Our roundup of fun and free/low-cost things to do with kids in Queens this September includes fall festivals, the Queens County Fair in Floral Park, a family fiesta in Long Island City, and two great events just across the border in Long Island.
Sept. 1 and 8
Minds in Motion
Kids ages 7 and older can attend Drop-In Moving Image Studio workshops at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, where museum educators will help them make creative projects ranging from flipbooks and thaumatropes (hand-drawn optical toys) to computer animations and video games. Visitors also have the opportunity to see, handle, and explore the inner workings of moving-image technology, such as projectors, filmstrips, and video game consoles. Kids ages 7-11 must be accompanied by an adult.
Sept. 15
La Fiesta, Olé!
It’s all about the party when Socrates Sculpture Park introduces kids to the Mexican tradition of piñatas during its Saturday Art Sculpture Workshop: Fiesta Time. Kids will learn different techniques for decorating the papier-mâché and cardboard shell of the piñatas, which will be filled for a celebration in the park.
Fun Fall Festivals
The hot, sunny days of summer are waning and families are back to work and school. As the seasons change, it’s a beautiful time to enjoy nature’s bounty at autumn festivals and county fairs. Here are a few fun ways to welcome fall with your family this month.
Bounce and PlaySept. 8: Just because school is back in session doesn’t mean summer is over. Kids can enjoy an afternoon of fun activities including inflatable rides, arts and crafts projects, and giveaways at the Back to School Festival in Little Bay Park. Sept. 8. FREE!
Catch a BuzzSept. 16: You’ll be as busy as a bee enjoying “sweet” music and activities, learning how to make honey, and tasting honey-inspired treats at the second annual Honey Festival on the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk. FREE!
Get a Little Bit CountrySept. 22-23: Get ready for pie-eating and corn-husking contests, blue-ribbon competitions, live music, arts and crafts, pig races, and hayrides—oh, and did we mention carnival rides, a midway, the Amazing Maize Maze, and the Big Apple Circus Variety Show? It’s all happening at the Queens County Fair, held at the Queens County Farm Museum in Floral Park. |
Sept. 23
Green Kids
Families can discover the benefits of composting in a hands-on workshop at the Queens County Farm Museum that teaches kids biology, recycling, and responsibility. At Composting Day, co-sponsored by the Queens Botanical Garden, they’ll learn about red wiggler worms, how to set up a worm bin, and how to maintain an effective composting system.
Sept. 29
A Day on the Bay
At the National Estuaries Day Festival, hosted by Alley Pond Environmental Center in Douglaston, families can spend a day on the water and celebrate the local estuary on Little Neck Bay with boat rides, entertainment, hands-on demonstrations, crafts, and games. FREE!
Cross into Long Island for…
Sept. 21-23
Sing to Me, Elmo
Kids will see their favorite characters burst into song and dance in Sesame Street’s larger-than-life musical Can’t Stop Singing, which stops by the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.
Sept. 22-23 and 29-30
Buccaneers and Buried Gold
Join Dora, her best friend Boots, and the rest of the gang as they embark on an exciting trip to Treasure Island in Dora The Explorer Live! Dora’s Pirate Adventure, playing at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City.
More Fun for Families
For even more fun and low-cost activities in Queens and the NYC area, head to our full, searchable calendar of events!
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