Weekday Events for December 29th-January 1st in Brooklyn & NYC!

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays and winter break!  One more week of fun before schools open on January 5th!

Since schools are closed there are extra events happening most of the week!  This week head to the New York Transit Museum for Discovery Room: Hands on Transit, Fantastic Tunnels & Transit Mysteries, check out the Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving Week at the Bronx Zoo, The Steadfast Tin Soldier & Nutcracker Sweets by PuppetWorks, Cirque Zíva at the New Victory Theater, Holiday Express at the New-York Historical Society, Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas at Vital Theatre Company and ReMake the Holidays at New York Hall of Science.

New Year’s Eve is this Wednesday so celebrate 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum and if the kids are up late see the New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Prospect Park!  On January 1st families can New Year’s Day Brunch Family Bowl at Brooklyn Bowl, check out the Coney Island Polar Bear Club & Camp Sunshine New Year’s Day Swim or do some ice skating during Holiday Hours at LeFrak Center at Lakeside!

There are even more events on the calendar so check out all the holiday and winter break events going in Brooklyn & NYC this week.  Please check with venues for any schedule changes before heading out the door.  Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for last minute news and events!

Have a great week and Happy New Year early!

~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)

Monday December 29th

Special Holiday Hours at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Open Monday Dec 29th 10a-5p! Come and spend the day with us!
Also enjoy Meet the Holiday: Let’s Celebrate Kwanzaa! Mon Dec 29th-Tue Dec 30th 1130a & 230p.  For ages 2.5y-5y+.  Free with museum admission. Happy Kwanzaa! Explore this popular cultural holiday by learning about its importance to many African heritage families around the world. Make a zawadi, or gift to share with a friend or family member.

Gingerbread House Making at The Farm on Adderley (Ditmas Park)
Monday Dec 29th 10a & 2p.  $30 / house
Children of all ages are invited to come build an all-natural gingerbread house. We’ll provide a pre-fab ginger-home and all the necessary goodies to create a palace (no corn-syrup or artificially colored candy, only dried fruit and natural candy).  To sign-up, send an e-mail to thefarmonadderleyevents@gmail.com

ReMake the Holidays at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Mon Dec 29th-Tue Dec 30th 12n-4p.  Most activities are free with paid admission, some activities have an additional fee.  See website for full schedule and details.  Bend, twist, light, sculpt and animate a new version of the holiday season with workshops, demos, artist installations and more. ReMake the Holidays is a response to increased consumption and waste during the holiday season and an attempt to give people pause, inspiration and options to do things differently, while having fun! This year’s event will focus on a different recyclable material each day. Daily features include ice sculpting with Bill Bywater and the Climate Confessional that will be recorded and aired on The Adaptors.

For more fun Monday events click here!

Tuesday December 30th

Discovery Room: Hands on Transit at the NY Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Tue-Wed Dec 30-31st & Fri Jan 2nd 1030a-12p.  Also Fantastic Tunnels at 230p & Transit Mysteries at 1p.  See website for all details.  Free with museum admission.  We’re opening up the Education Center to our youngest fans to explore our favorite puzzles, books, toys and building materials!

Cirque Zíva at the New Victory Theater
Tue Dec 30th-Thu Jan 1st at 2p.  For additional times and dates please see the website.  Membership discount tickets are at $36, $22, $16 and $13 (depending on seat location). Full price tickets start at $19 (subject to change).  2 hours including one intermission.  For ages 5+.  Time-honored traditions take on a terrific technicolor transformation in CIRQUE ZÍVA. Lauded for their unparalleled precision and dynamic design, the Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats (New Vic 2005) will wow you with amazing acts, ancient artistry and a Lion Dance that will have the crowd roaring. Under the expert eyes of impresario Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang (Drama Desk nominee), this highlight of the holiday season sparkles in a stunning spectacle of breathtaking skill and beauty.

Changing Frame at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (SOHO)
Tue Dec 30th 230-5p.  Free with museum admission.  For ages 5+
Inspired by the work of Gary Simmons, young artists will learn all about the xerox transfer printmaking process. They will practice using this process as they add text to their very own creations.

For more fun Tuesday events click here!

Wednesday December 31st

3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crowns Heights)
Wed Dec 31st 1130a & 230p.  For 5y and under.  Free with admission.
Join us in the Totally Tots art studio for a fun countdown to New Year’s Day! Learn about traditions behind this cultural celebration and create a party hat to welcome in 2015!

New Year’s Confetti Cupcakes at Taste Buds Kitchen (Chelsea)
Wed Dec 31st 430-530p.  $35 per parent/child pair.  For ages 2-6y.  This class is with caregiver.  See website for additional dates.
Let’s celebrate the New Year! Bring on the pizzazz, the color, the fireworks….introducing our trademark Confetti Cupcakes! Come cook with us and learn how to make an oh-so-exciting cupcake that will be lucky if it makes it out of the kitchen before you gobble it up. Dying to know how we do it? Become a budding chef in our kitchen as you discover all our delicious secrets in our upcoming class and enjoy a glass of kid-friendly bubbly.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks! in Prospect Park
Wed Dec 31st 11p-12a.  Free.  Kick off the New Year with this beloved Brooklyn tradition. The celebration will get started with live entertainment and hot chocolate, followed by fireworks at Grand Army Plaza. The best locations for viewing the fireworks include Grand Army Plaza, inside the Park on the West Drive and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and 9th Street.

