Hi everyone! I hope the kids are enjoying the midwinter break and there are still some fun events going here in NYC.
Head out and enjoy Pop Up in Brooklyn at K.B. Gymnasium, The Little Match Girl at St. Lukes Theatre, The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at Central Brooklyn Public Library, Just Kidding: The Gustafer Yellowgold Show at Symphony Space, Family Fun with Suzi Shelton at Jalopy Theatre, Nature’s Workshop: Linoleum Cut Fabric Printing in Fort Greene Park, Black Future Festival at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Shadow Theater Workshops: The Art of Chinese New Year at China Institute, Pirate Pete’s Parrot at Secret Theatre, LC Kids: Mumu Fresh: An Acoustic Experience at Clark Studio Theater, Family Program: Moving Image Studio at Museum of the Moving Image,Vacation Week: Found Object Puppetry at The Jewish Museum, Kids Week at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Celebrating Elizabeth Jennings Graham at NY Transit Museum, Junior Makers Staycation: Foraging, Fibers & Food at Queens County Farm Museum and Power Pigeon Puppet Pals at Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
Don’t forget to check out the long running events like Survival: The Exhibition at NY Hall of Science, She Persisted, The Musical at Linda Gross Theater, Lunar Zoo Year – Year of the Rat in Prospect Park Zoo, Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks, the 18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal, Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum, Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre, Riddle of the Trilobites at New Victory Theater and the last few days of Holiday Express: All Aboard to Richard Scarry’s Busytown at New-York Historical Society.
These are just some of the weekend events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Have a wonderful time this weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday February 21st
Midwinter Recess Family Programming: Celebrating Elizabeth Jennings Graham at NY Transit Museum (Downtown Brooklyn)
Friday February 21st 11a-3p. Free with Museum admission. 100 years before Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Jennings Graham refused to give up her seat. Join us for special family programs celebrating the story and spirit of this civil rights pioneer. See the website for all the event details.
Junior Makers Staycation: Foraging, Fibers & Food at Queens County Farm Museum
Friday February 21st 12n-3p. Advance Tickets: $10/child (ages 2 & up), Door Tickets: $15/child (ages 2 & up). Accompanying parent/guardian is free. New for Winter break! This 3-day program is bushels of fun and supports STEM learning objectives giving children the opportunity to create, imagine and explore at Queens Farm. Junior Makers will churn fresh butter, create works with natural materials, learn to spin sheep’s wool into yarn and finally get a chance to play with their food! Each day of Foraging, Fibers & Food has its own unique programming! See website for all the details. While on the farm, Junior Makers and their families can meet the farm’s alpacas, sheep, goats and steer. The Farm Store will be open selling animal feed. Shoppers will also find traditional games, toys and unique Made-in-Queens items including Queens Farm herbal teas and woven scarves and yarn from the farm’s flock of heritage Cotswold sheep.
Alice in Wonderland at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Friday February 21st 1230p & 230p and Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until April 5th. For 3y+. Admission for a Child is $10, an Adult $11. 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 Nicolas Coppola & Adam Kilgour.
Vacation Week: Found Object Puppetry at The Jewish Museum (UES)
Friday February 21st 1-4p. For ages 3 & up. RSVP recommended. Included with Museum Admission; admission is free for children 18 and under. Create a whimsical puppet after viewing the imaginative work in the exhibition Rachel Feinstein: Maiden, Mother, Crone. Find inspiration in Feinstein’s innovative use of materials and form a unique character using wood, cardboard, and found objects.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday February 22nd
She Persisted, The Musical at Linda Gross Theater (Chelsea)
Starting Saturday February 22nd 1030a & ongoing Saturdays-Sundays 1030a until March 22nd. Tickets: $16.50/child, $21.50/adult. Recommended for children 5+ but welcomes kids of all ages. In this trailblazing new musical for young audiences based on Chelsea Clinton’s best-selling book, fourth-grader Naomi’s field trip to a Women’s History Museum turns into a time travel adventure where she encounters inspirational women overcoming barriers and making waves. Please note: Saturday, March 7th at 10:30am will be a Relaxed Performance. See the website for all the details.
Just Kidding: The Gustafer Yellowgold Show at Symphony Space (UWS)
February 22nd 11a. Ticket: $14 member, $17 non-members. Expected run time is 60 minutes. Gorgeous full-screen animation accompanies a live band in this multimedia extravaganza. Described by The New York Times as “Dr.Seuss Meets ‘Yellow Submarine,” Grammy nominated Morgan Taylor’s multimedia performance about a little guy from the Sun and his forest friends is an annual Symphony Space performance that is not-to-be-missed!
LC Kids: Mumu Fresh: An Acoustic Experience at Clark Studio Theater (UWS)
Saturday February 22nd 11a & 2p. Tickets: $25. Performance length: 45 minutes. For ages 5-11y. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Maimouna Youssef’s lyrical prowess has taken her around the globe as a musician and social justice advocate. Known as Mumu Fresh, her performance blends gospel, jazz, soul, and hip-hop for an awe-inspiring musical experience.
