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The Parent Loop
Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
 
Weekend Guide
November 6–8, 2026
Handpicked, budget-friendly happenings on the UWS, plus a few nearby highlights worth the trip. Not everything happening, just the ones I'd text a friend about. Because "What should we do?" shouldn't be stressful.
Hi loopers,
The candy's (mostly) gone, the clocks have fallen back and the city is already leaning into winter. The Rockefeller Center tree rolls in Saturday morning and rinks are opening across town. Closer to home, Riverside Park opens up its trucks and heavy equipment for little vehicle fans, Lincoln Center has a gentle paper-puppet show all weekend, and Pier 84 will take your leftover pumpkin for one last smash.
Thanksgiving and fall events that run all season, plus dates worth bookmarking, are at the end. New this week: a section on ice rinks and winter fun, followed by indoor favorites.
Have a friend who wants to sign up? Share the link here and follow @theparentloopnyc for more. Quick tip: click "Read online" (top right) so your reading view doesn't get trimmed.
Around The Loop
Little shoutouts, local sightings, and meaningful connections from the week.
Let's go karaoke! 15 local moms and friends have already signed up for The Parent Loop x Morning Meeting karaoke night at Throwback Sports on Amsterdam Ave, Friday, Nov 13, 7–10 PM, ages 21+. Drinks, laughs and zero-judgment singing, for moms, besties and anyone who's ever sung into a hairbrush like their life depended on it. Happy hour upstairs from 7 to 8 PM, then singing in a private space downstairs from 8 to 10 PM. Only 25 tickets left. $20 each covers entry and the room. To save yours, Venmo @theparentloop with your full name, email and "karaoke" in the note, then RSVP on Partiful.
Jump to: Friday · Saturday · Sunday · Fall & holidays · Ice rinks & winter · Indoor favorites
New on the UWS: Parent & Me karate

Manhattan Karate NYC on W 81st St is launching Parent & Me classes on Sundays starting Nov 8, for ages 2–4 and 5–7. The Parent Loop community gets an extra 15% off any package. To sign up, email [email protected] or call (646) 223-5335, and mention you're from The Parent Loop. A big thank you to Catherine for putting this offer together!

Friday - November 6
Magnetic Me Holiday Playhouse Pop-Up @ The Designers Collab (96A N 5th St, Williamsburg), 10 AM–5 PM, babies through kids. A weekend of family fun from the kids' clothing brand: dance parties, story times, winter crafts and photo sessions, expert Q&As on topics like sleep, and holiday gift shopping from family brands such as Hatch, MAM and Once Upon a Farm. Also Saturday and Sunday. Kids' activities have no cost; RSVP online for 20% off shopping.
Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway (2915 Broadway at 114th St), 10:30 AM, young kids.
De Papel @ Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater, 11 AM and 2 PM, kids and families. Also Saturday and Sunday at the same times. A 30-minute show from Chile's Silencio Blanco, where a puppet made of newspaper slowly comes to life through play with its puppeteers. Choose what you pay. Weekends fill up fast, so Friday has the most seats; Sunday's shows are relaxed performances. The Parent Loop pick!
Family Storytime: Ukulele Storytime @ NYPL–Columbus, 11–11:45 AM, ages 5 and under. Songs, rhymes and read-alouds.
Community Playdate @ NYPL–Bloomingdale, 11 AM–12 PM, ages 0–5. First come, first served.
Family Board Games @ NYPL–Columbus, 3–4 PM, ages 6–12. A game afternoon with friends and librarians.
Little New-Yorkers: The Gift of the Great Buffalo @ New-York Historical, 3:30–4:30 PM, ages 3–6, then Crafts and Classics Club at 5–6 PM, all ages. A read-aloud of a Métis-Ojibwe girl's buffalo-hunt story for Native American Heritage Month, plus a buffalo artwork, then quilt-square sewing with a C.S. Lewis read-aloud. Storytime is included with museum admission ($24 adults, $6 kids 5–13, under 5 at no cost); the club falls in the pay-as-you-wish window, 5–8 PM on Fridays.
Family Fridays: The Chiral Cube @ National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath), 6:30–8 PM, all ages. Artist Paula Beardell Krieg leads a hands-on origami and optical-illusion session where families fold a cube and puzzle pieces that fit together in surprising ways. No cost; registration required.
