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A smiling young child climbs a figure of a dragon named Alphie, the unofficial mascot of Children's Museum of Manhattan

PlayWorks™

Third Floor

Birth – 4 years

We’ve designed every aspect of PlayWorks™ to help families prepare children to enter school ready to learn, grow and thrive. By combining play and learning, PlayWorks creates a fun and rewarding experience for children.

PlayWorks Schedule:

Daily programs for our youngest learners 0 – 4, with activities changing regularly on weekdays and weekends.

  • 10:30 am – 11:00 am: Circle Time
  • 11:15 am – 12:15 pm: Mural Wall or Messy with Art
  • 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm: Special Daily Program or Mural Wall
  • 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm: Messy with Art
  • 4:00 pm: Alphie’s Goodbye Storytime
Get Tickets Download the Family Learning Guide

PlayWorks Programming

PlayWorks features daily programs designed to build essential skills through hands-on learning and play. Offerings may vary by day and time.

Circle Time

Two dancers perform for a crowd of children and adults. One of the dancers is in a white shirt and white pants with a white hat. The other is in a flowing white skirt and a black and white striped shirt, and holds a white fan. The crowd is seated while watching the dancers. Bright yellow doors are in the background.
Start the day with music, movement, and stories that help little ones build routines and express themselves through song and play.

Skills Used:

  • Gross motor coordination
  • Social and emotional skills
  • Communication and self-expression
  • Comfort with group routines

Mural Wall

A young child paints with red paint on a wall.
Start the day with music, movement, and stories that help little ones build routines and express themselves through song and play.

Skills Used:

  • Fine motor control
  • Sensory awareness
  • Creativity and color mixing
  • Cooperative play

Early Engineers

A child holds on to a part of a pump that is part of an exhibit at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. He smiles for the camera.
Experiment with blocks, shapes, and tactile materials to design and build imaginative structures.

Skills Used:

  • Fine motor skills
  • Spatial reasoning and sequencing
  • Hands-on S.T.E.A.M learning
  • Problem-solving through play

Program of the Week

A smiling child holds up what appears to be a crafted felt purse or pouch that she has made. She is smiling at the camera.
Discover something new each week—from art-making to sensory play to cultural celebrations.

Skills Used:

  • Creativity and imagination
  • Cultural awareness
  • Social-emotional development
  • Communication and fine motor skills

Alphie’s Goodbye Storytime

A child smiles while embracing a figure of a dragon--Alfie, the unofficial mascot of Children's Museum of Manhattan
End the day with a magical story and a wave to Alphie the Dragon! Kids wind down while building literacy and listening skills.

Skills Used:

  • Imagination and attention span
  • Story sequencing
  • Call-and-response engagement
  • Language development

PlayWorks Related FAQs

As children explore PlayWorks and participate in free, daily, drop-in Art Lab programs, they build their physical, social, math, art, science, literacy, and problem-solving abilities—as well as the self-confidence, independence and awareness necessary for them to become life-long learners.

This innovative 4,000 square foot environment includes Alphie—a giant talking dragon who “eats” letters, a deli, a fire truck, an MTA bus, sand area, massive six-foot mural painting wall, soft space for crawlers, and more!