This week, families can check out the McGolrick Park fall morning with the CityParks PuppetMobile in Greenpoint, Daybreaker’s free sunrise-to-sunset festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Banned Books Week story times at libraries from DUMBO to Bed-Stuy, Pop-Up Audubon in Prospect Park, Sing with Suzi in Park Slope and more! Be sure not to miss Brooklyn Bridge Parents’ Fall Fest at Atlantic Terminal Mall Plaza with Brooklyn’s biggest free urban pumpkin patch on Saturday.
ALL WEEK
Every week | Mornings, days vary | Prospect Park, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park and more | Free | Babies and toddlers in strollers
Brooklyn’s free stroller groups walk every week of the year: Mommy & Me walks Sundays at 10am in Prospect Park, Stroller Mami Walk Mondays at 10am in a rotating neighborhood, the Cobble Hill Walking Club on weekday mornings at Cobble Hill Park, Prospect Park Stroller Walks Thursdays at 10am from the Audubon Center (this week’s is Thursday, October 8, RSVP requested), and parkrun Saturdays at 8am in Brooklyn Bridge Park. There are dads’ stroll and run clubs too.
Tuesday, October 6 to Saturday, October 10 | 10am–6pm | St. John’s Park, Crown Heights, and Nostrand Playground, Flatbush | Free | No registration
NYC Parks staff set up drop-in games, sports, fitness demos and craft activities in the playground, and you turn up whenever suits. Both sites run Tuesday through Saturday this week.
Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9, 3–5pm; Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 1–5pm | 99 Plymouth Street | Free | Drop-in, all ages
Brooklyn Bridge Park’s education center opens for free drop-in hours four days this week: a 250-gallon East River aquarium, a ten-foot model of the park, crafts and a reading corner, with educators on hand. On Saturday at 3pm the staff feed the turtles, snails and fish. No booking, no fee.
Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9, 10am–3pm; Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11, 10am–1pm | Audubon Center at the Boathouse, 101 East Drive | Free
Drop in at the Boathouse and the Prospect Park Alliance’s naturalists will hand you something to look at. This month’s weekday theme is leaf art; the weekend sessions add a short nature walk. Come and go as you like.
Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11 | 12–4pm | Old Stone House, Washington Park, 336 3rd Street | Suggested $3 donation, no one turned away | Families
A self-guided visit to the permanent Battle of Brooklyn exhibit, from the Lenape village to the 1776 fighting on this spot, plus the contemporary art show upstairs. No reservation; the playground is right outside.
MONDAY
Monday, October 5 | 10:30am and 11:15am | Leonard Library, 81 Devoe Street | Library program | Babies and caregivers
Two lapsit sessions of board books, songs and bounces for the under-ones and whoever is holding them.
Monday, October 5 | 10:45–11:20am | Pacific Library, 25 Fourth Avenue at Pacific Street | Library program | Birth to 5
Singer Araceli Poma teaches Spanish through children’s songs and puppets in the second-floor meeting room of the newly reopened Pacific branch.
Monday, October 5 | 2–6pm | BPL Bookmobile at Shore Road and 75th Street | Library program, free books while supplies last | Teens and young adults
Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton librarians park the Bookmobile on Shore Road to open Banned Books Week with free books, library cards and conversation about the freedom to read.
Monday, October 5 | 3–4:30pm | Greenpoint Library, 107 Norman Avenue | Free, no registration | Grades 1 to 8
Trained volunteers help elementary and middle schoolers with their homework in the first-floor Ash Room every Monday afternoon.
Monday, October 5 | 3:30–4:15pm | Leonard Library, 81 Devoe Street | Library program | Ages 3 to 10
Free build after school: DUPLO on the rug for the little ones, small LEGO at the table for the bigger ones.
TUESDAY
Tuesday, October 6 | 10:30–11:15am | Amazing Garden, 58 Carroll Street | Library program | Birth to 5, all ages welcome
Jesse of Moozika plays original bilingual English-Spanish songs for Hispanic Heritage Month while the kids drum along, a Carroll Gardens Library program held outdoors in the community garden. Weather permitting; caregivers stay.
Tuesday, October 6 | 1pm | Williamsburgh Library, 240 Division Avenue | Library program | All ages
Take-away craft kits to pick up at the Division Avenue branch while they last.