Saturday - November 7
Early Morning Opening: To the Stars! @ Intrepid Museum (Pier 86, W 46th St), 8:30–11 AM, ages 3–18 with autism or sensory sensitivities, plus their families. A space-exploration morning before the museum opens to the public, with a sensory bag of activities and a social narrative sent ahead. No cost with advance registration; space is limited.
Magnetic Me Holiday Playhouse Pop-Up @ The Designers Collab, Williamsburg, 10 AM–5 PM, babies through kids. See Friday.
Meet the Fleet @ Riverside Park's 95th St Compost Compound, 10 AM–12 PM, all ages. A behind-the-scenes look at the Riverside Park Conservancy's cars, trucks and heavy equipment, with staff on hand to explain how they help keep the park green. A dream morning for little vehicle fans. The Parent Loop pick!
Meet the Tree Day @ Rockefeller Center, 10 AM–1 PM, all ages. Welcome the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree as it arrives, then meet six Care Bears, write holiday letters and make keepsakes at the Care Bears and FAO Schwarz Holiday Workshop. No cost, first come, first served; a paid Meet the Tree + Top of the Rock ticket gets you expedited entry.
Puzzles & Play @ NYPL–Bloomingdale, 10 AM–2 PM, toddlers through elementary.
Rudolf Steiner School Fall Fair @ 15 E 79th St, 10 AM–4 PM, ages 3+. Cider, crafts, puppetry and play on each floor of the school, from candle dipping to a crystal cave. No charge to enter; activity tickets are $5 each, or $100 for a wristband with 10 activities, lunch among them (puppet shows not included).
Family First Saturdays: Storytime at the Morgan @ The Morgan Library & Museum (Madison Ave at 36th St), 11 AM–12 PM, ages 3–7. A picture-book storytime on this month's theme, thankfulness, followed by a tour or art activity. Included with museum admission; kids 12 and under get in at no cost.
Weekend Kids Art Studio @ Museum of the City of New York (Fifth Ave at 103rd St), 11 AM–2 PM, ages 3+. Drop-in collage, drawing and fiber art inspired by the museum's collection; pair it with the new Gingerbread NYC show (see Fall & holidays). Kids 18 and under get in at no cost; adults $23, or pay what you can for NYC residents.
Pumpkin Smash @ Hudson River Park's Pier 84 (at W 44th St), 11 AM–3 PM, all ages. Bring your leftover jack-o'-lantern and smash it with a bat, hammer or shovel, then stick around to learn how the park turns it into compost. No cost. The Parent Loop pick!
De Papel @ Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater, 11 AM and 2 PM, kids and families. Choose what you pay. See Friday.
Open Process Art @ NYPL–Columbus, 12–3 PM, preschool through elementary. Self-directed art-making in the Children's Room.
Hablemos: ¡Sculptures!/¡Esculturas! @ New-York Historical, 1–2:30 PM, ages 6–9. The Spanish-language family program tours the museum's sculptures, then kids make their own air-dry clay portrait with a quote of their choice. No cost; registration required.
Young People's Concert: Tales from Peter and the Wolf @ New York Philharmonic, David Geffen Hall, 2 PM, ages 6+. Mariska Hargitay hosts and narrates Prokofiev's classic, plus a world premiere by one of the Philharmonic's Very Young Composers. A relaxed performance, with YPC Overtures (try instruments, meet musicians) starting at 1 PM. Tickets required; prices vary by seat.
Viva Pinocho: A Mexican Pinocchio @ Teatro SEA (107 Suffolk St, Lower East Side), 3 PM, ages 6+. Opening day for a bilingual Spanish and English Pinocchio told through a Mexican-American lens, with original music, mariachis and a Q&A with the cast after the hour-long show. Tickets $15–25.
Spread a little warmth
The New York Cares Coat Drive is back for another winter, collecting new and gently used coats for New Yorkers who need them. A closet clean-out is an easy family project: let the kids help pick what they've outgrown, then find a drop-off spot near you on the drop-off map. You can also start a collection at your school or building (all it takes is a poster and a box), or donate online, where $25 keeps 10 New Yorkers warm.
Sunday - November 8
Magnetic Me Holiday Playhouse Pop-Up @ The Designers Collab, Williamsburg, 10 AM–5 PM, babies through kids. The last day. See Friday.
