The Top 10 Things to Do With Kids in Philly This August
From pop-up parks and festivals to spraygrounds and movie nights, here are the best of the best to add to your calendar.
Philly homages at the Oval’s mini-golf course / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Soak up the last weeks of summer! The season is winding down, and it’s last call on some must-dos, from the lantern festival to the Oval. Here’s the best of the best to add to your calendar before the school year starts.
The Oval
The Oval pop-up on the Parkway is back through August 25th. Across its eight acres on the Parkway, there’s free music, family fun, dance parties, movie nights and more. And new for this year, a Philly-themed mini-golf course by Libertee Grounds, where kids 12 and under play free! In addition to the general fun and games, the Oval has free, kid-focused activities and programs every weekend with Parkway institutions, from sports to storytelling. Here’s the August kids’ schedule:
- August 4th: The Oval’s family festival day (noon to 4 p.m.) includes children’s music, craft-making, story time, face-painting, “Touch a Truck” and more.
- August 11th: The Riverways environmental collaborative brings nature-based crafts.
- August 18th: The Clay Studio comes to the Oval for ClayBuild, a collaborative clay-art project everyone can add onto.
- August 25th: Let’s Rock Recess brings their kid-friendly DJ dance party to the Oval. Plus, balloon sculpting, face painting, juggling, and caricature drawing.
And the Oval’s movie nights are also aimed at families, with a schedule of kid-friendly flicks. Here’s what’s showing in August:
- August 2nd: Elemental
- August 9th: Wonka
- August 16th: Jumanji (1995)
- August 23rd: Luca
And on August 10th, celebrate the history and legacy of hip-hop with an all-day festival featuring musical performances, shopping and art with “Hip Hop in the Park.”
More Outdoor Movies
Bring the kids to some early outdoor movie nights this May! / Photograph courtesy of Fairmount Park Conservancy
When it comes to free outdoor flicks, you have a lot of options this summer. So dust off your blanket and pack some snacks!
There are even some at Sunset Social just for kids. Sure, the elevated kid-friendly beer garden has movie nights on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., which are more for the general public; but movie matinees on Saturdays at noon that are all family-friendly flicks. Check out the schedules, because select movies include a themed costume contest!
You can also check out movies at parks around town, thanks to the Fairmount Park Conservancy, whose August lineup includes Wish, Elemental, and the latest in the Kung Fu Panda series.
But wait, there’s more! Check out our master guide, here.
Parkway Pals
Parkway Pals returns this summer with free weekly things to do with kids in Philly’s Sister Cities Park / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Sister Cities Park’s Parkway Pals series of free weekly kids’ programming continues through August 15th. On Tuesday mornings, the Free Library of Philadelphia brings Story Art — interactive story and craft time — and the Fabric Workshop and Museum will keep the creativity going with “Art Garden.” On Wednesdays, it’s Investigation Station with the Academy of Natural Sciences (games, experiments, etc.). Then on Thursdays, the Philadelphia Ballet will teach kids how to express themselves through Creative Movement. Stick around afterward to splash in the Discovery Garden‘s fabulous boat pond.
Art Kids
Art Kids Studio at the Art Museum / Photograph by Elizabeth Leitzell
The Philadelphia Museum of Art brings back summer kids’ programming, complete with a studio space for the whole family. The drop-in Art Kids Studio will be open on Fridays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., allowing kids to get hands-on with project that change every few weeks. On those days, the museum will also host family tours at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The studio will also be open on select Friday nights.
On select Saturdays, a toddler-focused drop-in called Little Art Kids engages the littlest museum-goers with art-making and creative play.
And on Sunday, August 4th, the museum is hosting an creature-themed First Sunday festival, Flashy, Friendly, Ferocious. PMA offers pay-what-you-wish admission with programming exploring and creating wearables adorned with protective creatures.
All activities are included with admission, and kids always get in free at the museum.
Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival
Photograph by Laura Swartz
Franklin Square is once again glowing with giant, colorful sculptures of steel and silk. From the fan-favorite 200-foot-long dragon to ornate walk-through tunnels to interactive displays, it’s a picture-perfect spectacle. In addition to the lanterns, the festival includes stage performances showcasing Chinese dance, acrobatics, and more. You can also visit with artisans, dine on some Asian-inspired treats at pop-up vendors, and sip specialty mocktails (or cocktails for the grownups). The rest of Franklin Square’s attractions, including the carousel and mini golf, will be available during the festival as well.
Pro-tip: If your kids are too little to stay up ‘til sundown, visit Franklin Square during the day to see the lanterns for free! You can even go on the Lantern Scavenger Hunt during daytime hours to win free carousel tickets. Visit the ticket booth for information and to start your quest.
