Hi everyone
The summer is winding down! Hard to believe the kids will be heading back to school in a few weeks!
There are lots of free events happening at the Brooklyn Public libraries this week like Summer Reading: Bubbles the Clown at the Canarsie library, Stomp, Clap and Sing with Suzi Shelton at the Central library, Miss Nina and the Jumping Jacks at the Park Slope library, Summer Reading Closing Party! at the Greenpoint and Concert for Kids: The Dad Beats! at the Bay Ridge library. Also this week check out Hudson RiverKids: City Stomp at Pier 25, Kids Movie Night: Finding Nemo at Waterside Plaza, SummerStage Kids: Shine and the Moonbeams & Friends at Underwood Park, Red Hook Flicks: The Incredibles at Valentino Pier, Little Feet Wise Heart Yoga at LARK Cafe, Big City Fishing on Pier 84, FringeJR shows at the 14th Street Y and the grand opening of SeaGlass Carousel at The Battery
That is just some of the events so check the calendar for all the Brooklyn & NYC events happening this week! Also remember to like us on Facebook for last minute news and event reminders.
Have a great week!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday August 17th
Summer Reading: Bubbles the Clown at the Brooklyn Public Library (Canarsie)
Monday August 17th 2-3p. Free. For ages 6-17y. Come to the Canarsie Library and Meet Bubbles the Clown! The fantastic antics of Bubbles the Clown will keep you smiling. Performer Elaine Gil encourages the entire audience to get involved, making this a delightful experience for the whole family.
Hudson RiverKids: City Stomp at Pier 25 (Tribeca)
Monday August 17th 630p. Free. Last Hudson RiverKids! Come out and see City Stomp! City Stomp is an early childhood music education program and a band that plays concerts in the NYC area. In case of rain, Hudson RiverKids will take place in the lobby of Pier 40.
Kids Movie Night: Finding Nemo at Waterside Plaza (Kips Bay)
Monday August 17th 6p-10p. Free. Waterside Plaza partners with RCN, our local cable provider, to present free movies and popcorn outside on the Plaza! This fun, family-friendly event is free and open to the public. Limited seating. Folding chairs and blankets are welcome. Bring the kids early for an interactive visit from the FDNY Education Unit featuring a fire truck from 6-7:30PM, on the Promenade Level in front of Bldg 20, and a family fire safety presentation at 7:30PM, outside on the Plaza. August 17th: Finding Nemo (rated G 1h 47m). Movie start time is between 8 to 830p.
For more fun Monday events please click here!
Tuesday August 18th
SummerStage Kids: Shine and the Moonbeams & Friends at Underwood Park (Clinton Hill)
Tuesday August 18th 1030a-1130a. Free. Location: Shine and the Moonbeams exploded on to the family music scene in 2011, bringing a brand new R&B sound to the genre and introducing the sounds of classic funk, soul, blues, and jazz music to enthusiastic children. They are singer-songwriter Shawana Kemp and guitarist John Heagle, two New York musicians who have performed in varied genres from Musical Theatre to the circus. They combine their unique perspectives to create a soulful musical extravaganza that captures the sweetness, uncertainty, and simplicity of youth. Their self-titled debut album was released in 2013 to much acclaim and excitement. With infectious rhythms, catchy melodies, and positively empowering lyrical themes stemming from Kemp’s experiences as a schoolteacher and mother, their songs encourage kids to celebrate life and get up and dance!
Stomp, Clap and Sing with Suzi Shelton at the Central Brooklyn Public Library (Grand Army Plaza)
Tuesday August 18th 11a-12n. Free. Location: Dweck Center. Suzi Shelton is a music and movement specialist, teacher and family performer. She has been rocking parents and kids alike for over 10+ years in such prestigious venues as Symphony Space, The White House Easter Egg Roll, the Lincoln Center Tree Lighting, BYOK at 92YTribeca, Tribeca Film Festival, as well as her local Brooklyn hot spots- The Bell House and Hip Tot Music Fest. She has over six prestigious awards under her belt for her 2 CD’s and live DVD, including Parent’s Choice, The Children’s Music Web, Kids First, and iParenting Media. This energetic mother of two brings families to their feet singing and dancing along to her original tunes, and is a true favorite with the playground set.
