Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island

Socrates Sculpture Park
32-01 Vernon Boulevard, at Broadway, 718-956-1819
This free artist studio and museum is located on the East River in Long Island City and features impressive sculpture and multimedia installations, all displayed in a unique outdoor setting. The site also hosts many community events and an outdoor summer film series, presented with the Manhattan skyline as its dramatic backdrop. The Park is open 365 days a year and is free to all from 10 a.m. to sunset. [2-4 years; 5-8 years; 9+ years]

Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Parkway, Floral Park, 718-347-3276
Take a free tour of this farm, which was built around 1697, and then buy some feed to give out to the resident goats and sheep. You can even take a hayride for just $2. General admission is free, except for during special event weekends, which are usually listed on their website. [All ages]

Queens Zoo
Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 53-51 111th St., 718-271-1500
Get wild with this collection of animals that are native to North and South America, including bald eagles, mountain lions, bison, Roosevelt elk, and more. Admission is just $6 for adults and $2 for children between the ages of 3 and 12. Those under 3 are admitted at no cost. The zoo is open 365 days a year. [All ages]

Forest Park Skate Park
Woodhaven Boulevard, just past Myrtle Avenue
Rockaway Skate Park
Shore Front Parkway at 91st Street
Give your kids get their daily dose of extreme sports at one of these Queens locations. Children under 18 need a guardian's signature on an onsite waiver, which you should download and fill out ahead of time. Helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads are also required for those utilizing the facility.[5-8 years; 9+ years]

Indoor Recreation Centers
Get your game on by investing in your neighborhood's center, where you can open up a world of low-cost activities for you and your family. Run by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, there are conveniently located sites in all five boroughs. Memberships are just $50 a year ($75 if the center has a pool) for adults, with no charge at all for kids under 18. So for less than $7 a month, you can tap into your local center's pool, gym, dance studios, art studios, game rooms, basketball courts, and more. [All ages]

Historic House Trust of New York City
Explore one of the Trust's 22 historic sites across the five boroughs and you'll be taking a virtual walk through time. Step foot inside everything from a modest farmer's cottage to a luxurious, grand mansion, all while getting a taste for what life was like in the city a hundred or so years ago. Among the Trust's highlights in Queens are the Lewis H. Latimer House, the home of the African-American inventor and electrical pioneer, and the Kingsland Homestead, a two-and-a-half story 18th Century farmhouse. [2-4 years; 5-8 years; 9+ years]

Street Fairs and Festivals
Hit the pavement and scope out some of the low (or no) cost street fairs, festivals, and performances that go on all year around the city, such as the Association of Jazz Festival on July 27th and the Manhattan Youth Fair on August 1, for example. [All ages]