Hi everyone,
Hard to believe it is the last week of December 2015. There are so many Winter break events happening this week!
If you are in town this week take the kids and enjoy Movies @ the Library: The Polar Express at the Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library, Block Lab & Play Space at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Holiday Show and Play at The Muse Brooklyn, Holiday Open House at Queens County Farm Museum, Free Yoga Storytime at Karma Kids Yoga and Pedal Punk at The New Victory Theater. Also check out some New Years celebrations like New Year’s Eve Sing-Along with Lucy Kalantari at Elk Cafe, Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Luna Park and New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza.
Also don’t forget to check ongoing events like Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier at PuppetWorks, Holiday Break Family Programs at the New York Transit Museum, Winter Recess Hours at Lakeside Brooklyn, ReMake the Holidays at the New York Hall of Science, The Amazing Max at Theater at Blessed Sacrament, Ballerina Swan at Theater 3, The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, 14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal and Winter Recess Family Workshop: Claymation Creatures at the Museum of Moving Image.
There are even more events happening so check out the calendar! Also remember to like us on Facebook for last minute news and event reminders. Check with venues of the weekly sing-a-longs before heading out since the regular events might be on vacation during Winter break!
Enjoy the last week of December!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday December 28th
Holiday Open House at Queens County Farm Museum
Monday December 28th 12n-4p. This event is FREE (no gate admission). Enjoy tours of the decorated Adriance Farmhouse at our annual Holiday Open House. Kids will enjoy craft activities and all visitors are invited to warm up with a cup of freshly mulled cider!
Nutcracker Sweets & The Steadfast Tin Soldier at PuppetWorks (Park Slope)
Monday December 28th and on going until Wednesday December 30th 1230p, 230p & 430p and also Saturday & Sunday January 2nd-3rd 1230p & 230p. Admission for a Child is $9, an Adult $10. Groups of 20 or more: $8 per person. 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). Nutcracker Sweets – Tchaikovsky’s Land of Sweets dances & The Steadfast Tin Soldier – Andersen’s Toy Story. adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola (suggested for ages 3 and up)
Movies @ the Library: The Polar Express at the Brooklyn Public Library (Park Slope)
Monday December 28th 230-415p. Free. From IMDb: “Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis (“Forrest Gump”; “Cast Away”) reunite for “Polar Express,” an inspiring adventure based on the beloved children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.”
For more Monday events please click here!
Tuesday December 29th
Holiday Break Family Programs at the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Tuesday-Thursday December 29th-31st at various times. Free with Museum admission. Discovery Room: 1130a-1215p for ages 2-5y. We’re opening up the Education Center to our youngest fans to explore our favorite puzzles, books, toys, and building materials. Super Structures: 130-215p for ages 5+. Bus shelters, subway stations and depots are well designed to protect people and vehicles from the cold and the snow of winter. Design a structure inspired by some of the newest and best prepared transportation facilities. Design a Winter Vehicle: 3-345p for ages 4+. Explore the special fleets of buses and trains deployed to clear the streets and train tracks office and snow, then design our own winter work vehicles.
Amore Opera Presents: Hansel & Gretel at the Sheen Center (NoHo)
Tuesday-Wednesday December 29th-30th and also January 1st-2nd at 230p. Tickets $25. Hansel & Gretel is a favorite of children and families everywhere, and this holiday season, the Amore Opera will present Humperdink’s beloved opera in a sparkling English translation for four daytime performances during the week after Christmas. This tuneful opera follows Hansel & Gretel’s adventures in the forest as they try to outwit the Witch and free all of the Gingerbread Children. Amore Opera’s charming production at the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture is directed by Sarah Moulton Faux, and features both an adult cast of some of the country’s best young opera singers along with the children from the Amore Opera Academy.
Holiday Show and Play at The Muse Brooklyn (Williamsburg)
Tuesday December 29th kids circus cabaret at 230p and open play time 330-530p. Tickets: Adults $12, Kids $10 (Additional children $8/ticket). Bring the whole family down to be A-Mused for our Muse Kids Cabaret! Aerialists, acrobats, hula hoops, and more! Join your host Kenneth Stephen Neil with performances by Butch and Buttercup, Chriselle Tidrick, Emily Hursh, Justin Weber, Rebecca Fey, and Snacks! Come for the show…..and get inspired to stay and play at our donation based Family Room playtime from 330-530p.
For more fun Tuesday events click here!
Wednesday December 30th
Free Yoga Storytime at Karma Kids Yoga (Flatiron)
Wednesday December 30th 1130a-12n and ongoing Wednesdays Free. Suggested for kids up to age 6. Storytime comes alive with puppets, songs and yoga poses. Carefully selected stories that naturally lend themselves to yoga! As we read we’ll come across animals and elements of nature that we know from yoga…we’ll stop the story, do the yoga pose, then continue with our story. StoryTime is 30 minutes.
