Things to Do For NYC Kids and Families April 9-10, 2011: Festivals, Exhibits, Music and More

4/6/11 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

There's never a dull moment in NYC and now that it's spring, great things to do are sprouting up everywhere! On Saturday, baseball fans can cheer on their favorite Little Leaguer at various opening day celebrations, in particular a huge Brooklyn parade. Or head over to the Morgan Library to participate in a cool interactive family workshop exploring the connection between Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. You can also hit up a fun outdoor festival; there are three of them scheduled this weekend, including the popular annual Children’s Carnival at the Queens County Farm Museum and the self-explanatory Touch-a-Truck fest in Brooklyn. If you're in the mood to take in a show, Boom Town opens at the New Victory, and two one-offs, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Junie B. Jones, play in Brooklyn and on the Upper West Side, respectively. And the first Easter egg hunt of the season happens at the Staten Island Zoo on Sunday.

Read on for the our best bets for the weekend, and remember, The Mommy Poppins Events Calendar is chock-full of storytimes, theater, arts and crafts programs, and lots of other fun activities for families.

Have a great weekend!

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Electricity Live! – Brooklyn Heights
Find out everything you've ever wanted to know about electricity through hands-on demonstrations at the Transit Museum. Learn how it magically makes everything around us work–including our subways system. For children ages 4 to 8. FREE with museum admission.

Spring Wash Day – Prospect Park
Lend a hand to the folks at the Lefferts Historic House as they scrub their period clothing collection using a washboard, tub and a bar of soap. Your kids will never complain about cleaning their rooms again!  FREE

Mosaic Artwork – Staten Island
Artist Ryan McGivern will give kids a crash course in mosaic making, then help them create their own inlaid glass tile artwork. FREE with museum admission.


Saturday, April 9

Tiger Tales – Chinatown
Watch as wise grandpa rabbit recounts his adventure-filled life in this shadow puppet show. This ancient art form will be performed in English with traditional Chinese music accompaniment. FREE

Family Affair: Artist Studio The Bronx
Explore Stargazers: Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with 21 Contemporary Artists, then partake in cool activities inspired by the exhibit, like creating a retro superhero or participating in a performance art piece. FREE

Comics for Kids Workshop with Ben Hatke – Greenpoint
The author/illustrator of the graphic novel Zita the Spacegirl leads this interactive art workshop for comic book fans of all ages. He'll also show off his other talents...like juggling. FREE

Oran Etkin's Timbalooloo Music Presents: Wake Up, Clarinet! – Prospect Heights 
Meet Clara Net and Big Momma Tuba at this lively performance by the acclaimed clarinetist and his band. FREE

Concert for Japan – Midtown East
Head to the Japan Society for 12 hours of live music and activities. All proceeds benefit the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. For just five bucks, your family can enjoy traditional Japanese music performances including Taiko drumming, unlimited access to the art galleries and engaging workshops in language, origami, calligraphy and storytelling. Although the $100 tickets for the gala blocks, featuring musical luminaries like Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson and Philip Glass, are sold out, you can still watch them on a live video feed from the lounge. Click here for other easy ways to help the Japan relief efforts.

Tech in the Plaza: Computer Mice Dissection – Midtown East
Kids ages 8 and up can take apart a computer mouse to see how it works. FREE

Insiders Tour of the NY Aquarium – Coney Island
Get a behind-the-scenes peek at the aquarium, including an amazing view of the shark tank...from above! You'll also get up close and personal with jellyfish, horseshoe crabs and other aquatic creatures. Children must be at least 6-years-old to participate. $23 for adults, $19 for kids. WCS members get a discount.

Brady Rymer CD Release Party – Lower East Side
The Grammy nominated singer-songwriter is well loved for his rootsy rock tunes. His new album promises more of the same! Dance in the aisles as Rymer and his band mates play their kiddie classics as well as tunes from his new release, Love Me for Who I Am, which celebrates children on the Autistic spectrum. $15


Sunday, April 10

Poetry Workshop and Open Mic – Chelsea
April is Poetry Month. If you've got a verse writing tween or teen, they can read their odes aloud at this open mic, and also participate in a writing workshop where they'll be critiqued by pros. Children ages 8 to 18. FREE  

ReMake It! Craft Party – Brooklyn
Crafty kids can repurpose trash and other recycled materials to create something new and wonderful, with eco-author Tiffany Threadgould. Children ages 8 and up. FREE   

Pre-Passover Nosh and Stroll – Lower East Side
Eat your way through a history lesson on Passover traditions. Sample chocolate-covered matzo, fresh horseradish and spicy plum brandy, as you schlep through this tasty part of town. $15

Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights CD Release Party – Upper West Side
A full-fledged fete featuring Leeds' award-winning tunes. To celebrate the new CD, What a Zoo, the band will be tossing beach balls and blowup animals into the crowd. The first ten families through the door will snag a complimentary copy of the album. $14 in advance, $16 at the door. 

Shlemiel Crooks – Upper West Side
The Poppy Seed Players are sparking a new Passover tradition! This comedic romp, which is narrated by the family dog, details what happens when the pharaoh tries to sabotage Passover by pinching the wine. The musical is based on two children’s books by Anna Olswanger: Shlemiel Crooks and Chicken Bone Man. The author will be on hand to sign copies of her tales after the show. $20

The Story Pirates: Create-a-Show – Gramercy Park
This interactive band of swashbucklers puts on plays made up by the audience, so you (and they) never know what will happen next. There's also an “imagination club” pre-show workshop to pump up kids' creativity. $15 for the show, $20 for the show and workshop.

Outside of NYC:

Starting next weekend, your family can take an old-fashioned train ride with the Easter Bunny in New Jersey. Tickets must be purchased in advance and they sell out quickly, so plan now. You can catch a great live show at Hoboken's Mile Square Theater: The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi.

Out on Long Island, there are Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Festivities going on all month. This weekend, kids can scour the grass in Patchogue’s Swan Lake Park for eggs, and there will even be a surprise visit from the Easter Bunny.

Connecticut has a lot to offer, too, especially Litchfield County, where in-the-know families go geocaching at the Little Pond Loop Trail at White Memorial Nature Center. It's one of the 52 must-do activities in this area for families.

Don't forget: There's a lot more fun in the Mommy Poppins Events Calendar.

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