Hi everyone
The first weekend of February is a busy one with a lot of fun events in NYC!
This weekend take the kids and enjoy Light in Winter: First Sundays at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Adventures in Storytelling House Party at BRIC, LC Kids Winter Warm-Up, Saturday Morning Cartoons at the Irish Arts Center, Winter Carnival in Bryant Park, Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic at BAM Fisher, Black History Month Freedom Quilt at The Washington Irving Brooklyn Public Library, The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Pow Wow and Concert at Theater for the New City, Losar Family Day Himalayan New Year Celebration at Rubin Museum Of Art HONEYBEEkids Paint Parties At House Of Juice and Family Concert: Music for Aardvarks Band at The Jewish Museum.
This month families can also enjoy ongoing events like Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks, Arty Facts at the Brooklyn Museum, A Sock’s Fables at Triskelion Arts Muriel Schulman Theater, Untapped! at The New Victory Theater, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at the 47th Street Theatre, The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids at TADA Youth Theater and Little Red’s Hood at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.
There are more events on the calendar so check it out to see everything happening in Brooklyn & NYC this weekend! Don’t forget to like us on Facebook for last minute events and news!
Enjoy the weekend
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday February 5th
Winter Carnival in Bryant Park (Midtown West)
Friday-Saturday February 5th-6th 12n-10p. Free. Bundle up and come on out for the second annual Winter Carnival at Bank of America Winter Village! Embrace the frosty weather and join us for a celebration of the winter season. This jam-packed weekend will feature dancing, curling lessons, ice golf, live skating and musical performances, photo ops, a silent disco, and more! To view the full activity schedule, please visit Bryant Park’s Winter Carnival page.
Black History Month Freedom Quilt at The Washington Irving Brooklyn Public Library
Friday February 5th 3-4p. Come and celebrate Black History Month as we collectively create a Freedom Quilt out of construction paper pieces and unique designs! Historical Fact: The Underground Railroad Quilt once guided slaves to freedom when communicating through writing was not an option, and instead used stitches, patterns, designs, colors and fabrics to communicate messages.
Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic at BAM Fisher (Fort Greene)
Friday February 5th 7p and also Saturday February 6th 2p & 7p and Sunday February 7th 2p. All tickets: $15. For ages 8-11y. This captivating performance stages the legend of Zaul & Rudabeh, one of the stories in the Persian Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran. Featuring puppets, a storyteller, and shadow casters, this all-ages adventure updates the classic shadow play—a storied cultural form across Asia and the Near East—melding traditional puppeteering techniques with new media.
The Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Pow Wow and Concert at Theater for the New City (East Village)
Fridays 8p, Saturdays 3p & 8p and Sundays 3p until February 14th. Ticket Price: $10. Matinee Only Children: $1 w/adult ticket. Traditional music, dancers, and stories of the Native Peoples of North America! There will be dances, stories and traditional music from the Iroquois and Native Peoples of the Northeast, Southwest and Great Plains regions. The event has become a treasured New York tradition for celebrating our diversity by honoring the culture of our first Americans. A Pow-Wow is more than just a spectator event: it is a joyous reunion for native peoples nationwide and an opportunity for the non-Indian community to voyage into the philosophy and beauty of Native culture. Traditionally a gathering and sharing of events, Pow-Wows have come to include spectacular dance competitions, exhibitions, and enjoyment of traditional foods. Highlights will include storytelling by Matoka Eagle (Santo Domingo, Tewa), a Hoop Dance by Marie Ponce (Cherokee), an Eagle Dance from the Hopi Tribe by Ciaran Little Eagle (Mayan), a Grass Dance and Jingle Dress Dance (from the Northern Plains people), a Stomp Dance (from the Southeastern tribes), a Shawl Dance (from the Oklahoma tribes), a Deer Dance (from the Yaqui Tribes of Southern Arizona) and a Robin Dance and Smoke Dance (from the Iroquois). As the audience enters the theater, they will be serenaded by the Heyna Second Son Singers (various tribes). In the final section of the program, the audience will be invited to join in the Round Dance, a Friendship Dance (in evening shows) and a Contest Dance (in matinees).
