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Best Things To Do in NYC May 2025 with Kids

Brooklyn Bridge Park celebrates spring with a Kite Fest on Saturday, May 17. Photo by John Eng
Brooklyn Bridge Park celebrates spring with a Kite Fest on Saturday, May 17. Photo by John Eng
4/27/25 - By Drew Kristofik

May brings with it plenty of things to celebrate, including Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and more. Here are our top things to do in NYC this May with kids!

May is so jam-packed, it would be easy to miss some stellar happenings, but we're rounding up all our top picks for NYC families below. March with giant puppets at the Ecological City Puppet Parade, celebrate the season at Hippo Playground's Spring Fair, and keep the fun rolling with the New York Transit Museum's Party on Wheels.

Don't miss Mommy Poppins' own Spring Fling on Car-Free Montague Street or our first NY Family Travel Fest at the month's end!

More Things To Do in NYC this May with Kids

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Top Things To Do in NYC with Kids this May

BAMKids SpringFest

Downtown Brooklyn
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Families are invited to a joyous day of performances, interactive activities, and showcases of local talent! Dance to the rhythms of Brazil, feel the energy of Mozambique, and explore diverse art forms from around the world—all while learning about caring for our planet! Stick around for a free screening of The Wiz at 7pm. READ MORE

Haudenosaunee Family Fun Day at the National Museum of the American Indian

Battery Park – FREE
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Join the Haudenosaunee Dancers in a round dance, explore the galleries in a treasure hunt, and enjoy hands-on activities that include making a corn husk dragonfly and learning the significance of lacrosse.   READ MORE

Apple Blossom Children's Carnival at the Queens County Farm Museum

Glen Oaks, Queens
Weekends from Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 11, 2025
Celebrate spring at the Queens County Farm Museum. This children's carnival kicks off the farm's special event season. Tilt-A-Whirl in the orchard and enjoy carnival rides, hayrides, and midway games. READ MORE

Hippo Playground Spring Fair in Riverside Park

Upper West Side
Sunday, May 4, 2025
An Upper West Side institution, the Hippo Playground Spring Fair celebrates the season with pony rides, bouncy castles, a petting zoo, games, prizes, crafts, food, cupcake decorating, face painting, entertainment, and more. READ MORE

Japan Day Parade and Street Fair on Central Park West

Upper West Side – FREE
Saturday, May 10, 2025
Japan Day is celebrated with a parade and street fair. Watch the parade march down Central Park West before enjoying the festive street fair along 72nd Street.  READ MORE

Ecological City Puppet Parade on the Lower East Side

Lower East Side – FREE
Saturday, May 10, 2025
For sheer spectacle, you can't beat Ecological City's spectacular six-hour procession of visual art, giant puppets and costumes—with 21 performances of dance, music, theater, and poetry celebrating sustainability solutions throughout the community gardens, neighborhood, and along the East River Park waterfront on the Lower East Side. READ MORE

Submerge: NYC Marine Science Festival at Pier 84

Hell's Kitchen – FREE
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Hudson River Park presents Submerge—a free science extravaganza devoted to raising awareness about our coastal waters. Celebrate local marine science through hands-on activities, catch-and-release fishing, science stage events, kayaking, and more!  READ MORE

Kite Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Brooklyn Bridge Park kicks off its spring and summer programming season with this beloved kite-flying fest. This family-friendly event takes over BBP's Pier 5, offering all ages the opportunity to watch their kites soar above the Manhattan skyline while enjoying special activities exploring the science of flight. READ MORE

Big Truck Day on Randall's Island

Randall's Island – FREE
Saturday, May 17, 2025
Strap on your seatbelt and get a close-up view of the big trucks that keep New York City clean and safe. Learn how firefighters, garbage truck drivers, and other big truck operators use these vehicles to drive our city forward. READ MORE

