You know how when May rolls around, you vow to take advantage of all the city’s heat-defying happenings? And suddenly it’s late August and you haven’t done diddly? Post these seasonal exhibits and activities on your fridge/bathroom mirror/big-screen TV. Now.

Special events
You know how when May rolls around, you vow to take advantage of all the city’s heat-defying happenings? And suddenly it’s late August and you haven’t done diddly? Post these seasonal exhibits and activities on your fridge/bathroom mirror/big-screen TV. Now.

Chill Out, at the Central Park Zoo
Celebrating its 20th year, the zoo’s fete on August 9 and 10 is bound to be the best birthday bash of the summer. You don’t even have to bring a gift (well, besides the usual admission fee). The penguins, puffins and polar bears will be partying it up with “chill out”–themed games, crafts and snacks.

City Splash,at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
An outdoor playground at CMOM transforms for the summer into a wondrous water world. Ostensibly, the games—floating boats down tubes, making water paintings—are designed to help kids learn about H2O’s properties. But your guppies will be happy just sloshing around.
Free with museum admission.

New York City Waterfalls, in the Harbor
This public art installation by Danish artist Olafur Eliasson—four giant, man-made falls cascading from the Brooklyn Bridge, Piers 4 and 5 near the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, Pier 35 in lower Manhattan and the north shore of Governors Island—is exactly the kind of thing that will make you glad you didn’t move out to Jersey once you had kids. They start flowing on June 26 and dry up in mid-October. You can ogle all four at once from Piers 16 and 17 at South Street Seaport (Subway: A, C to Broadway–Nassau St; J, M, Z, 2, 3, 4, 5 to Fulton St) or, a few blocks south, Pier 11 (Subway: J, M, Z to Broad St; 2, 3 to Wall St). Or get up-close views from the Circle Line Downtown cruise.

“Reflections: Water in the Garden,” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Check out the Garden’s water features, including ponds, falls, bogs, fountains and a brook, in this self-guided walking tour. Slow-poke toddlers can go at their usual 10-feet-per-20-minutes pace without holding up an entire group. And if your grade-schooler generally doesn’t appreciate flowers, a water tour may be the way to lure him to these beautiful grounds.
Free with Garden admission.

Simply Cool,at the Staten Island Children’s Museum
On July 26 and 27 from noon to 3pm, kids get to design an Asian-inspired fan. Just be sure they make one for you, too!
Free with museum admission.

Sun and Sail, at Socrates Sculpture Park
Come July 12 from noon to 3pm, Central Park won’t be the only place in town where your kids can float model sailboats. At this outdoor exhibition space and public park in Long Island City, young sailors can build their own boat, using fabric, straws and clay, under the direction of local installation artist Martine Kaczynski (whose work is worth a look—at martinestudio.com—independent of her ship-making skills), then launch it in a park pool.
32-01 Vernon Blvd at Broadway, Long Island City, Queens (718-956-1819, socratessculpturepark.org). Subway: N to Broadway, then walk eight blocks to the East River. Free.