Hi loopers,
Wow, what a weekend. Highlights: hundreds of ships in the Hudson, Taylor & Travis's wedding, and fireworks lighting up the city. Lowlights: Mexico gave us an incredible World Cup run but ultimately came up short. The U.S. met the same fate. Sorry to fellow UWS parent Kevin, who was at the match—that one hurt. With the U.S. and Mexico out, my feed is now 80% Erling Haaland (Norway) and 20% parenting reels.
The good news? Next summer's FIFA Women’s World Cup will be on our screens before we know it.
As always, everything below is free unless noted, because "What should we do?" shouldn't turn into Saturday morning stress. Don't forget to check out the recurring activities at the end.
Have a friend who wants to sign up? Share the link here and follow @theparentloopnyc for more
Friday - July 10
Kid's Magic Show: Le Carrousel Extravaganza @ Bryant Park, 10-11am, all ages.
For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence @ American Museum of Natural History, 10am and on, all ages, +$17-24 per ticket (ages 3 and under free) + choose your timed exhibition ticket. Check out the goal zone, an interactive play space to test soccer skills in challenges. P.S. Don’t forget to get your NYC Neighborhood Passport stamped at the Global Sports Pavilion (Floor 1).
And drop in to watch the Spain vs. Belgium game at 3pm on one of their big screens.
PlacePartner Opportunity: Goat Patrol @ Jenny’s Garden (138th/12th Av), 1:30-3pm. Work with the goats (who will be eating poison ivy!) to help clean up. Register here.
World Cup Quarter-Final: Spain vs Belgium (Los Angeles Stadium) @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 3pm, all ages.
Guided Gallery: Explore local wildlife and waterways @ Pier 57 Discovery Tank, 3-6pm, all ages. This month’s theme: crabs!
Summer for the City: Freestyle Soccer Show @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 5-5:20pm, The Parent Loop pick!
Summer for the City: BORN TO FLY: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 6-7:20pm, all ages. Outdoor screening of the groundbreaking artist sometimes called “the Evel Knievel of dance.”
Summer for the City: Create-athon: Deep Sea Costume Workshop @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 6-7:30pm, designed for ages 10+ plus all are welcome. Come make your costume and then dance under the sea. The Parent Loop pick!
Hudson Classical Theater Company: Hamlet @ Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument (89th, Riverside Park) 6:30-8:30pm, pay-what-you-wish.
Game Night @ Pier I (70th), 7:00-9:00pm, all ages.
Bank of America’s Carnegie Hall Citywide: Avery Wilson @ Bryant Park, 7-8:30pm, all ages. Bring your blanket or borrow one there.
Summer for the City: Kicking + Screening - Soccer Film Festival @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 8-10pm, all ages.
Summer for the City: Silent Disco: Belinda Becker @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 10-11:30pm, all ages.
Saturday - July 11
For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence @ American Museum of Natural History, 10 am on, all ages, see details above.
And drop in to watch the Norway vs. England 5pm on one of their big screens.
Nature Walks (Park Tours) @ Christopher Street Fountain, Hudson River Park, 10-11am, no age noted but loud noised/barking startle wildlife. Register here.
Summer for the City: SOLEcial Studies Clear Canvas Lab @ Lincoln Center Theater, 10-11:30am, all ages. Come design your own custom cleats on paper! Select designs may be featured on Instagram.
Summer for the City: The Music of You with Dr. Susan Rogers @ Lincoln Center (David Rubenstein Atrium), all ages, 11am-12:30pm. Discover what the music you love reveals about your brain, memories, and sense of self.
Big City Fishing @ Pier 51, 11am-3pm, ages 5+.
Guided Gallery: Discovery Tank @ Pier 57, 11am-5pm, all ages. Hands-on STEM activities. This months theme: crabs!
Wetlab Look-ins @ Pier 40, 11am-5pm, all ages. Come see the aquarium’s wildlife and take a guided tour.
