9 things to do this week with kids in Pittsburgh, from LEGO building to parades

The week is packed with fun and exciting stuff your kids will love. Soak in storytelling onstage and on the big screen. Explore LEGO building dexterity, Pittsburgh history and cooking skill development. And the whole family can enjoy outdoor activities from fishing to sailing to kayaking. Check out our top things to do with kids this week.

1. Be a LEGO master

Kids who love LEGO construction can indulge their brick-filled imaginations at the Builder Activity Day on Aug. 7 at Carnegie Science Center. Young brick snappers can test their science and building skills in a boat float challenge. Kids can learn from members of Steel City LUG, the Pittsburgh LEGO User Group, who will be working on developing a model of the Science Center. Three new masterpieces of Pittsburgh iconic buildings will be on display, too, in the Bricksburgh Gallery. The activities are included in your general admission timed tickets.

2. Cheer for a parade

Kennywood Park’s annual celebration of high school and college marching bands returns this month with the Fall Fantasy Parades, spanning 14 select nights from Aug. 7-29. More than 130 bands will fill the air with the rousing sounds of drums and brass. Check out the schedule of bands here. The parades, which begin at 6 p.m., include decorated floats, too.

3. Hop into History with Martin Delany

The latest chapter of Heinz History Center’s Hop into History shines a spotlight on the “Multitalented Martin Delany.” The virtual session taking place on Aug. 11 will tell the story of Pittsburgher Martin Delany, a Black doctor and publisher of The Mystery! newspaper. The program that’s geared to early learners ages 3-5 is free, but registration is required.

4. Find adventure in the Indian jungle

The next production of South Park Theatre’s lineup of kid-focused programming heads deep into the Indian jungle with Rudyard Kipling’s classic “The Jungle Book,” running Aug. 9-18. Bagheera the panther discovers a man-cub, who’s targeted by Shere Khan the tiger. Bring chairs or a blanket for lawn seating in front of the outdoor stage. Performances run at 6:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. The $5 admission, free for ages 3 and younger, is sold at the door. Seating is limited to 150 patrons to allow social distancing.

5. Start cooking

Let’s Move Pittsburgh and Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens pair up for a fun series of virtual cooking classes for kids. Zero Waste Cooking, for grades 7-12, explores techniques to prepare quick jams and refrigerator pickles on Aug. 5. Younger kids, in grades 5-7, will learn how to navigate a frying pan in the Breakfast Crash Course on Aug. 12. And they’ll practice the fundamentals of slicing, dicing and julienning in the Knife Skills class on Aug. 19. Registration is $20 per class.

6. Make a splash at the regatta

Pittsburgh families who just gotta regatta can head to Moraine State Park for three days of fun on the water and on the shore from Aug. 6-8. Register for free sessions in eco-recreational sports like kayaking, archery and sailing. Cheer on contenders in a Stand-up Paddle Board Championship and the Cornhole Tournament. Hands-on activities for kids run throughout all three days. The complete schedule includes a butterfly release, live music and fireworks along with food trucks and vendors. It’s a lineup that will be hard to resist.

7. Go fish!

Venture Outdoors’ free TriAnglers lunchtime fishing sessions continue every Wednesday. Kids can borrow a rod and reel to cast lines into the Allegheny River from the North Shore. Instructors are on hand to guide kids on how to bait a hook and reel in their catches, from creepy-looking catfish to smallmouth bass. TriAnglers is free for all ages. Register for your tickets here for sessions that run from 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

8. Get Squonk-y

The Aug. 7 Sharpsburg date is your last chance to catch Squonk in the Neighborhood’s “Hand to Hand” before it moves off on a national tour. Squonk Opera’s massive puppet hands move through rigging that audience members can help to manipulate in a connection of community. Progressive rock music lends the show an exuberant and comic celebration of joy for all ages. The free performance of “Hand to Hand” begins at 1 p.m. in Kennedy Park. No registration is required.

9. Sample free movies around town

The week’s free family entertainment continues in local parks. Check out the complete schedules for Dollar Bank Cinema in the Parks, Allegheny County Movies in the Park and Movies on the Mon at SouthSide Works.

• “Sonic the Hedgehog” (PG) screens on Aug. 8 at Schenley Plaza, Aug. 9 at Chartiers Playground, Aug. 10 at West End Overlook and Aug. 12 at Brookline Memorial Park.
• “Avengers: Endgame” (PG-13) brings the battle to Riverview Park on Aug. 7.
• “Jumanji: The Next Level” (PG-13) transforms lives and bodies at Flagstaff Hill on Aug. 11.
• “Tom & Jerry” (PG) continues its cat-versus-mouse week on Aug. 5 at Brookline Memorial Park, Aug. 6 at Arsenal Park, and Aug. 7 at Grandview Park.
• “Lilo & Stitch” (PG) screens at Hartwood Acres on Aug. 11 and South Park on Aug. 14, with family activities beginning at 7:30 p.m.
• “Fences” (PG-13) stars Denzel Washington in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh-based story with a screening at SouthSide Works on Aug. 11. Musician Jacquea Mae opens the evening at 7 p.m.