Things to Do with Kids in NYC this Weekend

Plan your kids' best weekend yet in Manhattan!

By NYMetroParents Staff January 24, 2023

Enjoy these fun things to do with your kids in New York City this weekend. Start planning your weekend now with our editorially curated list of happenings for kids and families.

Editor's Picks for This Weekend

Winter Blast: A Day of Indigenous Games FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 28, 11am-4pm
WHERE: National Museum of the American Indian New York, One Bowling Green, New York, NY
AGES: All
WHAT:

Games can be fun as well as teach important life skills. Jeremy Red Eagle (Sisseton Wahpeton) from the International Traditional Games Society, Julia Garcia (Aymara), and members of the Native Hawaiian school Hālau O‘Aulani, share Indigenous games from the Great Plains, Bolivia, and Hawai’i.

WANT TO GO?
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Moon Over Manhattan: A Lunar New Year Family Day

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 28, 1-4pm
WHERE: Asia Society, 725 Park Ave., Upper East Side, NY
AGES: All
WHAT:

Asia Society rings in the New Year with performances and craft activities inspired by Lunar New Year traditions across Asia. Activities include: Lion Dance and interactive Kung Fu demonstration by the Bo Law Kung Fu martial arts school; musical performance and singalong with Elena Moon Park. Sing and dance along to Korean New Year’s songs, fun and silly songs about animals, and beautiful lullabies; Arts and craft activities

WANT TO GO? $12; $7 students and seniors; $5 members; free for children ages 12 and younger. 212-288-6400.
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Even More Weekend Fun

BATMAN x SPYSCAPE

WHEN: Jun. 8 - 8, Wednesdays-Saturday, 11am-8pm; Sundays, 11am-7pm; Mondays, 11am-8pm
WHERE: SPYSCAPE, 928 8th Ave. , Upper West Side, NY
AGES: 13 and older
WHAT:

BATMAN x SPYSCAPE is an all-new interactive experience that will drop fans into the heart of a Gotham City mystery. This experience will take fans on a top-secret mission to inﬁltrate an underworld organization, Leviathan, whose goal is to disrupt the Super Hero and Super-Villain communities. Fans become recruits and the eyes and ears for the World’s Greatest Detective, Batman, and are enlisted by the mysterious Oracle, an alternate identity of Barbara Gordon (Batgirl), to help solve some mysterious kidnappings. The adventure plays out in an immersive physical world of rich media and interactivity enhanced by a real time / real world mobile app. This approach allows fans to participate in the physical experience, while gathering intel and communicating with some of Gotham City’s most compelling characters through the app, for a unique and elevated experience.

WANT TO GO? Tickets start at $29 for adults and start at $22 for children 6-12 (recommended for ages 13 and older).
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Ice Skating at The Rink

WHEN: Oct. 28 - Mar. 5, 8am-10pm, daily; 8am-midnight, select weekend and holiday hours
WHERE: Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, Between W. 40th and 42nd Streets, Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Midtown, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: This 17,000 square foot rink features free admission ice skating, high quality rental skates, free skating shows, and events. WANT TO GO? Admission is free; $15-$50 skate rental. 212-768-4242.
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The Rink

WHEN: Nov. 5 - Mar. 31, Open daily, see website for exact times
WHERE: Rockefeller Plaza, between 50th and 49th Streets, Midtown, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Don't miss this chance to ice skate under the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree- one of New York’s quintessential winter activities. WANT TO GO? Tickets start at $21 for ages 6 and older; tickets start at $11 for ages 5 and younger. 212-771-7200.
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Upon Thy Gates, The Elaine K. and Norman Winik Mezuzah Collection

WHEN: Nov. 13 - Apr. 23, Sunday-Friday, 10am-5pm
WHERE: Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge St., Lower East Side , NY
AGES: All
WHAT:

Upon Thy Gates, The Elaine K. and Norman Winik Mezuzah Collection arrives at the Museum at Eldridge Street from the Oregon Museum of the Jewish People and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland. Curated by Kenneth Helphand, the exhibition presents 73 mezuzahs collected by the Winiks that represent a wide range of styles, materials, and Jewish symbols. The mezuzahs were created in places all over the world, including Israel, the United States, Denmark, England, Ethiopia, Germany, the Netherlands, India, Iran, Italy, Morocco, Poland, and Yemen and date from the late 18th to the 21st century.

