NYC has thousands of things for families and children to do, and during the spring and summer, the city has activities that include museum exhibitions, concerts, arts and crafts, sports, nature walks in local parks, and many other outdoor activities. Here are some of today's kid-friendly activities in Queens, from performances to exhibitions!
Dance on a Shoestring - New York Theatre Ballet
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
The performance marks the opening of NYTB's 31st season, and features the work of Agnes de Mille, Sallie Wilson, Marco Pelle, Rachael Kosch and Andrea Miller. Children from Ballet School NY, the official training school of NYTB, will dance selections of their own choreography created in NYTB's Page to Stage program.
Wintuk From Cirque du Soleil - WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
Special Limited Time Offer! Save 40% on tickets to Wintuk! The smash-hit family show of the holiday season is back in the heart of the city!
Peter and the Wolf - The New Victory Theater
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
A blend of music, dance and theater featuring 10 dancers and an ensemble of eight musicians from the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra come together for Sergei Prokofiev's beloved masterpiece.
5th Annual Maternity Clothing Drive - Prenatal Yoga Center
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
Bring your used maternity clothing for donation to the Thorpe Family Residence. Clothing should be clean and pressed.
Shababa Fridays With Karina and Coco - 92nd Street Y
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
Cantorial soloist and educator Karina Zilberman and her puppet pal Coco welcome Shabbat in a playful, interactive and dynamic experience.
Shababa Bakery - 92nd Street Y
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
Squish, roll and braid your own challah and take it home to bake. While preparing the dough, sing with Karina Zilberman and feel the Shabbat spirit.
The War on Kids - Quad Cinema
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
A documentary that shows how American public schools continue to become more dangerously authoritarian.
Funky Forest - Moomah
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
A state-of-the-art wild and living ecosystem where children manage natural resources to influence their immersive, interactive environment. Work individually or collectively in the forest to learn first-hand how your actions affect the environment. Call to confirm times.
Dancing for a Good Cause - Tribeca Performing Arts Center
November 20, 2009 - Manhattan
See the talent contest, Dance Edition, featuring dance groups competing in a variety of contemporary styles for a $1000 cash prize. The audience gets a chance to vote for the winner. 10% of the ticket price goes to benefit Children's Aid Society.
Ready, Set, Story! How Katie Saved the Sneaky Spider's Tales - Looking Glass Theatre
Through November 22, 2009 - Manhattan
A new children's show exploring international folktales of tricksters.
Highlights from the Nutcracker Ballet - Rebecca Kelly Ballet
Through November 22, 2009 - Manhattan
The behind the scenes presentation includes the Grand Pas, with the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, the Snow Queen solo, the Arabian and Russian Trepak variations. Each event includes a reception with the artists and the famous “Tray of Sweets.”
Members Double Discount Days - The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store
Through November 23, 2009 - New York
Get a jump start on holiday shopping during Double Discount Days and receive a 20% discount on inspired gifts sculpture reproductions, decorative arts, jewelry, scarves, ties, accessories, books, stationery, prints, and more.
Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Through November 29, 2009 -
A special exhibition that will include all five paintings by Vermeer from its collection, as well as a select group of works by other Dutch artists.
Matthew Takes Mannahatta - Vital Theatre Company
Through November 29, 2009 - Manhattan
Follow the adventures of Matthew and his sister Piper who take a magical adventure back in time, where they discover that the Manhattan of the past held a very different Thanksgiving than the one we all know today.
Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! - Private Picassos
Through December 08, 2009 - Manhattan
Explore shapes, color and strengthen fine motor skills through a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional mediums.
Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! - Island Kids Art Classes
Through December 10, 2009 - Roosevelt Island
This class has been created for young toddler artists who have taken the toddler class in the past. Using a similar format to the regular Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! class, this class will focus on three main activities in one session, but with the addition of recycled sculpture. Through December 10.
Women Movers & Shakers Walking Tour - East Village Visitors Center
Through December 18, 2009 - Manhattan
Learn how the women of the Lower East Side helped to break new ground in music, art, literature, fashion and medicine; made advancements in working conditions and women's rights and otherwise played a role in politics and culture in America and around the globe. The Lower East Side is the birthplace of the Women's Suffrage movement, Planned Parenthood, Visiting Nurse Services, Children's Aid Society, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, Catholic Worker, Mother Earth magazine, experimental Off-Broadway theater, and so many more institutions and movements spearheaded by these pioneering women.