Pedal Punk at The New Victory Theater
Wednesday December 30th 2p & 7p & Thursday December 31st 2p. See website for additional showtimes the first weekend in January. For ages 5+. Tickets start at $19. Performance is 2 hours including one intermission. This holiday season, the spectacular Cirque Mechanics (Boom Town, New Vic 2011) rolls into town with moxie The New York Times calls “exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching and, to keep the list short, engrossingly entertaining!” In the steampunk-styled PEDAL PUNK, featuring a 20-foot-high, pedal-powered mechanical masterpiece, the powerful performers amaze with a heart-pounding pole drop, awesome aerial acts and high-flying tricks (on a trampoline!). With every spin of a sprocket and rattle of a wrench, the quirky cast of characters transform a bevy of bikes into an astounding assortment of acrobatic apparatus in this adrenaline-fueled circus for the whole family.
Kids Create: Coloring Cool Designs at Brooklyn Public Library (Clinton Hill)
Wednesday December 30th 4-5p. Free. Coloring is a great post-holiday stress buster. Everyone is doing it these days! We’ll provide the coloring sheets and pencils – and even a reader to entertain you with stories while you color.
For more fun Wednesday events click here!
Thursday December 31st
New Year’s Eve Sing-Along with Lucy Kalantari at Elk Cafe (Windsor Terrace)
Thursday December 31st 10-1045a. $5/family. We’ll do a practice-run New Year’s Eve countdown and celebration! Why not? I’ll have noisemakers to give out and take home, and we’ll sing the obligatory Auld Lang Syne song.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Luna Park (Coney Island)
Thursday December 31st 8p-12a. Free. Who says you can’t play outside in the winter? On Thursday Brooklyn’s famous Luna Park invites everyone to experience some of Coney Island’s most iconic rides, including the Thunderbolt and Carousel. The Carousel will be free and Thunderbolt will open at regular admission for guests. Both rides will operate from 8pm-11pm. Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, NYC Council Member Mark Treyger and the Alliance for Coney Island bring you: New Year’s Eve in Coney Island! 9pm Music and giveaways Location: Under the Parachute Jump in Coney Island, Brooklyn. Starting with music and giveaways, the FREE, family-friendly event is open to the public. Sideshow performers from Coney Island USA will amaze guests before we countdown to midnight on the iconic Parachute Jump’s 8,000 LEDs. At midnight, a fireworks display over the beach will kick-off a brighter, better 2016.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Grand Army Plaza
Thursday December 31st 11p-12a. Free. Join Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and the Prospect Park Alliance for the annual fireworks celebration in Prospect Park. Locations for viewing the fireworks include Grand Army Plaza, the park’s West Drive, and along Prospect Park West between Grand Army Plaza and Ninth Street. Enjoy live entertainment by DJ C. Live, featuring the Brooklyn Mash It Up Band, and also hot chocolate at Grand Army Plaza prior to the big fireworks display.
For more fun Thursday events click here!
Ongoing
Ballerina Swan at Theater 3
Mondays-Wednesdays 11a until December 30th. Also Saturdays & Sundays 11a & 1p until January 3rd. Tickets $25-$45. Best for ages 3-8. Back by popular demand! Ballerina Swan blends dance, theater and puppetry to tell the story of Sophie, a Central Park swan who dreams of becoming a ballerina. Based on the children’s book by former NYC Ballet prima ballerina Allegra Kent, Ballerina Swan features a five-foot dancing swan puppet that wowed children and adults alike during the show’s 2013 run.
Winter Recess Hours at Lakeside Brooklyn
Open daily until January 3rd at various times. See the website for the exact schedule. Admission & Rentals Weekday admission: $6 Weekend admission: $9 Rentals: $6 *Weekend pricing begins Friday at 4:30pm
Block Lab & Play Space at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Monday-Thursday December 28th-31st 11a–4p. For all ages. Free with museum admission. Building and creativity abound in the 2nd floor Studio, now open! Visitors of all ages are invited to join us for Open Studio: block play with big and little blocks, art-making, and hands-on material exploration.
Winter Recess Family Workshop: Claymation Creatures at the Museum of Moving Image (Astoria)
Daily until January 1st 230p. Tickets: $5 materials fee per participating child (free for Family-level members and above). There is no charge for accompanying adults. Ages 5+ (recommended for ages 5-12). Museum admission is not included. The loveable characters from Shaun the Sheep Movie become creative fodder for child-made critters in this workshop. Participants will create their own unique clay creature, then make a stop-motion animation with their character. Program duration: 60 minutes. Also check out the Shaun the Sheep screenings daily until January 1st at 1230p.
