Kids are transported immediately upon entering the theater for a showing of Please Bring Balloons, a toddler-friendly production by New York City Children’s Theater.

Whimsical animal cutouts hang from the ceiling: a tiger, a horse, a zebra. The floor is covered in turf, evoking the grass of the park you’re entering. Carousel music and bird noises play in the background. Kids are invited to sit on a shared blanket on the floor, essentially putting them onstage and making them part of the play. An affable carousel operator, played by Brandon Schraml, comes around, crouching in front of kids to take their "tickets" to the merry-go-round, asking them questions and generally getting them relaxed.

Aimed at kids ages 2-5, Please Bring Balloons is one of our top picks for children's theater in NYC this winter, and among the best events for preschoolers this season.

There's so much fun new stuff going on in New York City every day that it can be hard to keep up—and it looks like 2017 will be no exception. Luckily for you, it's our job to stay on top of this when it comes to kid and family events. We've rounded up all the top annual family festivals, plus the really cool new things coming to NYC this year, including a miniature model city, mummies, big shows, new art, and a virtual aquarium coming to Times Square.

We just took a look at the best openings of 2016 for NYC kids, including dozens of new indoor play spaces, plus cool playgrounds and cultural spots. But I have a feeling that this year might just top last!

Read on for all our best picks for NYC kids in 2017, and let us know via our Facebook page if you have more suggestions. And don't forget, you can always check our Event Calendar for upcoming events and activities and our monthly GoLists.

You’re forgiven if you don’t count 2016 among your favorite years. There was Zika, ISIS, the Orlando massacre and more shootings than we care to count, the ongoing Syrian tragedy, the untimely deaths of public figures like David Bowie and Carrie Fisher, and yes, our acrimonious presidential election. But if you’re looking for a little glimmer of light, something to brighten your way into 2017, there sure were some positive signs in NYC when it came to new destinations for kids and families.

Even as we lost some of those quirky spots that make New York, well, New York, such as The Morbid Anatomy Museum and local bookstores BookCourt and P.S. Bookshop (all three in Brooklyn), the completely revamped 53rd Street NYPL reopened with a lovely children’s room and teen programming. We also gained several new playgrounds, including this whopper on the Upper West Side and a piano-shaped sprayground in Queens—and more than a dozen new kiddie gyms and play spaces across the five boroughs. And don't forget about Slide Hill on Governors Island, along with the city's first ever adventure playground. Certainly there seems to be an upward trend and more diverse lineup in terms of destinations when compared with 2015.

We’re looking forward to 2017 when the Bronx Zoo will gain a zip line (woot!), a miniature block-long city (Gulliver's Gate) will open for your gawking pleasure, downtown Brooklyn will add a new food court, and some spectacular family shows will arrive on Broadway. And let’s hear it for the Second Avenue subway, eh? Onward all, and onward to our favorite openings last year.