Schedule: Fridays at 12:00pm Reservations: Suggested/Not required Fee: $15 Meet: East Village Visitors Center, 308 Bowery (btwn E. Houston & Bleecker) Directions: F, or V train to 2nd Ave/Lower East Side or 6 train to Bleecker/Lafayette
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lights on Broadway: A Theatrical Tour from A to Z - Barnes & Noble Lincoln Square
Through December 20, 2009 - Manhattan
Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be reading from "Lights on Broadway: A Theatrical Tour from A to Z," where readers are informed in alphabetical order about the behind the scenes happenings of theater. He will be accompanied by The Resident Youth Ensemble of the Award-winning TADA! Youth Theater who’ll be performing numbers from original musical productions.
East Village History Walking Tour - East Village Visitors Center
Through December 30, 2009 - Manhattan
Get a crash course in East Village/Lower East Side history. From the farmlands of the 1600s and the wealthy estates of the 1700s, to immigration, tenements, the "melting pot" and how the East Village became a haven for artists and counter-culturalists in the 20th century (and everything in between). Also learn about how recent commercial development and gentrification is the changing landscape of the East Village and surrounding neighborhoods. Through December 30. Wednesdays and Saturday.
Shrek the Musical - The Broadway Theatre
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
The characters from the William Steig book and DreamWorks animated film come to life on the stage. Open run.
Monarchs of the Sea: Celebrating the Ocean Liner Era - South Street Seaport Museum
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
This permanent exhibition features plans, models and memorabilia evoking the majesty and magic of a time when ocean liners were considered the last word in luxury travel.
Breastfeeding Support Group - Prenatal Yoga Center
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
Andrea Syms-Brown, IBCLC, RLC, CIMI, who has over 20 years experience supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies, hosts this workshop to discuss and solve breastfeeding problems in a warm, supportive atmosphere. Meets every Tuesday.
Infant Massage Class - Prenatal Yoga Center
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
Learn to soothe your baby with infant massage. Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, and caregivers welcome. Specific benefits include stimulated circuation, improved body awareness, improved sleep patterns, reduced discomfort from teething, congestions, gas, colic and emotional stress. Every Wednesday.
Open Boat Tours - The Waterfront Museum
Through December 31, 2009 - Brooklyn
Come aboard the 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79, a floating museum and houseboat aboard the last remaining covered wooden barge. The exhibition, "Showboat-'Round the Bend" traces the history of the tug and barge "Lighterage Era" and showcases how food and comerical goods were transported before today's bridges and tunnels. A clown and juggler tell the story of the rescue of Barge # 79 and a bunny mascot roams about.
Studio Tours - Little Airplane Productions
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
The award-winning creator of popular shows Nick Jr.'s The Wonder Pets, and Playhouse Disney's Go Baby, and Noggin's Oobi opens its doors for interactive guided tours of its production studio. Learn how children's television is made, and get involved, from writing to animation to voice-over recording. Ongoing; Tuesdays and Thursdays and one Saturday per month. Reservations required. Tours limited to groups of 10.
Dutch Culinary Traditions in America - Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
Through December 31, 2009 -
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage to New York Harbor, this exhibit in the museum's historic kitchen will explore the Dutch culinary traditions that were present in 19th-century America and are still evident today. Adults and children can test their knowledge about popular foods and compare historic and modern recipes. More details at www.mvhm.org. Note: Museum will be closed for August.
Journey to the Stars - American Museum of Natural History
Through December 31, 2009 -
Featuring images from telescopes on the ground and in space, the show is filled with physics-based simulations and an exploration of space and time. Experience the life and death of the stars in the night sky.
Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time - American Museum of Natural History
Through January 03, 2010 -
Extreme Mammals explores the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of extinct and living mammals. Featuring spectacular fossils from the Museum's collections, the exhibition will examine the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny and speedy to sloth-like, and showcase animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Planned highlights of the exhibition include fascinating specimens—from the egg-laying platypus to the recently extinct Tasmanian wolf—and fleshed-out models of extinct mammals like Ambulocetus, a "walking whale."
