Public schools will be closed from April 14–18, but the week is packed with tons of fun to keep the kids entertained! Whether you’re checking out the Keff Joons interactive balloon art exhibit in Vinegar Hill, taking day trips to Industry City, Coney Island, or Governors Island, or enjoying the cherry blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, there’s no shortage of fun for the whole family!
Plus, don’t miss our guides to the best drop-in indoor fun and school holiday day camps in Brooklyn!
Keff Joons Art Exhibit by CJ Hendry
Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 20 | 10am-5pm | Recommended for ages 8+ ONLY | FREE | Vinegar Hill
A free immersive art exhibit Keff Joons by artist CJ Hendry has popped up at 50 Gold Street in Vinegar Hill, with a surreal maze of larger-than-life balloon sculptures that visitors are encouraged to climb on, bounce, and play! Australian artist CJ Hendry is a local Brooklyn mom and also the founder of the wildly popular Space Club play spaces, with locations in Greenpoint and Fort Greene. The experience is recommended for ages 8 and up only, as the balloon structure is very high and dangerous for young children. All guests must remove their shoes, and grip socks are provided free of charge. You must also sign a wavier before exploring the exhibition. In addition to the giant maze of balloons, the show also features smaller sculptures and works on paper. Read more here!
Little Brunch Club at Randolph Beer
Sunday, April 13 & Sunday, April 20 | 11am-2pm | FREE
Bring the kids to Randolph on Sundays for their new Little Brunch Club for families! The party includes free kids activities, open play on the feather bowl courts, a kids menu, cartoons on the TV and kids music, the arcade and claw games, plus their new cotton candy robot! On April 13, Ari the Sing Along Guy will join from 12:30-1:30pm, and on April 20 (Easter Sunday), the NYC Birthday Clowns will provide entertainment for the kids from 11:30am-1pm! There will be a magic show, freeze dance, parachute, and limbo, plus Easter-themed face painting and balloon twisting. Little Brunch Club will continue to take place on Sundays in April and May from 11am to 2pm at 82 Prospect Street in DUMBO Heights (except Memorial Day weekend).
See the cherry blossoms at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The cherry blossoms will start blooming soon at Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Use the BBG’s CherryWatch to see when trees are in full bloom and mark your calendar for Hanami Nights in late April and Weekends in Bloom in April and May. Spring First Discoveries, a program for the garden’s youngest patrons, will return Wednesday & Friday mornings, starting March 12. Brooklyn Botanic Garden admission is $18/adult, $12/students 12+ with ID, and free for children under 12. Starting April 1, BBG opens early Friday–Sunday: 8am-6pm and opens early and late Tuesday–Thursday: 8am-8pm. Admission is $22/adult, $16/students 12+ with ID, and free for children under 12. Click here for more Brooklyn spots to see the cherry blossoms.
Earth Rocks! Spring Break Fest at Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Sunday, April 13—Saturday, April 19 | $15 | FREE on Thursday, April 17, 2-5pm | Crown Heights
Celebrate our amazing planet during DOE Spring Recess with Earth Rocks!—a week-long festival of hands-on exploration and discovery at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. You can attend the festival for regular museum admission ($15) all week, but it’s FREE to attend during Community Access Thursdays on Thursday, April 17, from 2-5pm. Throughout the week, activities are organized around three Earth-themed adventures: Soil, Plants, and Food, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, and Animals and Insects. Learn more here!
Enjoy a nature program in our local parks
Prospect Park is offering daily nature programs all week long, and NYC’s Urban Park Rangers will host Kids Week events in parks across the city!
- Spring Break in Prospect Park
Monday, April 14—Friday, April 18 | 12-5pm | FREE | Prospect Park
Enjoy your Spring Break with Prospect Park Alliance! Visit Prospect Park for family-friendly activities including nature exploration programs, animal encounters and a family bird walk at Prospect Park Audubon Center, and take a spin on the Prospect Park Carousel while in the park. - Kids Week: Freshwater Fishing in Prospect Park
Tuesday, April 15 | 10:30-11:30am | Ages 8+ | FREE | Prospect Park
Want to go fishing but don’t know how or where to start? Join our Urban Park Rangers for free lessons! Learn how to properly use a fishing rod or cast a net. For ages 8 and up. For more NYC Parks Kids Week events during Spring Break week, click here! - Kids Week: Magnetic Archery in McKinley Park
Wednesday, April 16 | 11:00am-12:30pm | FREE | Bay Ridge
Learn the art of archery with free lessons taught by our expert Urban Park Rangers. This program uses safe equipment with magnetic arrows and targets. - For more NYC Parks Kids Week events during Spring Break week, click here!
