As any parent or caregiver knows, the best family entertainment offers something for everyone. So even though the events that follow are geared toward children, the adults in tow will also likely be amused, inspired or delighted. This seasonal roundup will feature a little bit of everything — cultural heavyweights and neighborhood favorites, classical concerts and major-league sports, child-friendly film series and can’t-miss parades — to help you take advantage of the diverse mix of activities that make life as a kid in the city so much fun. Here’s what’s going on for families through March.
Unless otherwise noted, activities cater to all ages.
See soccer at a ballpark.
When New York City Football Club holds its final home opener at Yankee Stadium on March 7, it has the U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Matt Freese in the net as it faces off against Orlando City. Not only does the game have a family-friendly start time of 2:30 p.m., but children ages 3 and under and shorter than 30 inches are admitted free.
Go on a hot chocolate safari.
In a city brimming with the good stuff, Bar Pisellino in the West Village arguably serves up the best. It’s certainly among the richest, with a consistency almost like a molten chocolate cake. There are 10 different kinds of hot chocolate on the menu at the Cacao Bar by MarieBelle in SoHo, and sitting in the elegant back room is an event in itself (reservations are suggested). The hot chocolate at Santa Chiara’s flagship in Long Island City, Queens, is made to order by shaving chocolate from a solid block, then melting it in steamed milk. Daily Provisions now has seven locations in Manhattan and one on Court Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, which makes getting a cup of its velvety hot chocolate even more convenient.
Watch one film — or several.
I know you are, but what am I? On Feb. 1 at Film Forum in the West Village, the theater’s series for children, Film Forum Jr., screens “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” followed by a contest in which the best imitator of the film’s star, Pee-wee Herman, could ride away on a new Giant Talon bike courtesy of Bicycle Habitat. The competition is open to all, but only children 12 and under are eligible for the prize. For the rest of the month, the series is showing silent features accompanied by piano: Charlie Chaplin’s “The Kid” on Feb. 8, Buster Keaton’s “The Cameraman” on Feb. 15, and Mary Pickford’s “Little Annie Rooney” on Feb. 22. (Ages 5 and up)
The 2026 edition of the BAMkids Film Festival on Feb. 7 and 8 features not only two days of children’s programming but also circus antics from Parallel Exit. In the lobby of Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Peter J. Sharp Building between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the troupe turns physical comedy into art and demonstrates how you can do the same. (Ages 3 and up)
On Feb. 28 at the Metrograph on the Lower East Side, Saturday Afternoon Cartoons returns with a selection of vintage 16-millimeter prints from the archive of the film historian Tommy José Stathes. This time, the theme is “Cats, Rats & Co.”
Have an ice-capade.
Leave Wollman Rink to the tourists: Central Park’s new Gottesman Rink is a part of the recently opened Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, and it’s a gem. Community Skate dates run through March 1, and admission during peak hours — $10 for adults; $5, ages 4 to 16; free, ages 3 and under — is reasonable.
Through Feb. 28, a section of the ice rink at Winter Village at Bryant Park, is set aside for Bumper Cars on Ice. It’s exactly as advertised — a low-friction free-for-all. But know before you go that only one rider is allowed per car. (Ages 7 and up; must be at least 42 inches tall)
Run a half-mile.
On March 1, the New York Road Runners presents the Kids Dash, a noncompetitive race that is part of the Washington Heights Salsa, Blues, and Shamrocks 5K. As much a street fair as a race, the event is within striking distance of Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters. (Ages 8 to 18)
Interact with art.
The installation “Life at Sea” at Brooklyn Museum’s education gallery comes from the mind of Oliver Jeffers, the artist and author behind “Where to Hide a Star” and the illustrator of “The Day the Crayons Quit,” along with many other popular children’s books. Through April 26, this interactive show lets young visitors bring an underwater world to life by adding sea creatures to its oceanscape. It also offers numerous drop-in workshops.
At its monthly Second Sundays open house, Pioneer Works, the warehouse-turned-art space in Red Hook, Brooklyn, has plenty of kid-friendly fun. On Feb. 8, there will be a fashion workshop, a scavenger hunt and other activities tied to the exhibition “The Endless Garment,” as well as science projects involving the brain, the sun and fungus.
Welcome the Lunar New Year.
The Year of the Horse begins on Feb. 17, but celebrations take place throughout the month. You can start early on Feb. 7 with the Lunar New Year Festival at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, featuring performances and art workshops. Bonus: You can also visit the newly renovated galleries of art from Africa, the ancient Americas and Oceania.
On the first day of the holiday, head to the Lunar New Year Firecracker Ceremony at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan’s Chinatown. (Pro tip: Bring earplugs.) On Feb. 21, check out the Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing, Queens, which starts at 11 a.m. at Union Street and 37th Avenue, then stop by the Asia Society on the Upper East Side for the lion dance and shadow puppets at its Lunar New Year Family Day. Wrap up the festivities on March 1 with the Lunar New Year Parade back in Chinatown. It kicks off at 1 p.m. at Mott and Canal Streets.
Keep the kids cultured.
There is nothing quite like the New Victory, a classic Broadway theater on 42nd Street that is now a family-friendly venue. From Feb. 14 to 22, it hosts “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Musical,” a goofy adaptation of Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault’s best-selling book. (Ages 3 to 6)
Another beloved institution is the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young People’s Concert, a 30-minute toddler-friendly performance at the Kaufman Music Center on the Upper West Side. On March 28, the series introduces children to oboes, flutes, clarinets and the like. Be sure to arrive early to meet the artists, play games and try out real instruments. (Ages 3 to 6)
On Feb. 1, the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Sonia De Los Santos will play songs from her album “Mi Viaje: De Nuevo León to the New York Island” at the Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side. (Ages 3 and up)
The puppeteer Tom Lee, who has worked with the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago and on the Broadway play “War Horse,” will perform “The Great Zodiac Race” at La MaMa in the East Village on March 1. (Ages 4 and up)
Newborns and toddlers are the target audience for “Huddle.” The interactive event, which combines music, light, and movement, is at Carnegie Hall from March 17 to 21. Admission is free, but registration is required. (Ages 2 and under)
Camp out on an aircraft carrier.
Going to a sleepover aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid doesn’t just mean sacking out in the below-deck hangar of an aircraft carrier. It also involves a robotics workshop, karaoke, slime-making and a flashlight tour. These overnights, which include dinner and breakfast and cost $99 per child, are offered throughout the year, but there’s an unusual abundance of dates in February and March. (Ages 5-17)
Reach the Summit.
At 1,070 feet above Madison Avenue, the Summit One Vanderbilt observation deck is a fun house that transforms the surrounding cityscape with mirrors, optical illusions and a see-through floor towering over Grand Central Terminal. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free.
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