Things To Do

Your Awesome New York Kids Weekend: June 26-28

By New York Family Posted on June 22, 2020

Get Ice Cream for Take-Out or Delivery

What better way to cool down this summer than by visiting the best ice cream shops in New York City? Find your new favorite flavors in any of the city’s five boroughs with these 45 ice cream shops open for take-out and delivery in Summer 2020.

Click here to see all the delicious ice cream shops open for take-out and delivery in NYC!
Read a Children's Book that Celebrates Pride

Get your kids excited for Pride by reading some kid-friendly books that go through the history that lead to this celebration and also teach kids that love is love! Here are a few of our tops picks of children’s books that celebrate Pride!

Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson

Each color on the Pride flag stands for something special and meaningful, and this book lets you explore the colors in a fun and exciting way! Through gentle rhymes and colorful photographs, Pride Colors teaches kids the meaning behind each color and about being true to themselves. Pride is all about self-love, and this book makes sure that every kid knows that they will always be loved.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders

Have you ever wondered how the Pride flag came to be what it is today? This book tells the story of the Gay Pride Flag from its inception in 1978, all the way to the present day. Harvey Milk had a dream to create a global symbol of unity that would allow LGBTQ+ people to be proud of who they are and who they love. This book shares the love and hope that is still carried with everyone celebrating today!

This Day In June by Gayle E. Pitman

If you want your kids to read and exciting and energetic book, then this is the one to look for! This book is the winner of the Stonewall Book Award for its amazing portrayal of Pride, which takes place at a joyful parade! This Day In June also contains resources for parents to speak with their children about sexual orientation and gender identity in a sensitive way.

To see the rest of these books, check out 7 Children’s Books that Celebrate Pride!
Virtual Pop-Up Lefferts: Caribbean Fitness in de Park

Learn how to utilize the park to improve your fitness, strength and endurance in this workshop led by Trinidadian-American, Flatbush-based performance coach, Marlon Jude, and then join him for a moderated conversation where he can answer your questions about getting fit and healthy in the park.
See a Drive-In Movie With the Family

Skyline Drive-In NYC is a unique drive-in theater with a view! Now open in Greenpoint and situated on the East River, the outdoor cinema boasts the Manhattan skyline as its stunning backdrop. The location in Brooklyn isn’t just used for showing movies, it’s used for making them too; the iconic spot with its skyline view has been used as a filming location by SNL, Fendi, Converse and more widely-known names. As we enter into summer, look forward to spending a warm summer evening watching movies and making memories with your family.

Click here for more info on Skyline Drive-In NYC!
Go on a Virtual Travel Experience

Head to Africa with Wild Earth Kids by hopping in the back of a jeep for a virtual action safari. Kids of all ages will enjoy this free, live, and interactive safari experience as they join safariLIVE and tour some of the famed wildlife areas, interact with experts, and drive through the African wilderness. Lions and tigers and elephants, oh my!

Travel to Australia and visit the land down under with Live from Australia and virtually experience the one-of-a-kind events hosted by some of Australia’s most iconic personalities. Explore across the continent from the Great Barrier Reef to the Sydney Opera House, and along the way plan to dance with The Wiggles and learn Aussie BBQ secrets from Hayden Quinn.  What a way to say g’day mate!

Visit the Bahamas with ‘At Home with Baha Mar.’ There’s a digital care package with ways for families and friends at home right now to get creative, relax, and connect with loved ones – all inspired by the Bahamian islands. With themed coloring pages, playtime with kids’ crafts, Happy Hour the Baha Mar way, and family game night ideas, Baha Mar provides families with a little Bahamian-inspired escape. You’ll practically feel the island breeze!

Check out The Best Virtual Travel Experiences for Families While in Quarantine for more!
Play a Virtual Game With a Friend

MarioKart Tour

Just like the classic Nintendo game, with MarioKart Tour, you can play as Nintendo characters Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi and more as you race against your friends. The app allows your child to race with up to seven other players registered as in-game friends. There’s a huge variety of recognizable classic tracks to choose from — Rainbow Road, anyone? — as well as new tracks inspired by real-life cities.

Draw Something

On Draw Something, your child can draw and guess doodles with family and friends. The Pictionary-like app encourages creativity and connection. When prompted with words from themed categories, your child will create a quick doodle or a virtual masterpiece and send it to their friends, who will try to figure out and guess the prompt for points.

Scrabble Go

The Scrabble Go app allows users to play the classic board game virtually with the official Scrabble tiles, board and dictionary. There’s also the in-app option of trying new versions of Scrabble, like Scrabble Duel, Word Drop and Scrabble Rush. Your child can easily start games with friends and connect by sending emojis and messages through in-game chat.

For more games, check out The Best Free Virtual Games Kids Can Play With Friends!
Free Activities and Concerts for Families by Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall introduced an ongoing series of free concerts and activities for kids and families. Drawn from programs created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI), this collection of resources encourages musical learning, discovery, and play for your young ones, from babies and toddlers to students in grades K–5. Your family can sing and move to music from around the world, listen to the soothing sounds of lullabies, get creative with coloring pages, and learn about the instruments of the orchestra in an interactive game. Check out their growing library of free resources for families, and stay tuned for concerts, activities, and more.
Mattel Playroom

Mattel Playroom is a free online resource that offers play-from-home activities, games, content and expert advice. Mattel is bringing families activities and content from its iconic brands, including American Girl, Barbie, Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends and more.

