NYC's iconic Museum of Modern Art is one of our favorite summer cultural destinations, especially for its stunning Sculpture Garden which, when the city isn't suffering under a heat index of 108, is a truly wonderful place to sit and ponder the great questions of life. After all, where else can you casually commune with works by the likes of Picasso and Joan Miró, and also relax under an authentic French Art Nouveau subway (Metro) sign dating to 1900?

August also happens to be a great month to bring the kids along, as well, to experience MoMA's all-ages-engaging Heyman Family Programming. It's always fun, enlightening, and a particularly great way to remind the little ones exactly how cool their parents are for bringing them there.

Open every day from 11am - 3pm (and free to everyone) is The Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Art Lab, where kids can engage in do-it-yourself activities like creating sound sculptures and wearable art, and also explore the interactive digital displays for enlightening tech-touch experiences.

But the regularly scheduled Family Story Time events are definitely "can't miss", for stimulating young minds and encouraging lively discussion. Taking place at the museum's Education Center on Mondays (July 27th, August 3rd and 10th) from 10:30am to 11am, they're a great way to introduce kids to learning about art, setting them on a journey we hope will last a lifetime.

We especially love the free UNIQLO Family Days, the next one scheduled for Saturday, August 8th from 10am to 5pm. There will be a Marcel Duchamp inspired drawing session, the opportunity for kids to make their own unique fabric squares to add to the collective, ongoing Wish Quilt project, some super fun family portrait taking in the Creativity Lab, and even games and live music in the aforementioned Sculpture Garden.

In its commitment to diversity, MoMA also has specially conceived events for Mandarin speakers (Family Art Adventures in Mandarin) and Spanish speakers (Art Among Family), with morning and afternoon sessions for both on August 1 - and again taking place at the Education Center.

Parents: When you need some grownup culture time, make sure to check out the (not-kid-appropriate) Marcel Duchamp exhibit, to get a provocative eyeful of the father of the "Readymade". Learn how he took dada mischief-making to a whole new level, proving that a urinal - or any other object, for that matter - could be art, if it was cleverly presented as so.

Note: For those without easy access to visiting MoMA, the museum has great at-home activities online to do with family and friends, including a YouTube channel with instructional videos on everything from making collaged self portraits to designing an emoji.