Roller Skate at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 Rink
Schedule varies by day, check calendar | $12 admission, $8 skate rental | FREE admission Mondays & Fridays, 3:30-6:00pm and Sundays, 10am-12pm
The roller skating rink at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 2 is reopening for the 2025 season! Check out their calendar to see all public skate times and fun themed events, including a chance to skate with the Easter bunny on Tuesday, April 15. There are also special Free Skating hours on Mondays (3:30-6pm), Fridays (3:30-6pm), and Sundays (10am-12pm). Skate rentals are $8.
Hunt for eggs and meet the Easter Bunny
This week is packed with egg hunts, spring arts and crafts, and chances to meet the Easter bunny! Just a few of our favorite Easter events are listed below. For our complete Easter guide, click here!
- Egg Hunt at Prospect Park Bandshell
Saturday, April 19 | 10am-12pm | FREE | Rescheduled from 4/12 | Prospect Park
Join Trinity Grace Church at their Annual Easter Egg Hunt, complete with a massive egg hunt, games and crafts for kids of all ages (yes, adults too!). This celebration is free of charge and open to the public. All are welcome! The official egg hunt begins at 10:30am. - Easter Scavenger Hunt in Carroll Park
Saturday, April 19 | 11am-12:30pm | Ages 3-10 | FREE | RSVP here (capacity limited to first 100 sign-ups) | Carroll Gardens
Come to Carroll Park for mini-games, face painting, snacks, and more! It’s free, but limited to the first 100 sign-ups. - BKLYN Easter Fest at CityPoint
Saturday, April 19 | 11am-1pm | FREE | Ages 1-10 | FREE | RSVP here| Downtown Brooklyn
City Point and Brooklyn Bridge Parents will bring Easter Fest to Downtown BKLYN with kids DIY spring crafts, Easter Bunny #selfies, cookie decorating and games for ages 1 to 10. Saturday, April 19 from 11am to 1pm. - Easter Egg Painting at The Dram Shop
Saturday, April 19 | 12-4pm | FREE
Come to The Dram Shop for a fun-filled day of painting Easter eggs with family and friends. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, we’ve got all the supplies you need to create beautiful Easter masterpieces. Get ready to unleash your creativity and enjoy some food & beverages while you paint. - The Bunny Hop Family Disco at Friends of Firefighters
Sunday, April 20 | 11am-3pm | $10/person for ages 2 and up and $35 for a family of four | Red Hook
The Bunny Hop Family Disco is an event designed to bring families together for an afternoon of fun, laughter, and dancing. This family-friendly gathering features a vibrant mix of music that caters to all ages, from classic hits to current chart-toppers, ensuring everyone finds a beat they can groove to. - Easter Egg Hunt at Zucker Natural Exploration Area
Sunday, April 20 | 1-3pm | Donation of $10/child, $20/family by April 17 | Register here | Prospect Park
Bring the kiddos for some egg hunting fun in Prospect Park! We will be meeting at the Zucker Natural Exploration area (the sandy pit with logs near the zoo!). There will be a group for under 2’s and one for older kids. There will be crafts and games, facepainting and photos with the Easter Bunny. - Easter Sunday Celebration at Time Out Market
Sunday, April 20 | 1-5pm | FREE | DUMBO
Join us for a fun-filled day at Time Out Market New York with delicious food, live music, and Easter-themed activities. Get ready for a special appearance by the Easter Bunny himself! Snap some adorable photos and create lasting memories. Enjoy live music from our resident vocalist, Najah Moser, taking the stage at 2pm, bringing joy and rhythm to our celebration.
Spring fun on Governors Island
Plan a spring day trip to Governors Island! The spring schedule for South Brooklyn ferries is now in effect, making it even easier to get there from Brooklyn. The Yard Adventure Playground is now open for the season, from 12-4pm every weekend from mid-spring to mid-fall, with a suggested donation of $5/child. You can also visit The Governors Island Urban Farm, which includes GrowNYC’s Teaching Garden, a compost learning center, and a bee sanctuary. Enjoy a bike ride on the island’s seven miles of car-free paths, or take a break in Hammock Grove. Note: Slide Hill (NYC’s longest slide at 57 feet) is temporarily closed for maintenance this spring, but will reopen in the summer. Try out the Hammock Grove Play Area instead. Governors Island will also have a special Earth Day Celebration on April 19!
Take a ride at Luna Park & Deno’s Wonder Wheel
Kick off the season with a day trip to Coney Island! Both Luna Park and Deno’s Wonder Wheel Amusement Park are now open for springtime fun. Both parks will be open during Spring Break! Take a ride on the iconic Cyclone or Wonder Wheel, plus more rides for all ages! Luna Park’s admission is free, and rides start at $4. See all pricing for Deno’s here. And while you’re in Coney Island, take a trip to the New York Aquarium. On Wednesdays, they have free admission hours from 3-6pm (Wednesday tickets open at 3pm on Mondays for that Wednesday’s reservations).
