Top Things to Do with Kids in Manhattan this July
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July 28
Get Tangled Up in the Outdoors
One of the city’s longest-running outdoor festivals, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, boasts more than 100 free performances this year, including 17 premiere performances. The fest takes place across the plazas of Lincoln Center over the course of three weeks, hitting the city July 25 and running through Aug. 12. July 28 is Family Day, which offers an afternoon of circus and street performers, an interactive play, and amazing acrobatics. In Tangle (pictured), a huge, messy, fun, and interactive performance, kids and family members help create a bouncy playground by weaving colored elastic through 25 poles of different heights set on a large platform base. The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus will bring a quirky mix of vaudeville, circus, and sideshow with a variety of acts and performers, and the Chinese American Arts Council Acrobatic Group will perform From Chinatown with Love. It’s the perfect blend of entertainment for an outdoor family day in the city. And it’s FREE!
July 28
Spiders Alive!
The American Museum of Natural History’s new exhibition, Spiders Alive!, which gives kids the chance to see arachnids up close, opens today and runs through Dec. 2.
Throughout July
Fun Family Events on Governors Island
It’s summertime and the weather’s groovy, which means it’s time to take advantage of Governors Island. Why is this island better than all other islands? Well, you don’t need a plane to get there (just take the free ferry from 10 South St.; see govisland.com for schedule), it’s far cheaper than a tropical vacation, and it’s the perfect spot for day trips with the whole family. Plus, there are endless family-centric events happening there all summer long—here’s a sampling of this month’s highlights.
Throughout July and August
Free Summer Sports Programs
On July 2, the City Parks Foundation kicks off its 2012 Summer Sports Program in more than 60 locations citywide. The program offers free youth tennis (ages 5-16), golf (6-17), and track and field (5-16) classes and provides free use of equipment. Sportsmanship, discipline, and self-esteem are emphasized along with the basic skills of the sport. The tennis and track and field programs culminate in a citywide competition at the end of the summer. To find a program near you, visit cityparksfoundation.org/sports.
Find even more fun family events in Manhattan and the NYC area in our full, searchable calendar of events!