Violet's Magic Glasses @ 92NY (Lexington Ave at 92nd St), 10:30 AM, ages 5–10. A new family musical about a second grader who discovers that the real magic isn't in her glasses but in believing in herself and finding what works for her brain. Tickets from $25. The Parent Loop pick!
De Papel @ Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater, 11 AM and 2 PM, kids and families. Both are relaxed performances. Choose what you pay. See Friday.
Sunday Story Time: Remember @ New-York Historical, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM, ages 3–6, then Reading into History: Indigenous History Month at 12–2 PM, all ages. Joy Harjo's picture book Remember, then make a poem with words and pictures; after that, drop in for books by Indigenous authors, historical activities and snacks. Included with museum admission ($24 adults, $6 kids 5–13, under 5 at no cost).
Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway, 1 PM, young kids.
Flutter: A Discovery Play for Babies @ The Ailey Studios (Midtown West), ages 6–18 months. Opening day for Treehouse Shakers' sensory play about the four seasons, told through dance, puppets and play, with babies and caregivers right in the scene. Runs through Nov 15; several showtimes. $42.39 for a caregiver and child, $21.05 per additional child.
Thanksgiving and fall: all season, plus dates to bookmark
This isn't everything out there, just the ones I'd put on my calendar.
All season
Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off @ Museum of the City of New York (Fifth Ave at 103rd St), opens Friday, Nov 6, open daily, all ages. Bakers from across the five boroughs recreate New York icons in gingerbread, from candy-lined streets to edible skyscrapers, and visitors vote for a favorite. Kids 18 and under get in at no cost; adults $23, or pay what you can for NYC residents, and Wednesdays have no admission charge for everyone.
Dates to bookmark
New York Comedy Festival Presents Queenager Live Taping @ West Side Comedy Club (201 W 75th St), Thursday, Nov 12, 7 PM (arrive by 6:30), ages 18+ (16+ with a guardian). A grown-ups night: Felicia Madison's very funny take on aging, marriage and motherhood, taped live for a special. Use code Queenager for 50% off tickets; two-item food or drink minimum.
On a High Note: Songmaking Concert @ The 52nd Street Project (789 Tenth Ave), Friday, Nov 13, 7:30 PM, all ages, best for school-age kids. Hell's Kitchen kids ages 9–18 write the lyrics, professional artists set them to music, and pros sing them. No cost.
Lenfest Kids: Meet the Robinsons @ Lenfest Center for the Arts, Columbia's Manhattanville campus, Saturday, Nov 21, 12–1:45 PM, ages 8+ (rated PG). Part of this fall's Time Travelers film series. Registration opens Monday, Nov 9, at 12 PM.
Saturday Science: Your Body in Motion @ Columbia's Jerome L. Greene Science Center (605 W 129th St), Saturday, Nov 21, 1–4 PM, all ages. Hands-on activities from the Zuckerman Institute on how our brains help us move, see, hear and find our way. No cost; registration required.
Macy's balloon inflation and Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov 25 and 26, all ages. This year is the parade's 100th. The balloons come to life outside AMNH (W 77th to W 81st Sts) the day before, and the parade kicks off on Central Park West on Thanksgiving morning. Times to come closer to the date.
Navidad by Calpulli Mexican Dance Company @ El Museo del Barrio (Fifth Ave at 104th St), Sunday, Dec 13, 3–4 PM, all ages. A family show telling the story of Mexican and American holiday traditions through dance. Tickets required.
Ice rinks and winter fun
Rinks that are open now or opening soon, plus the big winter light shows worth booking early. Hours and prices shift with the season, so check before you lace up.
Ice rinks in Manhattan
Gottesman Rink at the Davis Center @ Central Park (north end, near 110th St), now open, all ages. The closest rink to most of the UWS. Weekend sessions are 80 minutes: $10 for adults, $5 for kids 4–16, and kids 3 and under skate at no cost; skate rentals are $10. Book tickets online.
Riverbank State Park (679 Riverside Dr at 145th St), November through March, weather permitting, all ages. Public skating Fridays 6–9 PM and weekends 1–4 PM and 6–9 PM; tickets are sold in person only.
Wollman Rink @ Central Park (enter at 59th St and Sixth Ave), open daily through March 16, all ages. Adults (13–64) $16–40 depending on the day, kids 4–12 $12 (with a non-skating chaperone included), kids 3 and under at no cost; skate rentals $12. With an IDNYC or NYPL card, the walk-up WRAP ticket bundles admission, skates and cocoa. Hours vary by day, with early closings Mondays and Tuesdays.
