Things For Kids and Families To Do in New York City - January 22 & 23: Theater, Hibernation and Multi-Cultural Fun

1/20/11 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

Lots of fun in New York City this weekend, no matter if you are looking to spend the weekend inside or out -- and if you are looking for a hybrid of the two, a visit to park here should be on your weekend itinerary!  Our best bets for the weekend include the Iventgenuity Festival in Brooklyn, The Hibernators Ball at Wave Hill and The Korea Society’s New Year event. This weekend is the Jewish holiday, Tu B’Shavat, and if you are looking to celebrate that, we have some great family friendly ideas.  There is also indoor or outdoor skating, skiing with or without a car, free movies, bowling or listening to some classical music with the kids.  And don't forget our calendar is full of good stuff too.

Read on to plan your weekend and I hope it is a great one.

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All Weekend:


Hibernators Ball – The Bronx
Put the kids in their jammies (and bring along teddy) for this day in the garden that is all about sleep. Play a fun game about hibernation “Do I hibernate?”, and then make animal masks, listen to stories and even do the waltz along to the live music.  FREE

Sister City: Santo Domingo – Brooklyn Heights

Explore Santo Domingo, one of NYC’s sister cities, including their all new metro system. Then create NYC style postcards to send to the sunny and warm Dominican Republic.  FREE with museum admission.
 


Saturday, January 22, 2011


Kids LIVE: Turtle Island Medicine Show – Midtown East
Giant moving sculptures, over the top puppets, live music, movement and tons of animals tell the story of earth past and present. FREE


Citi Pond at Bryant Park Winter Film Festival: Family Night Kick-Off
--Midtown West

Bryant Park is the home of the popular summer time film festival, so it makes a lot of sense they would throw a winter film fest too!  Watch Happy Feet outside as part of the winter film festival taking place at Citi Pond.  The giant screen will be erected at the Sixth Avenue side of the park and will be visible from the skating rink, the Celcius restaurant or the dedicated viewing areas surrounding the rink. Don't forget to bring your blanket!! FREE


Medieval Arts Children’s Workshop –Upper West Side
This cool workshop lets kids try their hand at some ancient arts – weaving, illuminated letters, gargoyle designing and rock carving. $6.00


Family Day: Korean New Year – Upper East Side
Ring in the New Year Korean style with games and activities for kids and adults alike. Play yut nori, the board game traditionally played on the new year, make paper kites, sample rice cakes and practice the New Years bow.  $30 for a family of up to 5 people.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

BYOK: The Roz & Val Show -- TriBeCa
Don’t miss the only NYC area appearance of the popular duo from Brooklyn as they give us their all in this high energy concert that will have the kids singing and dancing along.  $15

Animals of the Ice Age – Staten Island
If your kids love wooly mammoths and other animals from long ago head to the Blue Heron Nature Center to find out all about the animals that called NYC home during the ice age. FREE

 

This weekend is Tu B’Shavat or The New Year for Trees, a sort of Jewish Arbor Day. If you would like to experience this with your children many of the cities cultural institutions are having festivals and events.

On Sunday, celebrate with the Museum at Eldridge Street at their annual Tu B’Shvat Winter Garden Festival.  Kids can plant flowers, create a family tree and join in a workshop on sustainable musical instruments. There will also be a traditional dried fruits and nut Seder and live music from the Rhythm for Recyclables band. FREE

The storytelling duo, Play Me a Story, performs the long time favorite about the sleeping hat maker and the thieving monkeys at the Museum of Jewish Heritage on Sunday.  This version of the Hat Seller and the Monkey is told with handmade props, costumes and live Klezmer-style music. Tu B’ Shvat crafts for children after the play. $10 for adults and $7 for children.

And finally, NYC’s original kiddie rockers, David Weinstone and The Music for Aardvarks Band will be hitting the stage twice at the Jewish Museum this Sunday. The first show is at 11:30am and the second is at 2:00pm.  Tickets are $16 for adults and $11 for kids.



Outside of NYC:


In Port Jefferson on Long Island’s north shore you can introduce you children to the dentist, a dinosaur dentist! At the clever puppet show Lenny Longtooth, D.D.S. at Theater Three. Tickets are $10.

In Princeton, New Jersey, join in on the age old tradition of wassailing the trees in the Terhune Orchard.  Your chants will go a long way to driving the evil spirits from the apple orchard ensuring a good crop next fall.  Marshmallow toasting, cider sipping and live music round out the day.  FREE

 

Don’t forget there is a lot more fun in the Mommy Poppins Events Calendar.

 

Planning an event? Submit it to our calendar, here.
 

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