Hi everyone! So Summer vacation is not over for NYC public school children yet and there is lots to do this week.
This week be sure to check out Labory Day at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks, American Museum of Natural History Opening Day, Urban Park Ranger Nature and Wildlife Activities in Tompkins Square Park, Biking, Boating + Splash Pad and Roller Skating in Prospect Park, Storytime from the Edible Academy with New York Botanical Garden, Journey to the Past – NYC and Transit History with the New York Transit Museum, Eastside Westside Music Together Free Preview Classes, Calming Rocks! with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, NYPL: Time Out Kids Online Storytime, Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Queens Public Library and Mind Body Music-Outdoor Music Class in Central Park.
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 updates.
Have a wonderful time this week!
~Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday September 7th
Labor Day at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Monday September 7th and tickets are available 1015a until 430p. Admission by advance ticket only. During the Garden’s opening weeks, please pay if you can. Purchase tickets here (scroll down for the Welcome Weeks free admission). BBG will be open on Labor Day, September 7. Enjoy the last days of summer at the Garden. See new areas like the Elizabeth Scholtz Woodland Garden, featuring an open-air “walled garden,” and the redesigned Robert W. Wilson Overlook, an ascending garden filled with summer-flowering crape-myrtle trees, ornamental grasses, and herbaceous perennials. Note: Lily Pool Terrace is closed for repairs. Food services are closed and picnicking is not permitted. Indoor spaces, interactive exhibits, and some outdoor areas are closed for your safety. Face coverings are required. Maintain social distance. Bring your own water.
Urban Park Ranger Nature and Wildlife Activities in Tompkins Square Park
Monday September 7th 1-2p. Free. Free. Location: Starr Street Entrance. Look out for our Urban Park Rangers who will be in the park providing nature and wildlife-related activities and engagement. Activities may include nature art, scavenger hunts, physical challenges, and more. Note: Maintain six feet of physical distance between households, wear a face covering and additionally, we encourage participants to bring their own hand sanitizer to our programs. See the website for all the event details.
See all the Monday events here.
Tuesday September 8th
Eastside Westside Music Together Free Preview Classes
Tuesday September 8th-Sunday September 13th various times. Classes in the Zoom Room. There are classes for babies, mixed age classes, Master Classes for 3s/4s, Canta y Baila Conmigo® and Rhythm Kids. Click here to see the schedule of classes and to register for a free preview class.
NYPL: Time Out Kids Online Storytime
Mondays-Fridays 10a until September 30th (none 9/7). Free. The New York Public Library is partnering with Time Out Kids! Visit this this website to tune in to storytime with our expert children’s librarians as they read beloved books, sing songs, and share early literacy tips.
See all the Tuesday events here
Wednesday September 9th
American Museum of Natural History Opening Day
Opening Wednesday September 9th and timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p) Wednesdays-Sundays. General Admission: Adult $23 / Child (3-12) $13 / Senior & Student $18. Reserve tickets here. We’re excited to welcome you back to the Museum! The health and safety of our visitors and staff is the top priority. When we reopen, you’ll notice some important changes to operating days, ticketing, and health and safety measures, including a timed-entry ticket reservation requirement. See the website for all the details. See the website for information on the exhibits.
Storytime from the Edible Academy with New York Botanical Garden
Wednesday September 9th 10-1030a. Free. This program is intended for children and families. A world of food adventure awaits the whole family with selected readings from the children’s book Kalamata’s Kitchen and cooking demonstrations, filmed at NYBG’s Edible Academy! Register here.
See all the Wednesday events here.
Thursday September 10th
Journey to the Past – NYC and Transit History with the New York Transit Museum
Thursday September 10th 10-1030a. Free. This program is intended for children ages 6 – 11. Register here. Check out the New York Transit Museum’s unique space with a virtual, kid-friendly tour! Learn about life, work, science, and transportation throughout New York City’s past and present. Explore the Museum’s vintage train collection and learn about the history of transportation.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Queens Public Library
Thursday September 10th 5-530p. Free. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Sara, Children’s Librarian at Glendale Library! Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Sara, children’s librarian at Glendale Library, by learning about Puerto Rican librarian and storyteller Pura Belpré. Learn to make your own mouse finger puppet and then listen to a humorous Cuban folktale. Watch live on the Queens Public Library Facebook page.
See all the Thursday events here.
Friday September 11th
Mind Body Music-Outdoor Music Class in Central Park
Fridays 10-1040a until October 2nd. $20/class. For Ages 6 mo – 4 yrs (adult participation required). Location: Central Park – Tarr Family Playground (near W 100th). Register here. Mind Body Music’s hugely fun group classes combine play, music education and mindfulness! You can expect to sing engaging new and old songs, dance to popular music, enjoy story time and much more! Notes: Specific location details will be sent in your order confirmation email! To keep you and your little ones as safe and healthy as possible, we are taking strict COVID safety precautions: thoroughly disinfecting all instruments/props before and after each class, holding classes in outdoor spaces, providing hand sanitizers, and capping our classes at 10 students.
Calming Rocks! with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Friday September 11th 10-1030a. Free. RSVP here. This program is intended for families with children aged 4 – 7 years old. Join us for a storytime about special rocks that you find on your adventures! Sing songs, explore rocks with us and practice calming strategies!
See all the Friday events here.
Daily Events
Little Red Riding Hood at Puppetworks
Wednesdays-Sundays at 1230p until September 20th. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each (suggested for ages 3 and up). Charles Perrault’s Folk Tale adapted for Hand Puppets by Michael Thomas. Call for Reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com NO Same Day e-mail reservations please. Performances are @ 25% Capacity, Masks Required.
Brooklyn Public Library Vitural Storytimes
Daily usually at 11a & 2p. Free. Sometimes the storytimes are on the Brooklyn Public Library Family facebook page and other times they are on a specific branch facebook page. See the website for all the details.
Biking, Boating + Splash Pad in Prospect Park
Open daily. Hours: Boating + Biking: daily, 10a- 8p & Splash Pad (water play): daily, 10a-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. 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.
Rollerskating at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Daily 12n-6p until mid October. Pricing: $6 admission & $7 skate rentals on weekdays and $10 admission, $7 skate rentals on weekends (weekend pricing begins 4p Fridays). Roller Skating is BACK! COVID-19 safety guidelines will be followed, including mask-wearing and social distancing protocols. Skating will operate at reduced capacity. Come get moving with us at Lakeside! Lakeside’s outdoor roller skating rink provides fun for kids, tweens, and adults alike. Skate to a mix of pop hits while taking in views of Prospect Park Lake. Skate rentals are available in children and adult sizes. See website for all the details.
Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium
Daily 10a-5p until September 7th. See the website for fall hours. Admission included with ticket. All visitors must reserve a date-specific ticket in advance. Please check Know Before You Go for details. We have great news: The New York Aquarium is reopening on August 27! Buy tickets to see all of your favorite marine animals today and enjoy summer on Coney Island! Explore Spineless, our latest exhibit, and marvel and the jellies, octopus, and more. Come wave hello to Erie the sea lion and Murphy the Harbor Seal. Relax in Ocean Wonders: Sharks! and watch the rays, sharks, and turtles.
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.
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 11a (Mandarin), Thursdays 11a (Spanish), Fridays 11a (French). Pricing: Weekly: $20 per week of unlimited access to classes, Monthly: $60 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.
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.