Pinkalicious, The Musical - Bleecker Street Theatre
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
Pinkalicious can't stop eating pink cupcakes, despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.
Just Drop In! - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Through January 03, 2010 -
Explore highlights of Kandinsky through creative, interactive projects led by museum educators. For families with children ages 3–10.See signage in main lobby for location. Sundays, through January 3.
Under the Stars - Time Warner Center
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
See twelve 14-stars that hang from the ceiling of the 150-foot Great Room which are lit by the largest specialty crafted display of illuminated color mixing in the world.
The Three Bears Holiday Bash - Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
A variety show that celebrates the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry. This production quickly becomes a comedy of errors when Baby Bear invites Santa to star in Mama and Papa Bears' annual holiday show.
The Snow Queen - Manhattan Children's Theatre
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, see the timeless story about the power of friendship and the beauty of a childlike heart.
The Three Bears Holiday Bash - Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre in Central Park
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
See a variety show that celebrates the holiday season in song, dance, and puppetry and draws from the stories of Hanukkah, the Night Before Christmas, and Kwanzaa. Reservations are required.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas - Marquis Theatre
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
See the Tony Award nominated hit musical and stage reinvention of the beloved classic film about two showbiz friends who put on a show in a picturesque Vermont inn, and find their perfect mates in the bargain.
New Amsterdam: The Island At The Center of the World - South Street Seaport Museum
Through January 07, 2010 - Manhattan
Celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Hudson's voyage with an exhibition that highlights the original document sometimes referred to as "New York's birth certificate."
New Amsterdam: The Island at the Center of the World - South Street Seaport Museum
Through January 07, 2010 - Manhattan
An exhibit that features dozens of rare historic maps, paintings, drawings and documents relating to the history of early New York.
New! Listen to the Wind, original illustrations by Susan L. Roth - Children's Museum of Manhattan
Through January 10, 2010 - Manhattan
Connect to the Pakistan village of Korphe through original and colorful collage illustrations from the popular children's book "Listen to the Wind" by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth.
Big Apple Circus - Lincoln Center/Damrosch Park
Through January 18, 2010 -
Bello the clown is back under the Big Apple Big Top performing breathtaking feats of humor in the theatrical focus of one ring with no seat more than 50 feet away! Bello is joined by a world of stellar circus stars: Spain's juggling artiste, Picaso Jr., Russia's Aniskin Troupe who catapult to the top of the tent on trampoline and soar across it on trapeze. For sheer beauty their very own aerialist Regina Dobrovitskaya rises through the air on shimmering ribbons. Equestrians Christine and Sultan get your heart pounding as they straddle galloping horses Roman style, and wait till you see what Big Apple Circus members can do with a pack of whacky dogs rescued from shelters. Of course there's more and for an extra measure of love and laughter, there's our very own Grandma. See schedule online. Through January 18.
Ice Skating - The Pond at Bryant Park
Through January 24, 2010 - Manhattan
Enjoy skating with the family, grab a bite to eat at the restuarants, and go shopping for gifts.
Free Daily Storytime - FAO Schwarz:Barefoot Books
Through February 26, 2010 - Manhattan
Daily storytime with a wide array of books for all ages, including singalong stories, multicultural travel adventures, classic fairytales and pirate story collections.
Last Day of the Myrtle Avenue El: Photographs by Theresa King - New York Transit Museum
Through February 28, 2010 - Brooklyn
A personal exhibition that captures a nostalgic moment in time and the essence of riding on wood elevated cars.
Storytime - Housing Works Bookstore
Through March 02, 2010 - Manhattan
Every Monday morning at 11:30am, kids age 3 and under and their moms, dads, grandparents, and sitters are invited to enjoy free stories and songs in the children?s book section.
Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World - American Museum of Natural History
Through August 16, 2010 -
Watch live silkworms spinning cocoons, wander through a replica of a lively night market, encounter life-sized camel models, explore the ancient skills of papermaking and metalwork, and track the stars using a working model of an Arab astrolabe. Plus, kids collect special stamps in Silk Road passports issued to them at the exhibition entrance.
Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road - American Museum of Natural History
Through September 01, 2010 -
Learn about the vast Inca Empire and it's extensive and intricate network of roads.