The Rink at Bryant Park @ Bank of America Winter Village, open daily 8 AM–10 PM through March 1, all ages. No admission charge if you bring your own skates; rentals run about $19–60 depending on the time, so weekday mornings are the best deal. Skate aids are included before 10:30 AM. The Holiday Shops are open through January 3.
The Rink at Rockefeller Center, open through March 27, all ages, for its 90th season. General Skate is a 60-minute session from $22 per person, plus skate rental; penguin skate aids rent onsite. Book online in advance. Crowds pick up once the tree is lit on Wednesday, Dec 2.
The Ice Rink at The Standard, High Line (848 Washington St, Meatpacking), opens Monday, Nov 9, all ages. First come, first served: $20 for adults, $15 for kids under 12, skate rentals $10. Family Skate Lessons on Sundays, 12–4 PM, plus La Maison du Chocolat cocoa.
The Rink at Brookfield Place (Battery Park City), all ages, returning in November; the opening date and prices aren't posted yet.
Ice rinks in Brooklyn
LeFrak Center at Lakeside @ Prospect Park, all ages. Public ice skating opened October 31; check the master schedule for session times and prices.
SKATE at Domino Park (Williamsburg), open Monday, Nov 9, through February 21, all ages. Skyline views from the waterfront; tickets online.
Roebling Rink @ Brooklyn Bridge Park, open daily Saturday, Nov 14, through January 31, all ages. Opening day has no-cost admission for the first two sessions (10:30 AM and 12:30 PM, limited tickets online), plus crafts with park educators, the Brooklyn Museum's Museum on Wheels and holiday movies.
Winter lights and celebrations
Holiday Train Show @ New York Botanical Garden (Bronx), opens Nov 14 and runs through January 10, all ages. Model trains travel past nearly 200 twinkling NYC landmark replicas, with extended evening hours until 8 PM on select dates. Ticket prices vary by date.
Lightscape @ Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Nov 20 through January 3, all ages. A brand-new illuminated trail this year, built as a love letter to the garden through its four seasons. Adults $29–44, kids 3–11 $15–28 depending on the night, babies 0–2 at no cost. Timed tickets online.
Holiday Lights @ Bronx Zoo, select nights Nov 21 through January 3, all ages. The winter version of Boo at the Zoo: lantern trails, a walk-through light tunnel and the kids' holiday train, and new this year, nighttime visits to the Children's Zoo Farmyard and select animal exhibits. Tickets get you in from 1 PM, so you can see the animals before the lights go on. Date-specific tickets are $37.95 for adults and $22.95 for kids 3–12 ($29.95 and $14.95 on Deal Days); kids 2 and under at no cost. Advance tickets only. The Parent Loop pick!
Indoor favorites for rainy or chilly days
Discovery Room @ American Museum of Natural History, open daily except Tuesdays, pre-K and up. Live animals, fossil assembly and specimens. Included with admission, which is pay-what-you-wish for New Yorkers.
The 81st Street Studio @ The Met, Thursday–Tuesday 10 AM–5 PM (last entry 4 PM, closed Wednesdays), ages 3–11. No museum admission needed.
Twilight Zone: Hidden Wonders of the Ocean @ ARTECHOUSE, beneath Chelsea Market (439 W 15th St), through November 16, all ages. An immersive art-meets-science room built with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, using real deep-sea footage of glowing creatures. Last two weekends. Timed tickets $18–24; kids under 3 get in at no cost.
reSOUND New York @ HERO, Rockefeller Center Rink Level, all ages. A hidden multisensory art space where light and sound installations react to you in real time. Timed tickets.
Balloon Museum: DAYDREAM @ Tin Building, South Street Seaport, best for ages 4–12. Giant inflatable art installations you can touch and play in. Tickets from $39 for adults and $29 for kids 3–11; kids under 3 get in at no cost.
Doll Dressing @ The Museum at FIT (Chelsea), closed Mondays and Tuesdays, all ages. More than 170 dolls shown alongside full-size fashion, through January 3.
Little Red's Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, weekends, ages 3–7. $10/$15, advance tickets only.
I'm always looking for great sponsors and partners. If your business would like to sponsor or connect with parents, contribute to a swap, or be part of a future The Parent Loop event, just reply here and let's grab coffee!
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The Parent Loop · Upper West Side, NYC

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