Weekday Events for December 15th-18th in Brooklyn & NYC!

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone had a great weekend and is excited about the upcoming week!  Hanukkah starts Tuesday evening and there are only 7 days of school left for NYC public schools.  Yes the kids are keeping track!

This week we have lots of fun events like the Lighting of the Brooklyn’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah at Grand Army Plaza, Stomp, Clap and Sing with Emily and Friends at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, a Family Workshop: Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel at  Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Smith Street Stage Presents A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play at The Pearl Theatre and Holiday Winter Crafts with Kathleen the Park Lady at the Carroll Gardens Brooklyn Public Library.

Also going on this week is Grace-ful Ice: Microcosmos at the W. R. Grace Building, Winter Skies and Telescope Party at the American Museum of Natural History and don’t forget to check out the Gingerbread Lane at the New York Hall of Science!

Make sure to check the calendar to see all the events going in Brooklyn & NYC this week.  Remember to like us on Facebook for last minute news and events!

Enjoy the week!

~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)

Monday December 15th

Shadow Box Theatre Presents: Big Annie at PS 3 The Bedford Village School (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Mon Dec 15th at 1030a.  See website for additional times.  For individual tickets $10 in advance/$15 at the door.  Big Annie is a Creole flatboat captain and larger-than-life heroine. With her amazing strength, and the help of her animal friends, she pulls a boatload of toys through a terrible storm one Christmas Eve long ago. Three-dimensional puppets and the magic of our shadow screen create a captivating performance. The music in the show captures the sound of New Orleans jazz and the power of the American work song. With the work song “Heave Ho! Pull the boat, Big Annie,” the children will be enthusiastically singing along to help Big Annie weather the storm and get the toys to the children! The show opens with a joyous Holiday Sing-Along celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings day.

Grace-ful Ice: Microcosmos at the W. R. Grace Building (Midtown West)
Mon Dec 15th 5-7p and Tue 12n-130p.  Free.  Installation is Tue Dec 16th 9a-6p.
In time for the winter holidays, the renowned New York City-based artist collective Okamoto Studio returns to Grace Plaza for the fourth year in a row to create their annual holiday experience. For this year’s display, titled “Microcosmos,” master artisans will take chainsaw to ice block and create larger-than-life insects, small creatures, and other many-legged friends. The live ice carving will take place on the evening of December 15 and at lunchtime on December 16, and the sculptures will remain on display until they melt.

Winter Skies and Telescope Party at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Mon Dec 15th 630p.  Tickets $15 ($13.50 Members, students, seniors).  There smoke condition that resulted in an evacuation on Friday that has been resolved.  The museum was open on Saturday but check the website for the latest information.  Join Hayden astronomers with Steve Beyer, Joe Rao, and Ted Williams for a “sneak peak” at the nebulas and open cluster that will be visible this winter and details on how to observe the night sky from inside Hayden’s world-famous Space Theater, utilizing its state-of-the-art Zeiss IX planetarium projector. Then, bundle up, grab a hot chocolate, and head outside to the Ross Terrace to observe celestial objects with members of the Amateur Astronomers Association, weather permitting.  Participants are welcome to bring their own binoculars and telescopes.

For more fun Monday events click here!

Tuesday December 16th

Stomp, Clap and Sing with Emily and Friends at the Central Brooklyn Public Library (Grand Army Plaza)
Tue Dec 16th 11a-12n.  Free.
Put the rhythm in your feet, dance your body and feel the beat! Sing-a-long with songs you know and rock out with Emily’s original tunes! Come and get warm and have fun, Fun, FUN with you and your little ones!

Children’s Chanukah Puppet Show at The DUMBO Spot
Tue Dec 16th at 4p
Event features 20+ puppets, holiday arts & crafts, lighting of the ice Menorah, treats and hot chocolate.

Lighting of the Brooklyn’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah at Grand Army Plaza
1st Night of Chanukah, Tuesday, December 16th at 6p (and every day until Tuesday December 23rd times vary see website for full details).  Free.  All ages.  Brooklyn’s Largest Menorah stands at a whopping 32 feet tall (the maximum allowed by Jewish law), and has been towering over Grand Army Plaza since 1985.  The annual Menorah lighting ceremony is a must for Jews and non-Jews alike.  Every night The celebration is celebrated with live music and hot latkes for all and gifts for the children.

