No funds for a tropical getaway this year? No worries. Summer in the city is like one long stay-cation for local families. There’s something fun, fabulous (and often free) going on all summer long for kids big and little. Here’s a sampling.
SOUNDS OF SUMMER
This year’s SummerStage concert series is more packed than ever with free kids shows in every borough. First up: FELA Queens, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and DJ Stormin’ Norman in Von King Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, on June 10. Don’t miss the main event in Central Park on July 8, featuring Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Ill style & Peace Productions, performers from the New York Chinese Cultural Center and others. summerstage.org
Madison Square Park offers free kids concerts Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Audra Rox kicks things off June 12, and Father Goose wraps the season up Aug. 9; in between, you can check out Robbi K & Friends (June 21), Recess Monkey (July 26) and many others. Madison Avenue at 23rd Street; 212-538-1884, madisonsquarepark.org
CIRCUS, CIRCUS
In Queens until June 17, this year’s Big Apple Circus, “Dream Big,” will feature more animals and acrobats than ever — not to mention (of course) Grandma the Clown. Cunningham Park, 196-22 Union Turnpike; $15 to $45, days and times vary. 800-922-3772, bigapplecircus.org
If traditional big-top shows don’t do it for you, Cirque du Soleil’s “Zarkana” ought to. Opening June 6, the spectacular “rock opera” blends circus arts with surreal visuals to tell the story of a magician who’s lost his powers. Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Sixth Ave. Through Sept. 2; tickets from $56; 866-858-0008, radiocity.com
ANIMAL PLANET
Arachnophobic much? Get over your fear of spiders (or indulge your fascination with the creepy-crawlies) at the American Museum of Natural History’s “Spiders Alive!” exhibit, opening July 28. Live spiders on display will include the Goliath bird-eater (prey includes snakes!), the deadly black widow and many more, plus plenty of interactive games, videos and models. 79th Street at Central Park West; 212-769-5100, amnh.org
BUSY BODIES
The playground isn’t the only place for little ones to experience the great outdoors. Hudson River Park’s “River Tots” series, Tuesday mornings at 10 from June 5 to Aug. 28, offers everything from arts-and-crafts to music to hands-on experiments, all intended to educate kids ages 2 to 5 about the environment. Free! Pier 46, Charles Street at the Hudson River; hudsonriverpark.org/events/series/river-tots
It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a toddler or a teenager, Battery Park City Parks Conservancy offers an exhaustive (and usually low- or no-cost) array of activities for kids all summer long, including soccer, drumming circles, singalongs, story-telling, fishing, Wiffle ball, gardening and yoga — just to name a few. bpcparks.org/bpcp/events/events.php