Spring Fling on Car-Free Montague Street

Downtown Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Mommy Poppins and Brooklyn Bridge Parents host their first Spring Fling during Open Streets on Montague, with 25 free kids' activities, a dance party, and a puppet show. Stop by for games, arts and crafts, soccer, face painting, building activities, an obstacle course, and much more.   READ MORE

2025 Big Climb Metro New York at Citi Field

Flushing, Queens
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Join the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in the fight to cure blood cancers while also getting the chance to climb up and down the iconic steps of Citi Field, home of the New York Mets! Experience a high-energy, behind-the-scenes journey through one of the most beautiful ballparks in the nation, climbing up and down the steps of the upper tier, running the concourses, and finishing strong!   READ MORE

Party on Wheels at the NY Transit Museum

Downtown Brooklyn
Sunday, May 18, 2025
The New York Transit Museum celebrates its Earth-friendly transit system at the Party on Wheels, its annual family benefit. Bring the whole family for breakfast and coffee, artmaking and face painting, a photo opportunity, a scavenger hunt, and unlimited rides on vintage subway cars from the museum platform to Hoyt-Schermerhorn and back.  READ MORE

The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Street Fair

Park Slope, Brooklyn – FREE
Sunday, May 18, 2025
Head to Park Slope's Fifth Avenue to peruse this street fair, featuring food and sale items, rides, bouncy castles, music performances, and more.  READ MORE

Fleet Week NYC

Midtown West – FREE
Wednesday, May 21-Monday, May 26, 2025
The US Navy, US Marine Corps, and US Coast Guard's celebration of sea services invites families to tour ships, watch the Parade of Ships, and enjoy exhibits, military band concerts, and aviation events throughout the week.   READ MORE

DanceAfrica 2025 at BAM

Flatbush, Brooklyn
Friday, May 23-Monday, May 26, 2025
The nation’s largest festival dedicated to African dance and music returns to the stages and streets of Brooklyn for its 48th year, celebrating the rich culure and artistry of Mozambique. READ MORE

Van Gogh's Flowers at NYBG

Bronx Park, the Bronx
Opens Saturday, May 24, 2025
The Conservatory Lawn blooms with a massive field of monumental sunflower sculptures by artist Cyril Lancelin alongside living sunflowers and other plants, all inspired by the flowers in Van Gogh’s famed artwork.  READ MORE

Brooklyn Bridge Anniversary Family Walk

Dumbo, Brooklyn – FREE
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Celebrate the 142nd anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge by taking a tour with the Conservancy’s Environmental Education Center staff. The morning begins with an interactive story and lesson on the bridge’s history and engineering and ends with a walk up to the Brooklyn Bridge tower!  READ MORE

Green-Wood’s Memorial Day Concert

Sunset Park, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, May 26, 2025
Green-Wood’s cherished Memorial Day concert features the ISO Symphonic Band at Third Street, led by music director Paul Corn and guest conductor Brian P. Worsdale performing stirring works that honor those who have served in the armed forces, while also spotlighting music by some of Green-Wood’s own permanent residents, including James Weldon Johnson, Fred Ebb, and Leonard Bernstein. READ MORE

2025 Dumbo Drop on Washington Street

Dumbo, Brooklyn
Friday, May 30, 2025
One of Brooklyn’s most iconic experiences, the annual Dumbo Drop—a flying elephant fundraising spectacle—sends thousands of parachuting toy elephants from the rooftops surrounding Washington Street.   READ MORE

NY Family Travel Fest presented by Dreams Resorts & Spas

Downtown Brooklyn
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Join Mommy Poppins for a fun-filled, travel-themed festival, including a world music dance party, fun cultural activities from around the globe, and a Masterchef Junior Mystery Box Challenge inspired by the hit competition show from our partner Dreams Resorts & Spas. And, if that’s not enough, everyone who registers for the event in advance is entered for a chance to win an all-inclusive family vacation at Dreams Resorts & Spas.  READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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