Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying Spring break and are looking forward to a fun weekend in NYC!
This weekend check out Earth Rocks! at Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Atlantic Avenue Spring Fling, Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt at Aviator Sports and Events Center, Animal Art Adventure with Prospect Park Zoo, the 2nd Annual Fifth Avenue Virtual Easter Parade, Spring Meditation Hike in Prospect Park, Spring Sprouts: Go Green with Historic Houses Workshop Series, Rubin Museum Family Sundays: Holi Rangoli, April Fool’s: Architecture that Never Was! Family Program, Spring Chores ‘n’ Tours at Historic Richmond Town, Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast and Birding: Spring Migration in Marine Park.
Don’t forget about long running events like Reflect at Domino Park, Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp at Puppetworks, Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society Museum and The Nature of Color Exhibit and Worlds Beyond Earth at the American Museum of Natural History.
Check the calendar to everything going on this weekend and also events for the break. Also like us on Facebook for last minute events and updates.
Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Enjoy the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday April 2nd
Animal Art Adventure with Prospect Park Zoo (virtual)
Friday April 2nd 930-10a. Register here. Join us for an interactive game and live virtual visit to Prospect Park Zoo to see and learn about the history of the zoo and its animal-inspired art and buildings! This virtual program will be hosted by our friends at Turnstile Tours in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Prospect Park Alliance, and Brooklyn Cultural Adventures Program. A link to this event will be shared with registered participants one hour before the program begins.
Spring Break: Earth Rocks! at Brooklyn Children’s Museum (Crown Heights)
Friday-Sunday April 2nd-4th 10a-1p & 2-5p. Included in Museum admission. Purchase time entry tickets here. Join BCM over spring break for a celebration of our amazing planet Earth and its natural wonders of the sky, sea, and soil! Explore the Brooklyn sky through the telescope of an astronomer, add to a giant-size moss painting, build kid-sized shelters out of recycled materials, have a close-up encounter with BCM’s aquatic animals and reptiles, create art out of upcycled materials in the ColorLab art studio and enjoy a puppet show about protecting the globe we all share.
Green Meadows Farm Easter Egg Hunt at Aviator Sports and Events Center
Friday April 2nd 10a-4p & Saturdays-Sundays 10a-4p until April 11th. Admission: $12 per person age two and above. Register here. Join us for a fun-filled day with Whiskers, the Easter Bunny, and all his friends at the farm hosted by Green Meadows Farm Brooklyn. We are ready to see the smiles at our outdoor Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Your children will love the search for colorful eggs filled with treasures, exploring the Bunny House, discovering the farm playground, and so much more!
Spring Sprouts: Go Green with Historic Houses Workshop Series (virtual)
Friday April 2nd & Saturday April 3rd 1p. Free. Sessions will be occurring over Zoom and are free to attend with RSVP. For ages 8-12. Younger children may require adult assistance. Materials list will be sent upon registration. RSVP here. Unless otherwise specified, sessions are intended for students ages 8-12. Younger children may require adult assistance. Join the Wyckoff House Museum and our sister sites Van Cortlandt House Museum, Old Stone House, Historic Richmond Town, King Manor, and Bartow Pell Mansion Museum for a series of interactive virtual programs. During each session educators will guide participants through different aspects of sustainable living to create their own fun, historical hands-on crafts and activities from household materials. Travel though NYC, and the past, without leaving your home! Friday April 2nd: Building with Your Environment with Bartow Pell Mansion Museum & Saturday April 3rd:: Starting your Indoor Garden with Seeds with Old Stone House. See the website for all the event details.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday April 3rd
Spring Meditation Hike in Prospect Park
Saturday April 3rd 10a-12n. Free. Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse. Hiking is the ultimate way to enjoy the outdoors and a fun way to reduce stress. Our Urban Park Ranger hiking guides will introduce you to the hidden gems of New York City and places often off-limits to the general public. On our hikes, you can learn new things, or just take time to unplug from the world. Take a stroll through Prospect Park and immerse yourself in tranquility. This hike will take you through some quiet areas inside the park and allow the participant to disconnect from stress and clear their mind. Note: Participants may be designated an alternate estimated program start time due to capacity. Please see the website for Covid-19 protocols.
April Fool’s: Architecture that Never Was! Family Program (virtual)
Saturday April 3rd 11a-12n. Free. Register here. Did you know that architect Daniel Libeskind designed New York Tower at One Madison Avenue in 2007, but it was never built? Drawing from Greg Goldin and Sam Lubell’s Never Built New York, we’ll design our own unique buildings! Virtual, Zoom. All ages welcome. Note: When registering, enter the number of children and parents attending the program under “quantity.” Once you have registered, you will be provided with a link to join via Zoom by email.