Saturday February 6th
HONEYBEEkids Paint Parties At House Of Juice (Prospect-Lefferts Gardens)
Saturdays 10a-12n in Februaryl. Tickets are $25 per child. $5 discount for additional siblings. Early bird special: $20 per child. Book tickets here. Also on Tuesdays 4-6p and a Homeschool Special: Every Thursday from 10am-12pm, just $15 per child (open to homeschoolers and non-homeschoolers). For ages 5 & up. Purchase tickets here. This February, Honeybee Face & Body Art & House of Juice have teamed up to deliver weekly paint party classes filled with face painting, healthy and delicious smoothies courtesy of House of Juice, kid-friendly music and canvas painting! Children ages 5 and up will learn to paint with non-toxic acrylics in a fun atmosphere with no experience necessary. Parents are welcome to drop off their children, or stay and join the fun! Each child will receive: 1 FREE face/arm painting with FDA approved face paint, 1 FREE healthy juice or smoothie, courtesy of House of Juice Tuesdays & Saturdays only, use of our supplies, including: canvases, easels, non-toxic acrylic paint, palettes and smocks and a 12”x16” masterpiece to take home
Saturday Morning Cartoons at the Irish Arts Center (Hells Kitchen)
Saturday February 6th 11a-1p. $5 per person. For all ages! Whether you grew up watching classic Hanna Barbera or spent your Saturday mornings with the Snorks, we all remember those comfy, cozy mornings in front of the TV with our favorite cartoons. Relive that tradition with your kids! Come in pajamas, grab some pancakes, and snuggle up on the Donaghy Theatre stage to enjoy the best feature films, TV shows and short films from some of the leading Irish animation companies, including Cartoon Saloon (Puffin Rock), Geronimo Productions (Planet Cosmo, Nelly and Nora), Kavaleer Productions (Wildernuts), and more.
Adventures in Storytelling House Party at BRIC (Fort Greene)
Saturday February 6th 12n-5p. This event is free with RSVP. RSVP here. Brooklyn’s Best All-Ages, All-Day Party! Brooklyn’s best family daytime parties continue with special daytime activities, including family dance classes, gaming, art making, and other participatory activities, all ending with a family disco party. Adventures in Storytelling is a memorable exploration of community storytelling through song, dance, film, and more.
Losar Family Day Himalayan New Year Celebration at Rubin Museum Of Art (Chelsea)
Saturday February 6th 12n-4p. Tickets: Children:$10; 10% discount for children of individual members; free for dual/family members and above, Adults: $15. Lunar New Year is a time for families! Join us for an afternoon of art, crafts, and music to celebrate Losar, the Himalayan New Year. Learn about traditional celebrations, go on a family tour of the galleries, listen to traditional music, and make auspicious crafts to take home.
LC Kids Winter Warm-Up (UWS)
Saturday February 6th 12n-5p. Free. Ages: Ages 3 and up. Location: across the plazas of Lincoln Center. Brighten up a winter Saturday with Lincoln Center’s FREE winter party for families. Dance the cold away at the Silent Disco dance party in Alice Tully Hall. Hour long sessions start at 12:00, 2:30, and 5:00*. Watch live ice sculpture carving across the plazas of Lincoln Center from 12:00—3:00. Vote for your favorite sculpture and you will be entered to win four free tickets to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I at Lincoln Center Theater. Get toasty while watching Lincoln Center at the Movies: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in the David Rubenstein Atrium with free screenings at 12:00 and 2:00 *Please note that all Silent Disco sessions are full. Standby entry will be available as capacity permits. All other events are first come, first served.
Sunday February 7th
Light in Winter: First Sundays at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Sunday February 7th 10a-12n. Free with garden admission. Celebrate the beauty of the Garden and our connection to nature in the quietest months of the year. Join us for four special Sundays in honor of the 100th anniversary of BBG’s Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Get cozy in the pop-up Japanese Craft House with an array of hands-on workshops and activities for all ages. Celebrate the beauty of the Garden with a variety of special guided walks and yoga classes. See the website for more information on Origami Academy, DIY Origami, Lego Japanese Garden, Card Crafting Print Shop and Nature Walks with Brad Klein: Winter Birding.