Tuesday, October 6 | 1:15pm and 2pm | Greenpoint Library, 107 Norman Avenue | Library program | Infants and caregivers
Two afternoon sessions of books and songs for babies at the Norman Avenue branch.
Tuesday, October 6 | 3:30–4:30pm | Leonard Library, 81 Devoe Street | Library program | Ages 4 to 12 with a caregiver, 12 children max, no registration
Sensory stations with noise-cancelling headphones, fidgets and weighted items for kids who find the after-school hours overstimulating. The branch’s lift is currently out of service.
Tuesday, October 6 | 4–4:45pm | Adams Street Library, 9 Adams Street | Library program, free giveaway book | Ages 3 to 6, registration opens 48 hours ahead
A Banned Books Week storytime built around challenged picture books, followed by a craft, and every child goes home with a free book.
Tuesday, October 6 | 4–5pm | Park Slope Library, 431 6th Avenue | Library program | Ages 9 to 17
LEGO SPIKE robotics and STEM team practice toward the Brooklyn Robotics League competition in January; ask a staff member to join a team.
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:15am and 11:15am | Macon Library, 361 Lewis Avenue | Library program | Birth to 5, online registration opens 24 hours ahead
Two Banned Books Week storytimes of challenged children’s books at the Lewis Avenue branch. No waitlist, so register the day before.
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:30–11am | Adams Street Library, 9 Adams Street | Library program | 18 to 36 months, registration opens 48 hours ahead
Books, songs and fingerplays for crawling and walking toddlers; the pre-crawlers get their own Babies and Books lapsit at 11:15am.
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:30am and 11:15am | Greenpoint Library, 107 Norman Avenue | Library program | Walking toddlers
Two sessions of stories, songs and movement for toddlers on their feet.
Wednesday, October 7 | Toddler Time 10:30am, Babies & Books 11:15am | Carroll Gardens Pop-Up Library, 250 Baltic Street | Library program | Toddlers, then babies
The branch’s temporary home on Baltic Street runs its two little-ones programs back to back on Wednesday morning.
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:30–11am, doors open at 10am for play | Williamsburgh Library, 240 Division Avenue | Library program | Birth to 5
Books, rhymes, songs and movement, with half an hour of open play beforehand.
Wednesday, October 7 | 10:30–11:30am | Check in at the Green-House, 750 Fifth Avenue at 25th Street | Free | Parents and caregivers with strollers
A relaxed-pace guided walk through Green-Wood’s hills and stories, run with Park Slope Parents for grown-ups pushing strollers. Grass and uneven paths; not fully step-free.
Wednesday, October 7 | 11–11:45am | Bottom of the monument stairs, northwest corner of Fort Greene Park | Free | All ages
Librarians from the Walt Whitman branch sing, read and play under the trees, with guest musicians from Urban Stages. Cancelled in severe weather; the Conservancy posts updates the day before.
Wednesday, October 7 | 11–11:30am | Bay Ridge Library, 7223 Ridge Boulevard | Library program | Birth to 5
Stories, songs and rhymes in the children’s program room, then playtime.
Wednesday, October 7 | 11am–12pm | Clinton Hill Library, 380 Washington Avenue | Library program | Birth to 5
A new art project every week for the youngest artists; the branch also runs Print and Play tabletop games for school-age kids at 3:30pm.
Wednesday, October 7 | 5pm | Polish & Slavic Center, 176 Java Street | Free | Kids
A free weekly children’s painting class at the Java Street center.
Wednesday, October 7 | 6–7pm | Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street | Free, pizza provided, RSVP | Ages 13 and up
Bookseller Micah leads a teen discussion of V.E. Schwab’s Gallant, with pizza. Banned Books Week is on in the store all week too.
THURSDAY
Thursday, October 8 | 10–11am, giant bubbles at 10am and the concert from 10:15am | JJ Byrne Playground, Old Stone House & Washington Park, 336 3rd Street | Free, no registration | Ages 0–5
Suzi Shelton & Friends play the second of five free Thursday-morning concerts at JJ Byrne, with Park Slope Parents blowing giant bubbles beforehand. The series runs every Thursday in October, with a Halloween costume party on the 29th and November 5 as the rain date.
