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Dreamery uses only the best all-natural milk and cream from local New York State creameries.
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Free in January: 25+ Free Things To Do in NYC with Kids

Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with folk dances, the lion dance, and traditional arts and crafts at the Queens Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with folk dances, the lion dance, and traditional arts and crafts at the Queens Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
1/6/23 - By Drew Kristofik

The holiday festivities have fizzled, the bank account has been maxed out, and we're on the hunt for free things to do in January with kids. Fear not, we've found 25+ fun options to keep New York City families busy all month long.

Though most of the big holiday attractions in NYC are packing up the tinsel this month, January celebrations of the Three Kings and Martin Luther King Jr. are just getting started. Plus, many NYC parks offer outdoor nature programs like the Gather around the Campfire in Queens and Maple Tap Fest in Staten Island.

Looking for more FREE things to do? Escape the cold with picks for the top indoor places where kids can play for FREE, and bookmark our Family Activity Calendar where we'll add more options as we learn about them. We've got plenty more winter to-do's in our NYC Winter Fun Guide for Families.

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Mulchfest takes over city parks for the first weekend in January. Get rid of your Christmas tree and do good for the environment in the process. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Department
Mulchfest takes over city parks for the first weekend in January. Get rid of your Christmas tree and do good for the environment in the process. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks Department

Free Things To Do in NYC: January 1-January 8

Three Kings Day

Lower East Side
Friday, January 6, 2023
New York’s only Latino children’s theater celebrates one of the most important Latin American holidays for children, El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos/Three Kings Day.  READ MORE

46th Annual Three Kings Parade

East Harlem
Friday, January 6, 2023
Line up with live camels, colorful puppets, parrandas, music, and dancing on this magical day! After the parade, hit La Marqueta for traditional Puerto Rican music and food, and then return to El Museo del Barrio for live music. READ MORE

Introduction to Birdwatching

Prospect Park
Saturday, January 7, 2023
Join a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club on an introductory walk to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons. BYO binoculars, if you have a pair. READ MORE

MulchFest 2023

Citywide
Through Sunday, January 8, 2023
Bring your holiday tree to Mulchfest to be recycled into mulch to nourish plantings in the parks all year long! You can watch your tree devolve and evolve in person! READ MORE

Mulchfest In Prospect Park

Prospect Park
Through Sunday, January 8, 2023
Bring your holiday tree to Prospect Park, where it will go through a chipper and transform into environment-friendly mulch at both 3rd Street and Park Circle Entrances. Plus, you can take some home for your own yard or garden. READ MORE

Tree Drop Off and Mulchfest

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
After you're finished with it, bring your tree to Mulchfest at Brooklyn Bridge Plaza and save it from going to waste. READ MORE

Free Things To Do in NYC: January 9-January 15

Magical Musical Journey

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Thursday, January 12, 2023
Go on a magical musical journey with musician and author Dan Saks, host of the Noodle Loaf podcast! Travel around the Brooklyn Children's Museum with Dan and his guitar and use your imagination to make music, play games, and go on an incredible adventure. READ MORE

Gather around the Campfire

Forest Park, Queens
Saturday, January 14, 2023
The Urban Park Rangers host an afternoon of campfire activities, including stories, songs, and more. READ MORE

Outdoor Skills: Orienteering

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Kids learn the basics of using a map and compass and discover clues hidden around Owl's Head Park to help complete a map-based scavenger hunt. READ MORE

MOCAKIDS Lunar New Year Meet & Greet

Chinatown
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Begin the Lunar New Year celebrations early with author Katrina Moore and illustrator Xindi Yan. Katrina reads their new book, Grumpy New Year, and then kids can stick around for an especially grumpy (but cute!) drawing activity with Xindi. READ MORE
Join Manhattan Country School for its 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March. Photo courtesy of the school
Join Manhattan Country School for its 30th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March. Photo courtesy of the school

