Weekend Planner: Fun Family Activities in NYC (October 10-12)

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

HOT OFF THE BLOG

Get lost in a corn maze, check out the new animals, frolic in the pumpkin patch–we found out what’s hot right now at the Queens County Farm Museum. It’s a hoedown!

JMGFestival11-3 — Decorate pumpkins at the Jefferson Market Garden Children’s Fall Festival! Photo via jeffersonmarketgarden.org

Planning for Halloween? Check out our list of 10 Bewitching Bashes, and treat your little ghouls and goblins to a spook-tacular holiday! BOO!

FRIDAY

Families with children of all ages should head over to the Javits Center for New York Comic Con! An annual classic, this comic book bonanza will feature days of comic book author autograph signings, movie screenings, lectures, and memorabilia displays! The convention will host daily activities for children in the Family HQ, and, as usual, Sunday is Kids Day! Super power! (Thursday-Sunday)

Join the LEGO Group and New York Family in celebrating the grand opening of the new LEGO Store Flatiron with a four-day bash October 10-13 in Madison Square Park. This new flagship location will have 3D LEGO mosaics of the neighborhood’s history, as well as life-size LEGO models! Participants can help Master Builders construct a 20-foot tall Statue of Liberty model made entirely out of LEGO blocks and receive daily prizes. Let’s go LEGO! (Friday-Monday)

SATURDAY

Start the Halloween festivities this weekend at the Jefferson Market Garden’s Harvest Festival! Decorate free, kid-sized pumpkins, make autumn crafts, play in bales of straw, and enjoy entertainment provided by the New York Public Library. Fall fun! (Saturday)

Bring your family and dog(s) to Central Park this Saturday for the My Dog Loves Central Park Fair! Spend a dog day afternoon with your pooch during this on-leash event which includes games, trainer sessions, microchipping, a dog agility obstacle course, a pet-friendly real estate talk, canine makeovers, and more. Kids will lap up the Family Fun Zone where they can participate in a scavenger hunt and get their face painted! Woof woof! (Saturday)

Come by the 22nd Little Red Lighthouse Festival to celebrate Manhattan’s only remaining lighthouse! There will be tours led by the Urban Park Rangers, two musical performances, readings of Swift’s book, fishing clinics, a kids’ workout class, food, and activities for the whole family. Shine a little light! (Saturday)

Open House New York (OHNY) grants the public access to 300 historic New York City buildings. Public tours, talks and activities will take place throughout the five boroughs and will provide a glimpse into both residential and industrial landmarks. As part of OHNY, families with children ages 5 and up should be sure to check out the Weekend Family Festival at the Center for Architecture. This free two-day festival will feature design and construction activities for crafty kids. Go explore! (Saturday-Sunday)

Have you ever wanted to take your toddler to a punk rock show? Probably not…but what if there was a punk rock band for kids? This Symphony Space morning performance featuring the new hit kids band, The Boogers, will be a show you and your toddler can’t miss! Rock ‘n roll! (Saturday)

SUNDAY

Come to the Weeksville Heritage Center for a family concert presented by Carnegie Hall. South African singer and dancer Sbongiseni Duma, will be performing with a small ensemble consisting of a variety of musical instruments including drums, percussion, guitar, in this special concert just for kids and their families! Groove to the beat! (Sunday)

The Narrows Botanical Garden will be hosting a family-friendly Harvest Festival Sunday afternoon. Activities will include arts & crafts, pumpkin painting, costume contests, country music, and so much more! Autumnal awesomeness! (Sunday)

Take a family trip to the Guggenheim for the museum’s monthly Second Sunday tours, created exclusively for families. This tour will explore how artists push boundaries on and off the canvas. Get creative! (Sunday)

Visit the Players Theater for a magical, musical journey to Costa Rica, through the show “Tico Tales.” This production will transport the whole family to the rain forest, as you discover the legends of an ancient culture. Rock out in the rain forest! (Sunday)

Check out the opening of one of this fall’s hottest exhibits. Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs” is opening at MoMa. With their vibrant colors and crazy shapes, this exhibit is perfect for families, and is on ArtMuse’s fall art hit list! Picture perfect! (Sunday)

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.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.