Hi everyone! I can’t believe how fast November is going by and Thanksgiving is next week. Enjoy another busy weekend in NYC!
This weekend check out Kid’s Birding Tour and Outdoor Skills: Fire Building in Fort Greene Park, BPL Events for Youth and Family: The Family Improv Jam, Native Cinema Showcase: Future Focused Shorts with The National Museum of the American Indian, Engineering with Paper: Build a Catapult and Engineering with Paper: Build a Dream House with the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum, Nature Scavenger Hunt in Kissena Corridor Park, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on PBS and NYPL: Kids’ Virtual Scavenger Hunt.
Also check out long running events like Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo, Holiday Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle, Inside Exhibits at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks, the Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium, The Nature of Color Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History and Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park.
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.
Enjoy the weekend with the family!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday November 20th
Engineering with Paper: Build a Catapult with the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum
Friday November 20th 11-1130a. Free. RSVP here. Ages: 5-8 years old. Runtime: 30 minutes. Join Latimer House educators to unleash your inner engineer and learn how to make a catapult using paper and common household supplies! Also check out Engineering with Paper: Build a Dream House with the Lewis H. Latimer House Museum at 12n.
Opening Day of Holiday Lights at the Bronx Zoo
Friday November 20th 3-8p and select dates through January 10th. Tickets are required and must be reserved in advance. Tickets start at $22.95. Purchase tickets here. Join us for five animal lantern safaris, ice-carving demonstrations, holiday treats, costumed characters, wildlife theater, stilt walkers, and more! Join us for a global safari in lights featuring illuminated animals from all over the world. Our five lantern safaris, spread out throughout the park each showcase a different wildlife region and will lead you on a fun, safe, and leisurely tour of the attractions. See the website for all the event details.
NYPL: Kids’ Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Friday November 20th 330p. Free. Online via Google Hangouts Meet. Register here. This program is best suited for children in 1st-3rd grade. Hey Kids! Would you like to join in on a virtual scavenger hunt? Let’s exercise your brain by finding things around your own home! This program is great for shape and color recognition as well as critical thinking! We’ll even throw in some awesome book title suggestions available to place on hold.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday November 21st
Kid’s Birding Tour in Fort Greene Park
Saturday November 21st 11a-12n. Free. Join the Fort Greene Park Conservancy and the Brooklyn Bird Club this Saturday at 11am for a birding tour of Fort Greene Park led by a young birding enthusiast! We will be meeting outside the visitor’s center. Space at this program is limited so don’t miss your chance to register. Register here.
Nature Scavenger Hunt in Kissena Corridor Park
Saturday November 21st 11a-12n. Free. Urban Park Rangers connect children with nature to encourage active exploration of the natural world. While nearly all of our programs are family-friendly, this program is specifically designed for young children and families. Get to know the park by hunting for some common and uncommon objects and artifacts. Fun for all ages and a great way to learn more about your park. Please see the website for the COVID-19 protocols.
Events for Youth and Family: The Family Improv Jam
Saturday November 21st 1-2p (age 5-10, parents encouraged & welcome). Free. Using the tools of our current reality, this Facebook Live session will get us playing together, even when we’re socially distant. True Play Improv is guided by LAL: Listen, Agree, and Laugh. In every True Play class, kids engage in imaginative play, igniting creativity and storytelling abilities. All partners, of all ages, will be on their feet communicating: listening actively, sharing attention, and taking turns. Through Improv games we build communication skills, helping kids of all ages feel more confident to find their voice no matter the context by using Improv’s Golden Rule, “Yes, And”. View the broadcast at 1 pm on the BPL Facebook page.
Native Cinema Showcase: Future Focused Shorts with The National Museum of the American Indian
Saturday November 21st 1p and available on demand until 1p November 26th. Free. This program of family-friendly short films is fun for kids of all ages. See the website for details on the films. The National Museum of the American Indian’s Native Cinema Showcase is an annual celebration of the best in Native film. For this year’s 20th-anniversary showcase, the museum presents the full program online — streaming new films, fan favorite classics, and conversations with filmmakers. The showcase provides a unique forum for engagement with Native filmmakers and stories from Indigenous communities throughout the Western Hemisphere and the Arctic. See the website for full schedule of the Native Cinema Showcase films.
