Hi everyone! I hope you are looking forward to a fun Winter weekend here in NYC!
This weekend check out The Thurderbird American Indian Dancers at the Theater for the New City, The 2nd Annual Great New Victory Scavenger Hunt, Family Art Project: Weathering a Storm at Wave Hill, CMA Saturday Morning Live with Tom: Winter Wonderland, Historic New York: Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park, American Sign Language Storytime with Urban Stages, NYPL Kids’ Virtual Scavenger Hunt, Seal Exploration in Pelham Bay Park, Birding: Winter Waterfowl in Bush Terminal Park, Introduction to Birdwatching Walks in Prospect Park, Tammy Hall presents Freedom Stories and Songs at Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art, Sunday Story Time @ Home: Let Freedom Sing, Film Forum Jr. Matinee: The Black Stallion at the Film Forum, Drop-in Open Play at little Lola & Tots and and the last weekend of The 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs at Puppetworks.
Also check out long running events like Ice Skating at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park, “A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Museum of the Moving Image, Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society and Governors Island Winter Village Ice Skating Rink.
These are just some of the weekend events so check the calendar to see everything going on. Also like us on Facebook for updates.
Stay warm and enjoy the weekend!
~ Deirdre (mom to O & C)
Friday January 21st
Drop-in Open Play at little Lola & Tots (Bedford Stuyvesant)
Fridays 1 hour slots 10a-5p. $15/drop in. Register here. For 0 mo – 4 yrs. Adult participation required. Want your tot’s imagination to run wild? Bring your little one to open-play at little Lola & tots where creativity and exploration rule! Please note that you are purchasing 1 HOUR of open play. Open Play also available Mondays & Wednesdays.
American Sign Language Storytime with Urban Stages (virtual)
Friday January 21st 11-1130a. Free. Join the amazing performers from Urban Stages in a great ASL storytime experience. There will be stories interwoven with arts and crafts activities and movement designed to introduce the youngest children to the love of reading! Watch on the Queens Public Library Facebook page.
The Thurderbird American Indian Dancers at the Theater for the New City (East Village)
Fridays-Saturdays at 8p and Saturdays-Sundays at 3p until January 23rd. Tickets: $15. For the 3p performances only, Tickets for children under 12 are $1. They must be accompanied by an adult paying regular $15. Traditional music, dances and stories of the Native Peoples of North America. For more information and reservations please call the box office at 212-254-1109. All patrons must be vaccinated in order to see shows. Please provide proof before purchasing tickets. Everyone must wear a face mask for entry into the theater or when moving around. Purchase tickets here.
See all the Friday events here.
Saturday January 22nd
The 2nd Annual Great New Victory Scavenger Hunt
Saturday January 22nd 10-1130a. Free. For all ages. Calling all families for the The 2nd Annual Great New Victory Scavenger Hunt! Our all-ages virtual adventure game is back with 100 exciting missions. Using the GooseChase app, families will race against the clock to complete as many challenges as possible. You may be tasked with creating an obstacle course that transforms your living room or performing a dance to your favorite song! Now is your chance to show your talents and work as a team! The teams with the most points will win a special prize. Let’s play! Registration is free, but donations are encouraged.
Introduction to Birdwatching Walks in Prospect Park
Saturdays 10a-12n until June 11th. Free. Location: Audubon Center. Whether you’re just starting out or have already joined the birding ranks, this introductory walk is for you! Every Saturday join a member of the Brooklyn Bird Club on an introductory walk to learn the basics of birding and search for the dozens of species that visit Prospect Park through all seasons. All levels are welcome and walks will begin at the Prospect Park Audubon Center. No registration necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring binoculars if you have them.
CMA Saturday Morning Live with Tom: Winter Wonderland (virtual)
Saturday January 22nd 10-11a. Free. Register here. Replicate the snowy winter scenes outside your window! Saturday Morning Live is a brand new action-packed art class for kids who love to sing, play drums, and make art — all at the same time! These 60-minute live, interactive virtual sessions are led by beloved Early Childhood Specialist Tom Burnett and specially designed for children under the age of five. All you need is your imagination, sense of discovery, and your favorite art supplies — crayons, markers, paint, stickers, and more! Due to the interactive (and fun!) nature of the class, class size is extremely limited. Please make every effort to attend the class if you reserve a ticket. If you can no longer attend, please cancel your ticket, which will allow another family to attend.
