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Weekend Events: Earth Day Expo, Miss Nina, Luna Park, ShirLaLa, Eggs, Dinos, Robots and Much More!

spring break joyHi everyone,

Spring break is almost here for NYC public schools and my kids are jumping for joy!

With schools closing that means there are fun events happening over break and some start this weekend!  We have the Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed opening at the Bronx Zoo, Meet the Makers Festival at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and Spring Break Discovery Week: Signs of Spring at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Also happening this weekend is Luna Park and the Cyclone’s Opening Day, Stomp, Clap and Sing with Miss Nina and The Jumping Jacks at Brooklyn Ryder Public Library, the 6th Annual Prospect Heights Craft FairShirLaLa’s Family Passover Celebration at Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Hip Tot Music Fest:  Astrograss + Little Miss Ann with Suzie Shelton at Shapeshifter Lab!  If you are looking for some fun egg events we have the Annual Egg Hunt in Shore Road Park and a Easter Egg Hunt at Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store.  A Child Grows in Brooklyn will be at the 2014 Habana Works Earth Day Expo at Habana Outpost so come on by and say hello!

That is only a bit of the events going on this weekend so check out the calendar for even more events, sing-a-longs and story times that are going on in Brooklyn & NYC!  Remember to check with the event organizer in case there are any schedule changes.  Don’t forget 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!

Have a great weekend!

~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)

Friday April 11th

Free Trial Lango Spanish Adventure at PS 133 (Boerum Hill)
Friday April 11th 3:25 – 4:25pm For ages: PreK – 1st grade.  Free.  RSVP here.
At Lango, your child will learn a new language through our Adventure Learning Challenges, our unique activities that appeal to a range of learners. Lango’s Adventure Workbooks, musical CDs and flashcards, along with a cast of multilingual characters, cultural activities, arts and crafts, games, and ‘No English’ times all combine to form an exciting, multi-dimensional immersion experience.

Stomp, Clap and Sing with Miss Nina and The Jumping Jacks at Brooklyn Public Library Ryder Library
Fri April 11th 330-430p.  Free.
Join Miss Nina and her band the Jumping Jacsk for sing-along, move-along and read-along fun! Ms. Nina’s passions are providing Children and their famlies the space and opportunity to enjoy music and movement together, and fostering a love of books and reading in children through music.  The program will take place in the Children section of the Library. No registration is necessary.

Bello Mania at The New Victory Theater (Times Square)
Fri April 11th 7p.  (also Sat April 12th 12n & 5p).  For ages 4+.  90 minutes including one intermission.  Seats in the Balcony start at $14 ($9 with Member discount)  Nock Nock. Who’s there? Back by popular demand, it’s Demetrius Alexandro Claudio Amadeus Bello Nock, the gravity-defying dude with the foot-high hair. Returning to the New Vic stage (and his 44-foot sway pole) in BELLO MANIA, “America’s Best Clown” (TIME Magazine) delivers brand new wacky antics and favorite daredevil tricks. Whether you’re coming back for more or seeing it for the first time, 2013 Drama Desk nominee BELLO MANIA is bound to be the HIGHlight of your spring break.

For more Friday events please click here!

 

Saturday April 12th

Easter Egg Hunt at Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store (Park Slope)
Sat April 12th 10a in backyard (rain date April 13th)
Hip Hop, Hippity Hop…We’re having an Easter Egg Hunt! Please join us in our backyard on Saturday, April 12th at 10AM for our Easter Egg Hunt! Hazel Village will also be here as our guest Pop-Up!

Earth Day Expo at Habana Outpost (Fort Greene)
Sat April 12th 11a-3p.  Free.
It’s that time of year again! Habana Outpost is gearing up to kick off another great season of delicious food and good times with family & friends at our annual 2014 Habana Works Earth Day Expo! On Saturday, April 12th we’ll be opening our doors for the first time this year to celebrate Habana Outpost’s re-opening and Earth Day! The expo will be a day filled with eco-friendly fun – done with a Habana twist of course!  Arts & crafts!  Recycle your electronics!  See website for all the details.  A Child Grows will be there also so come by and say HI!

Prospect Heights Craft Fair at PS 9
Sat April 12th 11a-6p.  Admission is free.
Come to the Prospect Heights Craft Fair and explore a lovingly curated marketplace of independent artists and designers from Brooklyn and beyond. You’ll find an extensive showcase of handmade treasures, such as stationery, textiles, artisanal food, jewelry, and so much more. You can see our extensive list of artists on our website.  Shop, munch and don’t miss out on our spectacular raffle.  And for families, we will have kid activities from 12pm to 5pm. For only $5, your child can drop in (with or without a parent) and do a number of activities (see website for details).  Proceeds from the fair benefit the Arts Programs at Prospect Heights’ very own public elementary school, P.S. 9. So you’ll not only be taking home some truly great stuff, you’ll be leaving behind support for a new generation of young crafters and performers.

Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Shore Road Park (Bay Ridge)
Sat April 12th 2p.  Free.
State Senator Marty Golden will be hosting an Easter egg hunt for the children and families of his district. The Egg Hunt includes games, music, and activities for the whole family, as well as prizes for the children.  Location:  Shore Road Park, at Shore Road and 79th Street.  To learn more, call Golden’s District Office at (718) 238-6044.

Handmade History! Take Me Out to the Ballgame! at Brooklyn Historical Society (Brooklyn Heights)
Sat April 12th 3-4p.  Free.  Ages 5-10y.  Space limited so reserve your spot.
This April 12th, bring the whole family to enjoy a peek into our Dodgers collection, and then make your own jersey! BHS’s collection includes bases from Ebbets Field, jerseys, bats, balls, and more. After a short tour, children will silk screen jerseys of their own.  IMPORTANT NOTE: Bring your own t-shirts (white or black) and paper bags! And please be prepared to bring your project home with you.

For more Saturday events please click here!

 

Sunday April 13th

Hip Tot Music Fest:  Astrograss + Little Miss Ann at Shapeshifter Lab (Gowanus)
Sun April 13th 11a $10 in advance | $15 at the door (non-walkers FREE) Get tickets here.  Tickets $8 Thursday only with FIDDLE code.
Astrograss + Little Miss Ann Plus special appearance by Suzi Shelton at Hip Tot Music Fest.  Time is running out to get tickets to the final concert in the Hip Tot Music Fest series.

Film Forum Jr. Sunday Matinee Series at the Film Forum (South Village)
Sundays 11a ALL TICKETS $7.50. Advance tickets on sale at the box office and online.
Through the generosity of our founding sponsor, The Cordelia Corporation, we are able to make this series a bargain for children, their parents, and anybody else who would like to see these marvelous films.  Sunday April 13th The Muppets Take Manhattan.  See website for future movies.

Luna Park and the Cyclone’s Opening Day (Coney Island)
Sun April 13th 12p
The first 100 guests in line will ride for free on The Cyclone!  This day only, Cyclone tickets will be available at $6 to all guests. Luna Park in Coney Island is geared up for yet another season of excitement and thrills. For 2014, the new custom-steel Thunderbolt roller coaster will join the Luna Park family. First, we are kicking the season with the blessing of 87 year old Coney Island Cyclone Rollercoaster

Archaeological Dig Drop-In at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sun April 13th 12n-3p.  Free with Museum Admission.
Our simulated archaeological dig is open for families on the second Sunday of each month.

ShirLaLa’s Family Passover Celebration at Museum of Jewish Heritage (Battery City)
Sun April 13th at 1-4p.  $10, $7 children 10 and under; Museum members: $7, $5 children 10 and under.
Shira Kline and friends tell the story of the Exodus through song. Join this exciting journey across the Sea of Reeds all the way to the Land of Milk and Honey. For ages 3 to 10. 1P–4P Craft Activities, 130P Family-friendly tours, 2P Concert

For more Sunday events please click here!

 

All Weekend

Spring School Break! Sharin’ a Ride at NY Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Sat & Sun Apr 12th & 13th 130p and 3p, Tue-Fri Apr 15th-18th and Tue Apr 22nd 11a, 130p and 3p, & Sat Apr 19th 130p and 3p.  For 4y+.  Free with paid admission.   Join us during spring break for SHARIN’ A RIDE, an original musical! Carbon Footprint Man and The Professor star in this hysterical, historical tale of public transportation in the Big (Green) Apple. Get ready to sing along—audience participation makes the show!  Program is free with Museum admission.  Performance is approximately 30 minutes.

Meet the Makers Festival at Children’s Museum of Manhattan (UWS)
Sat April 12th – Tue April 22nd various times – see website.  Free with museum admission.
CMOM’s first ever Meet the Makers Festival over Spring Break (April 12–22). Visiting scientists, engineers and artists will lead a series of hand-on workshops during the 11-day fest. Plus, join us on Saturday, April 12 at 11am for a special program with eight-year-olds Gabrielle Nafie and Miles Pilchik. The two elementary school students from Manhattan were recently honored by President Obama at the White House for the film Full STEAM Ahead: How Technology Rocks the Classroom in partnership with Sci-Tech Kids. The lineup for Meet the Makers Festival is on the website.

Opening Weekend of Bronx Zoo Dinosaur Safari
Sat April 12th (on going until November 2nd) 10a-5p.  Admission included in total experience ticket price.  Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed!  Nine new dinosaur species have been added this year including the deinonychus, prodohadros, stegosaurus, and edmontonia. Returning for the Dinosaur Safari: Mysteries Revealed, the ever-popular 40-foot long tyrannosaurus rex will send chills up the spines of Bronx Zoo adventurers.  At the end of the experience, there is a field site that includes a fossil dig for children; a Tyrannosaurus rex photo-op; a paleontologist’s tent that includes a fossil museum; and an interactive robotic dinosaur that illustrates how the animatronics work.