Holiday Break Family Programs at the New York Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Tuesday-Thursday December 29th-31st at various times. Free with Museum admission. Discovery Room: 1130a-1215p for ages 2-5y. We’re opening up the Education Center to our youngest fans to explore our favorite puzzles, books, toys, and building materials. Super Structures: 130-215p for ages 5+. Bus shelters, subway stations and depots are well designed to protect people and vehicles from the cold and the snow of winter. Design a structure inspired by some of the newest and best prepared transportation facilities. Design a Winter Vehicle: 3-345p for ages 4+. Explore the special fleets of buses and trains deployed to clear the streets and train tracks office and snow, then design our own winter work vehicles.
ReMake the Holidays at the New York Hall of Science
Ongoing until Wednesday December 30th 12n-4p. Activities are free with NYSCI admission, unless otherwise noted. See website for all the details of the events. Families 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 inspiration and options to do things differently, while having fun.
The Amazing Max at Theater at Blessed Sacrament (UWS)
Ongoing until Wednesday December 30th at various times. See website for showtimes. Tickets $44.50 & $59.50 (Premium). Don’t miss this high-energy, interactive and all-around silly show! Appropriate for audiences of all ages. Max Darwin earned the moniker “The Amazing Max“ for his extraordinary skills as a magician and also for his ability to entertain adult audiences while keeping the little ones spellbound. Max combines magic and comedy, making objects appear and disappear and generally defying the laws of physics inches from theatergoer’s faces. Includes access to our VIP Magic Lounge 25 minutes before curtain, mini magic lesson, free magic trick, and priority seating.
Gingerbread Lane at New York Hall of Science (Flushing Meadows)
Ongoing until Sunday January 9, 2016. Tuesday–Friday 930a–5p & Saturday & Sunday 10a–6p. Free with Museum admission. Museum closed on Christmas Day. Marvel at homemade gingerbread houses made entirely of edible gingerbread, royal icing and candy. The houses are drafted, designed, baked, planned, built and decorated by chef Jon Lovitch over the course of an entire year. GingerBread Lane has won the Guinness World Record for the largest gingerbread village for 2013 and 2014 and will compete for its third consecutive Guinness World Record this year. Lovitch’s creation will again contend for this year’s Guinness World Record. The all-new 2015 version of GingerBread Lane will cover 500 square feet and will have more than 1,050 houses and structures including a double-decker carousel reminiscent of one on the Coney Island boardwalk in days past and the S.C. Kringle & Co. Department Store which hearkens back to Gimbels department store in the early 1900s. GingerBread Lane 2015 will also have new twists like The Pumpkin Spice Latte Coffee Shoppe, The EveryDay’s Thanksgiving Café, a second train (for the first time), and a 10-square-foot candy factory you can see inside of as you climb the stairs to view GingerBread Lane. While the exhibition’s layout and composition change yearly, GingerBread Lane always includes Eggnog Bay, Gum Drop Row, Peppermint Central Park, Candy Cane Place and Toffee Boulevard. As a grand finale, Lovitch will give away all houses on January 10.
Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx)
Ongoing until Monday January 18th. Various times and prices. See website for information. Advance reservations are strongly recommended as tickets do sell out. Purchase tickets here. NYC’s Favorite Train Show Is Bigger Than Ever! Enchanting model trains zip through a display of 150 landmarks, each re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials—all under the twinkling glow of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Marvel at G-scale locomotives humming along among familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center—surprising at every turn—on nearly a half-mile of track. This year’s exhibition features 3,000 square feet of additional exhibition space, making room for dozens of new trains, bridges, and tracks; a captivating short film of the show’s behind-the-scenes magic; and a stunning multisensory finale of light and sound. Explore a winter wonderland across our 250 acres with special tours, musical performances, and activities for kids, plus take care of your gift list at NYBG Shop and stop for a bite at one of our exciting new dining venues. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind holiday outing!
14th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Ongoing until February 21st. M–F: 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 10a–6p. Free. Location: NY Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store Shuttle Passage. Presented annually by the New York Transit Museum, this popular model railroad exhibition features Metro-North, New York Central, and subway trains departing from a miniature Grand Central Terminal on a 34’-long, two-level “O” gauge layout. The Museum’s store and booth at the Holiday Fair also offer great gifts for your holiday shopping. Transit gifts are available online at www.nytransitmuseumstore.com.
The 3 Bears Holiday Bash at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Daily until Wednesday December 30th. Showtimes are Monday – Friday 1030a & 12n with additional shows Wednesdays at 230p and Saturday and Sunday at 1p. Tickets are $7/children and $10/adults. 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! Purchase tickets here.
To see all the events click here for the calendar!