Fun Things To Do This Weekend with Kids in New York City

By NYMetroParents Staff November 13, 2018

Plan your best weekend yet!

Weekends are the best to spend quality time with your kids, whether you are planning a huge outing or are staying close to home. There’s lots to do this weekend with your family, from concerts and performances to museum exhibits, shows, crafts activities, seasonal events, parades, and more. Look no further for ideas and plan your weekend in New York City with our guide that highlights the best family-friendly events happening in and around your neighborhood. Check out our picks for kids' activities in Manhattan. Also see our guides for weekend fun in Brooklyn, Queens, Suffolk and Nassau counties and Westchester, Rockland, and Bergen counties.

Exploring the Wild: Penguins
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 9-10:30am
WHERE: Central Park Zoo, East 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, Upper East Side
AGES: 5-12
WHAT: Families discover animal survival strategies through fun activities and live animal encounters.
WANT TO GO? $25. 800-433-4149. centralparkzoo.com.

PetCon NYC 2018
WHEN: Nov. 17 -18, 9am-6pm
WHERE: Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th St., Midtown West
AGES: All
WHAT: Cuddle with cute adoptable pets in the dog adoption garden and adoptable cat cafe.
WANT TO GO? $75 and up; free for children younger than 5. 828-236-0324. petcon.co.

Paper and Pattern with Shelly Bahl
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 18 , 2 and 3pm
WHERE: Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 W. 83rd St., Upper West Side
AGES: 5-12
WHAT: Join Shelly as she leads a workshop using repeated patterns and printmaking.
WANT TO GO? $14; $11 seniors and visitors with disabilities; free for children younger than 1. 212-721-1223. cmom.org.

FREE Urban Stomp: From Swing to Mambo Youth Workshops
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 10am-2:30pm
WHERE: Abyssinian Baptist Church, 32 W. 138th St., Harlem
AGES: All
WHAT: All level dancers are invited to groove to mambo and swing music.
WANT TO GO? 310-694-7439. abyssinian.org.

Music Exploration Playdate: Zumbini!
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 11:15am-12pm
WHERE: Shine on Kids NYC, 205 W. 119th St., Harlem
AGES: Newborn-5
WHAT: Each session is designed to give parents and children the chance to explore music from around the world.
WANT TO GO? $28. eventbrite.com.

FREE Hoop Dancing Demonstrations
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 18 , Saturday, 12pm; Sunday, 12-4pm
WHERE: National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan
AGES: All
WHAT: Join a dancing duo as they demonstrate and share their dance skills and history of hoop dancing.
WANT TO GO? 212-514-3700. americanindian.si.edu.

Kids' Silent Disco and Ping Pong Party!
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 18 , 12-4pm
WHERE: Spin New York , 48 E. 23rd St., Flatiron District
AGES: All
WHAT: Not only will there be family-friendly music, but also tons of open ping pong tables.
WANT TO GO? $10-$25. 212-982-8802. wearespin.com.

Community Care Fair
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 18 , 11am-3pm
WHERE: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave., East Harlem
AGES: All
WHAT: Explore objects, traditions, and stories of people caring for one another.
WANT TO GO? $18; $12 students and seniors; free for ages 19 and younger . 347-441-9181. mcny.org.

Moona Luna
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 11am
WHERE: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, Upper West Side
AGES: All
WHAT: The band will perform songs in English and Spanish.
WANT TO GO? $17. 212-864-5400. symphonyspace.org.

Music Across Borders: 'Dancing Across the Universe- The Waltz'
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 2pm
WHERE: David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center, 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, Upper West Side
AGES: 5-12
WHAT: An exploration of how the waltz grew from a social dance to a nostalgic symbol, by the New York Philarmonic.
WANT TO GO? $15-$42. 212-707-8566. lc.lincolncenter.org.

FREE Young Actors Open House
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 4:30-6pm
WHERE: The Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute , 115 E. 15th St., Union Square
AGES: 5-17
WHAT: Attendees learn warm-up exercises and method acting techniques that will help them develop as actors and artists.
WANT TO GO? 212-533-5500. newyork.methodactingstrasberg.com.

Addy & Uno
WHEN: Nov. 18 - Jan. 6, Sundays, 12pm
WHERE: Theatre Row, 410 W. 42nd St. , Midtown
AGES: 3-8
WHAT: With an original score, heartwarming story, and hilariously adorable puppets, the 50-minute musical comedy tells the story of a young boy with autism as his friends help him compete in his school’s math competition.
WANT TO GO? $40. 212-239-6200. addyanduno.com.

Living and Working in the Sky
WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 17 , 10:30-11:45am
WHERE: The Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place, Battery Park
AGES: 3-8
WHAT: Families will learn about the world's tallest buildings, design their own skyscrapers, and decide what to include in the process.
WANT TO GO? $5. 212-945-6324. skyscraper.org.

MOCACREATE: Code Breakers
WHEN: Nov. 3 -17, Saturdays, 1-4pm
WHERE: Museum of Chinese in America, 215 Centre St., Little Italy
AGES: All
WHAT: See how Chinese language messages were translated into Morse code, then make your own translations with a secret decoder ring!
WANT TO GO? $10; $7 seniors, students, military; free for children younger than 2 . 212-619-4785. mocanyc.org.

History Hunters: A Kid's Life at School
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 18 , 11am-12:30pm
WHERE: Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., Lower East Side
AGES: All
WHAT: This program takes children back in time to discover what childhood was like 100 years ago.
WANT TO GO? $5. 212-219-0302. eldridgestreet.org.