Best Family Weekend Activities in NYC

For even more weekend events, plus local family-friendly events and activities all week long, check out our full calendar!

HOT OFF THE BLOG!

Lois Lowry, the author of the bestselling The Giver quartet and Number the Stars, will be a special guest along with actor and director Sean Astin at Symphony Space’s Thalia Kids’ Book Club on Sunday, October 19. Check out our exclusive interview with Lowry here. Page-turner!

Best-selling author and artist Hervé Tullet is coming to New York this weekend for events at the Guggenheim (Saturday) and at Brooklyn Public Library (Sunday). Check out our interview with Tullet, in which he discusses his whimsical sensibility, his creative process, and creating a dialogue between children and adult readers. Mix it up!

FRIDAY

celebrations-2.jpg_ — Enjoy live music at the Wave Hill Enchanted Weekend celebration! Photo via wavehill.org

Be amazed by Big Apple Circus’s all-new show, METAMORPHOSIS, featuring wonders from the Flying Trapeze to Quick-Change conjurors to contortionists! Even better, no one sits more than 50 feet from ringside at this two-hour-long show. (Through November 20) Clown around!

SATURDAY

Join Madison Square Park for its Fall Kids Fest, sponsored in part by New York Family. Enjoy face painting, storytelling, arts & crafts workshops, lawn games, live music from Songs for Seeds, and more. Little ones can also claim a pumpkin in the park’s pumpkin patch and dress in costume for the Halloween parade. (Saturday) Madison Square madness!

Massive pumpkins–some weighing more than 1,800 pounds–will arrive at the New York Botanic Garden this weekend to be transformed by master carver Ray Villafane and his team. Enjoy daily Q&A sessions with the carvers, and tasty snacks provided by Whole Foods during Giant Pumpkin Carving Weekend. (Saturday-Sunday) Super squash!

Enjoy the magic of autumn during this special Enchanted Weekend at Wave Hill. Create fairy houses and tiny wands with your little ones, and catch a special concert by the Metropolitan Four or hear some fairy tales at this enchanted seasonal celebration. (Saturday-Sunday) Frolic with fairies!

The Museum of the Moving Image will honor master illustrator Chuck Jones at Chuck Jones Family Day. Visitors can participate in a scavenger hunt, animation activities and hands-on workshops led by teaching artists and screenings of Chuck Jones cartoons in the Redstone Theater throughout the day. Free cookies provided by Whimsy & Spice and Amy’s Bread. (Saturday) Get animated!

Join a dad and his young daughter as he tells the story of “The Snail and The Whale,” an action-packed, musical tale of a tiny snail with wanderlust, opening at the New Victory Theater this weekend. To see the world, the itchy-footed invertebrate hitches a ride on the tail of a giant humpback whale and forges an unlikely friendship. (Saturday-Sunday) It’s showtime!

El Museo del Barrio’s free Super Sabato event celebrates the 3,000 year-old tradition of Dia de los Muertos. Get your face painted, enjoy the musical procession and concert from Pistolera, make some spooky crafts or visit the storytelling section! (Saturday) Time to party!

Hungry for some new flavors? Head over to South Street Seaport for the 5th annual Taste of the Seaport. More than 25 restaurants will be participating in this year’s fest including Ambrose Hall, Barbalu, The Capital Grille, Pita Press, and others. There will also be a Kid’s Zone featuring games, arts & crafts, face painting, and tennis and soccer clinics. Proceeds will benefit the Spruce Street School (P.S. 397) and the Peck Slip School (P.S. 343) (Saturday) Take a bite!

SUNDAY

Have no fear pickle lovers! The Lower East Side’s annual Pickle Day is back this Sunday! All ages can show up for food, shopping, a home pickling contest, DJ lessons, pumpkin face painting, animal adoptions, and much more. Plus, of course, sampling the city’s best pickles. (Sunday) They’re dill-icious!

Legendary children’s singer and songwriter Raffi will perform live in concert this Sunday at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College! Fans of all ages will be treated to favorites such as “Baby Beluga,” Down By The Bay,” and “Corner Grocery Store.” Recommended for families with children ages 2 and up. (Sunday) Clap along!

The music of South Africa can be heard at Carnegie Hall when Ladysmith Black Mambazo performs on Sunday in a special family show. The Grammy Award-winning group will be singing their hits including “Music Knows No Boundaries” and the Nelson Mandela-inspired “Long Walk to Freedom.” (Sunday) Magical melodies!

Join the Union Square Partnership and Fox5 NY for Modern Family’s Fall Day for all! This free, family-friendly Halloween event will include an interactive corn maze–over 60 feet long and 8 feet tall–and a pumpkin patch! As visitors work their way through the maze, they’ll be tested with “Modern Family” trivia and an augmented reality experience. Plus, there will be face painting and candy giveaways from Hershey! (Sunday) Family festivity!

Come to “Kid Row” on the Upper East Side for the second annual Octoberfest celebration! This afternoon of fall fun will feature face painting, glitter tattoos, mini-manis, a DJ for dancing and karaoke, refreshments, multi-sport activities for children, free art projects, raffles, and more! (Plus some discounts at local businesses!) (Sunday) Rockin’ on Kid Row!

Broadway Dance Center Children and Teens

With more than 35 years of experience, Broadway Dance Center Children &amp; Teens provides young movers ages 3-18 with exceptional training. BDC delivers the finest all-around dance experience for students by offering a wide variety of styles and levels, performance opportunities, and the highest caliber dance instruction that only New York City and BDC Children &amp; Teens can provide. This studio is so much more than a training course for young dancers; it is a diverse, family-friendly community for budding creatives. It has an exemplary faculty who follow the vision to not only develop a dancer&rsquo;s love and ability in dance, but to do so in a nurturing and supportive way.

Instituto Cervantes

Children and teenagers learn to understand and express themselves in Spanish, while improving their communication skills through a dynamic immersion program taught by NATIVE TEACHERS that combines CLASSES, ARTISTIC WORKSHOPS and FUN ACTIVITIES! All of our high-qualified teachers are native Spanish speakers who adapt the structure of the class to the needs and levels of each group while conducting the classes entirely in Spanish. We offer both Spanish Summer Camps and Regular Courses for children along the year to foster language learning and multicultural understanding.

Play On! Studios

Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games! Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun! Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show! During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we&rsquo;ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us. &nbsp;