A mezuzah (from the Hebrew word for doorpost) is a handwritten scroll containing a prayer which is placed inside a decorative case and affixed to a doorpost in the home. Among the oldest of Jewish traditions, mezuzahs are often associated with the concept of protection, and serve as a constant reminder of God and a symbol of one’s Jewish identity. This tradition and the title of the exhibition come from a mandate in the Torah to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Take to heart these instructions…and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

WANT TO GO? $15; $10 students and seniors; $8 ages 5-17; ‘Pay What You Wish’ admission is offered Mondays & Fridays. 212-219-0302.
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Disney Encanto x CAMP

WHEN: Nov. 14 - Jan. 29, See website for schedule
WHERE: CAMP 5th Avenue, 110 5th Ave., Chelsea, NY
AGES: Newborn-5
WHAT: Explore the world’s first immersive Disney Encanto experience complete with secret passages, interactive magic, live music, and surprises behind every magic door. WANT TO GO? Tickets start at $44. 917-997-0439.
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Titanic. The Exhibition

WHEN: Nov. 16 - Jan. 31, See website for schedule
WHERE: Titanic. The Exhibition New York, 526 6th Avenue, Southeast Corner of W. 14th Street at 6th Avenue, Chelsea, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Travel back to 1912 through photographs, handwritten letters, wayward keepsakes, and other personal belongings telling countless stories about the fates and heroic deeds on board. WANT TO GO? Tickets start at $31; free admission for children younger than 4.
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Winter Colorland

WHEN: Nov. 17 - Jan. 29, See website for schedule
WHERE: Color Factory New York, 251 Spring St., Soho, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Lift your spirits, grab your sleds, goggles and parkas and slide into some winter whimsy during this limited-time holiday experience. WANT TO GO? $38-$45. 347-378-4071.
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Skate the Skyline at The Rink

WHEN: Nov. 22 - Feb. 26, Mondays-Thursdays, 3-10pm; Fridays, 12-11pm; Saturdays and Holidays, 10am-11pm; Sundays, 10am-10pm
WHERE: The Seaport, 89 South Street, Seaport Square, between Piers 16 & 17, Downtown Manhattan, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: The Ice Rink returns for a season of winter festivities and complimentary skating along the East River. WANT TO GO? Admission is free; skate rentals start at $20. 212-732-8257.
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Wonderland Dreams by Alexa Meade

WHEN: Nov. 28 - Apr. 8, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 12-7:30pm; Fridays, 10am-8pm; Saturdays, 10am-8:pm; ‍Sundays, 10am-7:30pm
WHERE: Wonderland Dreams, 529 5th Avenue, Murray Hill, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Fall down the rabbit hole into a world of secret rose gardens, mad tea parties, in a living gallery that puts you inside the artwork. WANT TO GO? Tickets start at $27.
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The Rink At Manhattan West FREE

WHEN: Nov. 29 - Mar. 31, Mondays-Fridays, 2-9:15pm; Saturdays, Sundays, & Holidays, 10am-9pm
WHERE: Manhattan West Plaza , 9th Avenue, Spanning 31st to 33rd Street, Chelsea, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: The Rink at Manhattan West offers daily public skating and upscale ice skating programs for men, women, and children hosted by Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov. WANT TO GO? Admission starts at $20; Skate rental starts at $5.
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BUMP!

WHEN: Jan. 9 - Mar. 31, Monday-Friday, 12–10pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11am–10pm
WHERE: The Standard Plaza, 848 Washington St., Meatpacking District, NY
AGES: 5 and older
WHAT:

The cooler months in NYC call for a spark of energy. BUMP! answers that call with a punky, nostalgic bumper car pop-up. Set within The Standard Plaza, BUMP! celebrates the provocative power of collisions—aesthetic, cultural and literal. It’s a space to find your inner misfit and let it all out behind the wheel.

*BUMP! is weather dependent. Must be 7+ years old, at least 42 inches tall, and under 300 lbs. to ride.