Spring Break Discovery Week: Signs of Spring at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Crown Heights)
Sat April 12th 1030a-1230p & Sun April 13 1-3p (also Tue-Fri April 15th-18th 1030a-1230p).  Free with Garden admission.
Drop by the Fragrance Garden to learn about amazing plants, meet our composting worms, and read garden stories. Kids can pot up a plant to take home.  This week’s theme: Discover Signs of Spring

BAMkids: The Cat Who Went to Heaven at BAM (Fort Greene)
Sat April 12th 11a & 3p.  Sun April 13th 3p.  Tickets $12. For ages 7-10y.  RUN TIME: 45min (plus post-show Q&A).  Adapted from the Newbery Award-winning children’s book by Elizabeth Coatsworth, this captivating performance introduces kids to the cultural traditions of Japan. Using breathtaking bunraku and shadow puppetry, and an original jazz score featuring shamisen and koto instrumentations, this inventive musical tells the story of an artist and his loyal cat in ancient Japan.

Children’s Carnival at Queens County Farm Museum
Sat & Sun April 12th & 13th at 11a-6p.  $11 per person.
Join us for a carnival in our apple orchard. Carnival rides, midway games and prizes, hayrides, and children’s entertainment make this a fun family event.  *Carnival rides included with admission. Additional fees apply for all other activities. Height rules apply to 36″ and over.

Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Monday April 5th (ongoing until January 4th) 10a-545p.  Free with General Admission Plus One
In the new exhibition Pterosaurs: Flight in the Age of Dinosaurs, rare fossils, life-size models, and hands-on interactives bring these ancient animals to life.  Step back in time to see pterosaurs, including giants such as Tropeognathus mesembrinus,with a wingspan of more than 25 feet, and find out how they moved on land and in the air. Get a first-hand look at the rare pterosaur fossils that have helped paleontologists learn all that we know about these animals. In a virtual flight lab, use your body to pilot a pterosaur over a prehistoric landscape. Encounter the exceptional creatures that flew in the age of dinosaurs.

The Addams Family Musical at Xaverian High School (Bay Ridge)
Fri-Sat April 11th-12th 8p & Sun April 13th 3p
The Addams Family, a new musical comedy,  Come join us and support Xaverian Dramatics.  Tickets are $10 in advance of the show and can be bought in school or online. Tickets are $15 at the door.

Prospect Park Carousel Spring Hours
Now until June 29, 2014 Thu–Sun: 12n–5p.  $2 per ride, $9 for a book of 5 tickets.
Kick off spring with a ride on the Park’s beautiful 102 year-old carousel.  Located in the Park’s “Children’s Corner,” the Carousel features 51 magnificently carved horses, a lion, a giraffe, a deer, and two dragon-pulled chariots. Carved in 1912 by Charles Carmel, one of the foremost carousel designers of the time, and restored by the Prospect Park Alliance in 1990, the Carousel promises that classic summertime amusement will be available for generations of fun. In addition, the Prospect Park Carousel is one of the few in the world that is wheelchair accessible.

Pop-Up Audubon in Prospect Park
Saturdays & Sundays until  October 19, 2014: 12n–5p (except April 19, 20, 26 & 27)  Free.
The Prospect Park Alliance presents Pop-Up Audubon, now in its second season, which invites families to directly engage with nature through outdoor learning in locations around the Park.  APRIL: Leaf Litter Critters Location: Binnen Bridge (April 5, 6, 12, 13)Audubon Center at the Boathouse (April 19 & 20, 27) Bandshell (April 26)

Peace, Love And Cupcakes: The Musical at Vital Theatre Company (UWS)
Fridays and Saturdays at 7p now through April 26th and additional shows during Spring Break.  See website for details.  Tickets $30.  In PEACE, LOVE, AND CUPCAKES THE MUSICAL, Kylie Carson has a problem. She loves monster movies, zombie thrillers, and vampire sagas but her classmates at her new school avoid her like the Creature from the Black Lagoon! To sweeten up her image, Kylie starts a Cupcake Club. With the help of her new friends they begin spinning out tasty treats. But when Meredith, the most popular girl in school, tries to sabotage the big cupcake party, it may spell the end of the Cupcake Club.

The Art of the Brick at Discovery Times Square (Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West)
Now until May 11th.  Sun-Tues 10a-7p, Wed & Thur 10a-8p, Fri & Sat 10a-9p.  Tickets:  $19.50/adult, $16.50 kids age 4-12y.  The return of The Art of Brick!RT OF THE BRICK, and will feature a newly introduced gallery that showcases artist Nathan Sawaya’s In Pieces collection, a multimedia collaboration produced in tandem with award-winning photographer Dean West.
Sawaya’s original Art of the Brick exhibition is a critically acclaimed collection of intriguing and inspiring works of art made exclusively from one of the most recognizable toys in the world — LEGO® bricks. The Discovery Times Square exhibit will be the world’s biggest and most elaborate display of LEGO® art ever and will feature brand-new, never-before-seen pieces by Sawaya. Don’t miss the show named one of CNN’s Top 10 ‘Global Must-See Exhibitions.’

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)
Now 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 now until April 27th 11a & 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.

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.)

For a full calendar of events please click here!