Tammy Hall presents Freedom Stories and Songs at Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art
Saturday January 22nd 11a & 1p. Free with Museum admission. Admission: $7 adults, $4 youth 9-17, seniors and students, Free for children 0-8. Storyteller Tammy Hall leads the audience in songs and stories that remember and celebrate the history of Black liberation. Note: Sugar Hill Children’s Museum will require all adults and children ages 5 and above to show proof of vaccination.
NYPL Kids’ Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Saturday January 22nd 3-4p. Free. This program is best suited for children in 1st-3rd grade. Register here. This program is geared towards parents/caregivers and their children. Both the parent/caregiver and the child must be present during the program. 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 Saturday events here.
Sunday January 23rd
Birding: Winter Waterfowl in Bush Terminal Park
Sunday January 23rd 10-11a. Free. Location: 43rd Street and 1st Avenue. Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best viewing spots in New York City to see winter waterfowl. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. Please bring your own binoculars.
Seal Exploration in Pelham Bay Park
Sunday January 23rd 10-11a. Free. Location: Orchard Beach 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. Winter is an amazing time of year to observe seals in the Long Island Sound. You may be surprised by what looks like a rock in the distance, is actually a healthy seal.
Film Forum Jr. Matinee: The Black Stallion at the Film Forum (Lower East Side)
Sundays at 11a until March 20th. Tickets $11.00, $9.00 for members. Advance tickets on sale at the box office and online. Most programs appropriate for ages 5 and up. Classics For Kids and Their Families! Note: Everyone ages 5 and up is required to be fully vaccinated with proof. All patrons are required to wear a mask. January 23rd: The Black Stallion ~ (1979, Carroll Ballard) A young boy and a magnificent black horse form a close bond when disaster strikes the ship they’re traveling on, and they’re marooned on a desert island. Carroll Ballard’s powerful debut feature is an adaptation of Walter Farley’s 1941 novel, which he imbues with a sense of magical realism. With Mickey Rooney, who’s played this role before…Approx. 118 min.
Sunday Story Time @ Home: Let Freedom Sing (virtual)
Sunday January 22nd 1130a. Free. For ages 3-6y. Register here. Join on via Zoom for story time and crafts! Each class includes a special hello song, silly dances and games, a story book reading, and a related craft. Welcome to January Jam! This month we will be reading books all about music! This week, celebrate Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday by readingLet Freedom Sing written and illustrated by Vanessa Newton. This story uses the song “This Little Light of Mine” to tell the story of the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s. Sing along with us, and afterwards, create a dove paper airplane with a special message to share MLK’s words of love and hope.
Historic New York: Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park
Sunday January 1-2p. Free. Location: Vermont Place Parking Lot. Join NYC’s Urban Park Rangers and NYC H2O for a walk at the Ridgewood Reservoir highlighting the history, ecology and engineering of this cultural treasure. The Ridgewood Reservoir in Highland Park is a 50+ acre natural oasis that straddles the border of Brooklyn and Queens.
See all the Sunday events here.
All Weekend
Family Art Project: Weathering a Storm at Wave Hill
Saturday-Sunday January 22nd-23rd 10a-1p. Free with admission. Admission: Adults $10, Students & Seniors 65+ $6, Children 6+ $4. Wave Hill Members – Free. Flurries, snowfall, blizzards and ice storms—each is a natural process that can have a big impact on our lives. Learn the art and science of forecasting a storm as you create your own weather snow globes, and swirl up scenes of what it might take to weather a storm.
Governors Island Winter Village Ice Skating Rink
Rink hours: Fridays 12n-5p, Saturdays-Sundays 10a-5p through February. Rink admission: $11, skate rental $8. Admission is free Fridays (walk up only). Purchase advance tickets here. The Governors Island Winter Village, in Colonels Row, features fun activities and winter vibes for visitors of all ages! The Village includes a 5,000-square-foot ice skating rink open Fridays-Sundays and daily attractions and activities including more than a dozen lawn games, fire pits, sled and bike rentals, twinkling holiday light displays and delicious cold-weather food and drinks.
The 3 Wishes and 3 Little Lambs at Puppetworks (Park Slope)
Saturday-Sunday January 22nd-23rd 1230p & 230p. Tickets: Children $10 each, Adults $11 each. Suggested for 2 and up. The 3 Wishes a double-feature with 3 Little Lambs (a reimagining of The 3 Little Pigs) adapted for Hand Puppets by Nicolas Coppola. Call for reservations: 718-965-3391 or e-mail to: puppetworksinfo@gmail.com. Masks required to protect the unvaccinated (especially children). New York City requires you to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Puppetworks. Those 12 years of age and older must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Masks are required.
