Hi everyone,
I hope everyone is surviving the cold weather and snow! There are 55 days left until Spring! You can keep warm and busy by checking out all the fun events going on this weekend! Lots going on!
The fourth Special Day for Special Kids is happening at the New York Transit Museum and also Celebrating Red Hook continues at Fairway Market. You can swap your children’s clothes and toys with Little Swappies, check out Illuminated at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and let the kids invent at the Inventgenuity Festival 2014!
Also happening this weekend is the Brooklyn Children’s Theatre Teen Players production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid and start celebrating the Chinese New Year with a weekend of events at Brooklyn’s Children’s Museum and also The Museum of Chinese in America has Lunar New Year Museum Makeover!
That is only some of the events happening so be sure to check out the calendar for more weekend events as well as sing-a-longs, drop in yoga & open play happening this weekend!
If you have an event or a drop in class that you would like to have included on our calendar you can use the form on this link to submit it to us! Also you can like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Stay warm & have fun!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 24th
Movie: Mary Poppins at Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Heights
Fri Jan 24th 330-530p. Free. All ages.
Watch as our auditorium becomes a movie theater while we enjoy one of the most popular films of all time!
A Sweet After-School Treat at Torly Kid (Tribeca)
Fri Jan 24th 330-430p.
Join us on Friday, January 24th for a special cookie decorating class with Make Meaning! Decorate a cookie to take home and learn about Make Meaning’s new Mobile Division: Make Meaning Mobile.
BCT’s Teen Players present: Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID at The Brooklyn Music School Playhouse (Fort Greene)
Friday, January 24 at 6:30pm. Saturday also see website for details. Tickets: $15/adults, $10/child or senior $5/low income.
Come see the Brooklyn Children’s Theatre Teen Players in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. All Box Office proceeds benefit the BCT Scholarship Fund. 50% of our Teen Players are on scholarship. Tickets available online here or at box office.
For more Friday events please click here!
Saturday January 25th
Winter Jam in Central Park
Sat Jan 25th 11a-3p in Bandshell Area (enter at 72nd St). Free event for all ages – snow, rain or shine!
Presented by NYC Parks, Lake Placid, and I Love NY, Winter Jam NYC is a free winter sports festival for New Yorkers of all ages! Our partners at Gore Mountain will blow lots of fresh snow in the heart of Manhattan, so there will be plenty for all to enjoy! Equipment provided at no cost, or bring your own snow sports gear and enjoy the terrain! See website for full details.
Events for Youth & Families: Are You My Mother at Brooklyn Public Library Central (Prospect Heights)
Sat Jan 25th 1-2p at Dweck Center. Free.
At long last, Baby Bird emerges from her shell and expects to be greeted by her mother’s song. But her mother is not there. Where is she? Why isn’t she home? With the help of Dog, Cat, and Hen, Baby Bird sets out in search of Mother Bird in this colorful musical adventure based on P.D. Eastman’s whimsical and well-loved picture book.
Lunar New Year Museum Makeover at The Museum of Chinese in America (Little Italy)
Sat, Jan 25, 2014 from 1pm – 3pm. Free with admission. All supplies provided. Reservations accepted. To reserve a space, email education@mocanyc.org or call 212.619.4785 x 4150.
Stop by MOCA for an inter-generational Lunar New Year decorating bonanza! From 1-3pm, we will be hosting a festive afternoon of drop-in arts and crafts.
LEGO Movie Hands- On Event at Barnes & Noble (Park Slope)
Saturday January 25, 2014 2:00 PM. Free.
Join us for a Hands-On Learning event as we count down to The LEGO Movie. We’ll have activities, fun and surprises for all who attend! Sign-up in-store! There are limited supplies for this event. Sign-ups will begin 1 week prior to scheduled event.
For more Saturday events please click here!
Sunday January 26th
Special Day for Special Kids at the New York Transit Museum
Sunday, January 26. 10 am – 1 pm. The Transit Museum is open exclusively for special needs families from 10am – 11am! Free admission for kids with special needs and their families.
