Unless otherwise noted, activities cater to all ages.
Easter Fun
Free Easter egg hunts are everywhere, including at the Williamsbridge Oval in the Bronx (April 4), at the Trinity Churchyard in the financial district (April 5), at St. Mark’s in the Bowery in the East Village (April 5), and at Gantry Park in Queens, where the eggapalooza that is the Long Island City Egg Hunt & Festival (April 4) features live music, carnival games and face painting (R.S.V.P. starting on March 29).
You might find some eggs among the elaborate headdresses at the Easter Parade and Easter Bonnet Festival on Fifth Avenue (April 5), but hands off — they are strictly for show.
Seder and a Show
The Creative Family Seder on April 2 at the 92nd Street Y is the ultimate Passover dinner, with joyful storytelling, singing and dancing accompanying a fully catered meal. It’s $80 for adults, $50 for children and free for ages 2 and under.
Mini Metropolises
Joe Macken’s model of New York City is a wonder — a 1,350-square-foot miniature replica of the Big Apple built by hand using everyday materials. His piece, an outsider-art take on Queens Museum’s famous “The Panorama of the City of New York,” is on display at the Museum of the City of New York on the Upper West Side.
On April 18, children ages 5 to 13 can construct their own metropolis at the morning and afternoon Build a LEGO City workshops at the Center for Architecture in Greenwich Village (both sessions are sold out; go to the center’s website to sign up for the wait list). And for more urban inspiration, check out the sprawling CityWorks at the New York Hall of Science in Queens. The interactive exhibition explores the infrastructure that allows a city like New York to function.
It’s Ball Time
Baseball season is underway, and both the New York Mets and New York Yankees have all kinds of giveaways this spring. But when it comes to family-friendly promos, it’s hard to beat the Brooklyn Cyclones, the minor league team at Maimonides Park in Coney Island. At most Saturday and Sunday home games, children can run the bases afterward, and on April 19, May 3 and 31 and June 28, they can play catch, too, before the players take the field. Children 3 and under are free, and tickets start at $17, including fees. You can buy a family pass for $199 that gives you up to four seats at as many home games as you can attend.
Hands-On Math
The biggest opening this season belongs to the National Museum of Mathematics — better known as MoMath — which doubled its size with its recent move to Sixth Avenue in Chelsea. The new location has an additional 31 exhibits alongside old favorites like the square-wheeled trike.
Blossom Bonanza
Mother Nature will decide when the Cherry Esplanade at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be in full bloom, but you should start consulting the garden’s online CherryWatch tracker in early April to plan your visit (admission to the garden is free for ages 12 and under). You can also check out the cherry trees in Central Park, where the blossoms near the reservoir just above West 86th Street are spectacular.
Super Slides
It’s the perfect time of year to make a pilgrimage to Slide Hill on Governors Island, where you’ll find the most majestic slide in New York City, with a three-story drop that runs 57 feet. Three shorter slides are also there, including a family-friendly version built for two. Bonus: Hammock Grove is close by, and breathtaking views of the harbor are all around.
Other epic city slides include the 45-foot-long polished granite one at Billy Johnson Playground on the east side of Central Park at 67th Street, and the colorful 64-foot-long wooden Pipefish Slide at Chelsea Waterfront Park at West 23rd Street and 11th Avenue.
Lots of Entertainment
Child-friendly concerts abound in a cultural capital like New York City. On April 11, all ages are welcome to the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra’s “Peter and the Wolf and Friends” at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn Heights. On April 26, kids ages 7 and older can laugh it up with the goofball in Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s “Inspector Pulse Pops a String” at Alice Tully Hall. And on May 9, Carnegie Hall’s Musical Explorers Family program introduces children ages 5 to 8 to music from all over the globe.
If you want to encourage your little ones to rock out, head to the Rock and Roll Playhouse, which takes place almost every Sunday at noon at Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg. Tribute bands play a range of styles, including Chappell Roan (April 5) and the Grateful Dead (April 19).
From April 10 to 26, the Big Umbrella Festival at Lincoln Center offers scores of cultural experiences that are created with the neurodivergent in mind. And on May 15 and 16, Minty Fresh Circus is at Alice Tully Hall performing an act inspired by the abolitionist Harriet Tubman that is suitable for ages 5 and up.
Yummy Treats
Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, Queens, is more than a classic ice cream parlor; it’s a time machine. It dates to the 1920s and has remained essentially unchanged since 1968, when the Citrano family bought it. The ice cream served at the shop, which is open Wednesday through Sunday, is still made on the premises.
Picnic for Mom
Last May, when Smorgasburg held its first Eat Your Flowers, a Mother’s Day celebration picnic in Prospect Park with puppet shows, face painting, a bubble performer and live music, it was hit, so it returns on May 10. The scene is relaxed — bring a blanket, kick off your sandals and settle in for a lovely spring afternoon (fingers crossed).
Let ’Em Cook
Baking classes for children ages 6 and up are offered year-round at the venerable N.Y. Cake Academy in Chelsea, but its programming ramps up during the public school spring break with the Junior Sweets Creations Camp from April 6 to 10. Hudson Table in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, also offers additional classes that week for ages 8 and up, with instruction that covers how to make everything from doughnuts to fresh pasta.
The post 29 Ways to Entertain Your Kids in New York City This Spring appeared first on New York Times.
