Our guide to cultural events in New York City for families with children and teenagers.

ACT WINTER FAMILY FESTIVAL at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (Jan. 6, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). These indoor festivities promise to be warm enough for everyone — even the coldblooded guests. Those will be the stars of a reptile show, one of the highlights of this open house for Adults and Children in Trust (ACT), an organization providing educational and recreational family programs at the cathedral. Visitors can tour the facilities, meet the staff and try out classes, as well as enjoy attractions like a whipped-cream-eating contest, crafts, carnival games, face painting, storytelling and singalongs.

212-316-7530, actprograms.org

‘FAMILY DAY: ALTERNATIVE MIGRATIONS’ at the New Museum (Jan. 6, 10 a.m. to noon) It’s not just the journeys that are alternative at this event; the birds are, too. This program draws inspiration from “Petrit Halilaj: RU,” an exhibition consisting of an imagined landscape populated by whimsical avian creatures fashioned from pottery fragments, found objects and other detritus. Mr. Halilaj’s work reflects on Runik, Kosovo, the city of his childhood and the site of a neolithic settlement whose archaeological finds have been dispersed through war and appropriation. In his sculptures and an accompanying video, he has recreated and transformed these relics, giving them new identities that proclaim their wandering. This free workshop for ages 4 through 12, first come first served, will give participants clay to make works of their own that are both artifacts and animals, past fixtures and new species. All flights of fancy are welcome.

212-219-1222, newmuseum.org

‘ILLUMINATION BOX: TINKER WITH LIGHT!’ at the National Museum of the American Indian (Jan. 6 and 20, 1 to 4 p.m.). This is a chance to make a little light of your own — and to let it shine. Inaugurating a new series at the museum, Tinker Labs: Exploring Art and Technology, this program will investigate themes in the exhibition “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound.” Children (the recommended ages are 9 and older) will take inspiration from “The Harbinger of Catastrophe,” a work by Marianne Nicholson that uses light, shadow and traditional Pacific Northwest Indian designs to illuminate the connections between humans and nature. Young participants (registration is required) will be encouraged to reflect on the environment and climate change as they experiment with simple circuits to create their own miniature light boxes.

212-514-3705, nmai.si.edu