Check out an epic car show!
There are some amazing auto shows coming to Brooklyn and Manhattan this month. Head to the Brooklyn Navy Yard for the Wheels of NYC show or venture to Manhattan for the 125th annual New York Auto Show.
- New York Auto Show
Friday, April 18–Sunday, April 27 | Monday–Thursday, 10am-8pm | Fridays & Saturdays, 10am-10pm, Sunday 10am-7pm | $22/adult, $8 children ages 3-12 | Javits Center | Hell’s Kitchen
The New York Auto Show is celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. It has been held annually every year dating back to 1900, and was the first auto exhibition in North America. It is held at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, and will run through Sunday, April 27 (the show will be open on Easter Sunday!) - Wheels of NYC Car Show
Saturday, April 19 | 12-6pm | $30 presale tickets, $35 at door, FREE for ages 12 and under | Agger Fish Warehouse | Brooklyn Navy Yard
Join Wheels of NYC for their season opener, a classic car event that celebrates New York City’s vibrant automobile culture. This event is packed with vintage vehicles, live music, food, and drinks—an ideal afternoon for car enthusiasts and families. It’s the perfect setting for a family outing or a daytime date, with children under 12 admitted free of charge. Don’t miss out on this exciting event — advanced tickets are highly recommended.
Spend a day at Industry City
There’s so much happening at Industry City these days, with climbing gyms, escape rooms, and a tech indoor playground to keep kids busy. With so much to do and plenty of food and drink options, you can spend the whole day on campus!
- Hapik Climbing Gym | Located in Building 6, Hapik is 15,000 square, with 2 ropes courses and more than 150 routes across 50 climbing walls, going up to 24 feet in height. Best for ages 4 and up! Regular climbing passes are $34.90. They also have an interactive digital treasure hunt available at $39.90. For toddlers, there is a soft play area, with passes for $23.90.
- CREA Interactivity | CREA is Industry City’s first tech driven indoor playground where players navigate through interactive zones, conquering challenges and fostering creativity through movement. The “Crea Adventure” is a 60 minute experience, geared toward 5-12 year olds that combines technology with traditional play/games. Each step reveals new and captivating challenges as players run, jump, climb, crawl and dodge through our seven zones. Drop-ins are $35/class. Find out more here!
- Brooklyn Escape Room | Not only does Brooklyn Escape Room have escape rooms—you can also have a Nerf battle! They are open every day but Sunday, escape rooms are $50/player Monday-Friday, and $45/player for groups larger than 2. On weekends, there is a 4-person minimum and 15-person maximum. Nerf Battles are $20/30 minutes and $30/hour. Best for ages 8 and up! Read more about this escape room and others below!
- Think Talk Create Crafts | This family-run business offers crafting for all ages every weekend from 12-5pm for $45/hour, with projects like cookie decorating, slime making, canvas painting, fashion designing, butterfly wing making, and fairy wing making. Learn more about drop-in crafting and other programs here!
- Game Room | The Game Room at Industry City has an array of free-to-play vintage arcade games as well as ping pong, and table top gaming! They are open on weekends from 12-2:30pm and 3-5:30pm.
Dinosaur Safari at Bronx Zoo
Opens Saturday, April 12 | $38.20/adult, $28.20/child, FREE for children 2 and under | Reduced admission on Wednesdays; tickets become available at 5pm the Monday before
Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari returns on April 12, just in time for Spring Break! Come face-to-gigantic-face with more than 60 life-sized, animatronic dinosaurs and pterosaurs, including 11 new additions with cutting-edge animatronics. Plus, climb a Sinraptor fossil, walk through a massive ribcage, and enjoy photo ops with larger-than-life dino eggs and so much more. The safari is included with admission! Bronx Zoo is open Mondays through Fridays from 10am to 5pm and weekends and holidays from 10am to 5:30pm.
Last chance to see the Orchid Show at New York Botanical Garden
This year’s Orchid Show, Mexican Modernism, is open through April 27. See the incredible display of thousands of orchids before it closes! The Orchid Show is inspired by the bright, multicolored designs of Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán. Learn more about the exhibition here! NYBG is open 10am-5pm, Tuesday to Sunday, and select Monday holidays. Tickets are $35/adult, $15/children 2-12 years old, and free for children under 2.
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Updated: April 18, 2025. Main Image: Keff Joons exhibit by CJ Hendry in Vinegar Hill.