The fourth Special Day for Special Kids will take place on Sunday, January 26 at the New York Transit Museum, with a special focus on art that’s all about trains! This popular event embraces special needs families in a cultural environment where they are welcome and wanted, with free admission and special activities all morning long. The highlight of the day will be a hands-on art workshop led by Meghan Keane of Kentler International Drawing Space’s K.I.D.S. Arts Education Program. Special needs families will have exclusive use of the Museum from 10am to 11am before it opens to the general public, and the workshop will run from 10:30am to noon. Families will also have the chance to view the Transit Museum’s newest exhibition, Transit on the Spectrum: The Art of Pure Vision, featuring works about New York City public transportation created by individuals with autism and other neuro-developmental disorders. And of course, children can explore historic train cars, walk through turnstiles, and drive buses!
No reservations are required for this event. Just show up and have fun!
Little Swappies Kids Clothing, Book, and Toy Swap at The World School (Chelsea)
Sun Jan 26th 10a-12n. General tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 at the event. A general ticket is valid for ONE swap participant. Family members and children are free.
It’s out with the old and in with the new at the Little Swappies children’s clothing, toy, and book swap. Bring the gently used children’s goods and maternity wear taking up space in your closet (a minimum of 5 pieces). Upon entry, event organizers will categorize the items by size and gender to avoid any messy digging! In exchange you’ll be given a bag to fill with new (to you) treasures to take home for your family to use. Make a morning out of it and bring your kids along to enjoy free babysitting by Urbansitter, music and arts & crafts with Kids at Work, demos with Super Soccer Stars and free family photo ops. Free stroller cleaning by CleanBeeBaby, raffle prizes and gift bags are also included in the event ticket price. All remaining items brought to the swap are donated to charity partner, Covenant House. Little Swappies is also excited to announce that we will be partnering with Frank & Lu on January 26. A limited number of lucky attendees will be able to purchase “premier tickets” that, in addition to access to the swap, will include 2 vouchers redeemable for the participant’s choice of 2 brand new pieces from the Frank & Lu collection. Frank & Lu–a line of stylish kids clothing sold at Barneys and other high-end children’s clothing boutiques–will bring sizes 2-6 to the event for premier ticket holders, but other sizes (2-14) can be special ordered (at no additional charge). The Frank & Lu line will also exclusively be available for purchase at 50-70% off. A huge savings for everyone! To purchase tickets and for more information visit us at: www.littleswappies.com.
Pattern Palooza Family Day at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sunday January 26th Noon to 4pm. Free with Museum Admission.
Enjoy a day celebrating wearable art and the power of pattern inspired by the fashion collective threeASFOUR. Create your own sculptural work of art to wear, hear a world music mix from Oran Etkin, print patterns, strike a pose on a runway, explore the galleries, and so much more patterned fun. For more details see the website.
The Big Quiz Family Thing at SubCulture (NoHo)
Sunday, January 26 at 2p. Tix: $20 Adults / $15 Child / $50 Family Pack (4 family. For kids 7y+
The Big Family Quiz Thing makes its way to SubCulture! Setting the standard for live trivia entertainment in New York and cities nationwide, the renowned Big Quiz Thing proudly presents its follow up to last year’s sold-out show! The game will consist of six rounds of fast and funny multimedia trivia goodness for kids ages 7 and up and the grown-ups who love to have fun with them. (Families are encouraged to bring their younger ones as well.) The Big Quiz Thing has entertained thousands with its unique brand of multimedia trivia and became the world’s first bar-trivia television show. The family event, sponsored by Time Out New York Kids, will include video and audio puzzles, music, the Lightning Round, a face-painting station, and a list of amazing prizes from A-list prize partners. The Big Family Quiz Thing will be the perfect fun for families of all ages and interests! No modern geek-chic NYC family will want to miss it. http://www.bigquizthing.com | members)
For more Sunday events please click here!
All Weekend
Inventgenuity Festival 2014 at The Invisible Dog (Cobble Hill)
Sat & Sun Jan 25th & 26th 11a-5p. Free admission but registration required. Festival Project and Workshops are for kids 7+. Select other activities are open to younger kids. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Brooklyn’s fifth annual Inventgenuity Festival, presented by Beam Center, fills two large gallery spaces with fun and engaging hands-on activities. With public projects and workshops led by Beam Center’s faculty of artists, engineers and big thinkers, the Inventgenuity Festival has become a popular annual winter celebration of making things for kids and their parents. At the Inventgenuity Festival, kids will playfully and productively investigate what digital technology and manual mechanisms have in common. 45-minute, scheduled workshops have a materials fee of $8.25, and run throughout the day. Pre-registration for workshops will be available online to festival registrants. See website for workshop details.
