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Presidents Day Weekend 2023: 21 Things To Do in NYC with Kids

The Black Future Festival begins Sunday at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
The Black Future Festival begins Sunday at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
2/15/23 - By Drew Kristofik

Looking for the best things to do in New York City this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list for Presidents Day weekend.

The long Presidents Day weekend ahead segues right into February's Winter Break, and NYC is up for the challenge. How to keep the kids occupied, you ask? Kick off the weekend early with a Mommy Poppins-sponsored Skate and Play at Industry City on Thursday, and then look forward to the return of the lovely annual Orchid Show at NYBG this weekend. Kids can celebrate Black History at the Paley Center's Hip Hop Anniversary exhibition, count some chickadees (and other feathered friends) by joining the Great Backyard Bird Count, and watch ice sculptures come to life on Governors Island.

We've outlined all our top picks for February's winter break here, and you can be sure they include the kids' week celebrations at the Intrepid, in Bryant Park, and at local parks throughout the city. Still need more ways to keep the kids entertained? Bookmark this post full of the best FREE things to do during the week off.

Our Family Activity Calendar was designed to keep you as busy as you want to be and we've got even more picks for fun in our Guide to Winter Activities in NYC.

More Things To Do in New York City This Week With Kids

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Explore the Alpine Garden in Fort Tryon Park and create your own nature-themed story or fairy tale! Photo courtesy of the Fort Tryon Park Trust
Explore the Alpine Garden in Fort Tryon Park and create your own nature-themed story or fairy tale! Photo courtesy of the Fort Tryon Park Trust

Best Things To Do in NYC this Weekend with Kids

Family Skate + Play at Industry City

Sunset Park, Brooklyn
Thursday, February 16
Mommy Poppins has teamed up with Brooklyn Bridge Parents and Industry City to create exclusive Skate + Play packages, including ice skating admission, skate rental, plus unlimited play in the game room at the IC Skating Rink for a discounted price.  READ MORE

Connection & Harmony: A Sing-Along Celebration of Black Musical Ideas and Interpretations

Park Slope, Brooklyn
Friday, February 17
Join BKCM in the Concert Hall for a sing-along in honor of Black History Month! Hosted by BKCM faculty member and Director of DEI Uton Onyejekwe and accompanied by BKCM faculty member Lafayette Harris, the sing-along allows children to explore the influence of prominent Black musicians and civil rights leaders in American history through song, dance, and video. READ MORE

Great Backyard Bird Count

Citywide–FREE
Friday, February 17-Monday, February 20
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are. READ MORE

Sábado Familiar: Family Tour & Art Making Workshop

Upper East Side–FREE
Saturday, February 18
Artist and educator Carlos Jesus Martinez Dominguez leads a guided tour of the exhibition Domesticanx, currently on view at El Museo, followed by an art-making activity focused on the themes of home, family, and memory. READ MORE

ExploraStory Kids: Storytelling Nature Walk with Rachael Harrington

Inwood–FREE
Saturday, February 18
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

Second Annual Winter Ice Sculpture Show

Governors Island–FREE
Saturday, February 18
Ten artist proposals coalesce on Governors Island in the form of frozen ice sculptures in a competition for a grand prize of $2,000. The audience gets to watch the sculptures emerge from the ice, sip warm drinks, listen to music, and vote for the winner. READ MORE

Hands on History: Supreme Black History

Jamaica, Queens–FREE
Saturday, February 18
Learn about Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice and lawyer in the Brown v. Board of Education court case (1954), and current Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to be on the Supreme Court, at King Manor's Hands on History event. READ MORE

The Orchid Show 2023

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Saturday, February 18
Now in its 20th year, the Orchid Show showcases thousands of dramatically displayed orchids in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. This year, the show is under the dramatic eye of landscape artist Lily Kwong, who presents a meditative and captivating design inspired by her ancestral connections to the natural world. READ MORE

Family Art Project: Winter Silhouettes

Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, February 18-Sunday, February 19
Use lanterns to cast the shadows of seasonal trees, then draw their silhouettes, add textures and decorate them using washable paint, conifer cones, dried flowers and leaves. READ MORE