For more fun Tuesday events click here!

Wednesday December 17th

Family Workshop: Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel at  Sony Wonder Technology Lab (Midtown East)
Wed Dec 17th 12n-1p.  $6 per participant.  Appropriate for all ages. Reservations of up to four (4) children can be made.  RSVP (212) 833-8100 and select option 3 or via email at swtlprgmsrsvp@sonyusa.com.  You made it out of clay! Using kid-friendly clay, markers and other materials, sculpt and decorate your very own colorful dreidel to take home! Spin the dreidel and see where it lands as you learn the rules of the game and play along with others.

Science Club: Building Circuits with littleBits (Washington Irving Library)
Wed Dec 17th 4-5p.  Free.  Learn about creating your very own circuits using interlocking magnetic parts. Design and build your concepts from littleBits circuits, Legos and craft materials. Each week we will have a different challenge you will accomplish.  Get a challenge (climb a hill, race, draw something, etc.), Sketch your idea on paper, Experiment building your machine, Use Legos and craft materials to bring your machine to life.  Get building!  No registration required.

“What You Need to Know When You Bring Your Newborn Home” Free Workshop (Brooklyn Heights)
Wed Dec 17th 615p-745p.  Free.  At Mount Sinai Brooklyn Heights Medical Group.
Drs. Messinger and Aronov from Mt Sinai Brooklyn Heights Pediatrics would like to invite those interested to attend another one of our FREE seminars “WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN YOU BRING YOUR NEWBORN HOME” which will take place on Wednesday, December 17th, at our medical facility. The discussion will focus on breastfeeding, sleep, and common medical concerns specifically relevant to the first days and weeks of the baby’s life.  This is a practical discussion addressing a variety of situations that arise often in the first few days of having a new baby at home, and many prior participants have found it to be quite helpful. There will be light healthy refreshments, as well as ample time for questions. A quick tour of our state-of-the-art facility will be available to those interested.  Register here.

For more fun Wednesday events click here!

Thursday December 18th

Holiday Winter Crafts with Kathleen the Park Lady at the Brooklyn Public Library (Carroll Gardens)
Thu Dec 18th 230-430p.  Free.
Come join us as we create winter crafts for the holidays.

Walter Martin Holiday Show featuring Kat Edmonson at Joe’s Pub (NoHo)
Thu Dec 18th.  Doors at 6p & show at 7p.  Tickets: $20
We’re All Young Together, Walter Martin’s debut solo effort, is a sweet, funny, rough-around-the-edges “family record,” as he likens it, that’s intended to entertain the little ones, while getting a laugh out of their parents. An album of alphabet songs, it is not. Inspired by early rock ‘n’ roll, it is filled with the kind of innocent yet mischievous music that has long struck a chord with Martin. “I’m calling it ‘family music’ because I want families to enjoy it together,” explains Martin.  “But to me it’s just rock ‘n’ roll done the old-fashioned way.”

Smith Street Stage Presents A Christmas Carol: A Radio Play at The Pearl Theatre (Hell’s Kitchen, Midtown West)
Thu Dec 18th 8p.  Also Dec 19th & 20th at 8p and Dec 21st at 3p.  Tickets:  $30 for adults & $15 for children.
Smith Street Stage will be presenting its debut Off-Broadway performance at The Pearl Theatre this Christmas season.  The company is remounting its live Radio Play adaptation of A Christmas Carol, in which a troupe of 1940’s radio actors meet in the studio on Christmas Eve to bring to life the characters and soundscapes of Dickens’ classic Christmas tale. The audience is invited to engage on two levels: watch the goings-on at the 1940’s radio studio as this group of actors must work together to create a very special Christmas Eve radio performance, or listen to the world of 19th century London come to life and get swept up in Scrooge’s miraculous Christmas transformation.  The setting of the 1940’s radio studio, complete with musical arrangements inspired by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, will deliver the spirit and glamour of Christmas Eve in New York City. The retelling of Dickens’ story will inspire the warm feeling of a family Christmas around the fireplace.

For more fun Thursday events click here!