Celebrating Red Hook at at Fairway Market
Saturday and Sunday, from 11am-3pm until February 1st. Free.
Enjoy a taste of Red Hook’s charming, unique, incredible neighborhood businesses at their best under a heated tent and on the water at Fairway Market (480 – 500 Van Brunt Street) from 11am – 3pm every Saturday and Sunday between January 18th and February 1st. Join Fairway and all their neighbors on Van Brunt Street with a celebration of the neighborhood’s heritage, food, and sights with local products and local vendors while a DJ will provide music. There will be giveaways, hand-outs, demos, a balloon artist, face painting and more for all those who attend. Fairway will feature jazz musicians such as The Jordan Young Trio performing January 19th from 12pm – 3pm.
BCT’s Teen Players present: Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID at The Brooklyn Music School Playhouse (Fort Greene)
Friday, January 24 at 6:30pm & Saturday, January 25 at 5pm and 8pm. Tickets: $15/adults, $10/child or senior $5/low income.
Come see the BCT Teen Players in Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. All Box Office proceeds benefit the BCT Scholarship Fund. 50% of our Teen Players are on scholarship. Tickets available online here or at box office.
Illuminated at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Crown Heights)
Free with paid admission. Various times – see schedule on website.
Sat Jan 25th: Baby, It’s Cold Outside! A Winter Lodge for Families! Enjoy wondrous activities throughout the day, including found-object collage-making with Javaka Steptoe, a treasure hunt for fruit trees, and a pretend petting zoo for toddlers. Fashion your own mask and get gussied up for BBG’s first annual Junior Masked Ball and Kid Cotillion, featuring Jon Singer’s Pink Gorilla Consort. Groove to BBG’s pirate radio station, Northern Lights Radio, spinning some of your favorite tunes.
Sun Jan 26th: Old-School NYC! A Day for Grandparents and Grandkids! Grandparents and grandkids share a special afternoon celebrating old-school New York. Join a classic street game of box ball and bottle cap skelly and cozy up for story time in the Mitten Lodge. Groove to BBG’s pirate radio station, Northern Lights Radio, spinning some of your favorite tunes. Brooklyn’s own Mark Russ Federman chats about his book, Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House That Herring Built. Grab some popcorn and enjoy glorious black-and-white flicks starring New York City.
Chinese New Year at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Sat & Sun Jan 25th & 26th various times for Chinese New Year events. Free with museum admission.
Also happening at 1p on Saturday is Celebrate Chinese New Year with Puppetry in Practice. Puppetry In Practice will celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year with a presentation of The Empty Pot, a traditional Chinese folktale, followed by a Dragon Walk in which a large Chinese dragon puppet travels through the entire Museum. The children will decorate small, red paper squares, write their wishes for the world, & feed their wishes to the dragon as it passes by, ensuring a good year to come.
The Paper Bag Players Hiccup Help! at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College
Sat Jan 25th 11a & 1p & Sun Jan 26th 1p. Tickets $30, $25, $15.
For their new show, “HICCUP HELP!” The Paper Bag Players have dug deep into their bag of favorites and pulled out Lost In the Mall, That’s Good and A Perfect Picture—then combined these classic numbers with a heaping helping of the brand-new. Go on a tropical safari with Ted and in the title piece help Kathy cure Kevin of a truly extraordinary case of the hiccups. The award-winning Paper Bag Players have been keeping it simple—and simply hilarious for 55 years! True to this theatrical tradition, “HICCUP HELP” is guaranteed to have 4 to 8 year olds not only on the edge of their seats–but laughing, singing and dancing in the aisles!
Cinderella by Puppet Works (Park Slope)
Saturdays & Sundays now until April 13th 1230p & 230p. For 3y+. Admission for a Child is $8, an Adult $9. No credit cards accepted. Reservations are suggested: 718-965-3391 (current day or advance reservations) or e-mail us: puppetworks@twcmetrobiz.com (NO same day e-mail reservations). Cinderella – Perrault’s godmother of all fairy tales adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola
The Little Prince: A New York Story at The Morgan Library And Museum (Midtown East)
January 24 through April 27, 2014. Tu-Th 1030a-5p, Fri 1030a-9p, Sat 10a-6p, Sun 11a-6p. Free with paid admission.
