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The Parent Loop
Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
September 25–27, 2026
Weekend Guide
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| Handpicked, budget-friendly happenings on the UWS, plus a few nearby highlights worth the trip. Not everything happening, just the ones we'd text a friend about. Because "What should we do?" shouldn't be stressful. |
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Hi loopers,
The Parent Loop turned one this month! I launched it last September: 52+ weekends of plans and picks, straight to your inbox.
It's been a full year of juggling a full-time job, a toddler, PTA, and plenty of ups and downs. What started as a simple weekly list has turned into a real neighborhood loop:
- 3 clothing swaps
- 5 parent book club get-togethers
- 1 Let’s go moms (+ friends)! dance party
- 480+ local newsletter subscribers, up from zero last September
- Teaming up with brands and businesses I love that make parents' (and kids'!) lives better, including Tula, Morning Meeting, Muse Arts, Little Swaps, Carousel, La Escuelita, West Side Comedy Club, DJMK, Bondd Pilates and more
- So many laughs and smiles, and some vulnerable tears
Thank you for being here. Year two is already taking shape, with swaps, giveaways and new ways to keep good stuff circulating down the block. If you have a space that could host a swap, or an idea for what we should do next, just reply here.
It's shaping up to be a damp, chilly weekend, so I've put the indoor picks first each day. Outdoor options are underneath if the sun peeks out.
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. |
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Around The Loop: Little shoutouts, local sightings, and meaningful connections from the week
Muse Arts giveaway winner: Congrats to Annmarie B., one of our very first subscribers, who won three Music Together® classes with Muse Arts! Thank you to all 35 of you who entered. More local giveaways are coming soon.
New! Halloween Costume Swap WhatsApp group. Have a costume your kid has outgrown or only wore once? Join the group to trade 1:1 with other local families instead of buying new. Parents of older kids, we especially need you! Your closet of past costumes could make a little one's Halloween. Reply here to join.
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| Friday - September 25 |
| Indoors, rain or shine |
| Snoopy in Style NYC @ 25 Little West 12th St, Meatpacking, 10 AM–6 PM (last entry 5:30), all ages. A free Peanuts exhibit about fashion, with character dioramas and a Joe Cool listening lounge. A trek, but it closes Saturday. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway (2915 Broadway at 114th St), 10:30 AM, young kids. |
| My NYC Playground @ Children's Museum of Manhattan, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM & 2–4:15 PM, ages 0–6. Kids design and build a pretend playground, plus Recess Tote Bag Stamping 2:45–3:45 PM. Museum admission required. |
| Open Playtime @ NYPL–Bloomingdale, 11 AM–12 PM, ages 0–5. A library playdate with toys and books, no registration needed. |
| Bring a Memory to Life: A Stop-Motion Animation Workshop @ NYPL–Riverside, 3–4 PM, ages 6–12. Kids turn a favorite memory into a short stop-motion film with drawing and collage. Online registration required. |
| Discovery Tank: Guided Gallery @ Pier 57, 3–6 PM, all ages. Live Hudson River creatures and hands-on exhibits. |
| Little New-Yorkers: Mario and the Hole in the Sky @ New-York Historical, 3:30–4:30 PM, ages 3–6. A Latinx Heritage Month story, then a DIY microscope craft from recycled materials. Museum admission required. |
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| If the rain holds off |
| Kids in Motion @ Bloomingdale Playground (Amsterdam & 104th), 2–6 PM, kids. NYC Parks staff lead games, sports and board games. |
| Bingo! @ W 125th & Marginal St, Riverside Park, 5:30–7 PM, all ages. BYO snacks; every game winner gets a prize. Cancelled in heavy rain. |
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Giveaway: 2 tickets to Rooted & Ready
Expecting, or in the thick of the newborn days? Rooted & Ready is an in-person gathering for expecting and new parents on Saturday, October 24, 1–5 PM in Midtown, with honest conversations about pregnancy, postpartum and parenthood, support for mind and body, a birth-worker panel, and a fireside chat with Neha Ruch, author of The Power Pause. It's co-hosted by Dr. Sneha Gazi, PT, DPT, a pelvic health physical therapist, and Olivia Bergeron, LCSW, PMH-C, a perinatal psychotherapist. One lucky looper will win 2 tickets, including nourishing bites, raffle access, gifts and a swag bag.