Little Laffs at the Jalopy Theatre (Carroll Gardens/Red Hook)
Sunday February 7th 11a (and first Sunday of every month) Tickets: $5 Kids, $10 Adults, $25 Family (adult/family tix include a Bloody Mary or Mimosa!) Little Laffs, “Big Fun for Little Ones” is a fun and entertaining variety show for kids ages 3-9y, that mixes juggling, balloon art, music, comedy, and more. Located at the Fabulous Jalopy Theatre in Carroll Gardens/Red Hook, Brooklyn. Little Laffs – Big Fun for Little Ones! Kids Show featuring: Music: Brother Num, Magic: The Great Lerdini, Juggling: Keith Nelson.
Arty Facts at the Brooklyn Museum (Crown Heights)
Sundays through May 11a-130p. $10 materials fee for up to four participants. For ages 4-7y. (Please don’t bring siblings older than seven or younger than four). Meet in the Rubin Lobby. In the thirtieth anniversary year of this art program for children ages four to seven, you and your family will explore the galleries through fun activities and engaging conversations, then head to the studio to create an artwork of your own. February theme: “Home Is Where the Art Is” Art doesn’t live in museums only. Visit our Period Rooms, the exhibition This Place, and other galleries to find connections between home and expression. Let’s get cozy and create work that can live in spaces at home! Note: Artist Rachelle Mozman visits Arty Facts on February 14. Families will explore storytelling, memory, and identity during an interactive workshop. See website for information on future themes.
Family Concert: Music for Aardvarks Band at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Sunday February 7th 1130a-1230p & 2-3p. For ages 2–5y. Tickets: $18 Adults; $13 Children. Jewish Museum Family Members: $15 Adults; $11 Children. “It’s no exaggeration that Weinstone has changed the musical geography of New York,” says Time Out New York Kids. Groove to the original rockin’ sound of The Music for Aardvarks Band, and celebrate being a New York City kid with cool, catchy favorites like “Modern Art”, “Taxi” and more!
CirKiz: A Cool Kid’s Dance Party at Space Ibiza New York (Midtown West)
Sunday February 7th 1-5p. Tickets: $20. CirKiz is a cutting-edge dance party for kids, created for the next generation of electronic music fans to celebrate music, dance & community. Each exclusive NYC nightclub is transformed into a unique kid-centric daytime party space where families together can listen & dance to DJs, see live performances and experience a nightclub environment in a safe controlled daytime setting. CirKiz events are focused on kids 6-12 years of age, however all children and parents accompanied by them are welcome.
All Weekend
Untapped! at The New Victory Theater
Friday February 5th 7p, Saturday February 6th 2p & 7p and Sunday February 7th 12n. Performance facts: 60 minutes with no intermission. For ages 7+. Tickets start at $15. Hot off their world tour, UNTAPPED! (New Vic 2011) deftly defies tap conventions for a dance expression that’s all its own. Mixing street dance styles, percussion and a healthy dose of Aussie humor, these high-octane hoofers bring intricate syncopation to a playlist of funk, hip hop, jazz and rock. Joined by a beatboxer and a live band, this charismatic crew will have you tapping along to this raucous reinvention of rhythm.
A Sock’s Fables at Triskelion Arts Muriel Schulman Theater (Greenpoint)
Saturdays & Sundays 1030a until March 13th. Tickets: $15. A sock puppet play with the highest thread count! Ages 2+. Tickets include a FREE puppet-making workshop immediately after the show! Brooklyn’s newest family sensation, A Sock’s Fables, is a comedy fest for both kids and adults. Featured on NY1’s Parenting show “Where to Go!”, this fun-filled 45-minute show wows with live music, adorable puppets, and enough knock-knock jokes to knock your socks off. Enjoy the greatest stories every told…by socks.
Feathers of Fire: A Persian Epic at BAM Fisher (Fort Greene)
Friday February 5th 7p and also Saturday February 6th 2p & 7p and Sunday February 7th 2p. All tickets: $15. For ages 8-11y. This captivating performance stages the legend of Zaul & Rudabeh, one of the stories in the Persian Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran. Featuring puppets, a storyteller, and shadow casters, this all-ages adventure updates the classic shadow play—a storied cultural form across Asia and the Near East—melding traditional puppeteering techniques with new media.