Red Hook Flicks at Valentino Pier
Tuesdays until September 1st. The movies start at around 830p or when it gets dark. Red Hook Films are shown at Valentino Pier, on the Brooklyn waterfront. The screen is set up in front of a Civil War-era warehouse, with sweeping views of the harbor and the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop. In case of rain, our kind sponsors at Home/Made will be hosting us at their event space Atelier Roquette, located at 63 Commerce Street, between Van Brunt and Richards. If it is raining, assume the movie will be at Atelier Roquette. If it was raining earlier, the grounds could still be mucky. Please check website for an official “rain” call by 6p on movie nights. August 18: The Incredibles. Rated PG. Run time: 1 hr 56m
For more fun Tuesday events click here!
Wednesday August 19th
Miss Nina and the Jumping Jacks at the Brooklyn Public Library (Park Slope)
Wednesday August 19th 1030-1130a. Free. Join Miss Nina and her band the Jumping Jacks for sing-a-long, move-along and read-along fun! Miss Nina’s passions are providing children and their families the space and opportunity to enjoy music and movement together, and fostering a love of books and reading in children through music. Tickets are required and will be given out 1/2 hour before the start of the program at the reference desk.
Concert for Kids: The Dad Beats! at the Brooklyn Public Library (Bay Ridge)
Wednesday August 19th 230-330p. Free. For kids 3-12y. The Dad Beats are a power quartet wrapped in a playdate with a hootenanny garnish! Made up of four real live Brooklyn dads, the Dad Beats traverse surf, rock and country grooves to deliver playful re-imaginings of your childhood favorites. Bring your baby/toddler/kid and dance along with the Beats!
Little Feet Wise Heart Yoga at LARK Cafe (Flatbush/Prospect Park South)
Wednesday August 19th 4–445p. $15/child and $10 for siblings. Great class for two years and up. Wise Heart Story yoga ~ Combing the creative poses of yoga with our favorite books on movement, yoga, nature and animals, this class will have kids moving, Om-ing, and jumping between being entranced by the written word. Heart warming stories on life, love, family and sharing are interspersed with ringing the bells, blowing the pinwheels and learning the art of savasana enriched by books, books, books!
For more fun Wednesday events click here!
Thursday August 20th
SeaGlass Carousel Opening Day at The Battery (Lower Manhattan)
Thursday August 20th is opening day. Carousel will be open 10a-10p daily. Admission will be $5 per ride. Access to The Battery is free and open to the public. The SeaGlass Carousel, a new one-of-a-kind, permanent cultural attraction featuring a monumental nautilus shell with 30 grand luminescent fish, will open to the public on Thursday, August 20, at The Battery, the 25-acre public park at the southern tip of Manhattan. The glorious Tiffany & Co. Foundation Woodland Gardens that encircle the Carousel will also open that day.
Big City Fishing on Pier 84
Thursdays until August 27th 1-4p (and also Tuesdays). Free. Fishing in New York City? You bet! Each summer, Hudson River Park offers Big City Fishing, a free program, to those as young as five who are eager to learn both how to fish and about the Hudson River environment. We provide the rods, reels, bait and instruction. Beyond teaching fishing, the program also provides participants with a first-hand opportunity to learn about river ecology and the many fish species that can be found in the river. Participants can drop in a line and relax, or engage with environmental educators on such topics such as water quality, fish biology and more. A fun and educational experience, Big City Fishing offers city-dwellers a unique option for outdoor family recreation. See website for additional fishing locations and times.
Summer Reading Closing Party! at the Brooklyn Public Library (Greenpoint)
Thursday August 20th 2-5p. Free. Superheroes unite! Join us for our Summer Reading closing party, where we’ll enjoy live music by the award-winning performer Suzi Shelton, face painting, superhero games, and crafts.
For more fun Thursday events click here!
Ongoing
Kids’ Discovery Stations at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (Crown Heights)
Tuesday-Friday 1015a-1230p until August 28th. This docent-led, drop-in program is for families with children of all ages as well as camp groups. Free with Garden admission. Get your hands dirty at kids’ discovery stations throughout the Garden. Investigate a mystery plant, hold a water plant and learn how it floats, or go on a pollinator hunt in the meadow! All programs are outdoors and canceled in inclement weather; for updates, call 718-623-7200, ext. 7801.
