‘Theatresports’

It may involve actors, but it’s still a competitive event: The members of Freestyle Repertory Theater, an improv troupe, are once again thinking fast on their feet. They break into two teams and perform skits based on suggestions from the audience. Children will not only vote to determine the contest’s winner, but also participate onstage.

Hands-On Nano Demos

Forget about thinking big; this event is all about thinking small, as Sony Wonder Technology Lab offers experiments and workshops exploring the properties, structures and materials involved in nanotechnology. Recommended for ages 6 and older, these demonstrations are enhanced by the lab’s permanent exhibit on nanotechnology’s applications in fields like medicine, transportation and fashion.

‘The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon’

Harold never has any trouble visiting the amazing places in his imagination: His ticket is his crayon, which brings them to life as soon as he draws them. Enchantment Theater Company of Philadelphia has adapted Crockett Johnson’s picture books about Harold into a musical for ages 5 and older. The production, part of the Target Family Fun series at Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, uses life-size puppets, magic, music and masks.

Freedom Art Jam

What better way to celebrate liberty than to draw and dance? Freedom is the theme of this Passover celebration at the Jewish Museum, whose boogie aspects will be a Baby Loves Disco dance party (noon to 1:30 p.m.) and a concert by the Macaroons (2 p.m.), with songs about Moses and matzo. Art activities will include depicting Passover scenes on circles of watercolor paper, making storybooks centered on matzo and contributing to a huge collage in the form of a Seder plate.

‘Step Into: Passover’

And help the Jews step out of Egypt in this festival presented by the Hannah Senesh Community Day School and the Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst. The highlights include a model matzo bakery, holiday crafts, a dramatization of Passover history by the troupe Play Me a Story and a performance of Timbalooloo, the clarinetist Oran Etkin’s preschool music program.

UniverSoul Circus

Don’t expect hurdy-gurdy tunes at this big-top event. Emphasizing African-American contributions to circus arts, UniverSoul performs its acts to hip-hop, R&B, soul and gospel. This year’s show also presents performances from around the world, including Cuba, China, Ecuador and Ethiopia. Among the acts are flying trapeze artists, acrobats, Caribbean dancers and clowns.

‘Jack and the Beanstalk’

Many plants grow in Central Park, so why not a beanstalk? This one sprouts indoors at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, which has revived Michael Alogna’s adaptation of the classic fairy tale about Jack, the Giant (here named Milford), Dolly the Cow and the famous Golden Goose. Bruce Cannon, the theater’s artistic director, has revised the script, and a human actor will now star in the show along with the company’s hand-built marionettes.

‘The Little Prince’

Long before E.T., another extraterrestrial won the hearts of children: the title character of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s fable “The Little Prince,” who lived on a distant planet with only a rose for company. Hang a Tale, a new theater company, is presenting Rick Cummins and John Scoullar’s adaptation of the story, a multimedia production that incorporates video projections, original songs and puppets and masks.

Whodunnit Family Scavenger Hunt

Imagine playing the game of Clue when the board consists of the halls of a great museum. That’s what this scavenger hunt for children 10 and older, from Watson Adventures, is like: They’ll trail a killer who has committed a murder in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He’s mocked the police with an intriguing series of hints about his name, the weapon he used and the gallery where he hid the body. Teams, which must each include at least one adult and one child (six is the maximum number for a team), will receive a list of suspects, weapons and hiding places. Then the sleuthing begins.

Spring Fling Family Fun Field Day

Spring is in the air — or at least on the calendar — and Asphalt Green, the sports and fitness nonprofit, will welcome it with this free outdoor celebration at its Upper East Side location. There will be plenty of games to play (soccer, gaga, baseball); activities to enjoy (Zumba, martial arts); and art projects to create, for those who don’t want to sweat. Snacks will be provided, too.

‘Camp Kappawanna’

If the spring equinox is here, can summer camp be far behind? This new musical from Atlantic for Kids, the children’s division of the Atlantic Theater Company, focuses on a 12-year old, Jennifer Jenkins, who is facing the challenge of leaving home for the first time. With music and lyrics by Lisa Loeb, Michelle Lewis and Dan Petty, and a book by Cusi Cram and Peter Hirsch, it features lots of singing, and not just around the campfire.

‘Tiny Giants’

The heroes of this film may be small, but they’re mighty in their will to survive. Inspired by the BBC television series “Hidden Kingdoms,” this new Imax movie at the American Museum of Natural History uses 3-D cameras to peer into the universes of two diminutive creatures: a forest chipmunk and a grasshopper mouse from the Arizona desert, noted for its ability to prey on scorpions. Narrated by Stephen Fry, the film allows viewers to see the world from their perspectives.

‘My Superhero, Roberto Clemente’

Roberto Clemente (1934-72) may not have had superpowers, but he was certainly a hero, both on and off the baseball field. Battling discrimination throughout his sports career, he became the first Latino athlete inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and was killed in the crash of a plane he had chartered to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. This bilingual children’s musical from Teatro SEA, written by Manuel Antonio Morán and Alejandro Zuleta, focuses on a boy named Bobby, who, with his friends, discovers Clemente’s legacy.

