‘Tis the season for generosity, but who says you can’t get something in return? From Tuesday November 24 through Thursday December 17, bring a nonperishable food donation to a participating BumbleBee Tennis location—one’s at the U.N. Plaza’s Millennium Hotel, the other is in Soho—and your child (age 3 to 9) can score a free introductory lesson.  Sign up in advance on the company’s website. It’s a great way to spread the, er, love. You should also check out our roundup of tennis classes around the city.

By now you’ve heard that children’s TV pioneer Sesame Street turns 40 this month. Although the show is filmed at Kaufman-Astoria Studios in Queens, the folks at the Brooklyn Public Library are hosting a major exhibit showcasing Jim Henson’s beloved Muppets. Head to the Central Library at Grand Army Plaza this Saturday, November 14th for the kickoff party, where kids can partake in Sesame-inspired crafts, watch a screening of The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland and meet the little red guy himself.  Speaking of Elmo, he appears on a new, limited-edition BPL library card available at any borough branch. Get one while supplies last, or you’re sure to have a little grouch on your hands.

Recycling is cool—especially when you can turn it into a crafting project! This Wednesday, Sustainable NYC in the East Village is teaming up with RePlayGround to teach kids how to make a soap dish, vase or picture frame out of an empty soda bottle. And they’re not the only New York City shop hosting free workshops and shows for little ones. Read here to find out about other in-store entertainment.

Photograph: Caroline Voagen Nelson

The DOE has officially launched Big Apple Games, a six-week program offering free recreational activities for kids ages 8 to 19. The no-cost fun has been organized by the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), which oversees competitive high school sports during the academic year. There are 48 spots in all five boroughs where your brood can participate. Not only will there be tons of traditional sports (including basketball, softball, baseball, volleyball, swimming, football, soccer and lacrosse), but arts and crafts activities are on the agenda, too.

Want some extra incentive to take part? Various locations will offer special programs with local pros, including basketball clinics with players from the New York Liberty and Harlem Wizards. Time to get your game on!

Big Apple Games run through August 13. Click here for a list of activities and locations, or dial 311 for additional info.

Yes more free summer eats! From now through Sunday July 12, buy one Jamba Juice and get the second one gratis. Our recommendations to beat the heat: Pomegranate Pick-Me-Up and Strawberry Surfrider. Bonus: Select Jamba locations are now offering meals, like the chipotle-lime chicken wrap or the Israeli couscous.

Grab your coupon here; print a bunch and enjoy ’til the 12th!

Not only is it stormy outside, now it’s humid, too. Cure those sticky summer blues with a taste of Pinkberry’s two new flavors: Coconut and passionfruit. YUM! The fro-yo masters are offering a free small dish of either flavor from 5–9pm tonight only. Grab your babes and start the weekend right!

Face it: Your three-year-old listens to cooler music than you do. She’s learning her ABCs with They Might Be Giants, and you listened to them back in college. So your little audiophile will be happy to know that iTunes’ latest free Discovery Download, and first-ever kids’ music selection, comes courtesy of The Sippy Cups, a cool Bay Area-based children’s group whose producers have worked with the Polyphonic Spree and PJ Harvey.

The chosen single, “Seven Is The New 14,” is off of the group’s new album The Time Machine. The jazzy, upbeat numbers remind kids that age is just relative (”When you’re five or when you’re fifty/You still have time to dream”), and throws in some simple math problems for good measure.

If you and the kids like what you hear, download all of The Time Machine, available exclusively on iTunes through the end of the week. (You’ll have to wait until June 16 to pick up the album in stores.) Or tune into Sirus XM Satellite Radio this weekend to catch a live performance by the Cups. The band will be playing on channel 116 on Fri, June 12 at 9pm, Sat, June 13 at 9am and 5pm, and Sun June 14 at noon.