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Free Kids Week Programming in NYC Parks

Urban Park Rangers teach kids how to safely explore the natural world. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
Urban Park Rangers teach kids how to safely explore the natural world. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
1/1/26 - By Drew Kristofik

If you need to stave off cabin fever during winter break, the New York City Parks Department has just the thing to get you out of the house. The Urban Park Rangers are hosting a slew of FREE “Kids Week” programs. Immerse your kids in the natural world. 

Find more things to do over the school holiday on our Family Activity Calendar!

 

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Kids Week Programming in Manhattan Parks

Kids Week: Meet the Critters in Inwood Hill Park

Inwood
Monday, February 16
From stick bugs to snakes, meet the animals that call the center their home. READ MORE

Kids Week: Winter Birding for Kids in Central Park

Central Park
Tuesday, February 17
Learn all about different ways to identify birds in the New York City parks. READ MORE

Wigwam Gathering and Campfire in Inwood Hill Park

Inwood
Wednesday, February 18
Explore and enter the recently restored Lenape wigwam and enjoy an afternoon by a warm campfire. Learn how to use a bow drill and other methods to start a fire. READ MORE

Kids Week: Nature Exploration for Kids in Central Park

Central Park
Thursday, February 19
Urban Park Rangers teach kids how to safely explore the natural world on a hike through Central Park. READ MORE

Kids Week: Winter Nature Crafts in Inwood Hill Park

Inwood
Friday, February 20
Create crafts from items found in nature, with a little help from the Urban Park Rangers. READ MORE
It's Kids Week with the Urban Park Rangers! Find fun, park ranger-led nature programs in a park near you. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks
It's Kids Week with the Urban Park Rangers! Find fun, park ranger-led nature programs in a park near you. Photo courtesy of NYC Parks

Kids Week at New York City Parks in Brooklyn

Kids Week: Tree Tunes in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Dumbo/Brooklyn Heights
Monday, February 16
Join the Urban Park Rangers for an exploration of the soundtrack of the natural world. Find or create your own instrument from natural and/or upcycled materials and add on to NYC’s soundtrack. READ MORE

Kids Week: Build a Nature Birdfeeder at Bowling Green Cottage

Prospect Park
Wednesday, February 18
Learn about winter birds in your neighborhood and what they like to eat, then build your very own bird feeder from recycled materials.   READ MORE

Kids Week: Eco Improv at Red Hook Rec

Red Hook
Thursday, February 19
Kids can create creature characters and act out ecosystem and habitat interactions with the Urban Park Rangers.  READ MORE

Kids Week: Hibernation Staycation in Fort Greene Park

Fort Greene
Friday, February 20
Join the Urban Park Rangers at the Fort Greene Visitor Center for an afternoon by a nice warm fire. Check out some of the furs that keep native animals warm in winter and learn all about hibernation. READ MORE

Kids Week at New York City Parks in Queens

Kids Week: Gather Round the Campfire in Captain Tilly Park

Jamaica
Monday, February 16
The Urban Park Rangers share tales of NYC’s urban wildlife around the warmth of a campfire. READ MORE

Kids Week: Lunar New Year Celebration in Bowne Park

Flushing
Tuesday, February 17
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with crafts and activities. READ MORE

Kids Week: Build A Birdfeeder in Grover Cleveland Playground

Ridgewood
Wednesday, February 18
Make your own bird feeder with the Urban Park Rangers and create a pit stop on the birds’ journeys around the city.   READ MORE

Kids Week: Nature Scavenger Hunt in Fort Totten Park

Bay Terrace
Thursday, February 19
Join the Urban Park Rangers on a fun nature scavenger hunt. READ MORE

Kids Week: Urban Wildlife in Gorman Playground

Jackson Heights
Friday, February 20
The Urban Park Rangers introduce kids to some of the animals you can find in NYC Parks during the winter season. Enjoy wildlife related crafts and activities as you learn more about some critterish winter neighbors.   READ MORE

Kids Week at New York City Parks in the Bronx

Kids Week: Nature Puppet Show in Crotona Park

Crotona Park
Monday, February 16
The Urban Park Rangers welcome kids for some nature-themed puppet shows! Learn more about animals that can be found in NYC's local parks. READ MORE

Kids Week: Stories by the Campfire in Van Cortlandt Park

Kngsbridge
Tuesday, February 17
Join the Urban Park Rangers and gather around the campfire for story telling and fireside activities. READ MORE

Kids Week: Knot Tying in Crotona Park

Crotona Park
Wednesday, February 18
The Urban Park Rangers lead a workshop on a few key knots and kids learn to make and take home a handmade paracord bracelet. READ MORE

Kids Week: Nature Scavenger Hunt in Pelham Bay Park

Pelham
Thursday, February 19
The Urban Park Rangers lead kids on a nature scavenger hunt. Participants learn how to use a map to uncover hidden clues and discover the nature in the park along the way. READ MORE

Kids Week: Shelter Building in Van Cortlandt Park

Kingsbridge
Friday, February 20
The Urban Park Rangers demonstrate different methods of shelter building, using natural materials. READ MORE

Kids Week at New York City Parks on Staten Island

Kids Week: Kindness Rocks at Blue Heron Nature Center

Blue Heron Park
Monday, February 16
Learn more about local geology and participate in the Kindness Rocks Project -- a project that occurs nationwide where people gather to paint rocks with kind messages that are left in different spots in parks. READ MORE

Kids Week: Year of the Horse...Of Course at Ocean Breeze Pier

Ocean Breeze
Tuesday, February 17
Learn about Lunar New Year and meet some horses while taking a stroll around Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex.   READ MORE

Kids Week: Winter Wonderland Bingo in Allison Pond Park

Randall Manor
Wednesday, February 18
Kids fill their bingo cards with sights and sounds of the season, using their senses to explore the local flora and fauna in the winter wonderland of Allison Pond Park. READ MORE

Kids Week: Ranger Games in Silver Lake Park

Tompkinsville
Thursday, February 19
Take a late morning break with the Urban Park Rangers, playing and learning new and exciting nature games. READ MORE

Kids Week: Nature Sketching

North Shore
Friday, February 20
Find your artistic inspiration with the Rangers and delve into the sights and sounds of nature! Take a stroll around the park, stopping along the way to sketch. READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Brooklyn Bridge Park
Red Hook Recreation Center
Blue Heron Nature Center at Blue Heron Park

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.
Recent Articles By Drew Kristofik:
Read more articles by Drew Kristofik.