Readers throughout the world have embraced The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint–Exupéry’s tale of an interstellar traveler who comes to Earth in search of friendship and understanding. Saint–Exupéry wrote and illustrated the story in New York during World War II and it was first published here, in English and French. This exhibition of the original manuscript and watercolor drawings—the most comprehensive ever mounted—explores the American origins of a story that reminds us that what matters most can only be seen with the heart.
Angelina Ballerina The Musical at Vital Theatre Company (UWS)
Sat & Sun Jan 18th-26th 130p & 330p. General tickets $39.50 & premium $59.50. Performances run 1 hour and are appropriate for children between 2 and 10 years old. In ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MUSICAL, Angelina and her friends, Alice, Gracie, AZ, Viki, and even their teacher, Ms. Mimi, are all aflutter because a special guest is coming to visit Camembert Academy! Angelina and her friends will perform all types of dance, including hip-hop, modern dance, the Irish jig and of course, ballet, and they are excited to show off their skills to their famous visitor. Angelina is the most excited of all, but will she get the starring moment she hopes for? Based on the CG-animated series, Angelina Ballerina The Next Steps on PBS KIDS®, ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MUSICAL is a family-friendly show that will have the entire audience dancing in the aisles.
Bessies’s Big Shot at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Now until June 29th Tue- Fri 1030a & 12n and Sat & Sun 1p. Tickets: $7 children under 12y & $10 all others. For all ages.
Based on the famed PuppetMobile show of the same name, this popular production makes its Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre debut! Directed by Bruce Cannon and co-written by Douglas Strich, Alexander Bartenieff and Bruce Cannon, this version of the beloved show will feature several new puppets in addition to new and extended scenes. It’s a bird … it’s a plane … no … it’s Bessie the cow! CPF’s original production, Bessie’s Big Shot, follows Bessie the cow’s dream of joining the circus. Can she lift more than Ziegfried, the strongest man in the world? Fly on a trapeze high above the crowd? Train Munson the Monkey? This variety show cheers Bessie on as she attempts the impossible and searches for her special talents.
The Gift of Winter at Tada! Youth Theater (Chelsea, Midtown West)
Sat & Sun until February 9th & also Wed Feb 5th various times. See website for schedule. Tickets $8-25.
In a far-away land, a long, long time ago, townsfolk travel to the Ministry of Winter to lodge a formal complaint to save the world from the coldest season. Featuring TADA! favorites: The Answer is Snow & Down with Winter
You Make the Call: Learn to be an NFL Official at Children’s Museum of Manhattan (UWS)
Now until February 28th. Tuesday – Friday 10am – 5pm, Saturday 10am – 7pm, Sunday 10am – 5pm. All ages. Included museum admission.
Get ready for Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium! The Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the National Football League have joined together to create an interactive experience at CMOM to celebrate this history-making event. Families will get a rare behind-the-scenes look at NFL officiating and the opportunity to train like an NFL Pro. Special daily and weekly programs and clinics—including NFL’s Play 60 obstacle course—will help families understand how developing better decision-making skills, including working together, planning, organizing and focusing on physical fitness leads to leadership and social success. NFL officials, executives, and current and former players will also stop by the museum through the exhibit’s run.
Mysteries of the Unseen World at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Now until Monday, June 30, 2014. Free with Admission: Adults: $27 & children (2-12y): $16. Member tickets are $13.50 adults; $8.50 children. Free for Voyager-level Members and above. Mysteries of the Unseen World will transport audiences to places on this planet that they have never been before, to see things that are beyond their normal vision, yet literally right in front of their eyes. Mysteries of the Unseen World will be shown in 3D digital and 2D film. (See website for more details & showtimes.)
All Aboard with Thomas & Friends™ at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Now until January 26th at various times. See website for schedule. Included with All-Garden Pass admission.
Join Thomas and Driver Sam on a new fun-filled, sing-along, mini performance adventure by helping them decorate the station in time for the big Sodor surprise party before the guest of honor arrives! Bring your camera to have a photo-op with Thomas and capture the special day!
12th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until February 23rd. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. (Closed for Christmas and New Year’s Day) Extended holiday hours from November 18 to December 24: M–F: 8a–8p, Saturdays: 10a–8p, Sundays: 10a–7p.
Trains are trips. Trips are adventures. This year memorable characters from Maira Kalman’s Next Stop Grand Central will be watching our Lionel trains as they zip, zap and whizz through their journey from Grand Central to the North Pole!
For a full calendar of events please click here!