Events and Activities for Kids in NYC in January 2026

123rd Annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club Plunge
Coney Island, Brooklyn – FREE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
The Coney Island Polar Bear Club hosts its annual New Year's Day swim in the frigid Atlantic. A $25 suggested donation benefits local Coney Island organizations, including the NY Aquarium and the Alliance for Coney Island. Website

Three Kings Day at Teatro SEA
Teatro SEA at The Clemente, Lower East Side – FREE
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
New York’s only Latino children’s theater celebrates one of the most important Latin American holidays for children, El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos/Three Kings Day. Website

Three Kings Day Parade at Museo del Barrio
East Harlem – FREE
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Line up with live camels, colorful puppets, parrandas, music, and dancing on this magical day. This time-honored annual parade begins at 106th Street and Park Avenue and ends at 115th Street and Park Avenue. Return to the museum to keep the party going following the parade. Website

Bryant Park Bumper Cars on Ice Opening Weekend
Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, Midtown West
Opens Friday, January 9, 2026
Bumper cars slide, spin, and bump...on the ice at Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park! Book a 10-minute whirl online in advance. A new batch of tickets is released daily for dates two weeks in advance. Website

Family Music Showcase at Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center - Rubenstein Atrium, Upper West Side
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Prepare to be dazzled by an award-winning, eclectic group of artists as they perform mini-concerts for audiences of all ages. The programming for this showcase is curated by Mayers Consulting. Website

Wollman Rink a World Record Skating Lesson Attempt
Central Park – FREE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Wollman Rink takes on a decade-old record for the world’s largest ice skating lesson, previously set at 523 skaters in 2014. To break it, Wollman Rink is inviting 600 skaters onto the ice for a 30-minute lesson led by the talented Wollman Rink Skate School instructors. Website

La MaMa Kids: Don Quixote Takes New York
La MaMa, Lower East Side
Saturday, January 10-Sunday, January 11, 2026
Loco7 reimagines this classic text, with puppets, dance, and music to show the audience that no dream is too impossible to obtain, and that with hope and heart you can conquer fear. Website

Jewish Children's Book Festival
92Y, Upper East Side – FREE
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Spend the day immersed in the magic of Jewish storytelling! Children of all ages are invited to pick up free PJ Library books, meet storybook authors, explore creative workshops, enjoy hands-on crafts, and dance along to live music. Website

Musical Explorers Family Concert at Carnegie Hall
Midtown West
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Discover music from around the world in this popular and highly interactive concert for children, featuring stirring American freedom songs with S T A R R busby, vibrant Puerto Rican bomba and plena with Juan Gutiérrez and Julia Gutiérrez-Rivera, and colorful Indian classical music with Grammy Award winner Falu Shah. Website

MLK Day Celebration: Tyreek McDole at the Kupferberg Center
Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Goldstein Theatre, Flushing, Queens
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Join rising jazz vocalist Tyreek McDole for a performance inspired by his debut album Open Up Your Senses. This is more than a concert—it’s a journey through sound, rooted in the rich legacy of Black American music and the cornerstone of Queen's College's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration. Website

Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, January 19, 2026
BAM hosts its 40th annual free Brooklyn tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., and everyone is invited. The celebration brings together artists and civic leaders to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. King. Website

2026 Discover Boating New York Boat Show at the Javitz Center
Midtown West
Wednesday, January 21-Sunday, January 25, 2026
Say “Ahoy!” to being captain for the day at the 2026 Discover Boating New York Boat Show and hop aboard hundreds of boats (luxury yachts included!) Kids can enjoy making their own toy boat and flex their fishing skills in a special ball-pit pond. Website

Bounced at Lincoln Center's Clark Studio Theater
Upper West Side
Friday, January 23-Sunday, January 25, 2026
This high-energy, playful theatrical production delves into the dynamics between four friends experiencing deflated lows and the highest of highs. With physical play, singing, and bouncing balls galore, BOUNCED reveals the delicate balance of human interaction that can exist in groups of all sizes and kinds. Website

Black Girl: Linguistic Play at the New Victory Theater
Midtown West
Opens Saturday, January 24, 2026
Celebrated choreographer Camille A. Brown shines a spotlight on sisterly love, unfurling the joys and complexities of Black girlhood. Across three dynamic duets, the rhythmic play of schoolyard games and adolescent feuds gives way to nurturing friendships forged in common struggle. Website

Layer The Walls Part I at Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College: The Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts, Flatbush, Brooklyn
Sunday, January 25, 2026
In one Lower East Side tenement, 40 layers of wallpaper were found clinging to the walls—each piece applied by a new immigrant family. Using puppetry, masks, and live action, Layer the Walls tells the incredible stories held within each layer. Website

Disney on Ice Presents Mickey's Search Party at the Barclays Center
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
Thursday, January 29-Sunday, February 1, 2026
Embark on a quest with Mickey Mouse and pals as they follow Captain Hook’s treasure map for clues to find Tinker Bell after he attempts to capture her magic. Website

Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert at the Theater for the New City
Lower East Side
Friday, January 30-Sunday, February 8, 2026
The 2026 Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert features dances, stories, and traditional music from native peoples of the Northeast, Southwest, and Great Plains regions. Website

Philharmonic Families: Brass at Merkin Hall
Upper West Side
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Discover the bright, bold sound of the brass family: horn, trumpet, trombone, and tuba! Arrive early to try out orchestral instruments, meet musicians, and craft with teaching artists. Website

Family Art Project: Digging into the Science of George Washington Carver at Wave Hill
Riverdale, the Bronx
Saturday, January 31-Sunday, February 1, 2026
Despite the challenges that black scientists faced over 100 years ago, George Washington Carver was successful in discovering how to improve soil quality. Find out how soil affects the food we eat by making colorful still-life creations, using dirt as paint, and then decorating them with dried beans. Website