Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

Bryant Park’s third annual Winter Carnival will begin this Friday! Photo by Angelito Jusay Photography via wintervillage.org.

January is wrapping up this week, and we found some fabulous events for you and yours. Check out two winter themed events: a colorful carnival and a jolly jam. If you are more in the mood for a kid-pleasing play or film festival, we’ve got you covered. There is also a joyous Japanese new year’s celebration to delight all ages. Enjoy!

Beginning Friday, January 27

Winter Carnival
Bryant Park
12-10pm
Celebrate winter during Bryant Park’s Third Annual Winter Carnival. All ages are invited to participate in an eclectic mix of outdoor seasonal activities including ice skating lessons, juggling workshops, an Ice Ball, curling lessons, a Cozy Sweater Pup Meet-Up, and more. Be sure to attend the Silent Disco on Sunday, January 29, an outdoor dance party where dancers will be provided with headphones to boogie down to DJ music. Runs through Saturday, February 4. This event is free.

Saturday, January 28

Winter Jam
Central Park
11am-3pm
Enjoy a free afternoon of winter activities this Saturday in Central Park! Winter Jam activities include arctic golf, an ice slide for ages 5 and under, live ice sculpting, shuffleboard games, the Taste of NY Winter Market, and more. This event is free and will be held rain, snow, or shine. All ages and abilities welcome.

Beginning Saturday, January 28

“Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!”
New Victory Theater
Various times
Best buddies Elephant and Piggie are complete opposites, but that doesn’t stop them from having a ton of fun together! Based on the “Elephant and Piggie” children’s book series by Mo Willems, this musical presented by the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences on Tour answers challenging questions such as “Should you share your ice cream?” and “What do you wear to a fancy costume pool party?” Recommended for ages 4 to 7. Runs Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, February 5. Tickets start at $25.

Saturday, January 28-Sunday, January 29

BAMkids Film Festival 2017
Brooklyn Academy of Music
9:30am-4pm
The BAMkids Film Festival is back for its 19th year this weekend! This year the fest will screen shorts and feature films from 27 countries, including “Molly Monster” and “Martha & Niki,” a doc about the first female champions of the world’s largest hip hop dance competition. After the screenings children can stop by the café for face painting, animation workshops, balloon twisting, a performance by the Fire Flame Steppers, food, and much more. Recommended for ages 3 to 11. Tickets are $10 for ages 13 and under and $14 for adults.

Sunday, January 29

New Year’s Celebration: Oshogatsu
Japan Society
1-4pm
In honor of the Japanese New Year, Japan Society is hosting its annual Oshogatsu celebration this Sunday. Stop by for an afternoon filled with traditional Japanese entertainment and activities like rice-pounding workshops, calligraphy sessions, kite making, games, live taiko drumming, and storytelling. Light Japanese meals, snacks, and refreshments will be available for purchase from BentOn Cafe. Tickets are $18. Children ages 2 and under are free.

Adventuring Portal

<a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&amp;D) games for kids.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&amp;D. Our D&amp;D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Monday &ndash; Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).&nbsp;&nbsp;15 total gaming hours for $180.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor&rsquo;s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done &amp; take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&amp;D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do. All our games focus on experiential learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&amp;D adventuring! We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum.&nbsp; All girls&rsquo; groups available.&nbsp; I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started&nbsp;Adventuring Portal, an&nbsp;online Dungeons &amp; Dragons&nbsp;business&nbsp;for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&amp;D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.

Monster Mini Golf

Upon entering Monster Mini Golf, all perceptions of traditional mini golf will be spirited away by the indoor, 18-hole, monster-theme, glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course! The locations in <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Deer Park</a>, and <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/gardencity/">Garden City, NY</a> invite guests to experience a host of family-oriented fun activities. Whether visiting for the first time or the one hundredth, mini golfers feel the excitement and adventure of playing mini golf amidst spooktacular monsters and custom, glow-in-the-dark, hand-painted artwork. While testing their skill on the fairways, lively music flows over the course from the unique &ldquo;WEIRD Radio&rdquo; station&rdquo; and an interactive DJ entertains golfers with contests, awarding cool prizes for the wackiest reasons. While the course is challenging enough for adults, it is also quite playable for children. Monster Mini Golf is open year-round and frightfully fun for the entire family. In addition to miniature golf and thrilling arcade and redemption games, the locations offer additional attractions. <a href="https://monsterminigolf.com/deerpark/">Monster Mini Golf in Deer Park, NY</a> offers a Laser Maze and a Virtual Reality experience. The Garden City location offers a Laser Maze, Bowling, and a Virtual Reality Experience. Two very posh, private party rooms are also available and are perfect for any event. Monster Mini Golf looks forward to making it a monstrous success. Monster Mini Golf is indoors, ensuring that the event will always take place, regardless of the weather. It is a climate-controlled, affordable source of family entertainment. For more details please visit <a href="http://monsterminigolf.com">monsterminigolf.com</a> or find them on Facebook.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.