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28 Best Things to Do in NYC August 2023 with Kids: Summer Streets, Outdoor Movies, and More

During Summer Streets, kids and adults take over seven miles of NYC streets to play, run, walk, and bike. Photo courtesy of NYC DOT
During Summer Streets, kids and adults take over seven miles of NYC streets to play, run, walk, and bike. Photo courtesy of NYC DOT
7/30/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Summer is not over yet! August in New York City has so many things to do outdoors, like outdoor movies and concerts, summer festivals, and the best beach days.

It's the final lap of summer with back-to-school season right around the corner. It's the perfect time to coast down traffic-free Summer Streets, hit the Puppet Fringe and FlyNY festivals, and eat our weight in popcorn at all the FREE outdoor movies.

If you're feeling festive, light up the East River at the always lovely Hindu Lamp Ceremony, take in the Battery Dance Fest, and discover your inner Michaelangelo while making sand sculptures on Coney Island. Celebrate that magic combo of Blues and Barbecue in Hudson River Park, too. Plus, you can play with MommyPoppins at the Seaport on August 23!

Our Ultimate NYC Kids Summer Vacation Guide is filled with entertainment across the five boroughs, and our list of 100 FREE summer to-do's extends through the first day of school, too.

We’re adding more events to our Family Activity Calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently.

Get our picks for every weekend in your inbox—sign up for our newsletters.

As always, if an event piques your interest, be sure to click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: In NYC, really cool things to do with kids often get booked quickly, especially these days, so buy your tickets ASAP.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Summertime in NYC means it's time for the annual Sand Sculpting Competition at Coney Island. Photo courtesy of Coney Island
Summertime in NYC means it's time for the annual Sand Sculpting Competition at Coney Island. Photo courtesy of Coney Island

Top Things To Do in NYC with Kids this August

Sunset Film Festival

Upper East Side–FREE
Wednesday, August 2 | The Incredible Journey (G)
Wednesday, August 9 | Oliver & Company (G)
Carl Schurz's all-too-brief foray into outdoor evening films includes two family-friendly favorites this summer. READ MORE

Paramount+ Movie Nights in Brooklyn: Prospect Park

Prospect Park, Brooklyn–FREE
Wednesday, August 2 | Bring It On (PG-13)
Wednesday, August 9 | The Nutty Professor (PG-13)
Wednesday, August 16 | Guardians of the Galaxy (PG-13)
Snuggle up under the stars for an evening of nostalgic classic cinema and feel-good fan favorites for all ages. Showtimes are at sunset; bring a blanket and a picnic. READ MORE

Dance Party NYC

Randall's Island–FREE
Saturday, August 5
Party on the Urban Farm! Create nature instruments and dance to some favorite tunes. Play lawn games, hula hoop, and explore the Urban Farm with the backdrop of a fun playlist. READ MORE

Summer Streets

Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan–FREE
Saturdays, August 5, 12, and 19
Brooklyn & Bronx–FREE
Saturday, August 26
New York's favorite car-free street festival returns this July and August, as Summer Streets expands to open miles of NYC streets for people to play, run, walk, and bike across multiple weeks and in all five boroughs. READ MORE

Children's Potions and Plantings Tea Party

Chelsea
Saturdays, August 5 & 19
The Children’s Potions and Planting Tea Party is a monthly tea in the McKittrick Hotel's gorgeous city rooftop garden, Gallow Green, for children accompanied by their parents and a favorite stuffed animal or teddy bear. READ MORE

International Puppet Fringe Festival NYC

Lower East Side
Wednesday, August 9 - Sunday, August 13
The International Puppet Fringe Festival boasts more than 30 performances from acclaimed puppet troupes hailing from across the globe, artist symposiums, puppet cabaret, kids and family days, and much more. The 2023 Puppet Fringe Festival theme is “Halloween in August,” featuring spooky and silly puppets that celebrate this beloved holiday. READ MORE

Movies With a View

Dumbo/Brooklyn Heights, BrooklynFREE
Thursday, August 10 | Despicable Me (PG)
Thursday, August 17 | Everything Everywhere All at Once (PG)
Thursday, August 24 | Public Choice (Addams Family, Little Women, or Romeo+Juliet)
Brooklyn Bridge Park brings back Movies with a View for its 23rd season. This season's theme is "We Are Family." READ MORE

Hindu Lamp Ceremony

Dumbo, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, August 12
The 10th annual Aarti Hindu Lamp Ceremony returns to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Pebble Beach! Guests are invited to decorate palm leaf lamps and release them along the East River. Special guest artists are in attendance displaying their works. READ MORE

Sprinkler Day

Upper East Side–FREE
Saturday, August 12
Don’t let the soaring summer temperatures discourage you from enjoying the outdoors. Cool off by splashing around in Asphalt Green’s high-powered sprinklers and slip and slides. READ MORE

The Art of the Cypher

Midtown West/Upper West Side–FREE
Saturday, August 12
Dr. Chris Emdin, founder of #HipHopEd, hosts a rap Cypher and hip-hop celebration featuring some of our city’s talented teen rappers selected especially for their exceptional rap prowess. READ MORE

31st Annual Coney Island Sand Sculpting Contest

Coney Island, Brooklyn–FREE
Saturday, August 12
Hundreds of sand sculptors descend on Coney Island annually to create amazing works of art using all-natural elements at the beach.  READ MORE