Summer for the City: SAB Family-Friendly Ballet Workshop @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 11am-11:50am, all ages, sneakers recommended. The Parent Loop pick!
Summer for the City: Freestyle Workshop with Nick Seyda @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 12:00-1:30pm, all ages. Come and kick it with the NYC freestyle soccer community.
Play Date! featuring Zing! @ W 125th & Marginal St, 1-3pm, all ages. Family fun including a children’s entertainer (1:30pm), fitness, games, and challenges.
From Stoops to Stadiums: How New Yorkers Play Block Party @ American Museum of Natural History (outside, 79th st, btw Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues), 3-10pm, all ages. An outdoor block party that honors the games New Yorkers play, the cultures we carry, and the climate we share + the Manhattanhenge on 79th st. The Parent Loop pick!
World Cup Quarter-Final: Norway vs England - Miami Stadium @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 5pm, all ages.
Summer for the City: AfriCarnaval @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 6-8pm, all ages.
Silent Disco @ Pier i, 6-10pm, all ages.
Hudson Classical Theater Company: Hamlet @ Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument (89th, Riverside Park) 6:30-8:30pm, pay-what-you-wish.
Concert Series ft. The Afro-Latineers @ 96th St Tennis Courts, 7-8:30pm, all ages.
Summer for the City: Silent Disco: DJ David & Arty Furtado @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 8:30-11:30pm, all ages. The Parent Loop pick!
World Cup Quarter-Final: Argentina vs Switzerland - Kansas City Stadium @ Lincoln Center (Hearst Plaza), 9pm, all ages.
Sunday - July 12
Open Streets @ Columbus Av, 68-77th St, 11am-7pm, through July 26.
Wetlab Look-ins @ Pier 40, 11am-2pm, all ages. Come see the aquarium’s wildlife and take a guided tour.
Summer for the City: Create-athon: Creature Kickoff @ Lincoln Center (The Dance Floor), 12-3pm, all ages. Build your own working cardboard foosball table. The Parent Loop pick!
Summer for the City: Ruidosa Fest @ Lincoln Center (David Geffen Hall and The Dance Floor), 3-11pm, all ages. Featuring one of my favorite artists, Lila Downs. The Parent Loop pick!
Guided Gallery: Discovery Tank @ Pier 57, 3-5pm, all ages. Hands-on STEM activities. This months theme: crabs!
Nature Art West Side Fest @ Pier 57, 3-4pm, ages 5+.
Hudson Classical Theater Company: Hamlet @ Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument (89th, Riverside Park) 6:30-8:30pm, pay-what-you-wish.
Amplified Sundays ft. Gentleman Brawlers @ Pier i, 7-8:30pm, all ages.
UWS and Morningside WhatsApp community
Reminder: If you want to join the UWS/Morningside parents’ WhatsApp, just hit reply or DM me with your neighborhood and I’ll send the link. One note: this is a peer community group. The Parent Loop is not responsible or liable for transactions, exchanges, or recommendations shared by members. Please use your own discretion.
Ongoing events
FIFA Arena: Free Soccer @ near Tavern on the Green (Central Park). All ages. June 10-July 18, most days are open play with two sessions (10am-2pm, 4-8pm). Drop in and join a game but check the deets and calendar.
FIFA World Cup Watch Parties @ Hudson Yards, ends July 19. Featuring a 30-foot outdoor screen. Bring your blankets and snacks.
World Cup Watch Parties @ Pier 57 and Intrepid Museum on Pier 86. 11am-9pm.
FIFA Arena: Free Soccer @ near Tavern on the Green (Central Park). All ages. June 10-July 18, most days are open play with two sessions (10am-2pm, 4-8pm). Drop in and join a game but check the deets and calendar.
Juggling class @ Bryant Park, all skills welcome + equipment provided, 12-1pm, Mon-Sat, April-December.
