Weekend Planner: Fun Family Activities In NYC (April 24-26)

Night Lights at Wave Hill

As part of Wave Hill’s 50th anniversary celebration, visitors are invited to enjoy the garden during the evening and taken in the immersive outdoor installation "The Lightening: a Project for Wave Hill’s Aquatic Garden,” by artist Chris Doyle. Plus: enjoy piano performances of classical, jazz, and show tunes in the Mark Twain Room of the Wave Hill House. (Starts Friday)

The New York Children's Theater Festival

Kick off the New York Children’s Theater Festival this weekend by catching “The Sock Who Lost His Mate” at The Players Theater! Sock Left goes on a journey to find his mate, Sock Right, in this fun family show. Part of the New York Children’s Theater Festival, ages 4 and up will enjoy this one-weekend-only show about friendship and the power of determination. And for more great family-friendly theater, the fest runs through May 17! (Opens Friday)

Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair

Celebrate the close of the Tribeca Film Festival at this free family street fair. You’ll have the chance to see special performances from Broadway shows on the Festival stages, attend free screenings, participate in high-tech activity stations and animation demos in addition to enjoying food and face-painting stations. This year’s schedule includes a public video game arcade, face painting, and performances from Marcia the Musical Moose, Meredith O’Conner, and the Broadway casts of “Gigi,” “On The Town,” “Les Miserables,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” and others. (Saturday)

Sakura Matsuri Weekend at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Celebrate spring and the gorgeous, but fleeting, 
cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s sixth annual Sakura Matsuri weekend, a festival of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. Weekend events will include samurai sword fighting, taiko drumming, tea ceremonies, children’s bonsai workshops, manga drawing, kabuki dance, and more! (Saturday-Sunday)

South Street Seaport Museum Opening Day at Pier 16

Kick off another great season at the South Street Seaport Museum with an afternoon of family fun! Come out to Pier 16 for hands-on educational programs focusing on sailors' navigation, creatures that live in the New York Harbor, and conducting a buoyancy test; watch the uprigging of the schooner Lettie G. Howard; enjoy live music, and more! At the Visitors Center at 12 Fulton, kids and adults are invited to paint paint a mural of images related to Opening Day at the Seaport on the new Seaport Storywall. The museum will also be offering a special opening day offer--new members can sign up for $1. (Saturday)

Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players present "The Mysterious Hat" at the New Victory Theater

Two-time Grammy nominees Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players are putting on a special concert experience for audiences at the New Victory Theater this weekend. “The Mysterious Hat” show will feature new songs for children to jam to in the kiddie mosh pit. Prior to the 3pm shows, there will be a correlating 90-minute family songwriting workshop led by New Vic teaching artists during which young rockers will compose original songs through a series of fun activities. (Saturday)

Street Games in Thomas Jefferson Park

Join NYC Parks and the Walt Disney Company for street games like hopscotch, pogo sticks, hula hoops, and handball, plus a Soap Box Derby! There will also be live music and entertainment, including performances by the Dance Theater of Harlem, and vendors selling food and drinks. (Saturday)

Kid's Comic Con at Bronx Community College

Head to Bronx Community College for a day of comics, workshops, and performances during the 9th annual Kid's Comic Con! This year’s theme is Comics: A Global Superpower, and its focus is on comics from all over the world. Activities include “Lolly & Leslie’s Courageous, Outrageous, Fantastically Contagious Comic Book Soundscape,” an interactive comic book show featuring puppeteer Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, puppet workshops, role-playing card game tournaments, and, of course, tons of comic books for sale. (Saturday)

March for Babies Manhattan Walk

New York Family is proud to support and encourage everyone’s participation in the March of Dimes’ largest annual fundraising event, the March for Babies, taking place on Sunday, April 26! Join Eli Manning and thousands of New Yorkers for the Manhattan walk starting at Columbus Avenue and 62nd Street and ending at 26th Street and Madison Avenue. The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide, the organization works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. (Sunday)

The Story Pirates Greatest Hits Show at the Stanly H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center

Don't miss this hilarious celebration of creative writing and imagination. The Story Pirates– dubbed as “crazy entertaining” by Jon Stewart–will perform sketch comedy exclusively based on stories written by grade school children. The show will run for 45 minutes. (Sunday)

"Manxmouse: the Mouse Who Knew No Fear" at BAM

ManxMouse certainly doesn’t look like an ordinary mouse with his blue fur and large ears, but he is filled with courage! The Brooklyn Academy of Music is hosting this adventure-filled show, in which the audience can watch ManxMouse take on foxes, tigers, and his biggest adversary, the Manx Cat. (Saturday-Sunday; May 2)

New York City Children's Theater Presents "A Band of Angels" at Theater 3

Watch the New York City Children’s Theater’s new production of “A Band of Angels.” Directed by Colman Domingo (who appeared in “Selma”) this musical celebrates the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a choir founded shortly after the Civil War at one of the nation’s first schools for freed slaves. (Opens Saturday)

"The Trials of Alice in Wonderland" at TADA! Youth Theater

This musical, based on Lewis Carroll’s classic, follows Alice down the rabbit hole into the topsy turvy world of Wonderland. Join TADA! Teaching Artists on stage to learn a song and dance after the May 3rd 4pm show or May 9th 4pm show! (Opens Saturday)

15 Places to Enjoy Nature in NYC

With New York's many parks and gardens, you don't have to leave the city to enjoy nature! Check out some of our favorite "wild" spots in NYC!