Children's Theater & Live Shows for Kids in NYC (2025)

A new play infused with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (a.k.a. The Global Goals) to empower to life, showing kids and their families how anyone and everyone can help save the planet!

Charming hand puppets and marionettes bring beloved stories to life at Puppetworks, and the relaxed atmosphere and affordable tickets make this theatre a great choice for young kids.

Galli Theater presents a variety of fairytale-inspired family shows like Sleeping Beauty, The Three Little Pigs and Rapunzel. Check their website to see which ones are coming up.

New York Philharmonic presents its 30-minute Philharmonic Playdates series for the youngest concertgoers, with play-based performances that are inspired by toys, games and make-believe. Come early to enjoy hands-on activities and musical games before the hosted concert.

From April 1–5, Carnegie Hall debuts huddle, a new early childhood concert for babies and toddlers ages 0-2. Written by composers Saskia Lane and Thomas Cabaniss and librettist Zoë Palmer, huddle follows three characters (fragile, fin, and hoof) as they find each other and create a new community. Integrating themes of migration, community, and collective imagination, huddle is a highly interactive performance that invites babies and toddlers to be a part of the show. Registration opens on March 10 for free performances offered twice daily.

Jazz at Lincoln Center's WeBop early childhood program hosts this series of swingin' 45-minute concerts to introduce kids to jazz through interactive music and dance.

Children ages 3–10 and their families are invited to the Hall’s Resnick Education Wing for Family Day: Spring Fest, an afternoon-long free open house. This highly interactive, playful day offers families a multitude of fun activities that celebrate the earth, nature, and all things spring. Highlights of Family Day include instrument building with Bash the Trash; group singing with artists Emily Eagen, Skye Soto Steele, and Diana Schwam; a soothing sound meditation; hands-on opportunities to color and craft; lively mainstage performances with Falu and Swing Makes You Sing!; and more.

MegBoyle said:  Enjoy free, interactive, and fun musical activities and performances in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing. Family Day is an anticipated musical adventure that returns each season with brand-new themes and activities. This April, join us for a celebration of all things spring. Stop by for a visit or stay for the whole afternoon! Activities are ongoing from 12 PM to 4 PM. Free admission is granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Little Orchestra Society puts on exquisite concerts to entertain and educate young children and families. The classical masters are performed in creative, innovative, and delightful ways.

Blippi will be joined onstage by Meekah, their singing and dancing buddies and LIVE musicians to explore what makes music, including sounds, rhythms and instruments, through all your favorite Blippi hits. So grab your drumsticks, tune up your guitar, and move those feet with Blippi and get ready for a musical performance that's fun for the whole family! 

Discover music from around the world in this popular and highly interactive concert for children. Artists with magnetic personalities teach families all about their musical traditions—including Georgian folk with singer and guitarist Ilusha Tsinadze; son jarocho (Mexico’s “Veracruz sound”) with the Villalobos Brothers (Ernesto, Alberto, and Luis); and Zimbabwean Mbira music with singer and composer Dr. Tanyaradzwa Tawengwa.

Hear enchanting lullabies written by families in New York City and around the world in this concert celebrating Carnegie Hall’s Lullaby Project. Each year, the Lullaby Project pairs new and expecting parents with professional artists to write and sing personal lullabies for their babies, supporting parental health, aiding childhood development, and strengthening the bond between parent and child. This performance features a selection of new works written this season—as well as the stories behind the songs—from the community of parents, songwriters, and partners who worked together to create them.

Experience the magic of this interactive and engaging live show experience set to spark creativity, curiosity and a love of learning through The Wiggles signature mix of entertainment and education.

Enjoy free, interactive, and fun musical activities and performances in Carnegie Hall’s Resnick Education Wing. Family Day welcomes families with children ages 3–10 to a celebration of American music traditions, in connection with the Hall's season-long celebration of America's 250th anniversary. Activities are ongoing from 12 PM to 4 PM. Stop by for a quick visit or join us for the whole afternoon!

Alexandra F. said:  Catching a Broadway show is a must when you're in NYC, and I think Wicked is one of the best musicals ever made, period. It also happens to be one of the most kid-friendly! It tells the untold story of the Wizard of Oz, giving us a behind-the-scenes look into the unlikely friendship between the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Incredible music, a fabulous and original (but also familiar!) story, and an absolutely dazzling stage presentation makes this a must-watch broadway show. In our family, both the adults and kids loved it!

Monty Python meets Sherlock Holmes in this hilarious kid-friendly show about opening night of a murder mystery production where everything goes wrong.