Things To Do In New York City For Kids and Families - January, 8 & 9 2011: Seals, Subways, Shakespeare and Scavenger Hunts

1/6/11 - By Stephanie Ogozalek

My New Years Resolution is to work more efficiently in 2011, so in an effort to become a lean, mean, mommying machine, I am jumping right into our best bets for this weekend, after I alert you to a few things that are going on that you definitely want to know about.

Firstly, many of the cities museums are offering their monthly free “first” days this weekend since last weekend was the holiday.  Families can check out the goings on at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan for free on Friday or The New Museum on Saturday (read below for the scoop on that).  The fantastic holiday train show at the NY Botanical Garden closes this Sunday, so if you didn’t get a chance to see it yet – this is it, to sweeten the deal- Thomas the Tank Engine will be there greeting the kids and posing for photos.  Tickets are still available to see, The Inflatable Theater Company at Symphony Space, and they are definitely something not to miss, they use these transforming, fabric inflatables in their act and turn boxes into giant dogs and stuff.  Finally, if your Christmas tree is still hanging around, like mine is, have the parks department turn it into mulch that they can use in NYC’s parks this year.

Happy New Year! Read for our best bets and have a great weekend.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Saturday, January 8, 2011

New Museum First Saturdays for Families: Free
– Lower East Side

Free admission and cool family programming will be on offer at the New Museum.  First visit the exhibit that explores how the internet has changed our notions of public and shared space with works of art of every kind by 23 cutting edge artists.  Then join in on an art making workshop on the same topic. FREE.

Hip Hop Shakespeare –Upper West Side
People say if Shakespeare was writing today that his preferred style would be rap.  Watch as the bard’s best scenes are combined with rap, rhyme and other hip hop stylings as performed by the Point of Entry Theater Company. FREE

Owl Prowl – Queens
Search for evidence in the park and sightings of the Great Horned Owl and along the way find out what kinds of critters these owls like to eat. FREE

NYC Subway Support Cars Family Workshop: City Works – Upper East Side
Learn all about the crane cars, tank cars, and flat cars that help the MTA run the subway system and then kids can make their own support car. FREE with museum admission.
 


Sunday, January 9, 2011

Family Scavenger Hunt—The Bronx

Find the treasures hidden around Crotona Park with the Urban Park Rangers for fun and prizes.  FREE

Marine Mammal Watch
– Coney Island

If you can stand the cold head out to the beach at Coney Island to learn about the marine mammals that are making the waters around NYC their winter home, you may even spot a seal, whale or dolphin.  FREE

Little Christmas and La Befana – Staten Island
Meet La Befana (the old lady or witch that delivers gifts to children on the eve of the Epiphany in Italian culture) and celebrate the season with crafts, storytelling and festive fare. FREE but reservations are required and can be made through Friday at 5 PM.

The Suzi Shelton Band—TriBeCa
Kids can boogie in the aisles to the award-winning, NYC based, musical momma as she sings the kids favorite tunes like Scooter Boy and No Ordinary Day.  $15 and kids under age 2 are free.

Jalopy Family Reunion featuring Nate and Kate's Family Music Show
—Red Hook

A concert for the whole family featuring the folksy sounds of Nate and Kate with some dancing, singing along and juggling.  $20 per family.
 


Outside NYC:

This weekend you can take a seal watching cruise with a naturalist from Freeport, Long Island (adults are $24 and children over age 3 are $19. 3 and under are free) or watch some films about water at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City. $8 for the films alone or free with museum admission.

New Jersey has a ton of cool indoor places to let the kids have fun and stay warm. Like the brand new Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City that lets older kids have a go at real race car driving or take a trip to South Orange and see the Bari Koral Family Rock Band live in Concert.  Mommy Poppins is giving away tickets, click here to find out how to win, if you don't win they will cost you $15 per person.

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

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

Did someone forward you this email? Subscribe, here.