several stages of live music (R&B, jazz, rock, country, kids' bands, you name it) and literally hundreds of vendors. There's a whole block dedicated to kids' activities like pony rides, inflatables, face painting and balloon sculptures. Grown-ups should appreciate the eclectic selection of international eats. Plus the nearby New York Transit Museum is holding its annual Bus Festival in conjunction with the fest, where you can check out all kinds of retro rides. FREE

Children’s Day – South Street Seaport
This annual favorite (moved from June to September this year) features a ton of kiddie fun, including appearances by Curious George and Maisy, live music from Hot Peas 'N Butter, Tim & the Space Cadets and Mil's Trills, and Gordon from Sesame Street, who plays host for the afternoon. FREE

DayLife Street Festival – Lower East Side
Orchard Street will be transformed into an AstroTurf oasis where families can play backyard games like Twister, croquet and badminton. Local merchants and restaurants will also set up tables and pushcarts, and there will be live music, dancing and other amusements. FREE

Raptor Fest – Prospect Park
Get up close and personal with owls, hawks, falcons and other birds of prey with the Urban Park Rangers at the Audubon Center. FREE

China Week Cultural Festival – Chinatown
If you missed last weekend's Autumn Moon Cultural Festival, you have a chance to catch a similar celebration today, also sponsored by the Better Chinatown Society. Enjoy cultural performances, arts and crafts, food, vendors and more. FREE

See all Sunday events.

Outside NYC

My family and I saw How to Train Your Dragon Live when it played on Long Island over the summer and were totally blown away. This weekend the show hits the IZOD Center in New Jersey. If your kids are fans of the flick, they're going to love it. And we've got details on how you can save up to 25% on tickets.

Pumpkin picking season has arrived! We've rounded up pumpkin patches within an hour of NYC where you can pick a gourd, take a hayride and even grab some apples if there are any left.

On Long Island, head to the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium Fall Festival for live animals, arts and crafts, and games for the whole family. Plus enjoy some catch-and-release trout fishing.

The popular two weekend Southington Apple Harvest Festival kicks off this weekend in Connecticut. Bite into mouthwatering apple fritters, hit the carnival rides and watch a fireworks display.

Don't forget: We have additional activity options in our Event Calendar.