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| Saturday - September 26 |
| Indoors, rain or shine |
| Snoopy in Style NYC @ Meatpacking, 10 AM–6 PM. Last day! |
| Neighbors at Play @ Children's Museum of Manhattan, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM & 2–4:15 PM, ages 0–6. Part of Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play: kids turn cardboard into a neighborhood, plus Little Movers, Big Movements at 11:15 AM and 2:45 PM. Museum admission required. |
| Red Riding Hood @ 92NY, 10:30 AM, ages 2–8. Opening day of this 45-minute musical with dancers and an original score. Tickets $30–50. |
| Family Book Reading: Into the Starry Night @ MoMA, 10:30 & 11 AM, ages 2+. Author Curtis R. Scott reads his new picture book. Museum admission required. |
| ClimateFest @ American Museum of Natural History, 11 AM–4 PM, all ages. A full day of hands-on science, a climate puppet show, a sensory-friendly theater piece for ages 5 and under, and a reading by scientist Rae Wynn-Grant. Included with museum admission. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Bilingual Broadway En Vivo @ David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, 11 AM, all ages. Young performers sing Broadway favorites in Spanish, with a relaxed performance option. First come, first served, so arrive early. |
| MCNY Kids Art Studio @ Museum of the City of New York, 11 AM–2 PM, ages 3+. Drop-in art-making, and the last session of the season. Included with admission. |
| Saturday Puzzle Time @ NYPL–Riverside, 11 AM–3 PM, kids. Jigsaw puzzles and lo-fi music, first come, first served. |
| Discovery Tank: Guided Gallery @ Pier 57, 11 AM–5 PM, all ages. |
| Wetlab Look-ins @ Pier 40, 11 AM–5 PM, all ages. Peek into Hudson River Park's science lab. |
| Lenfest Kids: Back to the Future @ Lenfest Center for the Arts (615 W 129th St), 12 PM, ages 10+ (PG). Opens this fall's time-travel film series, with activities in the lobby after. Free, RSVP required. |
| Saturday Science: The City We Share @ Columbia's Zuckerman Institute (605 W 129th St), 1–4 PM, all ages, geared to elementary and middle schoolers. Hands-on brain science. Free, registration required. Easy to pair with Lenfest. |
| Art Cart @ Guggenheim, 3 PM, all ages. Drop-in art-making in the galleries. Free with museum admission. |
| Little Red’s Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, weekends, ages 3–7. $10 children/$15 adults, advance online tickets only. Check the site for this weekend's showtimes. |
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| If the rain holds off |
| Locomotive Open House @ Locomotive Lawn, Riverside Park South, 10 AM–1 PM, all ages. See the restored locomotive and learn about the West Side's rail history. |
| Kids in Motion @ Bloomingdale Playground, 10 AM–6 PM, kids. |
| Central Park Model Yacht Club Races @ Conservatory Water, 10 AM–1 PM, all ages, weather permitting. |
| Brooklyn Book Festival: Children’s Day @ Brooklyn Borough Hall, 10 AM–4 PM, all ages. Readings, workshops, puppet shows and signings with authors like R.J. Palacio. Partly indoors, and worth the trek. |
| Story Hour! @ 102nd St Field House, Riverside Park, 3–4 PM, little ones. Rotating books and guest readers. |
| THREAD: A Dance Performance by Kinesis Project @ Locomotive Lawn, Riverside Park South, 5:30 PM, all ages. A roving dance piece that winds along the river paths. |
| Boo at the Zoo @ Bronx Zoo, opening weekend, activities until 4 PM. Hay maze, costume parades, magic shows and animal chats. Included with zoo admission. |
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| Sunday - September 27 |
| Indoors, rain or shine |
| Transit Tots @ New York Transit Museum (Brooklyn), 9:30–10:30 AM, babies and toddlers. Early-morning storytime, crafts and pretend play before the museum opens. $40. |
