Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

The Children's Museum of the Arts' Japanese Culture Festival will take place this Sunday! Photo via cmany.org. — The Children’s Museum of the Arts’ Japanese Culture Festival will take place this Sunday! Photo via cmany.org.

As we enter the last stretch of summer, this week we chose the best of the best for you and your family–including an Olympic-themed fest, a three-day homage to pachyderms, a celebration of indie children’s theater, and two stunning Asian fests that will blow you away. Enjoy!

Through Thursday, August 11

Citi Celebrates Team USA: Rio on the Hudson
Pier 26 in Hudson River Park
12pm
Cheer on Team USA this week during Citi’s Rio Olympics celebration at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park. Festivities include face painting, children’s games, music, and arts and crafts, virtual golf swing bays and sprint races. And if those choices aren’t enough, there will also be samba dance performances, photo ops, and visits from former Olympians including Mia Hamm and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. See event website for daily schedules. This event is free.

Friday, August 12-Sunday, August 14

World Elephant Day Weekend
The Bronx Zoo
11am-4pm
Join the Bronx Zoo this weekend for World Elephant Day! To honor the elephants lost each year for their ivory, help the zoo create 35,000 origami elephants for a Guinness World Record. Zoo visitors can also listen to original music created by DJ Ecotone using wild elephant calls and participate in one of three yoga sessions at Astor Court. Free with zoo admission.

Beginning Saturday, August 13

FringeJR Festival
14th Street Y
Various times
Celebrate the New York International Fringe Festival’s 20th anniversary in a kid-friendly way at FringeJR! All FringeJR productions are recommended for families and groups with children ages 5-12. This year’s lineup includes a show that explores Amelia Earhart’s legacy through music, puppetry, and circus arts; a production that transports audiences to a pirate’s magical world, and much more! Be sure to stop by Fort FringeJR, where kids can enjoy free arts and crafts and hang with their favorite characters from the shows! Tickets are $13. Runs through Saturday, August 27.

Saturday, August 13

Dragon Boat Family Festival
Museum of Chinese in America
12pm-4pm
Check out the Museum of Chinese in America this Saturday for a Dragon Boat Family Festival! All ages can enjoy calligraphy workshops, storytelling, arts and crafts, a bug gallery hunt, and zongi (pyramid-shaped rice balls) wrapping and tasting. Tickets are $10; free for children under the age of 2.

Sunday, August 14

Japanese Culture Festival
Children’s Museum of the Arts
12pm-4pm
Head to the Children’s Museum of the Arts on Sunday for its Japanese Culture festival. The Japanese Folk Dance Institute will perform a traditional folk dance and teach fest-goers how to make their own flower hats for the Flower Hat Dance parade. There will also be origami making, Japanese garden designing, and much more! Free with museum admission.

WCS Education - Wildlife Conservation Society

Explore nature, learn about the planet, and get close to animals&mdash;all in New York City! WCS zoo and aquarium day camps are for every young adventurer, from toddlers to teens. Campers experience hands-on learning, from STEAM classrooms and animal exhibits to nature trails and the beach. Recognized as industry leaders, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Education Department was the first of its kind to offer zoo camps and continues to provide award-winning programming. Visit wcs.education/camps to explore summer camps at the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, and New York Aquarium!

British Swim School - Manhattan

The premier learn-to-swim provider for people of all ages, offering programs for children ages 3-months through adults.&nbsp; British Swim School uses gentle teaching methods and a survival-first approach to help people of all experience levels become safer, stronger swimmers. British Swim School&rsquo;s safe, fun, and effective instructional program has made it the preferred choice for parents and students for over 40 years. Come see the British Swim School difference!

Polaris Productions Theater Camp

Kids will learn, rehearse, and perform the wonderful Maurice Sendak and Carole King musical, Really Rosie. For 10 weekdays, campers will take part in physical and vocal warm-ups and learn choreography, staging, and vocal parts. They&rsquo;ll develop skills in acting, singing, character development, and more. This camp will ignite your child&rsquo;s imagination and passion for performing, build their self-esteem, and help them form lasting friendships. They&rsquo;ll have fun! At camp&rsquo;s end, the kids will perform Really Rosie for family members and friends. Kids of all levels of experience, ages 8 through 13, are welcome to join.