Our Guide To The Summer’s Best Outdoor Concerts

One of our favorite aspects of living in the city is the endless amount of free cultural programming provided for NYC families, and summer is the season to take advantage of these amazing programs and performances. We’ve rounded up a list of our favorite outdoor concert series, most of which are absolutely free! From the New York Philharmonic to the rockin’ sounds of the Deedle Deedle Dees, we’re sure that every family will find the perfect summer jam session.

Free New York
Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Concert

Tuesday July 13, 2010 from
8p.m. to 11p.m.

Central Park (The Great
Lawn)

Perfect for classical
music lovers! This concert will mark the Philharmonic’s 46^th season
of concerts in the park.

Free Encore New York
Philharmonic Concert

Wednesday July 14, 2010
from 8p.m. to 11p.m.

Central Park (The Great
Lawn)

Free Met Opera Summer
Recital

Monday July 12, 2010; 8
p.m. – 11 p.m.; Central Park.

Central Park’s
SummerStage Concert Series

A large range of
musicians, artists and poets perform throughout the summer at Rumsey Playfield
(70^th St. at Mid Park) in Central Park. The concerts are free and
open to the public.

Harlem Meer Festival

An international and
cultural experience for the whole family held at the Dana Discovery Center at
the Harlem Meer every Sunday.

Madison Square Parks’
Mad. Square Kids

Free concerts every
Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m., featuring beloved kids musicians like Erin Lee and Marci, Bubble do Beatles and The Deedle Deedle Dees.

Summer in the Square
Festival

Free music, yoga and
theatrical performances for the family, every Thursday from now until August at
Union Square Park. Starts at 7 a.m. Concert is at 6p.m.

Hudson River Park Sumer
Performance Series

Free kids concerts every
Thursday at 10:30 a.m., starting in July. There are concerts, storytelling and
theater performances for kids up to age 7.

Carroll Park Concert
Series

Four free concerts for the
whole family! Concerts begin at 4p.m. and arts and crafts are from 3:30p.m. to
5:30p.m.

Good Morning America
Concert Series

On Fridays from May to August,
Good Morning America hosts free live performances at Rumsey Playfield in
Central Park from 7a.m. to 9a.m.

Toyota Concert Series
on Today

On Fridays from May to
September, the Today Show hosts free live performances at Rockefeller Center
stage from 7 a.m. to 10a.m.

Photo: The Deedle Deedle Dees at a 2009 Performance in Madison Square Park. Courtesy of the Madison Square Park Conservancy.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Penguin Coding School

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Penguin Coding School believes that <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anyone can code<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. The most compelling motivation for learning to code is that it enables building something kids can call their own. What makes this approach "worth it" for the kids is that at the end of the road, they see that their code actually does things in the real world. Not in some playpen, but in the real Internet where anyone can access it.&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Programs:<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Penguin Coding School <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">provides comprehensive coding education to kids ages 5-18. In-person &amp; Online classes are available in Scratch, Minecraft, Roblox, Python, Javascript, Java, Robotics, and Mobile Apps. Their small class size, award winning teachers and age-appropriate curriculum ensure every child will learn coding with a smile. Penguin Coding has in-person classes and summer camps in Cobble Hill and Park Slope, as well as three Massachusetts locations. <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Free Trial Classes:&nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sign up for our award-winning<a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://penguincodingschool.com/freetrial?utm_campaign=FreeTrials&amp;utm_source=NYF&amp;utm_medium=Directory"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #1155cc; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: underline; -webkit-text-decoration-skip: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">free trial classes</a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Roboto,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. They offer a 60 minute free trial class in Scratch, Python, Roblox, Java, Robotics and much more! Appropriate for absolute beginners as well as those with some experience (trial classes are used to place students in the right level).

CK Kids

CK Kids offers various classes and programs, including Afterschool Program, Lil Chefs, Boys Hip-Hop, Ninja Starz, Lil Artists, CK Kids Athletic Programs, Acrobatics, Dance and Drama, and Karate.&nbsp;