Hi everyone! Now that it is getting colder it is time to head indoors and luckily there are lots of fun events this time of year in NYC.
This week head out and enjoy Stomp, Clap & Sing with Silly Jazz & Camille at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, the Holiday Lighting Party in Albee Square, an African Dancing and Folktales Workshop at Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library, ShakesBEARS Puppet Show at Lizzie King’s Parlor, Brainy Bill: Goin’ Buggy at Macon Brooklyn Public Library, Karma Kids Yoga StoryTime at Space2Meditate, Puppet Town at little Lola & tots, Stomp, Clap & Sing with Jam I Am at Flatlands Brooklyn Public Library, Adults with Infants: Marriage Story at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park, Baby Storytime: Mother Goose Rhyme Time at the Tompkins Square NY Public Library and the last few days of Canstruction in Brookfield Place.
Also check out the long running events like the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal, Survival of the Slowest at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Ed Center in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Tots Drop in Center at Congregation Beth Elohim, Playdate & Mingle Time at Edamama Cute Cuts & More, Drop-in Storytimes at Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab, King of the Jungle at Brooklyn Zoo, T. rex: The Ultimate Predator exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, The Art of the Brick at New York Hall of Science, Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society, Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and the NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden.
These are just some of this weeks events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also follow us on our Facebook page for last minute news and event reminders.
Stay warm and enjoy the week!
~Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday November 18th
Karma Kidss Yoga StoryTime at Space2Meditate (NoMad)
Mondays 1130a. Free. For kids up to age 6. Each week we will share new books and make them come alive with yoga poses! We’ll stretch, bend, twist, sing and play yoga along with adorable stories for kids of all ages. Note: closed December 22nd through January 1st, 2020.
African Dancing and Folktales Workshop at Park Slope Brooklyn Public Library
Monday November 18th 4-445p. Free. Audience members become the storytellers in a series of African folktales as our facilitator guides them through an interactive African Dance class accompanied by live percussion music. For kids of all ages. This program is part of Brooklyn Public Library’s 1619: 400 Years Later series marking the 400th year since enslaved Africans were brought to the United States. Through this series, we hope to commemorate and celebrate the lives of the the millions of enslaved Africans whose labor, creativity and endurance have contributed greatly to the prosperity of this great nation.
Puppet Town at little Lola & tots (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Mondays 430-530p until December 2nd. $25/drop in. Ages 6 mo – 4 yrs (adult participation required). Puppet Town is a 40-minute multi-sensory and interactive theater experience for children ages 6 months- 4 years old. Classes combine the joy of a live theatrical show interspersed with activities to help enhance and grow children’s gross and fine motor skills. Each week, a different puppet will be put in the spotlight with hopes of becoming the next star of Puppet Town. After the opening scene, children will be asked to help these characters with a myriad of tasks including creating puppets for the final show, making props, designing the background and similar sensory projects that allow the audience to be a contributing member of the final production. Once the allotted time for completion is over, children and their families can sit back and watch the puppet show that they helped create. The theater is no longer a sedentary activity thanks to Puppet Town and we cannot wait to see what happens!
See all the Monday events here.
Tuesday November 19th
Stomp, Clap & Sing with Silly Jazz & Camille at Central Brooklyn Public Library
Tuesday November 19th 11a-12n. Free. Come dance along to “silly jazz” with comedian and jazz singer, Camille Harris. Popular songs include: “The Monster Under My Bed,” “Muffin Man,” and “Chopsticks.” Families will be given seating priority. Seating is limited. First come, first served.
ShakesBEARS Puppet Show at Lizzie King’s Parlor (Park Slope)
Tuesdays 3p until December 3rd. $20 per child, tickets are available online, drop in’s welcome! Shakespeare…with puppets! ShakesBEARS puppet shows provide children with a fun and unique introduction to Shakespeare’s stories and puppetry. Each show consists of a short Shakespeare-inspired marionette show and a puppet making craft.
Adults with Infants: Marriage Story at Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park
Tuesday November 19th 345p. Tickets: $15. Babies welcome! Being a new parent shouldn’t curtail cinema-going which is why Nitehawk happily provides our ongoing Hawks with Babies series. Offering first-run features EVERY TUESDAY AFTERNOON with full food and beverage service, our Hawks with Babies screenings are a great opportunity for new parents to be able to get out of the house and into an afternoon movie with their babies. This series is catered to parents with babies 1-year or younger. November 19th: Marriage Story ~ An incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together. Run Time: 136 min. Rated R.
See all the Tuesday events here.
Wednesday November 20th
Stomp, Clap & Sing with Jam I Am at Flatlands Brooklyn Public Library
Wednesday November 20th 11a-12n. Free. Singing guitarist Will Leet and jazz singer/pianist Sammy Rae Bowers will sing an exciting mix of children’s songs and contemporary pop songs, and foster exploration with musical instruments and fun movement activities. We believe that exposing kids to musical group settings allows them to explore their creativity, interact compassionately with their peers, and grow more socially and culturally aware.
