With the little ones at
home and the house full of extended family (not to mention those yummy holiday
leftovers to get through)—we thought you might need a few extra ideas of how to
have fun no matter if you have one kid (or four) in tow. —
Tuesday,
December 27
Re-Make The Holidays At The New York Hall Of Science
47-01 111th Street
11am-5pm
Through Friday, the New York Hall of Science will be a-buzz with constant
crafting. Turn trash in treasure, make your own musical instrument or create a
healthy snack to nosh on. Reserve your
spot as most workshops have limited availability.
12 Days Of Science At Liberty Science Center
222 Jersey
City Boulevard
Times Vary
In their fifth annual celebration, Liberty Science Center has put together quite the round-up of festive
fun. Today you can catch impressive math magic by Art Benjamin, watch a demo of
how liquid nitrogen ice cream is made and meet Buddy from PBS Kids’ Dinosaur Train.
Wednesday, December 28
Chess Festival At The
Cloisters
99 Margaret Corbin Drive
12-4pm
This two-day family
festival of knights and rooks will include assorted medieval games and
competitions, too. Plus, stick around for family gallery workshops and a
self-guided art hunt.
Holiday Open House At Queens County Farm
73-50 Little Neck
Parkway
12-4pm
Take a short breather from
the city with an afternoon chock full of farmhouse tours, crafts for the kiddos
and mugs of mulled cider.
Thursday, December 29
Winter Break Family Fun At
The DiMenna Children’s History Museum
170 Central Park West
11am-4pm
Ages 4-14 can catch the last two days of the new museum’s winter break
activities. Delight in a scavenger hunt, decorate an election button or
participate in a history quiz that could stump the whole family. No pre-registration required, walk-ins welcome.
Magic & Movies
Workshop At The Museum Of The Moving Image
36-01, 35th
Avenue (Astoria)
1pm, 3pm
Something for the older ones—ages 10 and up will screen clips from the museum’s
archives and then get the inside scoop on how the special effects were created.
At the end, they’ll get to star in their own short film!
Friday, December 30
Story Pirates At The
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212
West 83rd Street
2pm, 3pm
The Story Pirates are known for bringing the stories of kids to the stage and
today, they share their magic at CMOM with two can’t-miss performances.
Winter Break Workshops At
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Avenue
1-4pm
Inspired by the work of
Ezra Jack Keats, ages 3 and up can spend an afternoon watercolor painting and
layering patterned papers to create a collage.
Saturday, December 31
Kwanzaa 2011! At The American Museum Of Natural History
79th
Street
and Central Park West
12-4pm
This gala, dedicated to the seven principles of Kwanzaa, is a perfect fit for
the entire family! Experience African dance, spoken word, live music and custom
crafts. And let’s not forget about the food, shall we?
New Year’s Eve With The
Big Apple Circus
Damrosch Park on Lincoln Center Plaza
9pm
Still searching for the
perfect way to ring in the New Year? Spend it under the Big Top! The evening
will include a performance of The Big Apple Circus’ hit show, plus dancing and
a midnight toast.
Sunday, January 1
The JCC‘s Annual New Year’s Day Free Fitness For EveryBODY
Fair
334 Amsterdam Avenue
10am-6pm
Ready to get started on
those New Year’s resolutions? You betcha!
During this free fitness fair, The JCC will be launching their Marti Ann Meyerson Center for Health and Wellness. Sign up for programs like Family Zumba or
Cardio Boot Camp, pre-registration recommended.
A Trip To The Moon & Other Shorts At Film Society Lincoln Center
144 West 65th
Street
2pm
Don’t miss the chance to
see the playful shorts featured in the recent cinematic hit, Hugo. All ages are welcome to this
magical world of magicians, fairies and mermaids. Silent with recorded music.
Monday, January 2
Mommy Mornings At The Park Here Pop-Up Park
201 Mulberry Street
8:30am-12pm
Lounge on beanbags, rest
in hammocks and let the little ones run to and fro as you sip organic tea in this
new Nolita pop-up space.
Stacked Images Workshop At
The Children’s Museum Of The Arts
103 Charlton Street
12-5pm
Crafty ones 6 and up can
create their own works of art by finding creative ways to stack paper,
cardboard, newspapers and old magazines.
