A Child Grows Event Picks
Friday, January 4 is the Three Kings Parade at El Museo in Manhattan at 11 am. Learn about the traditions of this festive
holiday throughout the Caribbean and Latin America . El Museo’s dynamic
parade led by the Three Kings, winds throughout the streets of El
Barrio (starts at Madison and 106th St) and includes lively music, bright costumes, as well as an
educational theatrical presentation for students. Admission: Free. Advance registration is required for group
participation in the parade and theater program. Theater seating is
limited. For more information or to register a group, call (212)
660-7144 or e-mail ThreeKings@elmuseo.org.
Friday, January 4 the Sewing Club meets from 1:30-3:30 pm. You can learn basic sewing and start a patchwork quilt all for free. For ages 4 and up at the Lefferts Historic House. More info at www.prospectpark.org. This goes on most Fridays in case you can’t make this one.
Saturday, January 5, Putumayo Kids presents Joe McDermott and The Moonlighters at 12 pm. It is a CD release party for A Hawaiian Playground. $12 for children under the age of 12 and $15 for adults.
Tickets available at The Public Theater box office or By phone at 212-967-7555
Joe’s Pub Tickets. I am sure most of you know Putumayo Kids label: they focus on international music CDs that introduce children to other cultures. Our favorite at home is the Carribean CD. At any rate, it should be a lot of fun. Here is the scoop on the artists. In September of 2006, Joe McDermott was awarded
the Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the
Children’s Music Division. Since 1997, McDermott has been awarded
numerous Parent’s Choice Awards, and two NAPPA Gold Awards. The
Moonlighters have been a part of the New York City jazz and pop music
scenes since they formed in 1998. Based around pop and jazz songwriting
styles from the 1920’s and 30’s, their original songs are often
mistaken for classic music from that era. Their instrumentation
includes a core of harmonized female vocal duets backed by warm
acoustic instruments including Hawaiian lap steel guitar, ukulele,
guitar and bass, they explore traditional and classic tunes with a
unique, romantic approach.
Saturday, January 5 St. John the Divine celebrates the Epiphany with Camels and Kings. This celebration focuses on the journey of the three wise men. The morning begins with a story, followed by crown, costume and giftbox making workshop. Ages 4 and up. 212-932-7347 or for directions go to www.stjohndivine.org. The workshop is from 10am-12 pm and costs $5 per child.
Gumbo on Atlantic Ave is offering free trial classes of Musica Para
Mi. These classes combine learning music with Spanish. They go from
10:30-11:15 am on both Saturday, January 5 and Wednesday January 9th. Advance registration is required by calling 718-643-6660 or email musicaparami@aol.com. Gumbo is located at 493 Atlatic Ave. Their phone number is 718-855-7808.
On both Saturday, January 5 and Sunday January 6
at 11 am and 2 pm, head to the Brooklyn Museum in Prospect Heights for
Arty Facts- "Materials and Decorations". Explore materials that
artists use to make art. Meet in the Rubin Lobby, 1st floor. Visit http://www.brooklynmuseum.org
for more information. While you are there I would suggest checking out
the Contemporary Carribean Art exhibit- it looks fantastic from the
website. The accompanying photo is from that exhibit.
Saturday and Sunday, Jan 5 and Jan 6 you can recycle those
Christmas trees locally. Head to Prospect Park from 10 am -12 pm to the
park’s 3rd Street entrance for recycling . You can even pick up some
resulting wood chips for your gardens afterwards. Mulch will be
available at the end of February- but some is available at Wollman Rink
apparently. (what you will do with it now is a good question
though…just store it?) Don’t forget to bring a bag if you are
collecting.
Sunday, January 6th is a very cool event featuring Ulysses Dee
from the Deedle Deedle Dees at the Bowery Kids concert series. Doors
open at 11:30 am and concert starts at 12 noon. Tickets are $10. For
more info go to www.bowerypoetry.com.
Sunday, January 6 is the Three Kings Day Concert at 3 pm. This special holiday presentation at El Museo’s Teatro
Heckscher will feature musical entertainment and surprises. Admission: Free with ticket. Ticket distribution begins at 1:00 pm at theatre box office the day of event. Seating is limited; two tickets per person only.
Children’s Story Time at P.S. Bookshop in DUMBO. Every Sunday from 4-5pm. FREE. www.psbookshop.com
Mon-Fri you can see the Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal. The
New York Transit Museum puts on this train show at the Museum’s annex
in the Shuttle Passage. It features "O" gauge trains running on
separate loop tracks through a holiday scene with authentic sights and
sounds (new this year). On view until Jan. 13
Daily (except Mondays) until Jan. 13th visit the Holiday Trains at the NY Botanical Gardens
in the Bronx. This is another event I have never managed to actually
do, but have always wanted to. It is free with garden admission. You
can watch the trains and trolleys chug beneath the boughs of a 30 foot
evergreen tree twinkling with lights, across bridges, through tunnels
and around NY landmark replicas and plant. You can also participate in
the Gingerbread adventures- where kids use their senses to taste, smell
and touch the spices and other plant parts that make up a gingerbread
recipe. You can make spices, sachets, ornaments and decorate gingersnap
cookies. UPDATE: see my post about our trip here.
Also,
Friday, Saturday AND Sunday (and, really, until January 13), is
the Crystal Winter Village at the New York Hall of Science. The Village features a giant snow globe, a motions simulator ride
across Arctic glaciers, a train display that applies the principles of
steam power, a puppet show (see site for times) and a craft workshop
complete with table-top activities for kids of all ages. Every Friday
through Sunday. And, for those of you looking to make a holiday card,
they have photo packages for families who want their photo in front of
the giant snow globe! NYHall of Science info listed for the event
above. PHOTO: This is NOT the snow globe you will see- but another giant one-
btw, the is a ballerina inside a snow globe- she performs- and yes, you
can rent the inflatable snow globe from $4500-5000. Doesn’t that sound
like a great party gag?) UPDATE: we went last weekend and
it was fun. All in all, the snowglobe is just a big piece of plastic
and my husband thought it was "cheeseville" but I thought the photos of
the kids in the globes were pretty fun. The winter village truly isn’t
much at all- just some snowflakes, the globe and an activity area. The
rest of the museum is great though. If you get there before 11 am it is
free. About 20 minutes drive from Fort Greene- less from Willamsburg.
Don’t forget "Lighting Up Nights" at the Bronx Zoo.
It goes until Jan. 8th. (Don’t keep putting off going like I
did last year- I never actually went!) Besides the half a million
twinkling lights on animals, there is storytelling, ice carving demos,
costume characters, stilt dancers and choral group performances. Check the site for details and times.
Related Posts:
- A Child Grows Event Picks Additions (December 3rd, 2008)
- A Child Grows Event Picks (November 12th, 2008)
