Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

The Little Red Lighthouse Festival will take place this Saturday in Fort Washington Park; photo by Judy Harrow via flickr
The Little Red Lighthouse Festival will take place this Saturday in Fort Washington Park; photo by Judy Harrow via flickr

There’s something for everyone to check out this week in the city. Whether you’re a dog devotee, a comics connoisseur, a LEGO lover, or simply a fan of the five boroughs, you’re sure to enjoy this selection of NYC events. Happy October!

Thursday, October 9-Sunday, October 12

New York Comic Con
The Javits Center
Various times
Families with children of all ages should head over to the Javits Center for New York Comic Con! An annual classic, this comic book bonanza will feature days of comic book author autograph signings, movie screenings, lectures, and memorabilia displays! The convention will host daily activities for children in the Family HQ, and, as usual, Sunday is Kids Day! There will be performances from Super Sprowtz and Gustasfer Yellowgold, hands-on arts and crafts workshops, a kids costume parade, storytelling with New Victory Theater, and much more.

Friday, October 10-Monday, October 13

Grand Opening Celebration of the Flatiron District LEGO Store
Madison Square Park
Various times
Join the LEGO Group and New York Family in celebrating the grand opening of the new LEGO Store Flatiron with a four-day bash October 10-13 in Madison Square Park. This new flagship location will have 3D LEGO mosaics of the neighborhood’s history, as well as life-size LEGO models! Participants can help Master Builders construct a 20-foot tall Statue of Liberty model made entirely out of LEGO blocks and receive daily prizes by being one of the first 300 visitors to make a qualifying purchase.

Saturday, October 11

My Dog Loves Central Park Fair
Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park
11am-3pm
Bring your family and dog(s) to Central Park this Saturday for the My Dog Loves Central Park Fair! Spend a dog day afternoon with your pooch during this on-leash event which includes games, trainer sessions, microchipping, a dog agility obstacle course, a pet-friendly real estate talk, canine makeovers, and more. Kids will lap up the Family Fun Zone where they can participate in a scavenger hunt and get their face painted! Free. This event will take place rain or shine.

Little Red Lighthouse Festival
Fort Washington Park
12pm-4pm
Come by the 22nd Little Red Lighthouse Festival to celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse, made famous by Hildegarde Swift’s beloved children’s book The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. There will be tours led by the Urban Park Rangers, two musical performances, readings of Swift’s book, fishing clinics, a kids’ workout class, food, and activities for the whole family. Free

Saturday, October 11-Sunday, October 12

Open House New York
Various locations throughout NYC
Various times
Open House New York (OHNY) grants the public access to 300 historic New York City buildings. Public tours, talks and activities will take place throughout the five boroughs and will provide a glimpse into both residential and industrial landmarks. As part of OHNY, families with children ages 5 and up should be sure to check out the Weekend Family Festival at the Center for Architecture. This free two-day festival will feature design and construction activities for crafty kids. Some sites and tours are free. Others require advanced reservations for a fee of $5. OHNY will take place rain or shine.

Relevant Directory Listings

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New Settlement Community Center

<p>Offering a host of healthy, fun and exciting programs for children ages 6 months and up, including ballet and hi-hop dance with Alvin Ailey, group and private swimm classes, mixed martial arts, youth technology, piano, violin and guitar lessons, and more.</p>

Speakitaly NYC

<p>SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.  Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress. </p> <p>Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge.</p> <p>Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City… Who doesn’t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history & in the arts?</p> <p>Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor’s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"</p>

Brooklyn Music School

<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For over a century, we at The Brooklyn Music School have strived to make the joy of music, dance and performance accessible to everyone no matter their age, background, or financial status.</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In addition to offering affordable in-person and online private and group music lessons, dance classes, after-school programs, and community outreach, we also provide space for </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brooklyn and NYC artists to perform in our 250-seat Spanish-style theatre. Come by for a night of live music, or join us for a class!</span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit BrooklynMusicSchool.org to learn more, register for classes, or view our calendar for upcoming events. </span></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b378613-7fff-f89d-3c88-fe6beaabeb55"></span></p>