Free Things To Do in NYC: January 16-January 22

Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Monday, January 16, 2023
Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of service in Prospect Park, focusing efforts around the Music Pagoda in Brooklyn’s backyard and spreading wood chips, raking leaves, removing litter, and more. READ MORE

34th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March

Upper West Side
Monday, January 16, 2023
Manhattan Country School eighth graders honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by taking to the streets of Manhattan to speak out about what they consider to be the most pressing civil rights issues of their time. READ MORE

Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Fort Greene
Monday, January 16, 2023
BAM hosts its FREE annual Brooklyn tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., and everyone is invited! The celebration brings together artists and civic leaders to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King.  READ MORE

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Multiple Locations
Monday, January 16, 2023
On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee. READ MORE

Global Architecture I: Picturesque Pagodas

Battery Park
Saturday, January 21, 2023
In honor of Chinese Lunar New Year, kids can learn about the work of Poy Gum Lee, a Chinese-American architect who designed buildings in both China and New York’s Chinatown. READ MORE

Maple Tap Fest – SOLD OUT

Staten Island
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Head to Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve to help tap its collection of maple trees for sugaring season. Volunteers tap every tree used to harvest maple syrup during the 2023 season during this event. READ MORE

Winter Wildlife Hike: Marine Ecology

Marine Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, January 21, 2023
The Urban Park Rangers show kids how to observe, count, and measure fish and invertebrates native to Gerritsen Creek, then lead a waterfowl-focused birdwatching hike. READ MORE

Nature’s Workshop: Nature Calligraphy

Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, January 21, 2023
The Urban Park Rangers relate the history and process of calligraphy, including the evolution of symbols representing the natural world. Participants use brush and paper to practice these symbols. READ MORE

ExploraStory Kids: Storytelling Nature Walk with Rachael Harrington

Washington Heights
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Local storyteller Rachael Harrington leads participants on a walk through the depths of Fort Tryon Park, observing natural elements along the way. Kids create original characters and fairy tales based on the unique natural features of the Alpine Garden and the surrounding area. READ MORE

Discovery Hike: Animal Adaptations

Oakland Gardens, Queens
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Kids learn how animals—such as birds, squirrels, and chipmunks—survive the cold and the snow during this winter walk in Alley Pond Park. READ MORE

Birding: Winter Waterfowl

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Urban Park Rangers guide families to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. READ MORE
The Skyscraper Museum helps kids create their own skylines from basic shapes. Photo courtesy of the museum
The Skyscraper Museum helps kids create their own skylines from basic shapes. Photo courtesy of the museum

Free Things To Do in NYC: January 23-January 31

Lunar New Year at the Queens Botanical Garden

Fort Greene
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at the Queens Botanical Garden with lion dance performances, a zodiac-themed craft, storytelling, and Miffy, everyone's favorite bunny. READ MORE

Shapes and Skyscrapers Family Program – SOLD OUT

Battery Park
Saturday, January 28, 2023
Did you know there are shapes of all sorts in skyscrapers? The Chrysler Building has triangular windows, and the Burj Khalifa is built on a Y-shaped base. Learn the reason for all these different shapes, and go on a scavenger hunt for shapes in the museum exhibits. READ MORE

Outdoor Skills: Primitive Firemaking

Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Saturday, January 28, 2023
What can you use to build a fire? The Urban Park Rangers lead a hike through the park to search for different materials to use as kindling and share advanced techniques to build an outdoor fire. READ MORE

Annual Lunar New Year Celebration: Year of the Rabbit

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit with folk dances and traditional arts and crafts when the New York Chinese Cultural Center (NYCCC) brings its signature program to the Queens Museum.  READ MORE

Astronomy: Phases of the Moon

Coney Island
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Observe the moon through a telescope and learn how the movements of the moon and sun appear to us as we watch from Earth. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

National Parks - Multiple Locations
Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, Nature Interpretive Center