Hi everyone! August is here and in addition to virtual events there are also some outdoor events to enjoy as NYC opens up slowly.
NYC Outdoor Pools, Governors Island and Prospect Park Zoo have been open and this week you can also enjoy Biking, Boating + the Splash Pad in Prospect Park and the opening of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! Also check out some fun virtual events like Stomp, Clap, and Sing with Esther Crow, Summer Reading: Monkey Monkey Music: At Home with Merry, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music: Sing it Out!, Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom, Hudson River Virtual Walks, NYPL: Music with Patrick- Super Silly Sing-Along, Summer Reading: Parallel Exit and Ramblin Dan Music Classes Online.
There are more events on the calendar so check it to see everything that is going on. Also follow us on our Facebook page for updates.
Have fun & stay cool!
~Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday August 3rd
The Wonder: Beats
Mondays 930-10a & 1-130p until August 24th. $15/drop in class. For ages 3m-6y. Music classes with story time, sing-a-long, and dancing with Wonder Guide Brendan. Rotating artists and genres each week from The Beatles to Beyonce and everything in between. Book the 930a class here & the 1p class here.
Summer Reading: Monkey Monkey Music: At Home with Merry
Monday August 3rd 11a-12n. Free. Come sing along with Merry in her special space created just for child viewers. Explore Merry’s handmade world while she entertains children with familiar favorites and classic Monkey Monkey Music songs as seen daily on PBS stations. View the broadcast on Facebook Live at 11a.
See all the Monday events here.
Tuesday August 4th
Stomp, Clap, and Sing with Esther Crow
Tuesday August 4th 11a-12n. Free. Esther Crow is an award-winning singer, songwriter and teacher. Her online show experience is an eclectic mix of original acoustic guitar songs, and backing tracks of Thunder & Sunshine songs (a rock band she founded in 2017), which she sings both independently, and as duets with her handmade felt puppets (created by Jeff Lewonczyk). Each of her puppets have big personalities and dance moves of their own; like Bernie the Bee who loves to eat anchovies and dance to the sound of a kazoo. She weaves comedy and kindness into each show, while encouraging kids to shake instruments and move their bodies. Recommended for kids 0-6 yrs old. View the broadcast on Instagram Live at 11a.
NYPL: Music with Patrick- Super Silly Sing-Along
Tuesday August 4th 11a. Free. A celebration of our common human language, featuring Mr. Patrick, his guitar and silly puppets, and instruments from many cultures. The program will be held virtually here.
See all the Tuesday events here
Wednesday August 5th
Hudson River Virtual Walks
Wednesday August 5th 2p & the 1st Wednesday of every month until 10/7/2020. Free. Tune in live with HRPK’s River Project to enjoy virtual programs and connect with the Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary. Discover HRPK’s dynamic shoreline with guided walking tours of the Park’s historic vessels, hidden gardens, and historic landmarks. Sign up here. Tune in on Facebook live.
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music: Sing it Out!
Wednesday August 5th 5p. Free and open to anyone. Join us on Facebook Live or click here for the Zoom link. Join us for an all-inclusive family singalong! BKCM Music Therapy Director Toby Williams will kick-off the event by leading some all-ages breathing and vocal exercises that relieve anxiety while promoting body connection and readiness to sing. Two music therapy clients will perform, and families will be invited to sing along (muted) at home. Lyrics will be circulated via the Zoom share screen. BKCM’s music therapists will offer some family music tips along the way!
See all the Wednesday events here.
Thursday August 6th
Ramblin Dan Music Class Online
Thursdays 930a, 11a & 330p until August 27th. $20/class. For ages 0m-6yrs. New York City’s Favorite Early Childhood Music Teacher is now offering Online Classes To EVERYONE during our Public Health Crisis! Dan’s personality will jump right through your screen and engage your kids on a personal level! We’ll do musical Activities, Musical Books, Jam, Dance, Clap, Move and Groove together. Dan will also use virtual backgrounds, photos and videos and other visual props like space helmets, toy rocket ships, cars, animals, puppets and much much more to keep your child engaged for 40 minutes and having fun the whole time. We will cover many different subjects with the help of these props and visual enhancements, so in many ways we can do a lot more online than we could in person! Notes: Join link here and activity access information will be sent by email. Make Sure You Get out some musical Toys before Class begins! We hope the parents join us and Jam along too, but as this is an online class, Parents are free to come and go as needed. Register here for 930a, here for 11a & here for 330p.
Summer Reading: Parallel Exit
Thursday August 6th 2-3p. Free. A vaudeville show for the entire family, with juggling, magic, and music. Fun-loving physical comedians present a wide range of old-fashioned family entertainment, and you get to join in the fun! Brought to you by the award-winning troupe Parallel Exit, New York City’s experts in high-velocity. The program will premier on the Parallel Exit Vimeo page at 2p.
See all the Thursday events here.
Friday August 7th
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Opening Day
Friday August 7th 10a-830p. Pay If You Can Welcome Weeks: Free tickets are available. Advance timed-entry tickets are required to enter. Tickets will be available to reserve beginning Monday, July 27. New Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Sunday: 10a–6p, Thursday, Friday, Saturday: 10a–830p. Notes: Limiting your stay to 3 hours will allow others to enjoy the Garden. Face coverings are required. Maintain social distance. Indoor spaces are closed. Bring your own water. Reserve tickets here.
Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom
Fridays at 2p until August 14th. Free. Schools may be closed but Lincoln Center Pop-Up Classroom is open. Lessons stay available for you to watch on demand at your convenience. Led by some of world’s best artists and educators, each creative learning activity utilizes simple materials found at home to help families with children explore a variety of art forms. See website for details.
See all the Friday events here.
Daily Events
Brooklyn Public Library Vitural Storytimes
Daily usually at 11a & 2p. Free. Sometimes the storytimes are on the Brooklyn Public Library Family facebook page and othertimes they are on a specific branch facebook page. See the website for all the details.
Biking, Boating + Splash Pad in Prospect Park
Open daily starting Saturday August 1st. Hours: Boating + Biking: daily, 10 am – 8 pm & Splash Pad (water play): daily, 10 am – dusk. Splash pad is free see website for biking & boating rates. COVID-19 Update: Please note that starting Saturday, August 1, the LeFrak Center at Lakeside will be open daily for biking, boating and water play, with food and drink available for takeaway from the Bluestone Cafe; roller skating is not offered at this time. Please note that our water play feature, Splash Pad, is not regularly sanitized, and patrons are requested to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines posted on site, including adhering to mask wearing and social distancing protocols.
Creatively Wild Art Studio: Creative Playtime for Toddlers with DM & BLU
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9-945a until August 31st. $20/class (class packages also available). Suitable for Toddlers ages 22 months- 3.5 yrs. Our fun, engaging summer online playtime class for Toddlers is hosted by our very own DM (our creative director /owner) and will include an awesome art project, a story & a sing-song! Brought to you in the comfort of your own home during these challenging times. This is a 45 minute immersive adventure & the perfect way to keep your tiny one engaged & inspired. Art nurtures each child’s development and helps them make creative choices, gain confidence, develop fine motor skills. We will set a cool art project every morning, you will be amazed at what your little one can create! For all online classes you will need to purchase your own Art Supplies. See the website for the details. NOTE: This is an Online Art Class that meets virtually
Free Bike Mornings on Governors Island
Mondays-Fridays 10a-12n. Free. Blazing Saddles offers bikes, surreys, pedal cars, scooters and more for rental. Free Bike Mornings allow visitors to borrow a bike from Blazing Saddles for free for up to one hour every weekday between 10 AM and noon. Come visit Blazing Saddles at the north end of Colonels Row and bike the Island! This year you need a reservation for the ferry. See the website for all the details.
The Hopalong Andrew Show
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10a until August 27th. $10 Suggested Minimum. Back in the saddle! This is the first time I’ve ever tried something like this… a retro-tinged, 1-man variety show from my apartment. Flavorpill Critic’s Pick: “A camp-heavy combination of Mr. Rogers meets Bob Ross… Hopalong Andrew might be just weird enough for folks to tune in.” VENMO @HopalongAndrew (code, if needed, 5283) or PAYPAL hopalongandrew@gmail.com. See the website for all the details.
PJ Library Digital Resources
Monday-Friday storytimes & craft-alongs at 11a, 1p & 4p (eastern) and virtual field trips 12n eastern everyday. See website for details.
Bilingual Birdies Zoom Classes
Tuesdays 5p (Spanish), Wednesdays 11 (Mandarin), Thursdays 11a (Spanish), Fridays 11a (French). Pricing: Weekly: $15 per week of unlimited access to classes, Monthly: $40 per month of unlimited access to classes, Semester: $120 for an entire four months of unlimited access to classes. Experience the bilingual magic from home with virtual classes for kids up to age 6! Learn & practice languages at home through singing, dancing, and puppetry! Interactive 30-minute classes will be held live by our top bilingual teaching musicians who will enchant your child while they increase their vocabulary and celebrate diversity! Sign up and receive a “Mini Birdkit” (fun class materials) in the mail and enjoy unlimited classes in Spanish, French, and Mandarin. See the website here.
Jumpin’ Jams: Summer Online Music Class
Wednesdays-Fridays 945-1030a until August 14th. $17/drop in class. For ages 3m-6y. This is a LIVE online, interactive version of our hoppin’ music classes! You can login thru Zoom (we’ll send you the link, once registered) and join the fun! We will go on a musical train ride, get down and boogie, and check out different instruments while jamming along with fun, age appropriate music. Many of the movement based songs are designed to reinforce early language development and an understanding of the world around them. Come jam with us! Register here for Wednesdays, here for Thursdays & here for Fridays. See the website for information on classes on other days/times.
Children’s Museum of Manhattan at Home
Activities in a daily email newsletter. Free. While the Museum is closed, our CMOM educators are still working to fill your child’s day with engaging interactive activity. CMOM can still be a part of your day through videos, sing-a-longs, games and so much more for you to do together with your family at home! Sign up for emails here (go all the way down the page on the right hand side for email sign up). From slime-making, dance parties and being transported to Japan with a recipe for sushi, to making animal puppets from recycled materials around the house, creating a bedtime routine and storytimes, “CMOM at Home” is sure to delight. Each day of the week will feature a different theme: Magical Monday, Move & Grove Tuesday, Our World Wednesday, Artsy Thursday, Feel Good Friday, Storytime Saturday and Surprise Sunday.