The week from Wednesday, October 28, through Monday, November 2, brings a mix of free fitness classes, hands-on park volunteering, Halloween crafts for small children and a book club built around a science fiction classic to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Here is what is on the calendar, with times, places and costs taken from each organizer.

Halloween Crafts at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Through Saturday, October 31, the Children's Museum of Manhattan at 212 West 83rd Street runs two seasonal drop-in activities for its youngest visitors. In the Makerspace, Silly Hands and Fuzzy Fingers Dress Up has children make tiny costumes for finger puppets, finished with googly eyes and fuzzy claws and paws. Sessions run from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 2 to 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and the activity continues on Saturday, October 31, starting at 10:30 a.m.

In PlayWorks, the museum's space for the youngest children, Trick-or-Treat Tote Bags runs from 2:45 to 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday through Friday. Kids use stamps and ink pads to decorate a tote bag and tie on ribbon in Halloween colors.

The museum's programs are designed for children up to age 6. Both activities are included with admission, which costs $17 online or $18 at the door for adults and children ages 1 to 18, $14 online or $15 at the door for seniors 65 and over and visitors with disabilities, and nothing for infants under 12 months. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The nearest subway stations are 86 St on the 1 train and 81 St-Museum of Natural History on the B and C.

Mat Pilates in Riverside Park, Thursday

On Thursday, October 29, from 11 a.m. to noon, Sweet Water Dance and Yoga leads a free Mat Pilates class in the newly renovated 102nd Street Field House in Riverside Park. The class covers posture, breathing, core strength and controlled movement, and is geared to beginners while open to experienced students. Bring your own mat and register in advance through the Riverside Park Conservancy's Eventbrite page, since space is limited. The class repeats on Thursdays through November 19.

To find the Field House, enter the park at 102nd Street and Riverside Drive, walk down to the promenade level, and take the stairs across the promenade at 102nd Street. The 103 St station on the 1 train is on Broadway, two avenues east.

Gardening in South Park, Friday

On Friday, October 30, from 9 to 11 a.m., the Riverside Park Conservancy invites volunteers to help its gardeners with weeding and general plant care in the southern section of Riverside Park. Meet at the park entrance at West 68th Street and Riverside Boulevard. The Conservancy supplies the tools. Bring water, dress for the weather and wear closed-toe shoes. Volunteers under 15 must come with an adult. Returning volunteers sign up through the Conservancy's Grassroots volunteer portal, and first-timers can email the Conservancy's volunteer team for details. The 72 St station on the 1, 2 and 3 trains is the closest.

Compost and a Dance Class, Monday Morning

Monday, November 2, starts with another volunteer shift. From 9 to 11 a.m., the Conservancy's sustainability team works at the 95th Street Compost Compound, where debris from Riverside Park is turned into compost that goes back into the park's own soil. Volunteers help with compost processing and gardening, using tools the Conservancy provides. The same sign-up rules apply, and the 96 St station on the 1, 2 and 3 trains is nearby.

Later that morning, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., the 102nd Street Field House hosts a free Fall Bodyroll class. Bodyroll is a dance workout built on body rolling, release work and aerobic dance, and no dance experience is needed. Registration is through the Conservancy's Eventbrite listing. The series continues on later Mondays, with no session on November 23.

Thalia Book Club on 2001: A Space Odyssey, Monday Night

On Monday, November 2, at 7 p.m., Symphony Space's Thalia Book Club takes up Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey, a novel whose story includes an artificial intelligence aboard a spacecraft. Novelist Marie-Helene Bertino leads a panel with writers Rivka Galchen and Alice Sola Kim and New Yorker writer Joshua Rothman on the book's themes of space exploration, technology and the limits of human power. Actor Stephen Lang reads from the novel.

The program runs about 75 minutes and includes an audience Q&A but no book signing. It takes place in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at West 95th Street. Tickets cost $19 to $27, plus a $5 service fee per ticket, and the box office is open Tuesday through Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. and one hour before performances. Take the 1, 2 or 3 train to 96 St.

Planning Your Week

The Riverside Park classes are free but need advance registration because capacity is limited. Volunteer shift details and any updates are posted on the Riverside Park Conservancy's event calendar. Museum admission can be bought online for a $1 discount, and Symphony Space tickets are sold on its website and at the box office.

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