May is the month NYC really earns its keep with kids — warm weekends, riverside concerts, and a calendar packed with Mother's Day crafts, AAPI Heritage Month celebrations, and the start of Pride. Here's my curated list of the best family events this month on the Upper West Side and in Midtown. Free picks, splurges, and a few quiet gems.

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Week 1 & 2

May 2, 3, 9, 10 — Children's Storytime with Amelie Gautier — Rockefeller Center
All ages. FREE.

May 3 — Hippo Playground Spring Fair — Hippo Playground
All ages. $23+.

May 7 — Mother's Day Card Making — 53rd Street Library
Ages 3–12. FREE.

May 8, 15 — Little Learners: Tiny Seeds, Big Feelings — St. Agnes Library
Ages 0–5. FREE.

May 7, 14 — Summer on the Hudson: Moosiki Kids Musical Storytime — Locomotive Lawn
Ages 0–4. FREE.

May 16 — UNIQLO Family Day — MoMA
Ages 4–10. FREE.

May 16 — Family Day with Parents.com — Hudson Yards
All ages. FREE.

Week 3 & 4

May 17 — AAPI Heritage Month Family Fun Day — New-York Historical
All ages. Museum admission.

May 21, 28 — Summer on the Hudson: Moosiki Kids Musical Storytime — Locomotive Lawn
Ages 0–4. FREE.

May 29 — Open Play: Sensory Time — 53rd Street Library
Ages 0–3. FREE.

May 30 — Euphoria — L'Alliance New York
Ages 5–12. $15+.

May 31 — Inclusive Pride Family Day: Pride in Space! — Intrepid Museum
All ages. FREE.

May 31 — Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE — New Victory Theater
Ages 4–12. $30+.

My Top 3 Picks

If you can only squeeze in a handful:

  • UNIQLO Family Day at MoMA (May 16) — a full day of free art-making activities at one of the world's great museums.
  • Moosiki Kids on the Locomotive Lawn (May 7, 14, 21, 28) — a free riverside Thursday morning series of live music and storytime for the littlest crowd.
  • Inclusive Pride Family Day at the Intrepid (May 31) — Pride and space exploration on the flight deck, free and open to everyone.

By Neighborhood

Upper West Side: Hippo Playground, St. Agnes Library, Locomotive Lawn (Moosiki Kids), New-York Historical AAPI Family Fun Day
Midtown: Rockefeller Center storytime, 53rd Street Library, MoMA UNIQLO Family Day, Hudson Yards Family Day, L'Alliance Euphoria, Intrepid Pride Family Day, New Victory Fraggle Rock

Plan the Rest of Your Month

Every event above is on the full May calendar — plus dozens more I couldn't fit in this roundup. I update it weekly with new pop-ups, story times, and free activities across the Upper West Side and Midtown so you always have something to do with the kids.

Know of an event I missed? Come share it in our WhatsApp group.