Spring Chores ‘n’ Tours at Historic Richmond Town (Staten Island)
Saturdays 11a-5p until April 24th. Cost: $10. Purchase tickets here. This April, explore the reawakened historic village of Historic Richmond Town. Costumed Historical Interpreters will display 19th-century lifeways, demonstrating housekeeping, cleaning, and chores we perform today with modern conveniences. Your ticket gives you access to the open village with select buildings open for self-guided tours and demonstration areas showcasing the lived experiences of everyday people.
Atlantic Avenue Spring Fling
Saturday April 3rd 12n-5p. Atlantic Avenue Spring Fling will be held on Saturday. Enjoy a socially distanced and self-guided virtual egg hunt from Fourth Avenue to the Waterfront. Have the chance to win special prizes for Best Bonnet (Adult, Child, and Furry Friend), Best Couple, and Best Mask provided by Atlantic Avenue businesses! Bring your family and friends out for a beautiful day of fun!
See all the Saturday events here.
Sunday April 4th
2nd Annual Fifth Avenue Virtual Easter Parade
Sunday April 4th. Free. Post your Easter outfit, tag us and use #EasterOnFifth by 5pm on April 4th using a public Instagram account. Join us for the Virtual Easter Parade 2021! Follow us on Instagram and use #EasterOnFifth to enter to win a prize from a Fifth Avenue retailer: a delicious assortment of chocolate praliné eggs from La Maison du Chocolat (retail value $25) and one lucky participant will win the grand prize – a complimentary one-night stay in a Pierre Deluxe Room with continental breakfast for two at The Pierre Hotel (retail value $1,100). See the website for all the event details.
Birding: Spring Migration in Marine Park
Sunday April 4th 9-10a. Free. Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center. New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. To enhance your experience we encourage you to bring binoculars and field guides. Please see the website for Covid-19 protocols.
Rubin Museum Family Sundays: Holi Rangoli (virtual)
First Sunday of the month 1-2p. Free. Register here. At Home Art-Making. Ages 3 and older with accompanying adults. Sundays are for families! This fall join the Rubin Museum live on Zoom every first Sunday of the month from the comfort of your own home for an afternoon of activities both kids and grownups will enjoy. April Family Sundays: Holi Rangoli ~ Celebrate Holi, the festival of colors and love, which signifies the victory of good over evil and marks the arrival of spring. Rangoli are geometric or nature-inspired patterns made during Holi celebrations in India. Take inspiration from this traditional art form and create your own floral and geometric designs using bright and vibrant hues!
Virtual Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music Broadcast
Sunday April 4th 2-4p. Free. Sign up here to receive the Zoom link 24 hours prior. South Street Seaport Museum’s monthly Sea Chanteys and Maritime Music continues – virtually. From our living rooms and kitchens, and even from the deck of Wavertree, join us for our round-robin of shared sea songs, featuring members of The New York Packet and friends. Listen in, lead or request a song, and belt out the choruses for your neighbors to hear. Hosted by singers from the New York Packet.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Friday April 2nd 1230p & Saturdays-Sundays 1230p & 230p until April 11th (none 4/4) and see website for additional performances during Spring break. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each (suggested for ages 3 and up). Aladdin & the Wonderful Lamp from “1,001 Arabian Nights”. 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.
Reflect at Domino Park (Williamsburg)
Daily 8a-10p until April 15th. Free and open to the public. Reflect, by Jen Lewin, is an immersive, multi-sensory experience that takes inspiration from the dynamic patterns created by organic systems found in nature. Spanning 2,400 square feet, the sculpture consists of three concentric rings, each made up of interactive platforms that respond to visitors’ steps, triggering splashes of light that create an ever-changing composition. The installation will encourage New Yorkers to pause for a moment of reflection and discovery, and inspire connection as the city enters a new era of hope and revival. Reflect at Domino Park allows for multiple individuals to engage with the work simultaneously, while maintaining six feet of social distance, making it an ideal public artwork for this moment.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at the New-York Historical Society (UWS)
Ongoing until April 11, 2021. Free with Museum admission. Purchase timed entry tickets here. Hours are Fridays 11a-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p. Friday 10-11a is for Members and age 65+ and immunocompromised. A magical wonderland awaits visitors with the return of this holiday tradition. Featuring toy trains, figurines, and miniature models from the renowned Jerni Collection, Holiday Express transports young and old alike to a bygone era. The installation includes a variety of toy train stations dating from the turn of the 19th century to the WWII era, showcasing the evolving designs of American and European toymakers. New to the display this year are Marklin’s Onion Dome Station and Grand Station (1904–08). Visitors are greeted by animations and fun facts about the toys on nearby screens, and kids will be delighted by a specially created bench inspired by a sleigh in New-York Historical’s collection.
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.
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 August 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. Worlds Beyond Earth at the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater is now open with limited seating to maintain health and safety. See all the details here.
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.