Hi everyone! Fall starts this week and there are lots of events to enjoy this week.
This week check out Journey to the Stars in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Creating Characters and Stories with Society of Illustrators, Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks, Wishing Ships Virtual Art Workshop with The Jewish Museum, Farm Tour for Kids at The Battery Urban Farm, Shell-ebrate Oysters with Hudson River Park, American Symphony Orchestra Live in Bryant Park, Hopalong Andrew Zoom Class/Concert, Brooklyn Public Library Virtual Storytimes, Travel con Lola at little Lola & tots, and Queens Public Library: Ding Dong Bell! Time for School.
Don’t forget to check out the long running events like Biking, Boating + Splash Pad and Rollerskating at Lakeside in Prospect Park, the Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium, Free Bike Mornings on Governors Island and The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History.
There are more events this week so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also follow us on our Facebook page for updates.
Enjoy the week!
~Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Monday September 21st
Wishing Ships Virtual Art Workshop with The Jewish Museum
Monday September 21st 330-415p. For ages 4 & up. Register here for Zoom link. One ticket per household. Get creative with other families in our new monthly series of virtual art workshops. Each month, explore a new theme related to holidays, the Museum’s collection, or special exhibitions. Use your imagination and create your own sculptures during the fall holidays! In this art workshop, discover whimsical vessels and other intriguing objects related to the holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot. Gather materials at home to design a “Wishing Ship.” Transform a container with wings, fins, or other details and picture it traveling by air, sea, land, or even in outer space! Your magical ship can be filled with drawings/wishes for the New Year to come. See the website for the materials needed.
American Symphony Orchestra Live in Bryant Park
Monday September 21st 530-630p. Free. Location: Upper Terrace (performances are first-come, first served, and audiences will be capped at 50 people). Live music has been scarce this summer, but enthusiasts will be able to enjoy four world class performances when Bryant Park hosts a string quartet featuring musicians from the American Symphony Orchestra (ASO) for a series of pop-up shows. One of the premier orchestral groups in the country, ASO has been delighting audiences since 1962 with concerts featuring “musical works … curated around ideas drawn from a variety of disciplines such as history, visual arts, science, politics and literature.” Can’t make it in person? The show on September 21 be live streamed on the Bryant Park Facebook and Instagram feeds. Attendees are encouraged to wear masks and practice social distancing. We look forward to seeing you there! This event will also happen Wednesday September 223rd 530-630p.
See all the Monday events here.
Tuesday September 22nd
Hopalong Andrew Zoom Class/Concert
Tuesdays 1030a & 1p and Thursdays 1030a. Drop-In live zoom classes. $15/class. Email hopalongandrew@gmail.com (at least 30-min before class) and he will email you link and payment info. If you subscribe to his Patreon you’ll get access automatic access to every class all month, and tons of other exclusive segments, all for $40 (also $5 & $18 levels available). See the website for all the details. Enjoy NYC’s favorite Urban Cowboy, the award-winning Hopalong Andrew, in his campy, retro-toned, 1-man variety show for young children and the young-at-heart. It’s earnest, educational, campy, and kooky — think Mr. Rogers & Monty Python riding down Broadway on rhinestone dinosaurs.
Travel con Lola at little Lola & tots (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Tuesdays 3-345p until December 8th. $25/class. Sign up here. Tots will embark on a journey to different destinations around the world through stories, music, art and crafts. Our little amigos will engage in the creative process as they build on fine motor skills and cognitive development in a social setting while being exposed to different cultures and diverse subjects. Suitable for children aged 1.5 – 4 years. Adult participation required. 45 minute followed by an hour of open play.
See all the Tuesday events here
Wednesday September 23rd
Creating Characters and Stories with Society of Illustrators
Wednesday September 23rd 10-11a. Free. RSVP here. This program is intended for children ages 7-10. Draw along using the different prompts shown to you in class, as we explore how illustrators find inspiration to create characters and stories. Participants will be led through various drawing techniques by artist Clare Pernice, who will help them create characters using found objects in a live drawing and coloring demonstration. Clare will share a few examples of children’s books featuring different characters and stories. All you’ll need to join in is paper, a pencil, and some colored pencils or markers (anything for adding color).
Shell-ebrate Oysters with Hudson River Park
Wednesday September 23rd 2-3p and 4th Wednesday of the month 2-3p until October 28th. Free. Sign up here. Tune in live with HRPK’s River Project to enjoy virtual programs and connect with the Park’s Estuarine Sanctuary. Science programming for everyone! HRPK’s Estuarine Sanctuary is full of fascinating wildlife, including the native Eastern oyster. Join us for virtual oyster monitoring sessions to learn about the history and important environmental role of this keystone species.
See all the Wednesday events here.
Thursday September 24th
Farm Tour for Kids at The Battery Urban Farm
Thursday September 24th 430-6p. Free. RSVP is required for this event. RSVP here. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Visit The Battery Urban Farm to explore the crops and creatures that call this park home! The tour will include tasting of fresh farm produce. Please note that the park has developed new safety guidelines to protect visitors from the spread of COVID-19. By participating in this event, you agree to: Wear a mask over your nose and mouth at all times in The Battery. Maintain a distance of at least six feet from staff and other park
Queens Public Library: Ding Dong Bell! Time for School
Thursday September 24th 5-545p. Free. Hear songs about school, friendship, learning and fun, washing hands, taking turns, what is new about school this year, and how to be safe, be kind, and be respectful! Join Emily Ellison of Emily Music for Kids, her guitar, and puppet pals as they celebrate a new socially distanced school year with music and movement for the whole family and songs like “Stop Look and Listen” and “Sneeze in My Elbow”! Watch live on the Queens Public Library Facebook page.
See all the Thursday events here.
Friday September 25th
Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Starting Friday September 25th at 4p and ongoing Wednesdays-Fridays at 4p and Saturdays-Sundays at 1230p & 230p until December 23rd. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each (suggested for ages 3 and up). Jack & the Beanstalk with an original song score adapted for Marionettes by Nicolas Coppola. 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.
Journey to the Stars in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Friday September 25th 830-1030p. Free. This event is first come, first served. Gaze across the New York sky and all the wonders it holds. On select Friday nights in August and September, members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York will set up hi-powered telescopes for stargazing sessions that are free and open to the public. Weather permitting. Note: There will be a socially-distanced queue to use the telescopes. We recommend arriving as early as possible. Participants must wear a face covering at all times. See the website for all the event details.
See all the Friday events here.
Ongoing 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 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 (Coney Island)
Daily 10a-4p (park closes 5p) until October 31st. 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.
The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Museum is open Wednesdays-Sundays with timed entry tickets are available 10a-4p (museum closes 530p). Exhibit is open until March 8, 2021. Select a General Admission + One or General Admission + All ticket, choose date and time of entry to the Museum, then select The Nature of Color. Reserve tickets here. Our world is awash in color. Color makes the world feel vibrant and alive. But that’s not all. Color helps us make sense of the world. It contains vast amounts of information—about the natural world, and the human world. Come and explore the world of color in this immersive exhibition.
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.