Check out our guide to the festival here.
Waterfront Fun
A month of summer fun awaits! Here are the best things to do with kids in Philly this July. / Photograph by Matt Stanley
This summer on the Delaware River Waterfront looks a little … different. For one thing, one of this year’s high-profile developments is the I-95 Cap Park, which we think will be amazing when it opens in 2028, but certainly throws a wrench in the site of Summerfest, Penn’s Landing. As a result, Summerfest just returned, but in a limited form. There’s no roller-rink this summer, but the Ferris wheel is back, along with more rides like a double-decker carousel and bungee jump. The midway is back, too, with carnival-style games of chance to win prizes like stuffies and inflatables. For even more games, the indoor arcade is back, too, and a new 18-hole mini-golf course. Plenty of food and drinks, too. So, Summerfest isn’t what we’re used to, but it’s plenty festive.
But don’t despair, because its chill cousin to the south, Spruce Street Harbor Park, has been up and running with its hammock lounge, boardwalk treats, and shopping and more. For the season, they’ve got lots of weekly events, including Liberty Flea markets on Saturdays and family-friendly Sundays with Pop-Up Play and Active Kids. Here’s the schedule for August:
- August 4th
- 12:30 p.m.: Active Kids games
- 2 p.m.: Crafts with PopUpPlay
- 4 p.m.: Movie screening: The Dark Crystal
- August 11th
- 12:30 p.m.: Active Kids “I Spy” scavenger hunt
- 2 p.m.: Crafts with PopUpPlay
- 4 p.m.: Movie screening: The NeverEnding Story
- August 18th
- 12:30 p.m.: Active Kids gymnastics in the park
- 2 p.m.: Crafts with PopUpPlay: cardboard creations
- 4 p.m.: Movie screening: Short Circuit
- August 25th
- 12:30 p.m.: Active Kids water games
- 2 p.m.: Crafts with PopUpPlay: sack races
- 4 p.m.: Movie screening: The Secret of NIMH
Also on the Waterfront, enjoy cultural celebrations at Cherry Street Pier and Race Street Pier. Here’s what’s planned for August:
- August 4th, 2-8 p.m.: ACANA African Festival at Cherry Street Pier
- August 17, noon-7 p.m.: Festival of India at Cherry Street Pier
- August 18, noon-8 p.m.: Caribbean Festival at Cherry Street Pier and Race Street Pier
- August 24, 1-5 p.m.: Celebrate Asia festival at Race Street Pier
Upper Darby Summer Stage
The Upper Darby Summer Stage has been an institution for theater kids and little theatergoers for over 40 years. (Tina Fey is a very notable alum.) It’s a great way to introduce little ones to musical theater with a schedule of low-cost, low-stakes performances just for them — matinees start at 10:30 a.m. Performances are just an hour long, and are recommended for ages three and up.
Here’s the schedule for August:
- July 30th-August 1st: A Year With Frog and Toad
- August 6th-8th: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical
- August 13th-15th: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland, Jr.
In addition to these short shows, Summer Stage is also doing a full-length musical this month: Newsies. Running from August 2nd through 10th, the two-hour musical based on the Newsboys’ strike of 1899 is intended for ages eight and up. Seize the day!
Wild Kratts: Creature Power
Photograph courtesy of the Please Touch Museum
At the Please Touch Museum, kids can tap into their “creature power” with a new special exhibit based on the PBS series Wild Kratts. Little ones can investigate four different interactive habitats and learn about the animal world with games, movement and problem-solving. The exhibit runs through September 1st and is included in the cost of admission. Want to go for less? On August 7th from 4-7 p.m., get $2 admission for PTM’s First Wednesday.
The Art of the Brick
Photograph by Laura Swartz
The Franklin Institute‘s massive Lego-art exhibit, The Art of the Brick, continues through the summer. This time around, in addition to brick-renderings of iconic pieces like The Scream and Starry Night, the exhibit includes PERNiCiEM: The Endangered Species Connection, which pairs 13 large-scale Lego sculptures created of endangered animals with wildlife photography by Dean West. Also new? A 9,000-square-foot Lego play space where kids of all ages can get creative for hours. Check out our preview for more of what to expect.
Beat the Heat
Dilworth’s fountains are a prime spot for summer fun. / Photograph by M. Fischetti/Visit Philadelphia
It’s sprayground season! On hot days, it’s your prerogative as a city kid to grab a towel (and maybe some swim diapers) and get in any kind of cool water you can — jump in Swann Fountain, who’s gonna stop you? Check out our guide to the best spraygrounds across the city.
And Philly’s public pools are opening on a rolling basis, which you can check out here.