The Rink at Brooklyn Commons (Downtown Brooklyn)
Daily until February 27th. Hours: Monday-Thursday 2-8p, Friday 2-9p, Saturday 10a-9p & Sunday 10a-7p. $15 public skating admission, $5 skate rental. Situated in Brooklyn Commons Park, residents, families, professionals and tourists alike can enjoy a festive winter skating experience in Downtown Brooklyn! The Rink features an outdoor skating rink and offers daily public skating as well as upscale ice skating programs for men, women, and children.
Sharks at the American Museum of Natural History (UWS)
Museum hours Wednesday-Sunday 10a-530p. Included in General Admission+One. See website for all the details.The new exhibition Sharks features dozens of life-sized models ranging from 33 feet to 5.5 inches long, fossils from the Museum’s collections, touch-free interactive exhibits that challenge visitors to hunt like a hammerhead, and more for visitors of all ages. Older than dinosaurs—and more threatened than threatening—sharks are spectacular, surprising, and often misunderstood. Discover the incredible diversity of this ancient and fascinating group of fishes. Note: In accordance with the New York City vaccine requirement, you must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the Museum.
Ice Skating at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park
Hours for covered rink: Monday-Thursday 9a-430p, Friday 9a-7p, Saturday 1-9p, Sunday 1-430p. Open air rink hours: 9a-7p, Friday-Saturday 9a-9p & Sunday 9a-7p. Admission rates: $8 weekday per person, $12 weekend per person. Reserve your desired 90-minute skate session for access to one of our two available ice rinks online now and guarantee your ice time. Skate rentals are available at an additional cost or feel free to bring your own skates. Purchase online today as capacity is limited. To help our young skaters, helpful Skate Aids are available and can be rented in advance or on the day of your visit, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Reserve open air rink tickets here and covered rink tickets here.
“A Wonderful, Awful Idea”: Animating the Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Museum of the Moving Image (Astoria)
Ongoing until February 27th. Museum hours: Fridays 2-8p, Saturdays-Sundays 12n-6p. Included with Museum admission. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a made-for-television short by legendary animation director Chuck Jones, based on the 1957 book by Theodor Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss). First aired by CBS in 1966, this 24-minute animated story of a grouchy curmudgeon who tries to ruin Christmas has become an enduring holiday classic. The sketches, animation cels, and backgrounds on exhibit—40 selections from the extensive private collection of Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa—illustrate Jones’s approach to adapting Geisel’s story for the screen. In contrast to the book’s black, white, and red palette, Jones unleashed a riotous array of vivid colors to depict the story’s settings and characters. The film showcases Jones’s unparalleled character animation and comic timing, creating an utterly believable, villainous—but ultimately redeemed—Grinch that became the standard for all subsequent adaptations. See the website for information on Covid 19 protocols.
Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at New-York Historical Society (UWS)
On exhibit until February 27th. Museum hours: Wednesdays-Thursdays 11a-5p, Fridays 11a-8p and Saturdays-Sundays 11a-5p. Free with Museum admission. This year Holiday Express goes to the amusement park! Joining a selection of toy trains, figurines, and miniature models from the renowned Jerni Collection, this year’s festive display includes never-before-seen toy rides. Visitors can marvel at a miniature Ferris wheel, carousel, blimp ride, and roller coaster.The carnival toys on display recall the colossal machines that have fascinated and delighted the American public for decades, like the Ferris wheel, which was introduced in the U.S. at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, and early American roller coasters, like the ones introduced at Coney Island in 1884. New York’s favorite amusement ground was also the site of one of the United States’ first carousels, a musical merry-go-round appointed with colorful mechanical horses. The display also includes a variety of toy train stations dating from the turn of the 20th century to the World War II era, showcasing the evolving designs of American and European toymakers. As part of New York City’s Key to NYC program, all visitors to New York City museums ages 12 and over are required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. For more details, go to the FAQ page. Note: the Museum will close 3p on 12/31 and be closed 1/1.
Ice Skating at Winter Village in Bryant Park
Open daily until March 6th. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8a-10p, Friday-Sunday and holidays 8a-1130p. Winter Village at 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 by Prime Video. Reserve timed entry tickets here.