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday November 22nd
Junior Volunteer Corps in Prospect Park
Sunday November 22nd 10-1130a or 11a-12n. Free. Registration is closed but you can sign up for the waitlist. Sunday November 22nd 10-1130a or 11a-12n. Free. Registration is closed but you can sign up for the waitlist. Join Prospect Park Alliance for a day of fun as we prepare the Park for winter! Families and elementary-school-aged groups are invited to join us to rake leaves. Come learn the value of service and meet other families and children on this day of giving back. Families please visit the Volunteer Event Registration Page join the waitlist.
Outdoor Skills: Fire Building in Fort Greene Park
Sunday November 22nd 1-2p. Free. Location: Fort Greene Park Visitor Center. Our Urban Park Rangers are well-versed in outdoor lore. Learn tips and tricks that will enhance your knowledge of the natural world, and might just save your life. All programs are family-friendly but are recommended for ages 8 years and older. Please see the website for the COVID-19 protocols.
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on PBS
Sunday November 22nd 730p. PBS is feeling very thankful to team up with Apple TV to share #ACharlieBrownThanksgiving with you this year! Tune in to this special one-night event on PBS and PBS KIDS on Sun, Nov 22 at 7:30/6:30c. Check your local listings here. Also see the website for Thanksgiving activities and crafts.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Indoor Exhibits Open at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Museum hours Saturdays-Sundays 10a-7p. Museum admission: $13 per person (children under 1 free). BCM is delighted to have the indoor exhibits open. Make sure you don’t miss a minute of fun by ordering your tickets online in advance and reserving a timed ticket. There are two types of tickets to BCM: Play Session tickets and ColorLab Session tickets. Play Sessions are Saturdays & Sundays at 10a, 1230p, 3p or 5p (90-minute session). Come play in our exhibits! BCM favorite exhibits including Totally Tots, World Brooklyn, Neighborhood Nature, Collections Central and The Nest are open for exploration. For more information on BCM’s exhibits, check out our Permanent Exhibits page. Artmaking in ColorLab are Saturdays & Sundays at 1030a, 130p & 330p. Every weekend, BCM hosts artmaking workshops featuring a muse artist and family art projects inspired by their work. Families attending the 1030a & 1p ColorLab sessions may come up to 30 minutes in advance to play in BCM’s exhibits, and visitors attending the 3p session may stay up to 30 minutes after their workshop. Space is limited to ensure that families can spread out in our art studio. See our ColorLab page for more information on art workshops. Masks required. See website for all the details.
Holiday Under the Stars at The Shops at Columbus Circle (UWS)
Daily 4-7p until December 24th. Free. Location: Ground Floor. Holiday Under the Stars, the largest specialty crafted exhibit of illuminated color mixing in the world featuring twelve 14-foot stars that hang from the ceiling of the 150-foot Great Room overlooking iconic Central Park perform daily from 4:00pm until 7:00pm (every half hour). The free, indoor colorful spectacle with stunning views of Central Park is an ideal destination during the cold, shorter days of winter. The destination also will offer extended shopping hours.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Skating hours daily 8a-10p until March 7th. Admission is free. Skating rental vary by day. Reservations must be made in advance. See website for all the information on skating & the shops. Bryant Park is Manhattan’s winter wonderland. Enjoy New York City’s only free admission ice skating rink, the Holiday Shops, and rinkside eats and drinks at The Lodge Deck.
Jack & the Beanstalk at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Ongoing Wednesdays-Fridays at 4p and Saturdays-Sundays at 1230p & 230p until December 13th. 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.
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.
Spineless Exhibit at The New York Aquarium (Coney Island)
Daily 10a-330p (park closes 430p) until March 2021. 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.
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
CMOM is now open Wednesday-Sunday 10a-5p. CMOM at Home is still ongoing. Activities are sent in a daily email newsletter. 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. 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.