WANT TO GO? $20 per ride, 8-10 min ride. .
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Sky Skate

WHEN: Jan. 10 - Mar. 14, 10am-8pm, daily; Live DJ every Thursday and Friday for the 5-8pm sessions
WHERE: The Edge at Hudson Yards, 30 Hudson Yards, Chelsea, NY
AGES: 5 and older
WHAT: Skate in the sky on a 1,024 square foot Glice® rink, a zero-energy ecological and synthetic ice rink, as you take in the best views of the city for a truly epic adventure. WANT TO GO? $10 plus admission starting at $43; free admission for children younger than 6. . 332-204-8500.
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Gazillion Bubble Show

WHEN: Jan. 10 - Apr. 30, See website for schedule
WHERE: New World Stages, , 340 West 50th Street, Hell's Kitchen, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Witness mind-blowing bubble magic, spectacular laser lighting effects, momentary soapy masterpieces, and more! WANT TO GO? $70-$110.50. 212-239-6200.
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DiscoverBoating® New York Boat Show

WHEN: Jan. 25 - 29, Wednesday-Friday, 12-8pm; Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-6pm
WHERE: Jacob Javits Center, 655 W. 34th St., Chelsea , NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Experience the best of the boating life with travel talks, indoor water activities, and hundreds of boats on display and ready to be explored by kids of all ages. WANT TO GO? $20; Children 12 years and younger allowed in FREE with a paid adult admission..
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Animation First 2023: Little Nicholas – Happy As Can Be

WHEN: Friday, Jan. 27, 7pm
WHERE: French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) , 22 East 60th Street, Turtle Bay, NY
AGES: 5-8
WHAT:

Little Nicolas: Happy As Can Be is a beautiful and delicate retelling of artist Jean-Jacques Sempé and René Goscinny lives to co-exist within the fictitious adventures of Le Petit Nicolas, the beloved character that they created. Young audiences will appreciate the humor and mischief of Little Nicholas, while adults will treasure the creative retelling of Sempé and Goscinny post-war world, and the remarkable relationships they forged in the US.

WANT TO GO? $16; $12 ages 25 and younger and FIAF Members. 212-355-6100.
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Lunar New Year Celebration FREE

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 28, 5-7pm
WHERE: Pearl River at Chelsea Market, 75 9th Ave., Chelsea, NY
AGES: All
WHAT:

Join Pearl River Mart’s annual Lunar New Year celebration at Chelsea Market. The festivities begin at 5 PM on the main concourse for a show-stopping performance by renowned lion dance troupe, the incomparable Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute Dragon and Lion Dance Team.

WANT TO GO? 646-760-0453.
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Lunar New Year Fair 2023 FREE

WHEN: Jan. 28 - 29, Saturday and Sunday, 10am-5pm
WHERE: East Broadway Mall, 88 E Broadway, Lower East Side, NY
AGES: All
WHAT:

Experience an amazing variety of vendors, creators and experiences like a scavenger hunt and an AAPI artist alley!

WANT TO GO?
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Harlem Renaissance: A Celebration of Black Brilliance

WHEN: Jan. 31 - Feb. 26, Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-5pm
WHERE: Children's Museum of Manhattan, 212 W. 83rd St., Upper West Side, NY
AGES: All
WHAT: Participate in art and design workshops and activities that are reminiscent of the many artists and art forms that came out of the Harlem Renaissance. WANT TO GO? $16; $13 visitor with disabilities and seniors 65 and older; free for children younger than 1. 212-721-1223.
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Looking for more events in your area? Search our comprehensive events calendar.

There’s a lot to do this weekend with your family, whether you're planning a day trip that's close to New York City or are looking for the best things to do with kids in Manhattan this weekend. After all, weekends are the best because you get to spend time with your kids, so make the most of your time together and check out our picks for the best kid-friendly activities in Manhattan! From storytimes and concerts to museum exhibits, crafts activities, seasonal events, and more, you're sure to find something to do that keeps everyone happy and having fun. Look no further for ideas and plan your weekend in New York City with our guide that highlights the best family-friendly (virtual and in-person) events happening in and around your neighborhood, including family fun in Central Park, the Lower East Side, the Upper West Side, Harlem, Midtown, the Upper East Side, Greenwich Village, Battery Park, Bryant Park, Tribeca, the Bronx, and Lower Manhattan. You can also find weekend fun in ourBrooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland—and check out our Manhattan calendar for hundreds of things to do each month!

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