| Miniature Harvest Huts with artist Ye’ela Wilschanski @ Children's Museum of Manhattan, 10:30 AM–12:30 PM & 2–4:15 PM, ages 0–6, plus My Sukkah Collage at 11:15 AM and 2:45 PM. Museum admission required. |
| Sunday Story Time: A Girl Named Rosita @ New-York Historical, 11:30 AM–12:30 PM, ages 3–6. The story of Rita Moreno for Latinx Heritage Month, then a dancer craft. Free with museum admission. The Parent Loop pick! |
| Storytime with the Author: The Cow in the Dark at Night @ Books of Wonder (42 W 17th St), 11:30 AM, young kids. Author-illustrator Jess Hannigan reads. RSVP on the site. |
| Storytime @ Book Culture on Broadway, 1 PM, young kids. |
| Little Red’s Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, ages 3–7. See Saturday. |
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| If the rain holds off |
| Ethical Culture Street Fair @ W 64th St between Broadway and CPW, 12–6 PM, all ages. International food, children's activities, and music, dance and theater inside and outside the meeting house. Right in the neighborhood. |
| Kid Fest @ Atlantic Antic @ Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, 12–6 PM, all ages. A block of free crafts, music and active play inside NYC's biggest street fair. |
| Sukkot: Open Sukkah Hours @ JCC Manhattan (76th & Amsterdam), 7th floor terrace sukkah 12:30–8:45 PM, rooftop from 3:45 PM, plus a sidewalk sukkah on Amsterdam. |
| THREAD: A Dance Performance by Kinesis Project @ Locomotive Lawn, Riverside Park South, 5:30 PM, all ages. |
| Boo at the Zoo @ Bronx Zoo, activities until 4 PM. Included with zoo admission. |
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| Ongoing events |
| Juggling Lessons @ Bryant Park, Saturdays 11 AM–2 PM, weekdays noon–1 PM, Tuesdays 5:30–7:30 PM, all ages. Equipment provided. |
| Le Carrousel @ Bryant Park, daily 11 AM–8 PM, all ages. $6 per ride. |
| Governors Island: the ferry is free for everyone on weekends before 11 AM (otherwise $5 round-trip; kids 12 and under always ride free). Reservations recommended. |
| Central Park Farm Stand, Saturdays 10 AM–7 PM through October 31. |
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| Indoor favorites for rainy or chilly days |
| Discovery Room @ American Museum of Natural History, weekends 10:30 AM–1:25 PM & 2:15–5:10 PM, ages 4–12. Live animals, fossil assembly and specimens. Included with admission; free timed passes at the door. |
| The 81st Street Studio @ The Met, Thursday–Tuesday 10 AM–5 PM (last entry 4 PM, closed Wednesdays), ages 3–11. Free, no museum admission needed. |
| Balloon Museum: DAYDREAM @ Tin Building, South Street Seaport, Fri–Sun 9 AM–8 PM, best for ages 4–12. Thirteen giant inflatable art installations at the museum's new permanent home. $26 kids 4–12, $40 adults, under 4 free. No strollers, so bring a carrier. |
| Doll Dressing @ The Museum at FIT (Chelsea), closed Mondays and Tuesdays. More than 170 dolls shown alongside full-size fashion. Free, through January 3. |
| Little Red’s Hood @ Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, weekends, ages 3–7. $10/$15, advance tickets only. |
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| Fall events worth bookmarking |
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Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
The Parent Loop
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| 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! |
| Event details are subject to change. This newsletter may contain affiliate links, for which The Parent Loop may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The Parent Loop is not responsible or liable for transactions, exchanges, or recommendations shared within community WhatsApp groups or other peer-run channels. Please use your own discretion. |
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| The Parent Loop · Upper West Side, NYC |
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