Little Red’s Hood at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Saturdays & Sundays 1p at M-F 1030a & 12n. There will be an additional Wednesday show at 230p starting March 2nd and there will be extra shows Presidents Week & Spring Break. See website for more information. Tickets are $7/children and $10/adults. Like many of today’s children, Little Red is a smart, young city slicker who is too focused on her smartphone to notice her surroundings. Wulfric is a misunderstood wolf with a sweet tooth. When Little Red travels from New York City to the country to deliver some cupcakes to her Grandma, she encounters a colorful cast of characters as Wulfric the Wolf tries to head her off at the pass. Children 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show at the 47th Street Theatre
Saturday February 6th 11a, 2p & 430p and Sunday February 7th 12n & 3p and ongoing until March 27th. See website for additional showtimes. Tickets: $49.50 -$65.50 (Premium Seats). The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by author/illustrator Eric Carle has delighted generations of readers since it was first published in 1969 selling more than 30 million copies worldwide. Eric’s well-known books captivated readers with his iconic colorful hand-painted tissue paper collage illustrations and destinctively simple stories, introducing generations of children to a bigger, brighter world – and to their first experience of reading itself. Now, the timeless classic makes its way off the page and onto the stage. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, the critically acclaimed production of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show’ features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets, faithfully adapting four of Eric Carle stories, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Mister Seahorse, The Very Lonely Firefly and of course, the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Lap Seating: $5.00 Lap seat for children under (1) Year of age available through the Box Office only day-of for each performance. CASH Only. Not accessible online or on the phone. Please leave strollers home if possible.
The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids at TADA Youth Theater (Chelsea)
Saturdays & Sundays 2p & 4p until February 14th. Recommended for ages 3+. Tickets: $25 Adults/$15 Kids. Running time: 1:10. Join The Gumball Gang as they try to solve The Case of the Missing Masterpiece. TADA! Youth Theatre’s World Premiere Musical, The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids, follows the exciting adventures of a group of kids as they set out to find stolen paintings in the case of the missing masterpieces.
Ed Center in Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1
Saturdays and Sundays from 1–5p (also Thursdays 3-5p). Free. The Ed Center is open for free, drop-in hours three afternoons a week! Get to know Brooklyn Bridge Park with our 250 gallon aquarium filled with critters from the East River, a 10’ scale model of Brooklyn Bridge Park, crafts, a reading corner, and much more!
Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturdays & Sundays until April 24th 1230p & 230p. For 3y+. Admission for a Child is $9, an Adult $10. 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). Lewis Carroll’s English Adventure with an Original Song Score adapted for Marionettes by Adam Kilgour & Nicolas Coppola.
play:ground at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Saturdays-Sundays 10a-5p ongoing until February 19th. Free with Museum admission. There are also additional holiday dates (see below). Children take the lead to build, imagine, construct and explore. play:ground, a group bringing an adventure playground back to NYC will take over the second floor gallery with loads of loose objects that will help facilitate play – cardboard boxes, fabrics, rope, tape, and lots of other materials to set their minds free! play:ground invites parents and guardians to take a step back and let their children take risks with objects and interaction with other kids, you might be surprised to see how they step up to the challenge when given the chance. Staffed by playworkers, the space will be transformed over the month long residency under the leadership of kids! Also Tuesdays 12n-5p, Monday, February 8th 10am – 5pm (Chinese New Year) Monday, February 15th through Friday, February 19th 10am – 5pm (Winter Recess for New York City public schools)
Open Play at Curiosity on Court (Cobble Hill)
Saturday-Sunday 9a-12n (also Monday-Friday 10a-6p). Open Play drop-in: $25 per child, $20 for siblings. Welcome to Curiosity on Court, a world of energy busting excitement! Our custom designed play structures and exhibits were created to raise the curiosity and fuel the imagination of kids 1–10 yrs old. Whether they’re conquering our climbing wall, taking a ride on the subway, making connections on the magnetic wall or finding their route through our multi-level play structure, there’s hours of fun for everyone. Weekend Open Play hours are extended if we don’t have birthday party/event. Please call to check. 347-294-0160
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.