Weekend Planner: October 5-8

New York Botanical Garden, photo by Wundoroo

There’s nothing like the rare long weekend to encourage us to get out and about. This weekend all sorts of thrills await, from the spooky variety at the New York Botanical Garden’s Haunted Pumpkin Garden to the cutting edge variety at the Liberty Science Center, which just got a surgery performing robot. Another one of our favorites: Open House New York. Keep reading to learn more.

STARTING FRIDAY

Get a head start on Halloween celebrations at “Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween Adventure” in Central Park. Mermaids, monsters, pirates, and more–oh my! (Friday-Saturday)

So you want to be a surgeon? The da Vinci robot, new at the Liberty Science Center, lets you do just that. Here’s how it works. (Friday-Monday)

Yes, the Affordable Art Fair is for kids and adults, thanks to a CMA tour of the grounds and special street art workshops this weekend. Get creative! (Friday-Sunday)

STARTING SATURDAY

Honor your favorite toys at the Toy Museum of NY’s new Cobble Hill location, where you get an amazing chance to pay with a collection of toys from the ’80s to ’90s. (Saturday)

Stunning NYC architecture opens to the public for Open House New York. From treasure hunts to origami making, find the kids offerings right here. (Saturday-Sunday)

You know it’s fall when the Harlem Harvest Festival brings pumpkin carving, dance lessons, live music, and more to the streets. Jump in! (Saturday)

The Little Red Lighthouse Festival gives fams the unique opportunity to tour Manhattan’s only lighthouse. Reading, crafts, and snacks abound at its Fort Washington Park location. All aboard! (Saturday)

The haunted pumpkin playground returns to the New York Botanical Garden with parades, puppet shows, and all things spooky all month long. Be brave, friends. (Saturday-Monday)

Butterflies are back at the American Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Conservatory, where winged creatures from all over the world delights all ages. Fly on over! (Saturday-Monday)

SUNDAY ONLY

It’s apples galore at Queens County Farm Museum this weekend, full of cider, baked goods, and hayrides. Hop on! (Sunday)

MONDAY ONLY

CMOM celebrates Columbus Day with a special performances by NYC guitarist Richard Younger, who will be singing an energetic mix of traditional and orignal tunes. Rock on. (Monday)

Get festive at Columbus Day Parade, a spectacle of bands, floats, and performers all along Fifth Avenue. Woohoo! (Monday)

Adventuring Portal

<a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&amp;D) games for kids.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&amp;D. Our D&amp;D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Monday &ndash; Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).&nbsp;&nbsp;15 total gaming hours for $180.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor&rsquo;s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done &amp; take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&amp;D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do. All our games focus on experiential learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&amp;D adventuring! We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum.&nbsp; All girls&rsquo; groups available.&nbsp; I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started&nbsp;Adventuring Portal, an&nbsp;online Dungeons &amp; Dragons&nbsp;business&nbsp;for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&amp;D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.

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.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;