Thursday, October 8 | 10–11am | Blue Park House, 90 Kent Avenue | Free, registration required | Ages 5 and under with an adult
A weekly nature theme with crafts, a storytime and a short guided walk on the waterfront. Register through the park’s Eventbrite link; the Park House also opens its classroom, outdoor library and lawn games to all ages from 1:30 to 4:30pm.
Thursday, October 8 | 10:30–11:30am | Sunset Park Library, 5108 Fourth Avenue | Library program | Birth to 5
A bilingual storytime of stories and songs in Spanish and English at the Fourth Avenue branch.
Thursday, October 8 | 11am | Clinton Hill Library, 380 Washington Avenue | Library program | Children
The branch’s weekly Thursday storytime.
Thursday, October 8 | 2–5pm, last entry 4:50pm | Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue | Free, courtesy of Amazon | All ages
Admission is free every Thursday from 2pm, when the museum’s regular $15 ticket is waived. Expect a queue at 2pm and quieter galleries after 3:30pm.
Thursday, October 8 | 3:30–4:15pm | Central Library Youth Wing, 10 Grand Army Plaza | Library program | Ages 3 to 8
A Banned Books Week storytime and craft in the Youth Wing at Grand Army Plaza.
Thursday, October 8 | 4–8pm | Waterfront Museum, 290 Conover Street | Free | Families
Walk on board the 1914 Lehigh Valley railroad barge moored at the end of Conover Street, with free tours for families during open hours. It opens again Saturday, 1–5pm.
Thursday, October 8 | 4:30pm | Adams Street Library, 9 Adams Street | Library program | Tweens and teens
The DUMBO branch’s weekly drop-in creative hour for the 9-to-17 set.
FRIDAY
Friday, October 9 | 10:30am | Williamsburgh Library, 240 Division Avenue | Library program | Children
A Spanish-language storytime at the Division Avenue branch.
Friday, October 9 | 11am | Bedford Library, 496 Franklin Avenue | Library program | Babies, toddlers and caregivers
Gentle stretches and songs for the littlest yogis and the grown-ups who bring them.
SATURDAY
Saturday, October 10 | 6am–8pm | Pier 3, Brooklyn Bridge Park | Free, RSVP encouraged but not required | All ages
Daybreaker’s first American sunrise-to-sunset sober festival takes over Pier 3 for a full day of movement, music and making, built for every generation at once. Moved here from its rained-out September date; the day’s schedule is on Daybreaker’s site.
Saturday, October 10 | 9–10am | Meet at Russell Street and Driggs Avenue, Msgr. McGolrick Park | Free | Families
An hour of birdwatching in McGolrick with people who know what they are looking at, run by Go Green Brooklyn every Saturday morning.
Saturday, October 10 | 10am storytime, 11am puppet show, 12pm cleanup and costume swap | Msgr. McGolrick Park, Nassau Avenue and Russell Street | Free | All ages
Friends of McGolrick Park stack the morning: local author Meghan Oliver reads Carrie the Tree Fairy at 10am, the CityParks PuppetMobile performs Pinocchio at 11am, and at noon the monthly cleanup pairs with a Halloween costume swap, with a chance to lead the park’s Halloween Parade on the 31st.
Saturday, October 10 | 10am–12pm | Audubon Center at the Boathouse, 101 East Drive | Free | Beginners welcome
A Brooklyn Bird Club member leads an easy introductory outing through Prospect Park during fall migration. Binoculars help; so does a snack.
Saturday, October 10 | 11am–2pm | Atlantic Terminal Mall outdoor plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place, 139 Flatbush Avenue | Free | All ages
Brooklyn Bridge Parents and Atlantic Terminal Mall turn the plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place into an urban pumpkin patch: pick out a pumpkin and decorate it, climb through the haunted trucks, build with blocks and dance along with the DJ. Costumes encouraged; rain date Sunday, October 11. In partnership with Atlantic Terminal Mall.
Saturday, October 10 | 11am–12pm | Books Are Magic, 122 Montague Street | Free, RSVP encouraged | Little kids
Suzy Ultman reads I Heart Pickles, a pickle-shaped picture book of appreciation and silliness, at the Montague Street store’s Saturday storytime. No ticket needed.
Saturday, October 10 | 11–11:30am | Bedford Library, 496 Franklin Avenue | Library program | Birth to 5, all ages welcome
New stories and old favorites read aloud at the Franklin Avenue branch.