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival at Central Brooklyn Public Library
Saturday February 22nd 1-3p. Free. Location: Dweck Center. The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival returns to Brooklyn for the fifth year! It’s a free annual video contest in which kid filmmakers create short movies that tell the entire stories of Newbery award-winning books in about 90 seconds. Creative takes are encouraged — think “Charlotte’s Web” as a horror movie, or “A Wrinkle in Time” as a musical. For the past eight years the 90-Second Newbery has screened the best kid-made movies annually in New York, Chicago, Boston, and many other cities—including right here in Brooklyn. The screening is hosted by children’s authors James Kennedy (“The Order of Odd-Fish”) and Newbery Honor Winner Rita Williams-Garcia (“One Crazy Summer” and more). Their books (and books of other Newbery winners) will be available for sale on-site thanks to Stories Bookshop + Storytelling Lab. Tickets are free! However, we recommend reserving your seat in advance to ensure admittance here.
Pirate Pete’s Parrot at Secret Theatre (Long Island City)
Fourth Saturday of month at 230p until November 28th. Tickets: $20/adult, $15/child (under 17) $40/family 4 pack. Pirate Pete is a lovable rogue on a mission: to find his beloved runaway parrot Polly (who prefers pancakes to boring old birdseed), to find his buried treasure, and to pay the rent to Baron Big-Butt. Says writer and star Richard Mazda, “The show is so much fun to do. One of my favorite things is seeing the parents enjoy it as much as the kids.” Indeed, children and adults will find a lot to love in this quirky production filled with memorable characters! Audience interaction. Photo opportunity after the performance with the actors. Feel free to dress up in costume!
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday February 23rd
Pop Up in Brooklyn at K.B. Gymnasium (Williamsburg) [sponsored]
Sunday February 23rd 10-11a For ages 5-10. Tickets: $10/early bird, $20/the planner, $35/last minute. Memory Engagement – KB M.E About this Event: KB M.E.- Engagement of Others and a strong Memory are lifelong skills that will aide a successful child today and in future as adults. Through scaffolding led by our brain coaches KB Kids will perform exercises centered around enhancing Memory and cultivating meaningful relationships which they will utilize to obtain a common objective. Workouts will aide in developing spatial recognition, pattern identification, collaboration and making / testing hypothesis. These classes are designed to push every fiber of grey matter to the max. Executive function: Memory, Engagement with others. Purchase tickets here. Also check out Memory Attention Patience Persistence Engagement – KB MAPPED at 1130a-1230p for ages 5-10. See the website for all the event details.
Family Fun with Suzi Shelton at Jalopy Theatre (Red Hook)
Sunday February 23rd 11a. Tickets: $5 kids, $10 adults, $25 family ticket. Suzi Shelton is multi award-winning singer/songwriter who has been making catchy and meaningful music for families in NYC and beyond for more than a decade. She has performed at such prestigious venues as The White House, Lincoln Center, Madison Square Park and Symphony Space in NYC, to name a few, and is a favorite among the hip tot set in her home turf of Park Slope, Brooklyn. Suzi’s family shows are filled with smiles, laughter and joy, and make you feel warm and fuzzy all over.
Nature’s Workshop: Linoleum Cut Fabric Printing in Fort Greene Park
Sunday February 23rd 11a-1230p. Free. Location: Myrtle Avenue at Washington Park. Our Urban Park Rangers’ Nature Centers are your gateway to New York City parks. Each serves as an in-park community center for public education, recreational activities, and environmental studies. This winter, join us for the Nature’s Workshop series. Each program in this series explores its topic in-depth and allows you to develop a skill, participate in a hands-on project, and indulge your curiosity. Join the Rangers for Linoleum Cut Fabric Printing. Bring an old t-shirt and make it new with a nature design print! All art materials will be provided.
The Beauty of Ballet at Queens Theatre
Sunday February 23rd 1p & 3p. For ages 4+. Free admission. Call our Box Office at 718.760.004 to reserve your FREE tickets. Presented by the School of American Ballet. How do ballerinas dance on their toes? How do dancers spin and turn without getting dizzy? Those questions and more will be answered during the performance of favorite ballet moments such as The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. Faculty member Katrina Killian and advanced students from the School of American Ballet will be featured in this enchanting introduction to the art of classical ballet.
Shadow Theater Workshops: The Art of Chinese New Year at China Institute (Financial District)
Sunday February 23rd 2-330p. Tickets: $20, $10 non-member. Chinese shadow performance has a history going back 2000 years. The traditional shadow theater uses beautifully carved and colored animal-skin figures, manipulated behind cloth screens to portray vivid episodes from history, religion, literature and folktale. In these workshops, Chinese Theatre Works artists will introduce participants to this fascinating art form (the root of all motion picture media) and lead them in designing and building their own shadow figures! Purchase tickets here.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
The Little Match Girl at St. Lukes Theatre (Hell’s Kitchen) [sponsored]
Saturday- Sunday February 22nd-23rd 2p. Tickets start at $29.50. Running Time: 75 (no intermission). THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL, the iconic story by Hans Christian Anderson comes to life in this brand new musical adaptation. set to a contemporary score filled with soaring melodies. It’s New Years Eve, and the Little Match Girl is forced onto the streets to sell matches to support her family. Cold and alone, her wondrous imagination takes her away from the harsh realities and struggles of her daily life. Armed with match sticks and music, she finds the hope we all need.