FringeJR shows at the 14th Street Y (Stuyvesant Town/East Village)
Tuesday August 18th-Sunday August 30th at various times. The FringeJr productions are specifically recommended for families and groups with children ages five (5) to twelve (12). $13 FringeJR tickets will be available to the youngsters for all FringeJR shows and may only be purchased in person: Either in advance (the day before the performance) at FringeCENTRAL (cash or credit card), or at the box office where the show is playing 15 minutes prior to curtain (credit card only). Productions this year: The Commedia Rapunzel, Haunted Holliot Hildorf Hotel and Shadow’s Unicycle, Ideas, Not Theories, PEDRO PAN, Rapunzel in the Wild West and Solina. See website for tickets and times.
$1 Movies at NYC Regal Theaters (various locations)
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10a until August 26th. Family fun movies playing on Tuesdays & Wednesdays for the summertime. Admission to these movies during the Summer Movie Express is only $1. Tickets must be purchased at the theater and all movies start at 10:00 am. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Will Rogers Institute. Search for a theater in your area to see where the Summer Movie Express is playing. NYC locations: Regal Atlas Park Stadium 8 in Glendale NY, UA Kaufman Astoria Cinemas 14 & RPX in Astoria NY, UA Sheepshead Bay Stadium 14 IMAX & RPX in Brooklyn and UA Staten Island Stadium 16 & RPX in Staten Island. Tuesday August 18th & Wednesday August 19th: Muppets, Most Wanted and Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
“The collectivity project” for Kids on the High Line
Tuesdays & Thursdays now through September 4-6p. Free. Location: West 30th Street. Build, play, and dream about cities using LEGOs and your imagination. Led by a High Line Educator, these special programs just for families are part of Olafur Eliason’s The collectivity project.
Splash Pad at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Mon-Sat: 10a-7p & Sun: 10a-6p. Free. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day, weather permitting. The Splash Pad, officially known as the Matilda Raffa Cuomo Water Playground, is the LeFrak Center’s free water play area for kids 12 and under. Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the water feature welcomed over 30,000 visitors last summer. Featuring 47 water spray jets and covering 16,000 square feet, Splash Pad is largest water play area in Prospect Park. In addition, the LeFrak Center offers roller skating, the Bluestone Café, and surrounding landscapes for picnicking and relaxation.
Art in the Park in Madison Square Park (Flatiron)
Mondays & Wednesdays 10a-2p until September 30th. No sessions on the last Monday of each month (7/27, 8/31 & 8/28). Free. The Mad. Sq. Park Teaching Artist can be found in the Moira Ann Smith Playground each Monday and Wednesday from June 1 – September 30 with free hands-on creative arts activities at 10am and 2pm. Children are encouraged to participate in free flowing art-based activities. Adult supervision is required.
Summer Art in the Park in Riverside Park (UWS)
Monday-Friday now until August 28th 10a-12n. Free. Location: Hippo Playground. For all ages. No registration required. This popular summertime favorite will return to Hippo Playground this summer. Please join us each weekday for this enriching art program. The class will take place at the picnic tables in the playground. In the event of rain, the program will be held in the park house.
Jeppe Hein: Please Touch the Art at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Open daily 6a-1a until April 17, 2016. Free. Visitors entering the park at Pier 1 will encounter Hein’s iconic water sculpture, Appearing Rooms installed on the Bridge View Lawn. Vertical jets of water will gradually appear forming seven-foot-tall “walls”, which moments later will disappear, enabling visitors to move to different “rooms”, all without touching a drop of water. Systematically, these “walls” appear and disappear through a timed cycle, enticing visitors to step onto the gridded platform and move from space to space within the sculpture. The cycle of changing walls may also be observed from outside the piece as a dynamic and perceptually engaging work of art. The second major component of the exhibition is a newly conceived, large-scale Mirror Labyrinth to be installed at the Pier 3 Greenway Terrace. The third body of work, Modified Social Benches, will be on view throughout the park,surprising visitors with each chance encounter. See website fore the full descriptions of the art.
Jack and the Beanstalk at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Monday-Friday 1030a & 12n and also 230p on Wednesdays in August. See website for weekend showtimes. Tickets are $7/children and $10/adults. Based on the classic English fairytale, this fresh retelling of the Swedish Cottage original production takes Jack on an enchanting adventure up a magical beanstalk. In this starry new world, Jack encounters the notorious Giant, Milford, whose thieving ways have brought misfortune upon Jack and his mother. Determined to make life better for his family, Jack, with help from friends old and new, risks his life to take back what the Giant stole.
To see all the events click here for the calendar!