Party Wall is quite an imposing sight. It's made of up huge walls of interlocking plywood parts (all donated by an upstate skateboard manufacturer) supported by a steel skeleton, with blue water-filled pouches suspended in its interior that help hold the whole thing in place. The bottom section consists of 120 removable panels affixed to the metal frame with magnets, and visitors are encouraged to pull the pieces off to use as makeshift chairs, tables and even bouncy skateboard-like devices. (Instead of wheels, there are rubber balls.) There are also several misters and shallow splash pools where you can get wet and cool off. During my visit, I saw lots of kids in bathing suits having a blast. It's certainly an exciting change from another day at the same old sprinklers.

Made by the Ithaca-based studio CODA, Party Wall is the winning entry in MoMA PS1's annual Young Architects Program, a design competition that challenges artists to create temporary outdoor installations that offer a respite from the city's sweltering heat and sun. The exhibit is the setting for the museum's popular Saturday Warm Up series featuring cutting-edge experimental music performances. While the events are family-friendly, they get mobbed and frankly will probably be a bit of a bore for little kids. You're better off visiting Party Wall on a weekday, when the museum is pretty empty and the kids can have those wading pools practically to themselves. Afterward, take some time to explore Long Island City. You're just a few blocks away from must-see graffiti mecca 5 Pointz, which is reportedly closing within the next few months, and you can picnic in nearby Gantry Plaza State Park, which has great playgrounds and incredible views of midtown Manhattan. All together, it makes for an awesome summer day outing.

Party Wall is on view through Saturday, August 31 at MoMA PS1 located at 22-25 Jackson Avenue near 46th Avenue. Free with suggested admission: $10 for adults, $5 for students, free for NYC public school students. Open noon to 6pm Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Find out about other cool summer exhibits for families or read all our posts about exploring Long Island City with kids.