For more fun Wednesday events click here!

Thursday January 1st

Holiday Hours at LeFrak Center at Lakeside (Prospect Park)
Thu Jan 1st 10a-8p.  Skating Admission (Weekends/Holidays) $8 & Skate Rentals $6 (plus tax)  See website for bag check and locker details and additional winter recess hours.   All hours weather permitting.  Entry to the LeFrak Center is free and open to the public.  Lakeside is the largest and most ambitious project in Prospect Park since the Park’s completion nearly 150 years ago.  The LeFrak Center at Lakeside provides the public with:  A skating pavilion with two rinks providing 32,000 square feet for seasonal ice skating, roller skating, and water play, 15,000 square feet of beautifully landscaped viewing terraces, year-round café with a seating area, public restrooms, public programs, seasonal sports, classes, and event space.

New Year’s Day Brunch Family Bowl at Brooklyn Bowl (Williamsburg)
Thu Jan 1st.  Doors open at 12n.  No cover.  We will be opening our doors at 12pm for bowling and brunch on New Years Day. Start 2015 with some strikes, some spares, and a belly full of food.

Coney Island Polar Bear Club & Camp Sunshine New Year’s Day Swim
Thu Jan 1st. Swim time 1p sharp, arrive early.  $20 SUGGESTED DONATION to Camp Sunshine for each participant.  Assemble on the Boardwalk at Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island.  Free parking at MCU Park.  Free admission to NY Aquarium to all registered attendees.  Coney Island Polar Bear Club Membership is not required for the New Year’s Day Swim.  There is no fee for swimmers or observers, but we encourage all participants to make a voluntary donation to our partner Camp Sunshine.  The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is the oldest winter bathing organization in the United States. We swim in the Atlantic Ocean at Coney Island every Sunday from November through April.  Participants can avoid long lines on New Year’s Day by registering online as soon as possible and making a minimum $20 donation

For more fun Thursday events click here!

Ongoing

The Steadfast Tin Soldier & Nutcracker Sweets by Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Mon Dec 29th-Tue Dec 30th 1230p, 230p & 430p.  Suggested for ages 3 and up.  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).  Both shows at each performance and adapted for marionettes by Nicolas Coppola.  Various times from Friday Dec 26th- Tue Dec 30th.  For time information see website.

Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas at Vital Theatre Company (UWS)
Mon Dec 29th-Thu Jan 1st 11a & 1p and Sat-Sun Jan 3rd-4th 11a & 1p.  Tickets: $39.50 & $49.50.  For ages 2 to 7y.  Additional shows during the holidays.  See website for information.  What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles – and who could forget the tree? After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Ooh la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited about decorating the Christmas tree. She bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money and has been waiting for Christmas to come. But when things don’t turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous?

Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving Week at the Bronx Zoo
Mon Dec 29th-Wed Dec 31st at various times.  Free with paid admission to the zoo. Visit the zoo this holiday season to enjoy “Tropics on Ice,” an ice carving spectacular that highlights our conservation work in the Brazilian rainforests and the Amazon River Basin. Professional ice carvers will be shaping tropical-themed wildlife displays out of 50,000 pounds of ice. You can slide down a 25-foot rainforest canopy slide in our ice playground, watch our animals unwrap holiday presents, and more. Plus, don’t miss the Salute to Wildlife Ice Carving Competition on December 28th.  All events take place at Dancing Crane Pavilion unless otherwise noted.  See website for full details.

The Amazing Max at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center (UWS)
Mon Dec 29th 1p & 3p, Tue Dec 30th 1p, 3p & 7p & Wed Dec 31s 1p (sold out).  See website for other dates.  Recommended for ages 3 & up.  Tickets $29.50-$64.50.  See website for other future dates in Dec & Jan.  The Amazing Max bursts with striking visual magic, comedy and loads of audience participation.  Magician Max Darwin makes objects appear out of thin air, defies the laws of physics, and performs miracles inches from spectator’s faces. “An awesome and hilarious live magic show” PBS Kids. “Max Darwin is indeed amazing ” Time Out Kids. “His ability to astound is something to see” Huffington Post. This show is the wackiest, most interactive, highest energy magic show for families in town today.

Holiday Express at the New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Now until February 22nd. Friday 10a-8p, Tue-Thu & Sat 10a-6p & Sun 11a-5p.  Free with paid admission. Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection.  The New-York Historical Society will be transformed this holiday season with the installation of a spectacular exhibit of treasures from the renowned Jerni Collection, now owned by the New-York Historical Society, of model trains, scenic elements and toys. The dynamic display will appeal to all age groups, showcasing the beauty and allure of toys from a bygone era.  The exhibition begins at the West 77th Street entrance, where movement and sound from four large-scale multimedia screens will make it seem as though trains are roaring through the space. A 360-degree mountainous landscape will be on view in the Judith and Howard Berkowitz Sculpture Court, featuring artifacts grouped into ten scenes.

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!

To see all the events click here for the calendar!