Public Programs
At the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, there’s always something new to explore! Designed for children ages 0 – 6, our hands-on programs encourage creativity, learning, and play through art, music, science, and storytelling, all rooted in research-backed methods that support early brain development. From ever-changing themed activities to PlayWorks, our dedicated space for our youngest visitors, every experience is designed to engage children at the right developmental stage. With a rotating schedule of interactive programs, there’s always a reason to visit and discover something exciting!
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
Check out our latest schedule and book your tickets today. Be sure to sign-up for our newsletter and check back often—to stay up-to-date as new programs are added regularly! Each program is drop-in unless marked with an asterisk after.
New Experiences Every Month:
June Programming
World Cup Wonder
Tuesday – Sunday, June 2 – 14
Celebrate collaboration, favorite teams, and work together as we make art that celebrates the start of the World Cup! Enjoy a performance from our partners at Calpulli Mexican Dance Company and create your own World Cup Superhero with renowned Comic Book Artist and CMOM Exhibition Artist, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, and join us for movement activities that center your athleticism!
Colors of Pride
Tuesday – Thursday, June 16 – 18; Monday & Tuesday, June 29 – 30
Celebrate and uplift the voices of the LGBTQIA+ community through programs created to spark Pride, foster community, and self-worth!
Pop-Up Pride Flag
Tuesday – Thursday, June 16 – 18; Monday & Tuesday, June 29 – 30 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Get your painter’s cap on and engineer an upcycled giant Pride flag on a huge canvas! Stack and build a rainbow sculpture of found objects and recyclables in fun and imaginative ways.
Tying Colorful Hand Kites
Tuesday – Thursday, June 16 – 18; Monday & Tuesday, June 29 – 30 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Which colors represent you? Tie or tape different colors of ribbon to a ring. Watch the ribbons dance in the air as you hold your kite and strut with pride!
Juneteenth
Friday, June 19
Come celebrate Juneteenth with us by creating collaborative fun art projects that honor Black Joy!
Artist Workshop: Juneteenth Zines with Lillian Young*
Friday, June 19 | 10:30 am – 11:15 am; 11:30 am – 12:15 pm; 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm; 3:00 pm – 3:45 pm | *Sign-up | Ages 5 & up | 3rd Floor | Discovery Classroom
Join us for an exciting day exploring Juneteenth with artist Lillian Young! Her Black Elder Archive features a portrait of Opal Lee, the “grandmother of Juneteenth.” Learn more about Lee through art, readalouds, and video: then create your own zines with textured paper and markers.
Life in Harlem Community Mural
Friday, June 19 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Jacob Lawrence’s art tells stories of hardship, strength, and hope. Create and collaborate on a community mural inspired by his lively pictures of life in Harlem and the fight for civil rights as we celebrate the diversity of our community.
Drawing My Community Picnic
Friday, June 19 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Who is in your community? Celebrate those you love by drawing details onto people-shaped cutouts and gluing them onto gingham patterned paper to have a celebratory picnic!
Parents' Day
Saturday & Sunday, June 20 – 21
Celebrate Parents’ Day at CMOM all weekend long! Join us as we create thoughtful gifts and think about the special grown-ups in our lives.
Faces I Love Clay Gallery
Saturday, June 20 | & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Sunday, June 21 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Who makes you feel safe, happy, and loved? Sculpt a clay portrait inspired by that special grown-up and use a metallic frame to create our mini appreciation gallery.
Mini Canvas Painting
Saturday & Sunday, June 20 – 21 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks Classroom
Unleash your inner artist by mixing colors together to make new ones! Paint your colors onto a mini canvas and gift your painting to a special grown-up in your life.
Storytelling with Author Alix Greenberg
Saturday, June 20th | 10:30 am & 11:30am | Ages 4 & younger | 1st Floor | Inside Art
Join us for a special event featuring New York City–based artist, entrepreneur, and mom, Alix Greenberg! Her work focuses on art, storytelling, and family life. She’ll be sharing her new A, B, C Potty Training Coloring Book and will be on-site to chat with parents and color with the kids.
Proud to be Me!