Black Future Festival at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Friday-Sunday February 21st-23rd events at various times. See website for schedule of events. Free with Museum admission. Join us for a week of reflection and future-forward fun inspired by the national celebration of peoples of the African Diaspora and Black History Month. We welcome you to explore TRiPTIC—an Afrofuturist galaxy created by our festival artist-in-residence, Kwame Brandt-Pierce. With Dr. Shabazz B. Spacely as your guide, create decoding goggles in ColorLab, enjoy interactive performances, meet JuB JuB and other creatures, and handle objects only found in the TRiPTIC galaxy. Journey through your imagination, dive into the past, and learn more about the Black visionaries who do amazing things to help shape a bright future for all!
Family Program: Moving Image Studio at Museum of the Moving Image
Friday-Sunday February 21st-23rd 11a-4p. Free with Museum admission. Recommended for ages 4 and up and their adult companions. Moving Image Studio is the Museum’s drop-in space where visitors of all ages can create media and other projects. Families are welcome to stop by and experiment by performing in front of a green-screen or create live animation works using lego sets. Themes are inspired by the core exhibition Behind the Screen and the special exhibition Envisioning 2001: Stanley Kubrick’s Space Odyssey.
Survival: The Exhibition at NY Hall of Science
Daily until September 13th. Hours: Monday – Friday, 930a-5p, Saturday & Sunday, 10a-6p. $7 per person, plus NYSCI admission. Free for Members. Become the ultimate survival expert. Test your survival skills. Learn how to build shelter in the forest, find water in the desert, stay warm in the extreme cold. Plus, learn water safety and emergency preparations. Survival culminates in the Adventure Zone Ropes Course and Zip Line, where visitors’ confidence and problem-solving skills are put to the test. Course obstacles and activities teach balance, focus, coordination and concentration while building resilience and determination in the face of adversity. See the website for all the details. Also check out School’s Out Week: Engineering Week at NY Hall of Science ongoing until February 23rd. See website for all the details.
Power Pigeon Puppet Pals at Children’s Museum of Manhattan (UWS)
Friday-Sunday February 21st-23rd 10a-1p. Free with Museum admission. For all ages. Drop-in. Location: 1st Floor – Inside Art. Color and design a walking finger puppet of your favorite super powered pigeon, Zip, Zap or Zoom. Bring them along to help you make your way in the Super Power Metropolis! Take them home to continue learning above and beyond! See the website for all the midwinter recess events going on this week.
Kids Week at Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Hell’s Kitchen)
Daily 10a-5p until Saturday February 22nd. Free with Museum admission. Join us all week long for live animal shows, pop-up planetarium shows, maker spaces, live performances and so much more! Children of all ages and interests will learn more about STEAM through activities and demonstrations designed to educate and inspire. See the schedule of events here.
Riddle of the Trilobites at New Victory Theater
Friday February 21st 12n & Saturday-Sunday February 22nd-23rd 12n & 5p. Tickets start at $17. For everyone 6 and up. Running Time: 80 minutes with no intermission. Travel way way way way way back in time! In this live, original musical, set 500 million years ago, all life dwells in one sea and trilobites rule the ocean floor. When young Aphra discovers that the fate of the entire trilobite kingdom rests on her shelled shoulders, she and her arthropod pals must solve the RIDDLE OF THE TRILOBITES before a sea change of epic proportions destroys their home. With humor, heart and eye-popping prehistoric puppetry, this underwater adventure shows us how we can leave our mark on the world when we dare to be brave.
Lunar Zoo Year – Year of the Rat in Prospect Park Zoo
Saturdays-Sundays 10a-4p in February. Free with Zoo admission. Visit Prospect Park Zoo on February weekends to celebrate the festival of the new moon and animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Meet one of the tiniest rodents in the world, the Eurasian Harvest Mouse and learn how the Wildlife Conservation Society is helping animals in China and Southeast Asia. Special activities and a zodiac scavenger hunt will all be a part of the fun.
Yeti, Set, Snow! at Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre (Central Park)
Friday February 21st 11a, 1p & 3p and Saturday-Sunday February 22nd-23rd 11a & 1p (last weekend!). 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.
18th Annual Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal (Midtown East)
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!
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.
Film Forum Jr. Matinee at the Film Forum (Lower East Side)
Saturdays-Sundays at 11a until March 15th. ALL TICKETS $9. Advance tickets on sale at the box office and online. Most programs appropriate for ages 5 and up. Classics For Kids and Their Families! February 22nd-23rd Little Fugitive