Ongoing

Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Now and until January 19th 2015.  Various times and prices.  See website for information.
Advance reservations are strongly recommended as tickets do sell out. Tickets are timed and sold in 15 minute increments.  New York City’s Favorite Train Show: A 23-Year Tradition!  A must-see New York tradition where enchanting model trains zip past popular landmarks under the twinkling glow of the magical Haupt Conservatory! Step into a city in miniature featuring more than 150 iconic buildings, all re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials. Marvel at G-scale trains humming along among familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center—surprising at every turn—on a quarter-mile of track as they enliven this cherished holiday experience. The Artist’s Studio showcases how visionary artist Paul Busse and his team craft these amazing small wonders. Real trains, real landmarks, real fun—only at NYBG!

Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Now until January 11th at 1p.  See website for museum days/hours.  Free with NYSCI admission
Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses that are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. GingerBread Lane is made from only “real” edible ingredients: gingerbread, royal icing and candy. Last year’s GingerBread Lane at NYSCI was recognized as the largest gingerbread village in the world by the 2014 Guinness World Records.

13th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Now until February 22nd.  M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p.  (extended hours November 22n-December 24th – see website for details.  Location:  Shuttle Passage adjacent to the Station Master’s Office.  Free.  Lionel trains once again will capture hearts and imaginations at the Transit Museum where Metro-North, New York Central and subway trains depart from a miniature GCT. The Museum’s store and booth at the Holiday Gift Fair offer great gifts for your holiday shopping!

Three Bears Holiday Bash at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
M-F 1030a & 12p, Wed 1030a, 12p & 1230p, Sat & Sun 1p until Dec 30th.  Reservations are required. Purchase tickets here.   Cost: $7/children under 12, $10/all others.  Appropriate for: All Ages.  The Three Bears Holiday Bash, is a variety show that celebrates the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry. This production quickly becomes a comedy of errors when Baby Bear invites Santa to star in Mama and Papa Bear’s annual holiday show. The audience also gets to join in on the fun with a “12 days of Christmas” sing-a-long during the performance!  Drawing from the stories of Hanukkah, the Night Before Christmas, and Kwanzaa, The Three Bears Holiday Bash is a great way to get into the holiday spirit!

Tots Drop in Center at Congregation Beth Elohim (Park Slope)
Tuesdays-Fridays 915a-12p until April 10th, 2015.  Fees: Temple Member $9/child, $15 with additional sibling.  Non-member $10/child, $17 with additional sibling.  Visit Passes available for purchase.  See website for more information.  For ages birth through 24 months.  All children are accompanied by their adult.
Parents, caregivers, and children come toghether to discover, learn and have fun!  The Drop-In Center is held in our Social Hall, which becomes a large indoor play space with age-appropriate toys and activities.  The program is coordinated by two early childhood facilitators.

Ice Skating at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Starting Oct 25th Tue-Thu 11a-6p, Fri 11a-8p, Sat 10a-9p and Sun 10a-6p.  Prices are as follows: skating admission (Wednesday–Friday) $6, (Weekends and Holidays) $8, skate rentals $6.  Ice Skating has returned to Lakeside in Prospect Park. With two spectacular 16,000 sq. ft. rinks (one covered and one open-air) seamlessly connected by an ice bridge, beautiful views of Prospect Park Lake, and indoor/outdoor dining at Bluestone Cafe; Lakeside is the perfect way to spend a day or night. Enter Prospect Park at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Road.

WEE Arts Drop-in Session at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (South Village)
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 1045a-12p, $25 per family ($20 for members).  Want to stay longer? General admission is just $6 per person after drop-in.  Music time! Story time! Art time! Join CMA’s WEE teaching artists for an art-filled drop-in session before we open our doors to the public. Parent and/or caregivers are required to join and we encourage family collaboration throughout the class. No sign up required.

More Than Meets the “I” at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Now until Jan 19th Tu-Sun and holiday Mondays.  For all ages.  Free with museum admission
Exploring the new frontiers of biology, health, robotics & technology!  Brooklyn Children’s Museum is excited to introduce young scientists to a number of interactive exhibits that inspire learning through a variety of topics including photomicrography, molecular biology, nanotechnology, robotics, and 3D printing. Join us and discover the amazing micro-world that exists beyond what we can see with our naked eyes. Find out how our new knowledge of science helps make the world a better place. See the website for more information.

To see all the events click here for the calendar!