Baby Storytime: Mother Goose Rhyme Time at the Tompkins Square NY Public Library
Wednesdays at 2p in November. Free. Location: Basement. Enjoy thirty minutes of songs, nursery rhymes, and fingerplays that get everyone involved in the fun!
Opening Day of NYC Winter Lantern Festival at Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden (Staten Island)
Opening Wednesday November 20th multiple dates and times until January 12th. Hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays 5-930p. Fridays-Sundays 5-1030p. Also open Monday-Tuesday December 30th-31st 5-10p. Tickets: $25 general admission, $17 youth ticket (ages 3-12y), $20 Senior/Military/Student. After our success last year, the NYC Winter Lantern Festival is back to transform Staten Island’s Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden into a whimsical world of light. There will be over 1,000 lanterns on display, sculpted into magnificent figures of luminescent art. Bring your whole family to revel in eight acres of lights, live cultural shows, interactive exhibits, and more. For those of you who attended last year’s event, prepare yourself for a completely fresh, new, and unique display! Purchase tickets here.
See all the Wednesday events here.
Thursday November 21st
Opening Day of the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
Opening Thursday November 21st and ongoing until February 23rd 2020. FREE. Hours: Monday–Friday 8a–8p, Saturday and Sunday: 11a–6p. Closed for special events and major holidays. Every holiday season, the New York Transit Museum’s Grand Central Gallery plays host to a city within a city with the display of a miniature electric railroad running over, through, and beneath some of New York’s most magnificent landmarks. Celebrating its 18th year of operation, this beloved annual holiday exhibit features model trains traveling along a 34’ long, two-level, “O” gauge model train layout. This year’s exhibit is set against a mural designed by cartoonist Julia Wertz. Departing from a miniature replica of Grand Central Terminal, the Transit Museum’s collection of Lionel trains including Metro-North, Polar Express, and vintage subway train sets will dazzle the eyes of children and adults alike as they make their way past New York landmarks and on to the North Pole! Note that strollers are not permitted in the Gallery & Store. Additionally, Grand Central Terminal does not permit unattended strollers. Please consider leaving your strollers at home. See website for directions to event.
Brainy Bill: Goin’ Buggy at Macon Brooklyn Public Library
Thursday November 21st 4-5p. Free. Kids ages 6-12 are encouraged to go buggy with edutainer Brainy Bill. Bugs offer an amazing window into life on our planet. Kids will be thrilled by Brainy Bill’s many-legged friends as they observe and interact with Madagascar hissing cockroaches, stick bugs, millipedes, and more! And they’ll discuss bugs’ environments, adaptations, and body structures. At the end of the program, take home a bug viewer to keep exploring!
Holiday Lighting Party in Albee Square (Downtown Brooklyn)
Thursday November 21st starting at 5p. Free. We’re kicking off the holiday season – Brooklyn style – with the third annual, Downtown Brooklyn Gets Lit: Holiday Lighting Party at Albee Square! Join us for special performances by Brooklyn dance company Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet and the show-stopping youth marching band BK United. DJ Mike Doelo provides the beats. Come and grab a complimentary hot chocolate from Albee Square’s food kiosk Al B’s and join in the countdown to holiday lights ON!
See all the Thursday events here.
Ongoing Events
Canstruction 2019 in Brookfield Place (Battery Park City)
Daily 10a-8p until Thursday November 21st. Free to attend. There is no admission fee to enter Canstruction, but we ask that all our visitors bring a full can of healthy food (or several) to donate to City Harvest. There is a large collection bin next to the Information Desk located on the second level. An extraordinary annual design competition and the most unique food charity in the world, Canstruction challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food. The large-scale structures are placed on display and later donated to City Harvest for distribution to those in need. Note: It is best to enter through the doors at 230 Vesey Street where you will see the first of the structures.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Tuesdays-Fridays 1030a & 1130a and Saturdays-Sundays 1p and ongoing at various times until February 23, 2020. See website for the full schedule. Tickets: $12 adult, $8 child. An original story and production from the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Yet, Set, Snow! is the story of a young girl named Widget, and her friend, Twig, who encounter a yeti named Pascetti on the first snow day of the winter season. Pascetti, who lives on a mountain top nearby, dislikes the snow. Through songs and snow day activities, Pascetti discovers not only that snow can be fun but also the value of friendship.