Tuesday – Sunday, June 23 – 28
Tote-ally Proud of Myself
Tuesday – Friday, June 23 – 26 & Sunday, June 28 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Saturday, June 27 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Decorate a tote bag with patterns, textures, stencils, and colors of the rainbow that represent who you are and what you love inspired by LGBTQIA+ pioneers.
Rainbow Sorting Sensory Bin
Tuesday – Friday, June 23 – 26 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, June 27 – 28 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Sort, arrange, and play with different textured and colored objects. No matter how the objects are arranged, you are sure to create a rainbow of colors!
Pop-Up Pride Flag
Monday & Tuesday, June 29 – 30 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Get your painter’s cap on and engineer an upcycled giant Pride flag on a huge canvas! Stack and build a rainbow sculpture of found objects and recyclables in fun and imaginative ways.
Tying Colorful Hand Kites
Monday & Tuesday, June 29 – 30 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Which colors represent you? Tie or tape different colors of ribbon to a ring. Watch the ribbons dance in the air as you hold your kite and strut with pride!
July Programming
Harbor Hooray!
Wednesday – Sunday, July 1 – 5
Celebrate NYC’s waterfront with art projects inspired by ships, signals, and seaside adventure. Explore how boats move, communicate, and celebrate on the water as we gear up for a festive harbor holiday!
Sink or Swim: Will It Float? In Dynamic H2O! *
Wednesday – Sunday July 1 – 5 | 11:00 am – 12:15 pm | *Weather dependent | All ages | 1st Floor | Dynamic H2O
On your mark, get set, float! Have a splash playing with boats and test whether they sink or float. Don’t forget a smock!
Ready, Set, Sail! Ship Sculptures
Wednesday – Sunday, July 1 – 5 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Design and decorate a paper ship using recycled materials, paper sails, and colorful flags.
My Nautical Letter Flag
Wednesday & Thursday, July 1 – 2 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Friday – Sunday, July 3 – 5 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Did you know that nautical flags can represent different letters in the alphabet? Each flag represents a letter. Put together shapes and colors to make a paper nautical flag that represents a letter of your choice!
Underground Adventures & City Seekers
Monday – Sunday, July 6 – 12
Dive into the busy world beneath the City! Inspired by subways, maps, and movement, explore how people travel, navigate, and discover NYC.
Soccer Stations with CMOM and West Side Soccer League*
Sunday, July 12 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Select stations | *Sign-up | All ages | 1st Floor | Inside Art
The World Cup Final is in one week! Join CMOM and West Side Soccer League for exciting movement activities and team games. Kick back at CMOM’s Huddle Hub, where you can read books about countries participating in the World Cup, make art, and learn about professional players and their amazing skills!
NY Seek & Find Tubes
Monday – Friday, July 6 – 10; Sunday, July 12 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Saturday, July 11 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Inspired by the five boroughs of New York, create paper figures, buildings, taxis, and all the things you love about your city to hide inside an I-Spy bottle!
Tape & Take Subway Map
Monday – Friday, July 6 – 10 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, July 11 – 12 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Pull and tear long pieces of tape. Stick them to paper to create your subway map! Don’t get lost! Add numbers and letters to your map that represent the different subway lines.
Performance with Spellbound Theater: Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, Please
Saturday, July 11 | 10:30 am – 11:00 am & 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | Ages 2 – 5 | 1st Floor | Inside Art
Join Spellbound Theater for a one-of-a-kind storytelling performance! This interactive and intimate show follows a lost toy, Catbear, as they travel through the tunnels of New York City on six different subway lines, looking for their owner. Each train has its own story, and Catbear experiences all the sights and sounds of New York City before landing home again.
Goal! Art in Motion
Monday – Sunday, July 13 – 19
It’s the finale of the World Cup! Celebrate teamwork, movement, and global connection with us through soccer-inspired artmaking.
Soaring Over NYC Skies
Monday – Sunday, July 20 – 26
From airplanes to floating forms, discover how art can capture the feeling of flying over the city.
Water Wednesdays: H2O Games and Guests! *
Wednesday, July 22 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | *Weather dependent | All ages | 1st Floor | Dynamic H2O
Join CMOM Educators and special guests for fun water games and activities!