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

Flushing, Queens–FREE
Saturday, August 12 - Sunday, August 13
This annual sporting and multicultural event is held to celebrate the fifth moon (or the fifth month) of the lunar calendar. In addition to providing audiences with traditional Chinese foods and performances, the festival hosts dragon boat teams from across North America. READ MORE

Bees, Butterflies, and Blooms Weekend

Riverdale, Bronx
Saturday, August 12 - Sunday, August 13
Celebrate National Pollinators Week and the tiny creatures who beautify our gardens and put food on our tables. Learn about (and purchase) pollinator-friendly plants, make native-bee houses, go on naturalist-led walks to see pollinators in action, and more. READ MORE

42nd Annual Battery Dance Festival

Battery Park–FREE
Saturday, August 12 - Friday, August 18
The Battery Dance Festival presents an entire week of free evening performances, featuring top-tier dancers from the US and around the globe, including debuts and premieres. READ MORE

Puppets + Bubbly at Brooklearn in Carroll Gardens

Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Sunday, August 13
Join Puppetsburg for a boozy show at Brooklearn. The show features the puppets, performers, dancing, and bubble time kids know and love, plus some bubbly for the adults. Puppetsburg rocks interactive, culturally relevant puppet shows for kids. Shows are 45 minutes long and feature a different story each week that involves different activities to go with a unique show each time: dancing, instruments, dress-up "photo-ops," one on one time with handmade puppets, bubble time, and more. READ MORE

Movie Night: Puss in Boots- The Last Wish (PG)

Randall's Island–FREE
Sunday, August 13
Movie night is back on Randall's Island! Catch a screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and arrive early for games, crafts, and snacks. READ MORE

SOLD OUT. Jazz Outdoors with PJ Library and Mozart for Munchkins

Central Park–FREE
Sunday, August 13
Have a jamming good time at Central Park with sizzling sun, an ice cream truck, stories, dancing songs and sunny favorites with a mix of jazz and classical music. READ MORE

Bryant Park Movie Nights

Midtown West–FREE
Monday, August 14 | Zoolander (PG-13)
Monday, August 21 | Good Burger (PG)
Classic films under the stars on the big screen are back in Bryant Park, and this summer the series celebrates its 30th anniversary. Bring a blanket and sit on the lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and entertainment.  READ MORE

Shakespeare at the Beach: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Rockaways, Queens–FREE
Thursday, August 17 - Sunday, August 20
Shakespeare's most kid-friendly comedy takes over the Beach 94th Street Amphitheater. Bring a blanket and a picnic. READ MORE

FlyNYC 2023

Upper West Side–FREE
Saturday, August 19
Music and kites fill the air at this festival for all ages! Kite kits are provided free for children (while supplies last), or bring your own favorite kite from home. READ MORE

Hudson River Park's Blues Barbecue

Midtown West
Saturday, August 19
The 23rd annual Hudson River Park Blues Barbecue Festival returns to Hudson River Park's Pier 76 for a day filled with smoky goodness and great music. Local pit powerhouses like Blue Smoke, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Jase’s BBQ, Kimchi Smoke, and Big Papa Smokem fire up their smokers while you take in live blues and roots performances. READ MORE

Seaport Kids Screen-Free Summer Recess + Social Media Talk for Parents

–FREE
Wednesday, August 23
Double dutch. Hula hoops. Hop scotch. Introduce the kids to some good old-fashioned outdoor games on the iconic Rooftop at Pier 17. While kids have fun, parents can join an expert led session on how social media and screen time impacts children's brain development. READ MORE

Intrepid Summer Movie Series–CANCELED

Midtown West–FREE
Friday, August 25 | Top Gun: Maverick (PG-13)
Watch a movie on the ship’s flight deck under the stars! Enjoy views of the Hudson River and city skyline while you watch some old and new favorites on the big screen. READ MORE

Arthur Ashe Kids' Day

Flushing, Queens–FREE
Saturday, August 26
The 25th edition of this great day of family fun offers interactive games, face painting, balloon artists, prizes, music, special guests, and more. Kids can step onto the US Open courts, just like the pros, with tennis activities for all ages and abilities.  READ MORE

Battle of Brooklyn: The Meaning of Freedom

Greenwood, Brooklyn–FREE
Sunday, August 27
Commemorate The Battle of Brooklyn, fought in 1776 on land that is now a part of Green-Wood Cemetery during this family-friendly afternoon event that includes a parade up to Battle Hill. READ MORE

Summer on Ice: Kids Pop-Up Playground

Williamsburg/Bushwick, Brooklyn
Sunday, August 27
Coffee Kids Play hosts a Pop-Up Playground Summer Kickoff with inflatable bounce houses, ball pits, face painting, bumper cars, ice cream, and more. READ MORE

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical

Greenwich Village
Thursday - Sunday every weekend in August
TheaterWorks USA presents a madcap musical based on Dav Pilkey’s irreverently hilarious book series. READ MORE

Disney Encanto x CAMP

Greenwich Village Daily, through September 6
CAMP and Disney are at it again, opening the Magic Door to the world of Encanto. Visit the Madrigal's casita, shop in La Placita, and step into the rooms of Isabella, Luisa, and that guy we don't talk about. All the while, be serenaded by a roving troupe of performers singing hits from the soundtrack. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Brooklyn Bridge Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Riverside Park, Pier 1
Hudson River Park - Pier 76