CityDanceNY Presents Coppelia

Upper East Side
Saturday, February 18-Sunday, February 19
CityDanceNY presents classical family entertainment with the comedy ballet Coppelia. The ballet follows the village wedding of Swanhilda and Franz and all of their 'drama' over mistaken identity. With beautiful costumes and the best dancers NYC has to offer, the show is bound to thrill and entertain all. READ MORE

New York Sword Dance Festival

Multiple Brooklyn Locations–FREE
Saturday, February 18-Sunday, February 19
Half Moon Sword presents this 37th annual festival with free, family-friendly performances of this traditional dance form with modern twists by nine performing groups from around the northeast. READ MORE

Kids Week at the Intrepid 2023

Midtown West
Saturday, February 18-Saturday, February 25
Kids Week is back at the Intrepid Museum and the fun is moving full STEAM ahead! Science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and fun take center stage at this annual Midwinter Break fest.  READ MORE

Harlem Globetrotters at the Barclays Center

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 19
Your favorite Harlem Globetrotter stars are bringing out their amazing basketball skills, outrageous athleticism, and a non-stop, LOL good time to the Harlem Globetrotters 2023 World Tour. READ MORE

Black History Month: Plant Press and Storytime

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, February 19
The Queens Botanical Garden invites guests to learn about Black botanist Percy H. Gentle and participate in a fun plant-pressing activity inspired by his work. Kids can also snuggle up for a curated collection of stories representing and celebrating Black lives. READ MORE

Footprints: A Dance Workshop

Upper East Side
Sunday, February 19
The Museum of the City of New York hosts an interactive dance workshop in honor of Black History Month. Explore the stories of the pioneers in dance of the African Diaspora at a family-friendly event led by Harlem School of the Arts teaching artists Paris Jones, Jade Evans, and acclaimed percussionist Baba Don Babatunde. READ MORE

Rock n Roll Playhouse Presents: Aretha Franklin

Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 19
Kids get their groove on to the music of Aretha Franklin at this weekly family-friendly concert. READ MORE

Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s Black Future Festival

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Sunday, February 19-Sunday, February 26
This Black History Month, reflect on the past and look toward the future. Àṣẹ Dance Theatre Collective is at the museum for a week of interactive dance performances, and kids can explore Black Future thinking through storytelling, genealogy workshops, art making in the ColorLab art studio, tasty food, and more. READ MORE

Free Kids Week Programming Takes Over NYC Parks

Citywide–FREE
Monday, February 20-Friday, February 24
Spend Midwinter Break exploring NYC Parks with the help of the Urban Park Rangers FREE programming series. READ MORE

Kids Week at Bryant Park

Midtown West–FREE
Tuesday, February 21-Friday, February 24
Kids Week returns to Bryant Park's Winter Village with free skating lessons, junior skaters performing on the ice, and skating around to music from iconic kids’ shows and movies. The week kicks off with a Mardi Gras Celebration featuring a magician, a brass band parade, and a Mardi Gras mask craft. READ MORE

Black History Month 2023: Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Midtown West
Select dates through Sunday, February 26
The Paley Center for Media presents a multimedia exhibit recognizing the intersection of legendary African American musical icons and memorable TV moments that have impacted our culture. The exhibition features milestones throughout the decades, including highlights from significant performances and Black artists who helped shape the industry. READ MORE

Fresh Fly Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Style

Chelsea–FREE
Select dates through Sunday, April 23
Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous focuses on several themes that have carried through hip-hop style over the last five decades, from the expression of Black Pride, to the centrality of outerwear and denim, and the influence of sports, and of course, celebrity style. READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik

Drew Kristofik's early career editing teen magazines somehow morphed into a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a very long sojourn at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick online and then Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com local. She was a founding member of the WebbyAward winning GoCityKids, has written for Family Fun Magazine, Vanity Fair, and New York, and her novel for middle schoolers, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. She strives to keep the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar packed and accurate, and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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