Every Saturday through December 19 | 10am–2pm | 378 Throop Avenue | Free | All ages
Northeast Brooklyn Housing Development Corporation’s free Saturday program for children and families: dance and movement sessions, arts and hands-on activities, fitness games, music and guest DJs, with snacks. No dance experience needed, and there are volunteer and youth leadership spots.
Saturday, October 10 | 1–7pm | Alta Calidad, 552 Vanderbilt Avenue | Free | Pumpkin decorating for kids
Alta Calidad marks the last Saturday of Vanderbilt Avenue Open Streets with a fall festival: pumpkin decorating for kids, face painting from 2 to 4pm and tarot card readings from 4 to 6pm.
Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 | 12–4pm | Prospect Park, locations posted by the Alliance | Free | Kids and families
Two Prospect Park Alliance pop-ups each afternoon: design an autumn-leaf window cling that helps keep migrating birds from hitting glass, and dig into the leaf litter to find the insects and decomposers that live on the forest floor.
Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 | 10am–5pm | Dumbo Archway, under the Manhattan Bridge
The vintage and makers market under the Manhattan Bridge archway runs every weekend through December 21: vintage finds, handmade goods and food vendors.
Saturday, October 10 | 12–2pm | Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, Fort Greene Park | Free | All ages
The Sons of the American Revolution lay a wreath at the monument with a color guard in Revolutionary War uniform and short remarks from historians, a good excuse to explain what the column at the top of the park is for.
Saturday, October 10 | 1–4pm | Marsha P. Johnson State Park, 90 Kent Avenue | Free, registration required | All ages
The park’s monthly drop-in nature program takes on the wildlife that shares the city with us, with hands-on stations on the waterfront.
Saturday, October 10 | 1–2:30pm | Nolan Park, Building 17 | Free, advance RSVP required, limited spots | Families
Artist Nikolina Kovalenko and the Taiwanese American Arts Council lead a hands-on painting workshop imagining your own tree of life. The ferry from Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 is free before 11am on weekends and $5 after.
SUNDAY
Sunday, October 11 | 11am–12pm | Books Are Magic, 122 Montague Street | Free, RSVP encouraged | Little kids
Evi Triantafyllides and Jordan Sondler turn their new Book of Maps into a morning of search-and-find activities at the Montague Street store.
Sunday, October 11 | 11am–12pm | Flex Field, Domino Park, 300 Kent Avenue | Free, RSVP | All fitness levels
Instrutora Esquila of Capoeira Guatambu introduces the Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends movement and music, every Sunday in October on the Flex Field.
Sunday, October 11: CANCELLED for rain | Square dance rescheduled to Sunday, October 25 | Montague Street between Henry and Hicks Streets | Free | All ages
The Montague Street BID has called off this Sunday’s Open Streets because of rain; Jalopy Theatre’s square dance is rescheduled to Sunday, October 25. The original line-up: Montague Street goes car-free and turns into a hoedown with Jalopy Theatre: Hopalong Andrew plays cowboy tunes and singalongs at noon, then The Katydids bring the fiddle and caller Sammy Osmund teaches everyone to do-si-do in the middle of the street. McNeil Tours leads free walking tours of Brooklyn Heights at 1pm and 3pm (reservation required). Bandanas encouraged.
Sunday, October 11 | 9:30–11:30am | Environmental Education Center, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 99 Plymouth Street | Free, registration encouraged | Ages 13 and up
Carve a rubber stamp and print your own design on fabric with the park’s educators. All materials are provided, or bring your own light-colored item to print on; sharp tools, so a waiver is required. First come, first served, 25 spots.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 12 — NO SCHOOL
Public schools are closed on Monday, October 12 for Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and every Brooklyn Public Library branch is closed too. If you need a plan for the day, our guide to day camps for when public schools are closed has the drop-in options.
Monday, October 12 | 10am–3pm | Audubon Center at the Boathouse, 101 East Drive | Free | Kids and families
The Prospect Park Alliance runs its drop-in nature programs through the school holiday, with the Boathouse open all day. The carousel and Lefferts Historic House are open too, with the usual charges, and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum opens on this Monday for its Indigenous Peoples’ Day weekend at regular admission.
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