Photo via Popsugar

Your Awesome New York Kids Weekend

For more fun ideas to do in quarantine, check out 32 Things to Do at Home: Fun for the Whole Family

Get Ice Cream for Take-Out or Delivery

What better way to cool down this summer than by visiting the best ice cream shops in New York City? Find your new favorite flavors in any of the city’s five boroughs with these 45 ice cream shops open for take-out and delivery in Summer 2020.

Click here to see all the delicious ice cream shops open for take-out and delivery in NYC!
Read a Children's Book that Celebrates Pride

Get your kids excited for Pride by reading some kid-friendly books that go through the history that lead to this celebration and also teach kids that love is love! Here are a few of our tops picks of children’s books that celebrate Pride!

Pride Colors by Robin Stevenson

Each color on the Pride flag stands for something special and meaningful, and this book lets you explore the colors in a fun and exciting way! Through gentle rhymes and colorful photographs, Pride Colors teaches kids the meaning behind each color and about being true to themselves. Pride is all about self-love, and this book makes sure that every kid knows that they will always be loved.

Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders

Have you ever wondered how the Pride flag came to be what it is today? This book tells the story of the Gay Pride Flag from its inception in 1978, all the way to the present day. Harvey Milk had a dream to create a global symbol of unity that would allow LGBTQ+ people to be proud of who they are and who they love. This book shares the love and hope that is still carried with everyone celebrating today!

This Day In June by Gayle E. Pitman

If you want your kids to read and exciting and energetic book, then this is the one to look for! This book is the winner of the Stonewall Book Award for its amazing portrayal of Pride, which takes place at a joyful parade! This Day In June also contains resources for parents to speak with their children about sexual orientation and gender identity in a sensitive way.

To see the rest of these books, check out 7 Children’s Books that Celebrate Pride!
Virtual Pop-Up Lefferts: Caribbean Fitness in de Park

Learn how to utilize the park to improve your fitness, strength and endurance in this workshop led by Trinidadian-American, Flatbush-based performance coach, Marlon Jude, and then join him for a moderated conversation where he can answer your questions about getting fit and healthy in the park.
See a Drive-In Movie With the Family

Skyline Drive-In NYC is a unique drive-in theater with a view! Now open in Greenpoint and situated on the East River, the outdoor cinema boasts the Manhattan skyline as its stunning backdrop. The location in Brooklyn isn’t just used for showing movies, it’s used for making them too; the iconic spot with its skyline view has been used as a filming location by SNL, Fendi, Converse and more widely-known names. As we enter into summer, look forward to spending a warm summer evening watching movies and making memories with your family.

Click here for more info on Skyline Drive-In NYC!
Go on a Virtual Travel Experience

Head to Africa with Wild Earth Kids by hopping in the back of a jeep for a virtual action safari. Kids of all ages will enjoy this free, live, and interactive safari experience as they join safariLIVE and tour some of the famed wildlife areas, interact with experts, and drive through the African wilderness. Lions and tigers and elephants, oh my!

Travel to Australia and visit the land down under with Live from Australia and virtually experience the one-of-a-kind events hosted by some of Australia’s most iconic personalities. Explore across the continent from the Great Barrier Reef to the Sydney Opera House, and along the way plan to dance with The Wiggles and learn Aussie BBQ secrets from Hayden Quinn.  What a way to say g’day mate!

Visit the Bahamas with ‘At Home with Baha Mar.’ There’s a digital care package with ways for families and friends at home right now to get creative, relax, and connect with loved ones – all inspired by the Bahamian islands. With themed coloring pages, playtime with kids’ crafts, Happy Hour the Baha Mar way, and family game night ideas, Baha Mar provides families with a little Bahamian-inspired escape. You’ll practically feel the island breeze!

Check out The Best Virtual Travel Experiences for Families While in Quarantine for more!
Play a Virtual Game With a Friend

MarioKart Tour

Just like the classic Nintendo game, with MarioKart Tour, you can play as Nintendo characters Mario, Princess Peach, Yoshi and more as you race against your friends. The app allows your child to race with up to seven other players registered as in-game friends. There’s a huge variety of recognizable classic tracks to choose from — Rainbow Road, anyone? — as well as new tracks inspired by real-life cities.

Draw Something

On Draw Something, your child can draw and guess doodles with family and friends. The Pictionary-like app encourages creativity and connection. When prompted with words from themed categories, your child will create a quick doodle or a virtual masterpiece and send it to their friends, who will try to figure out and guess the prompt for points.

Scrabble Go

The Scrabble Go app allows users to play the classic board game virtually with the official Scrabble tiles, board and dictionary. There’s also the in-app option of trying new versions of Scrabble, like Scrabble Duel, Word Drop and Scrabble Rush. Your child can easily start games with friends and connect by sending emojis and messages through in-game chat.

For more games, check out The Best Free Virtual Games Kids Can Play With Friends!
Free Activities and Concerts for Families by Carnegie Hall

Carnegie Hall introduced an ongoing series of free concerts and activities for kids and families. Drawn from programs created by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute (WMI), this collection of resources encourages musical learning, discovery, and play for your young ones, from babies and toddlers to students in grades K–5. Your family can sing and move to music from around the world, listen to the soothing sounds of lullabies, get creative with coloring pages, and learn about the instruments of the orchestra in an interactive game. Check out their growing library of free resources for families, and stay tuned for concerts, activities, and more.
Mattel Playroom

Mattel Playroom is a free online resource that offers play-from-home activities, games, content and expert advice. Mattel is bringing families activities and content from its iconic brands, including American Girl, Barbie, Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels, Thomas & Friends and more.

Photo via Popsugar