It’s mid-August. The best way to keep the back-to-school blues at bay is to get out there and squeeze in as much fun as you can in the upcoming weekends. Over the next few days, the family has one last chance to get active at Summer Streets, participate in some kite flying fun, get cultured at NYC Children’s Festival, and much more. Enjoy!
STARTING FRIDAY
Ready to join the baby circus? At the Scandinavia House’s interactive performance, ages 18-24 enjoy acrobatic partner exercises and bite-resistant props with the ‘rents. Wow! (Friday)
Meet your favorite Wiggles band members at Pier 78, where they’ll all be hanging out atop a Gray Line bus to greet their fans. Don’t forget the camera. (Friday)
Learn all about the physical phenomena that is light, with fun experiments dealing with speed, momentum, reactions, and more at the physics workshop at NYPL’s main branch. Nerdy is the new cool. (Friday)
Get crafty at King Manor Museum in Queens, where you can learn from the experts at artisan demos of spinning, tinsmithing, weaving, and broommaking–all set to awesome live music. Right on! (Friday & Saturday)
In The Theater for the New City’s newest show, a 9-year-old prince is forced into the role of a king. With goals of abolishing poverty, “Timmy The Great” is all about doing good. Show some support! (Friday-Sunday)
STARTING SATURDAY
Last chance to catch Summer Streets, in which Park Avenue closes for sports like biking, rollerblading, and rock climbing, not to mention food, crafts, and classes. Get moving!
(Saturday)
Enjoy the charm of the ’20s at Governors Island’s second Jazz Age Lawn Party, featuring carnival games, picnic lunches, dance lessons, tug-o-war, and other old-fashioned fun. Ready to Charleston? (Saturday)
Make beautiful kites and learn to fly them during FlyNYC 2013 at Pier 1 in Riverside Park, where live music completes the wholesome epxerience. Fly on over! (Saturday)
At the Cloisters Museum, follow medieval merchants on their travels in search of precious spices, silks, and other goods in distant lands. Who says history can’t be fun? (Saturday)
Calling all architects: Show off your skills beach-style at Coney Island’s Sand Sculpting Contest. Face painting, clowns, and other clowns also await. What’s not to love? (Saturday)
The NYC Children’s Festival is a two-day extravaganza of Harlem Week, with games, crafts, sports clinics, a back-to-school fashion show, and more. Jump in! (Saturday & Sunday)
Celebrate the summer harvest season with garden games, cultural crafts, pickle tastings, and playtime in the dirt at the New York Botanical Gardens. More here. (Saturday & Sunday)
Best excuse to ferry out to Staten Island: A weekend of music, magic shows, carnival eats, and fireworks. Yes, please! (Saturday & Sunday)
SUNDAY ONLY
Travel back in time with a new Lower East Side tour with treats and stories along the way. Vist a tenement-style synagogue, peek inside a century-old trunk of treasures, and more. More here. (Sunday)
Colombia meets New York in this floral celebration of multicultural unity, featuring a parade of florals from all over the world alongside dancing, music, and other festivities. Dive in! (Sunday)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Looking ahead into next week, Disney Junior is making healthy habits fun at its new Doc’s Mobile Clinic next Wednesday, August 21st, at the Disney Store in Times Square, where families can participate in a host of wellness-minded activities–all free.