Survival of the Slowest at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Ongoing until February 2nd 2020. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10a-5p, Thursday 10a-6p & Saturday-Sunday 10a-7p. Free with Museum admission. Meet Roger the sloth! He has two toes, lives in Central America, and is visiting Brooklyn with his friends. Learn about how slow animals survive and thrive in our fast-paced world at BCM’s newest exhibit. Survival of the Slowest features 19 distinct habitats with live animals, including Roger the two-toed sloth, a blood python, a roughneck monitor lizard, and many more. Each day this exhibit will offer up-close experiences with slow and small species that survive and thrive in a world where large, strong, and fast animals are often at the top of the food chain. Survival of the Slowest prompts families to appreciate the different evolutionary paths of these incredible creatures, and showcases the value of deliberation in our fast-paced city. While exploring Survival of the Slowest, young visitors will explore concepts of biology and evolutionary science. Live animal presentations are offered throughout the day to educate, entertain, and most importantly, connect visitors with wildlife and nature.
Tots Drop in Center at Congregation Beth Elohim (Park Slope)
Tuesdays-Fridays 915a-12p starting November 12th. Fees: Temple Member $13/child, $18 with additional sibling. Non-member $15/child, $21 with additional sibling. 10 packs also available for purchase. See website for more information. The tots drop-in center is a place for children ages 0-24 months and their parents/caregivers to explore, learn, and have fun! Drop in for play with age-appropriate toys and activities in our social hall (large indoor space). Please check the preschool calendar for holiday closures. No advanced registration required – please do drop in!
Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Ongoing until February 23rd 2020. Museum hours: Tuesday-Thursday 10a-6p, Friday 10a-8p, Saturday 10a-6p & Sunday 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. Holiday Express returns to New-York Historical this holiday season, reimagined to celebrate the 100th birthday of Busytown author and illustrator Richard Scarry. The installation showcases artwork and graphics of Scarry’s characters (like Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm!) from publisher Penguin Random House alongside Jerni Collection toys. Children and adults can also experience dynamic displays exploring the workings of the railroad, the services it provides, and the jobs required to keep people and goods moving.
The Art of the Brick at New York Hall of Science
Daily through January 26th. General hours ~ Monday–Friday: 930a-5p and Saturday–Sunday: 10a-6p. Entry to the exhibition costs $7 per person, plus NYSCI admission. Experience The Art of the Brick, the world’s largest display of LEGO® art! Artist Nathan Sawaya created more than 100 pieces for this exhibition using only LEGO bricks. The collection features original pieces, as well as re-imagined versions of some of the world’s most famous art masterpieces. More than one million LEGO bricks were used to create Sawaya’s sculptures. See the website for all the event details.
Playdate & Mingle Time at Edamama Cute Cuts & More (Williamsburg)
Daily 130-3p. Cash only: $15 per munchkin. Sibling is $25 (two children). Adults are free! Spots are available on a first come, first serve basis. Invite your friends. While munchkins are rolling around and socializing you can take a breather with your friends! Our space is the most children and family friendly hang out space in the hood. Play dates are an informal and unstructured social events for munchkins 0 to 3 yrs old and their tribe.
King of the Jungle at Brooklyn Zoo (Williamsburg)
Mondays-Fridays 4-5p. $25/drop-in. Class packs also available. For ages 5-10y. King of the Jungle is a good intro class to our space. It combines two or more skills that we teach in our space and put it into one classes. The skills that are taught during our King of the Jungle classes are Parkour, Ninja Warrior, Trampoline, and Tumbling. (Class may vary depending on instructor)
T. rex: The Ultimate Predator at American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Daily 10a-545p until August 9th 2020. Timed entry only. Gallery 3, third floor. General Admission + One tickets: Adult $28 / Child (2-12) $16.50 / Senior & Student $22.50. Free for members. How did T. rex evolve to become the most fearsome carnivore of the Mesozoic? T. rex: The Ultimate Predator will introduce you to the entire tyrannosaur superfamily and reveal the amazing story of the most iconic dinosaur in the world through stunning life-sized models, fossils and casts, engaging interactives, and an immersive multiplayer virtual reality experience developed exclusively for this exhibition. Warning: you may never think of T. rex the same way again.
Drop-in Storytimes at Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab (Park Slope)
Mondays 1130a, 1230p & 3p, Tuesdays 1030a, Wednesdays 1130a & 1230p, Thursdays 1030a & 1130a & Fridays 1130a & 1230p. No sign-up or registration is needed for Storytimes. We lead storytimes with our staff for babies through toddlers five days a week! Weekday Storytimes with our staff are $10 per family, with further discounted Read-y passes available for sale in our bookshop. See website for information.
Under 5s Drop In Class at the Children’s Museum of the Arts (SoHo)
Monday-Friday 1045a-12n. $30 per family (total of 5), CMA members $15 per family. Music time! Story time! Art time! Join CMA’s stART teaching artists for an art-filled drop-in session when the museum is closed for general hours. Parent and/or caregivers are required to join and we encourage family collaboration throughout the class. No sign up required. Want to stay longer? General admission is just $6 per family after drop-in.
Ed Center in Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-5p and also Saturdays and Sundays from 1–5p. 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!