Music and Marks Performance: Mimi & Cesar
Thursday, July 23 | 11:00 am – 11:30 am & 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | All ages | 1st Floor | Inside Art
Join powerhouse jazz singer Mimi Hilaire and master guitarist Cesar Garabini and listen
to soulful renditions of jazz classics, rhythmic bossa nova, and fun retro takes on more
contemporary songs while you create original art.
Sky Motion Mobiles
Monday & Tuesday, July 20 – 21; Friday – Sunday, July 24 – 26 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Wednesday, July 22 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Thursday – Sunday, July 23 – 26 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Create a hanging artwork that moves with the air! Using bold colors, design a mobile inspired by the feeling of looking out across a colorful NYC sky.
My Wooden Airplane
Monday – Friday, July 20 – 24 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, July 25 – 26 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Test your color theory skills as you paint a small wooden plane. Where will your plane take you?
From My Block to the Big City
Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31
What makes NYC special? YOU! Reflect on your favorite places, memories, and City pride all week long.
Water Wednesdays: H2O Games and Guests! *
Wednesday, July 29 | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | *Weather dependent | All ages | 1st Floor | Dynamic H2O
Join CMOM Educators and special guests for fun water games and activities!
Performance: Joanie Leeds
Thursday, July 30 | 11:00 am – 11:30 am & 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | All ages | 1st Floor | Inside Art
Join GRAMMY® award-winning children’s musician Joanie Leeds for a vibrant, fun- filled performance at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan! With catchy, summery songs from her 12-album catalog, Joanie will take young hearts on an exciting journey through water, earth, and nature. Get ready to sing, dance, and celebrate the beauty of the world around us in this interactive, musical adventure!
My NYC Pouch
Monday — Tuesday, July 27– July 28; Friday, July 31 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Wednesday, July 29 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Thursday, July 30 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Inspired by the place we love and take care of, design and doodle a canvas pouch with patches and symbols inspired by your favorite NYC places, foods, and experiences.
Big City Telescopes
Monday – Friday, July 27 – 31 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Use art materials to draw and decorate a paper telescope. Use your telescope to find small details in the big city of New York!
August Programming
August: Glow Where You Go!
New York is sizzling and sparkling this summer! Take the sunshine wherever you go with a month of fun and art inspired by the sun. Make art that glitters, explore the sunny side of science, and light up your creativity.
Better Together for National Friendship Day
Shine Bright Like a Bracelet
Saturday, August 1 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Sunday, August 2 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Stack and twist a one-of-a-kind bracelet for a friend using bright beads and playful, iridescent charms. Make an extra one for yourself!
A Portrait of a Friend
Saturday & Sunday, August 1 – 2 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Who is your friend? Use different drawing tools and collage materials to make a portrait of a friend.
Fun in the Sun Science
Tuesday, August 3 – Sunday, August 9
Explore sunlight like real scientists and dive into the science of light and sky through playful, hands-on artmaking.
Nordic Summer Singalongs with Ida’s Tunes
Tuesday, August 4 | 10:30 am – 11:00 am | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor| PlayWorks
Get into the midnight sun spirit with singer Ida Metsberg! She’ll present interactive musical sessions of familiar and new songs for children performed in English, Finnish, and Swedish that will leave you feeling energized like the sun never sets!
Water Wednesdays: H2O Games and Guests! *
Wednesday, August 5| 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | *Weather dependent | All ages | 1st Floor | Dynamic H2O
Join CMOM Educators and special guests for fun water games and science activities!
Performance: Flor Bromley’s Pachamama’s Water Symphony
Thursday, August 6 | 11:00 am – 11:30 am & 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm | All ages | 1st Floor | Inside Art
Water gives life to everything on Earth, and in this immersive musical experience, Latin Grammy nominee Flor Bromley honors its power through music. Inspired by her Pachamama album, which means “Mother Earth”, this show invites families to explore the deep connection between water, nature, and our responsibility to protect them. From the tiniest raindrop to the vast ocean, this family concert celebrates the importance of water in our world through rhythm and movement. This performance also features songs from her Grammy-nominated album Herstory, celebrating women who have positively impacted the world. A joyful and educational performance that inspires young minds to care for the world around them!