Danny Weinkauf and the Red Pants Band

Danny Weinkauf plays bass and writes music for They Might Be Giants, but he’s something of a giant on his own, too. With his group the Red Pants Band, he recorded “No School Today,” an album that won a Parents’ Choice Award. This weekend he and the band will perform at Symphony Space as part of the Just Kidding series. Despite his album’s title, don’t be surprised to hear tunes about archaeology and spelling bees.

‘Through the Looking Glass’

Lewis Carroll himself, portrayed by a member of the Gingerbread Players of St. Luke’s Church in Queens, narrates this musical theater adaptation of Alice’s continuing adventures. With a score by William Ryden and a book by Louise Guinther, the show, first performed in 1999, has been updated to suit its current cast. Expect the usual characters — Humpty Dumpty, the Jabberwock, the Red and White Queens — along with something Alice would have appreciated during her journey: gingerbread for sale.

Sunday Story Time With Kirsten Hall

Imagine a book in which the book itself is a central character. That’s the interesting premise of “The Jacket,” a picture book by Kirsten Hall, with illustrations by Dasha Tolstikova. As part of this free Sunday series at the powerHouse on 8th bookstore in Brooklyn, Ms. Hall will read the story, which concerns what happens when a little girl has two not-quite-compatible best friends: the book and her sometimes messy dog, Egg Cream.

Children’s Museum of the Arts Persian Festival

Where do paisley patterns come from? How about earth architecture? Children can investigate the ancient legacies and contemporary innovations associated with Persia, now Iran, in this celebration, part of an annual series honoring the traditions of different cultures. Programming this weekend includes “Beyond the Light!,” a production with puppetry, dance and Rumi poetry. Based on Persian folk tales, it concerns a soul, divided in two, that’s seeking its completion through love. Other highlights will be creating paisley-themed stamps and stop-motion films; remixing Iranian pop music; and designing houses based on the earth work of the Iranian architect Nader Khalili.

A Taste of Magic

Would you like a side of sleight of hand with that burger? This show, developed by Magnets, a collective of local magicians, brings wizardry to the dinner table. Taking place at various restaurants, the presentation includes acts like mind reading and card tricks, which professionals perform close-up for guests in between courses; there’s also a cabaret-style show. And the admission price includes a full meal.

‘Hot Feet’

Warm toes sound pretty good after the winter we’ve been having. And the Paper Bag Players will generate plenty of heat in this show for ages 3 to 8, a celebration of the troupe’s 56th anniversary. Known for their signature props and sets made out of brown paper and cardboard, the players will present highlights of their past productions, song-and-dance skits like “Move Over,” a narrative that makes rush hour on the subway something to laugh about, and “Happy Day,” which involves a chicken on the loose. Children who would like to sample the troupe’s secrets in advance can also take part in a morning workshop in which they’ll devise props and costumes together and create a mini-performance.

‘Tunes With Tina’

That’s Tina deVaron, a jazz musician and singer, whose musical brunch for young people at the Measure Lounge at Langham Place, Fifth Avenue, a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, has returned. Ms. deVaron, who often sings show tunes for children, also improvises and gears her performances to the audience. On selected Sundays throughout the season, she will be accompanied by Broadway performers. Singing along is encouraged.

‘Pilobolus Rules!’

Anyone can see a dance performed, but what about seeing it unperformed? In this program from the BAMkids series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the renowned troupe Pilobolus will unspool four of its signature works — “Walklyndon,” “Pseudopodia,” “The Transformation” and “All Is Not Lost” — so that children can gain insight into the creative process. Recommended for ages 6 through 11, the show promises to be hands-on and interactive.

Vered and the Babes

This trio — Vered Ronen, Rob Jost and Matt Hilgenberg — play some percussion children can understand: pots and pans. Of course, they’ll also perform on more conventional instruments, like French horn and trumpet, at this concert, part of the Saturday Morning Show series for families at Brookfield Place. Known for a style reminiscent of doo-wop, they’ll offer tunes from their hit album, “Good Morning My Love.”

‘The Beauty of Ballet’

The best dancers often seem to defy the laws of physics as they leap and twirl across the stage. In this free children’s program from the School of American Ballet, the training academy for New York City Ballet, dancers will show how professional performers stay on their toes (literally) and spin without getting dizzy. The 45-minute event will also present class exercises and excerpts from repertory dances. (Seats are first come first served.)

La Mama Kids: Buzz Buzz: A Movement and Music Workshop

La MaMa, the downtown theater famous for cultivating cutting-edge adults, has in recent years been turning its attention to cutting-edge kids, too. This series for families, which presents interactive workshops and performances, continues this weekend with “Buzz Buzz.” Presented by Meredith Wright, a vocalist, dancer and member of the Great Jones Repertory Company, this participatory performance will celebrate one of earth’s most industrious species: bees.

‘A Taste of Magic’

Would you like a side of sleight of hand with that burger? This show, developed by Magnets, a collective of local magicians, brings wizardry to the dinner table. Taking place at various restaurants, the presentation includes acts like mind reading and card tricks, which professionals perform close-up for guests in between courses; there’s also a cabaret-style show. And the admission price includes a full meal.