CPDSA Skate Circle Events w. Live DJs @ Skate Circle (middle of Central Park, 69th), music starts 2:45pm-6:45 pm, all skills and ages. Bring your own skates and helmets required for 14 and younger. Most Sat, Sun, and holiday weekends. Ends in October.
Model Yacht Club Races @ Central Park (Conservatory Water, East side, between 72nd&75th), 10am-1pm, all ages. Every Saturday, ends in November.
Boating, make sure to confirm holiday hours. Usually first-come, first-served; free unless noted otherwise:
Manhattan Community Boathouse @ Pier 96 at W 56th St, Sat and Sun, May 23–Oct 11, 1-6pm
Downtown Boathouse @ Pier 26 in Tribeca, Sat and Sun 10am-4:30pm
Central Park Boathouse @ Central Park at E 72nd St), $30/hour rental
Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse @ between Piers 1 and 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Wednesdays + Thursdays 5-7pm, Saturdays 10am-3pm, kids and family paddle Sundays 12-2:30pm through August. And you can volunteer. Or learn how to play kayak polo. Yes, it’s free! More info for ages and specifics; limited walk-ins and reservations open 2 weeks in advance here
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood @ The Bronx Zoo, ages 2 and under free, ages 3 and up +28, prices vary, ends Sept 7.
Storm King Art Center @ Hudson Valley, ongoing events for kids and families, children 0-4 free, ages 5 and up +$15.
Brooklyn Cyclones game @ Maimonides Park (Brooklyn), $16-61, times/dates vary, all ages. Don’t forget to hit up the Original Nathan’s Famous nearby. Check out the know before you go here for more info and make sure it’s not an away game.
Coney Island @ Brooklyn (1208 Surf Av); Check out the museum, the shows, and Luna Park (exact times/dates vary; no fee to access the amusement park but rides/attractions prices vary $49-$90).
Always check the NYC Ferry schedule (New York City Ferry Service) before you go, especially on holidays and weekends.
From the East 90th Street landing by Carl Schurz Park, families can take the Astoria Route or the Rockaway-Soundview Route for an easy ride with skyline views.
From Pier 11/Wall Street, you can connect to Governors Island on summer weekends and holidays, or take the South Brooklyn Route to Atlantic Ave/BBP Pier 6 for Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Water Lab playground.
Conservatory Garden @ 104th/106th East Side of Central Park, 8am-dusk.
Romeo & Juliet’s @ Shakespeare in the Park, ages +5, ticket info is here.
Indoor favorites for rainy or hot days
Storytime @ The Strand (81st & 82nd), Sundays, 12pm & 3pm, ages 0–7.
Storytime @ Book Culture (2915 Broadway & 114th St), Sundays, 1pm, ages 0–7.
Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre @ 81st and CPW, in Central Park, tickets +$12 for ages 2 and up, for ages 3-7, various times.
The Met’s 81st studio @ The Met (on the bottom floor; a state-of-the-art space), stroller parking, 10am-5pm, ages 3-11.
Hands-on-activities (Discovery Room ages 0-12, Climate Learning Lab ages 8+, Human Origins Learning Lab ages 8+) @ American Museum of Natural History, NYC residents pay-what-you-wish. Note: The Discovery is moving from a first-come, first-served to a registration-based approach so make sure to sign up when you get to the museum.
Libraries are open Friday and Saturdays, closed Sundays: Bloomingdale Library (99th st), Riverside Library (66th st), St. Agnes Library (81st st), Columbus Library (51st st).
Bookstores, times vary: Book Culture (@112th, @114th), The Strand (81st & 82nd on Columbus), Barnes and Noble (@82nd st).
Because parenting is better when we share the good stuff.
The Parent Loop
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Disclaimer: Event details, dates, prices, and links are subject to change — please check with venues before heading out. Some product links may earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share items we genuinely use and love. The Parent Loop and its admins are not responsible for member posts, recommendations, transactions, services, or arrangements made through WhatsApp groups. Participation is voluntary, and each member is responsible for their own decisions, screening, and interactions.