Blueprints of the Sun Cyanotype Prints*
Saturday, August 8 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | *Sign-up | Ages 5 & up | 3rd Floor | Discovery Classroom
A cyanotype is a special photograph that produces distinctive blue images using salts and light! Play with shadows and shapes to create an original cyanotype print.
Miniature Lighthouse Scenes
Monday, August 3 – Tuesday, August 4 & Friday, August 7 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Wednesday, August 5| 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Thursday, August 6| 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day! Learn about the lighthouses in the five boroughs, maritime history, and create your own miniature lighthouse scene to help guide ships to shore.
Kites Taking Flight!
Saturday, August 8 & Sunday, August 9 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Design a mini paper kite and watch it soar in the air with a straw launcher! Which angle makes it fly highest towards the sun?
Catching Light Sensory Bin
Monday – Friday, August 3 –7 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, August 8 – 9 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Put your theories to the test in this science sensory bin! Experiment how different textures and tools react to light.
Ready, Set, Glow!
Monday, August 10 – Sunday, August 16
Discover how light sparkles and bounces through art that captures your dazzle.
Nordic Summer Singalongs with Ida’s Tunes
Tuesday, August 11 | 10:30 am – 11:00 am | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor| PlayWorks
Get into the midnight sun spirit with singer Ida Metsberg! She’ll present interactive musical sessions of familiar and new songs for children performed in English, Finnish, and Swedish that will leave you feeling energized like the sun never sets!
Water Wednesdays: A DIVE IN! Adventure Activation with Artist Mélissa Smith *
Wednesday, August 12| 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | *Weather dependent | All ages | 1st Floor | Dynamic H2O
STEMmersive presents a DIVE IN! Adventure Activation with Artist Mélissa Smith. Join us for water-focused puppets, stories, songs, and interactive activities.
Water Marbling Workshop*
Sunday, August 17 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | *Sign-up | Ages 5 & up | 3rd Floor | Discovery Classroom
Learn Suminagashi, the magical Japanese technique of marbling with floating ink!
Reflection Rainbow Remix Collage
Monday, August 10 – Tuesday, August 11 & Friday, August 14–Saturday August 15 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Thursday, August 13 | 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Wednesday, August 12 & Sunday, August 16 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Use foil paper, cellophane and shiny materials to patch and layer a sun collage that bounces light in fun ways!
Tying Rays of Sunshine
Monday – Friday, August 10 – 14 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, August 15 – 16 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Tie warm colored ribbon around a large paper ring to create rays of light around the sun. Take your ring with you and see how the different ribbons react as they dance in the sunlight.
From Sunbeams to Daydreams
Monday, August 17 – Sunday, August 23
Make art all week inspired by quiet summer days, soft light and imagination!
Sleepy Window Clings
Monday, August 17 – Sunday, August 23 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Design a colorful window piece to hang by a window and catch rainbow colors when the light shines through.
Sunset Watercolor Painting
Monday – Friday, August 17 – 21 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, August 22 – 23 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
What colors do you see at sunset? Use watercolor paint and paper to create a beautiful sunset.
Sun Chasers and Shade Seekers
Monday, August 24 – Sunday, August 31
The sun is powerful! How are you staying cool, safe, and stylish this summer? Design and play your way through sun protection creations.
Visors & Shades, All Day!
Monday, August 24 – Sunday, August 30 | 10:30 am – 12:30 pm & 2:00 pm – 4:15 pm | Ages 5 & up | 1st Floor | Makerspace
Design fun foam visors or decorate funky paper sunglasses, then test them out to see how they help block the sun.
Tape and Take Suncatchers
Monday – Friday, August 24 – 28 | 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Saturday & Sunday, August 29 – 30 | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm & 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Ages 4 & younger | 3rd Floor | PlayWorks
Explore different colors of cellophane. Tape the colors together and see how the light changes as it shines through your suncatcher! What colors do you see?
Public Programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City.
Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support is provided by The Nissan Foundation and the Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation.
