What are we doing today?
Storytimes, festivals, classes and things to do for little ones in New Haven, checked and gathered in one place. Tap a day to see what's on.
The week ahead in New Haven, Conn.
Today
Big days
The once-a-year stuff worth planning around: festivals, live shows, Halloween fun and holiday favorites. Tap one to jump to it on the calendar.
Swipe for Halloween and holidays
The calendar
Everything we're tracking, week by week. Narrow it down by age, or show only the free, drop-in or rainy-day stuff.
Filters
Holiday closures aren't always reflected here. Events marked "Check first" are recurring slots we haven't been able to confirm for every date, so look at the organizer's page before you head out.
Things to do anytime
No schedule needed. Good for whenever cabin fever hits — just check each spot's hours before you head out, since not everything opens early.
Swipe for rainy-day spots and short drives
Get outside
- East Rock ParkTrails, a summit with views over the city and harbor, and plenty of room to run.
- Lighthouse Point ParkBeach and the old lighthouse. Reopened in September after August's storm; the historic carousel is still closed for repairs.
- Edgewood ParkA big neighborhood park with a playground, a summer splash pad, a pond and paths for scooters and strollers.
- Common GroundFarm animals and gardens on Springside Ave. Saturday Open Farm Days are free through November.
- Wooster SquareA stroller loop under the trees, and famous cherry blossoms in April. Pizza is right there.
- Neighborhood Splash PadsThe city runs about a dozen free summer splash pads in neighborhood parks, many next to playgrounds, including Edgewood, Galvin and Jocelyn Square parks.
Rainy day, indoors
- Yale Peabody MuseumDinosaurs, dioramas and weekend story times. Free admission.
- Connecticut Children's MuseumHands-on play for small kids on Wall St. Open Thursday afternoons, Friday and Saturday.
- Yale Center for British ArtFree, calm, and hosts Make Time! family art afternoons on fourth Saturdays.
- Yale University Art GalleryFree and stroller-friendly, with a lot of room to wander.
- Your library branchEvery NHFPL branch has a children's room, and Stay & Play runs somewhere almost every weekday.
- Possible FuturesA community bookspace on Edgewood Avenue: part reading room, part independent bookstore.
- Pebbles Toys & GiftsA toy shop with a thoughtfully chosen mix of toys, games, crafts and books, plus occasional storytimes.
- New Haven MuseumNew Haven's history museum on Whitney Avenue. Kids under 12 are always free.
- Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage CenterThe former Knights of Columbus Museum on State Street: always free, open Wednesday–Sunday 10–4, with art and history exhibits and a big Christmas crèche display.
Worth a short drive
- Shoreline Trolley MuseumReal trolley rides in East Haven, seasonal. A hit with anyone who loves vehicles.
- Connecticut's Beardsley ZooAbout half an hour away in Bridgeport, sized just right for little legs.
- Hammonasset BeachLong boardwalk and a nature center in Madison. Lovely in fall with no crowds.
- Evan's Toy ShoppeA family-owned Hamden toy shop since 1992: Playmobil, Calico Critters, games, crafts and science kits, with gift wrapping.
- Bishop's OrchardsA six-generation family farm in Guilford: pick-your-own fruit and flowers from June through October, pumpkins, a farm market and a creamery.
- Eli Whitney Museum & WorkshopOn the site of Eli Whitney's first factory in Hamden: free admission, kids' build-it projects on weekends, and from Thanksgiving to New Year's a model-train layout kids can run.
Classes & lessons
Weekly classes worth signing up for, from baby music and first ballet to swim lessons and preschool soccer. Most run in sessions, so check each program's site for start dates and prices.
Resources for parents
Help with the big things and the everyday things, from pregnancy through the toddler years.
If you're struggling right now
Privacy policy
Effective October 2, 2026
New Haven Kids Calendar (ctkidscalendar.com/new-haven) is part of CT Kids Calendar, a free guide to events, classes and resources for families across Connecticut. This site has no accounts. We use Google Analytics to understand how the site is used, and it only sets cookies if you allow them. This policy explains what information changes hands when you use the site.
Information we collect
We don't ask for personal information. You can browse the calendar, classes and resources without telling us who you are. The site remembers your language, your cookie choice and any ZIP code you search with in your browser's local storage; those stay on your device.
To learn which towns, events and features are useful, we use Google Analytics 4. If you choose “Allow” in the cookie notice, it sets analytics cookies and records the pages you view, the links and buttons you tap (like Share or Español), the website that sent you here, your approximate location (city or region) and your device, browser and screen size. Google Analytics doesn't store your IP address. If you choose “No thanks,” no analytics cookies are set, and Google receives only basic signals without cookies or identifiers, used for overall statistics.
You can change your choice any time: Cookie settings. You can also block or delete cookies in your browser settings, or use Google’s opt-out browser add-on.
How we use it
- To publish event details we're given, like the name, place, time, ages, price and the organizer's public link.
- To talk with businesses and organizations about sponsorship.
We don't sell, rent or trade your information, and we don't add you to a mailing list without asking.
Services we rely on
A few outside services help run the site, and they may receive basic technical information such as your IP address when your browser connects to them:
- GitHub Pages hosts the site. GitHub may keep server logs, including visitor IP addresses, for security. See the GitHub privacy statement.
- Google Fonts supplies the site's typefaces, so your browser requests them from Google. See Google's privacy policy.
- Google Analytics measures how the site is used, as described above. See how Google uses information from sites that use its services and Google’s privacy policy.
The site also links to other websites, such as Google Maps, Google Calendar, event organizers and community resources. Those sites have their own privacy practices, which we don't control.
Children's privacy
This site is written for parents and caregivers. It isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect information from them. This site doesn't currently have a way to submit information directly, which further limits this risk.
Keeping and deleting your information
We don't currently have a public contact address, so no emails are being collected yet. This policy will be updated when that changes.
Changes to this policy
If we add something new, like a newsletter sign-up, we'll update this policy first and change the date at the top.