Things for Kids and Families To Do in New York City: Valentines Day Fun, Museum and Nature Programs and More

2/10/11 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

Valentines Day is Monday and if you still need to pick up some sweets for your sweetie try checking out one of these local chocolate purveyors or get the scoop on where to buy great baking supplies to help your little sous-chef bake something yummy for their valentine.  And, if your cupid needs a valentine for his loved ones there are quite a lot of Valentine-making events in our calendar.  

Don’t forget The Little Club Heads Valentine's Day Dance Party is Sunday and it sounds like a blast! Over at Poppins Perks we are selling tickets like mad for 50% off!  $15 gets you 2 tickets to this fun event and your purchase helps PS 371 in Brooklyn buy some much needed books for their kindergarteners.  

My New Years resolution of being hyper efficient has come to a screeching halt.  Thanks to a collision between my knee and an ice packed mountain last weekend, I am having a hard time doing, well, anything.  Especially walking and I am really bummed out that I have to miss the Panorama Explorer’s Day at the Queens Museum and all the other cool stuff going on around town this weekend. But this helps me to remember just why I love living in NYC. There are always cool things to do and always another weekend to do them.

Read on for the best bets for this weekend and have a great one.

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All Weekend:

Family Art Project: Hearts and Flowers -  The Bronx
Create flowery and beautiful Valentines Day Cards with natural items. FREE with garden admission (Which is free until noon on Saturday)


Saturday, February 12, 2011


Family Affair:  Stargazer – The Bronx
Celebrate Black History Month with art exploration at the opening of the new exhibit Stargazers: Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with 21 Contemporary Artists.  Tour the new exhibit as a family and then work on some awesome hands on art projects inspired by the works in the exhibit -- like making face sculptures  with rice krispy treats and candy! FREE

Winter Nature Adventures for Kids with Julia Attaway – Fort Washington
Kids can spend the morning engaged in some hands on nature exploration while discovering the outdoor world in winter.  FREE

Floating Valentines: A Screening of The Red Balloon – Battery Park City
Share the endearing classic short film, The Red Balloon, with your children for Valentines Day – they will love the little boy being followed by a red balloon who finally floats away on hundreds of balloons over war torn Paris.  After the film the kids make their own floating valentines.  FREE

Family Workshop: Who Do You Love
– Midtown East

Got an Elmo fan in the family, take them to see this holiday screening of Elmo Loves You at the theater at Sony Wonder Labs, then work together to decorate a jewelry box or picture frame.  $5


Sunday, February 13, 2011

MetLife Second Sundays for Families: Panorama Explorer’s Day—Queens
A fun NYC themed day that starts with a special tour of the city in miniature: The Panorama.  The museum’s educator share little knows surprises about the city and even throws in a quiz (with prizes) for those who know the most NYC trivia. There are also citified workshops on model building and music. FREE

Turtle Moons: The Turtle & The Creation Story –Inwood
Kids can make a 3D paper turtle sculpture while finding out how important the turtle and the moon are to the Native American creation legends. FREE

Valentines Day Party
– SoHo

Fun heart themed art workshops like the wildly popular chocolate truffle workshop kick off the Valentines Day celebrations. The chocolate workshops are offered several times during the day and require advance registration (and as expected – fill up quickly.)  FREE with museum admission.

Family Day at Bryant Park – Midtown West

Hit the rink for some in season ice skating, then bask in the warmth at the rink side Celsius restaurant where they will have crafty valentine making stations set up for kids, and photographers snapping complimentary photos of all the fun.  Moms and Dads can kick back with a specialty holiday-themed cocktail while kids have fun.  FREE (cocktails are $12.)

Madeline and the Bad Hat
–Flushing

Delight in mischievous Madeline as she learns that first impressions are not always the best impressions when making new friends in this just-for-kids theater performance. $12


Outside of NYC:
 

The Garden state has it fair share of fun activities this weekend, too. Like the sweet Chocolate Festival at the Morris Museum in Morristown or the Super Pet Expo, with live animal shows and activities for the kids, in Edison.  

Long Island has its share of chocolate fun this weekend, too, there is a educational chocolate making program at the Cornell Cooperative in Yaphank and a Science of Chocolate program in Rockville Center.

 

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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