FAMILY OF ROCK
JANUARY 14
[All Ages]
Get ready to move your hips and dive into the world of rock and roll. Founder of music program Preschool of Rock, Michael Napolitano, is bringing his family rock band Michael & the Rockness Monsters to the stage to share intelligent and humorous music. Their debut album came out earlier this year has gotten great feedback, especially “Pirate Song,” which has reached No. 2 on Sirius/XM’s Kids Place Live 13 under 13 chart. Enjoy some playful and upbeat music with you and your family at their show in the New Year! $14-17, 11am. Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, symphonyspace.org
SNOW DAY
JANUARY 23
[All Ages]
Join Central Park for NYC’s ultimate snow day this year. Winter Jam is a free winter sports festival for New Yorkers of all ages! Participate in snowshoeing, kicksledding, and join snowboarding and skiing lessons. Just bring your own sports gear and enjoy the terrain. Do not worry if you don’t have your equipment as they are also provided at no cost! Play with lots of fresh snow in the heart of Manhattan and enjoy the views of the nature! Free, 11am-3pm. Central Park, Manhattan Bandshell Area at 72nd Street, 212-360-8213, nycgovparks.org
WINTER BASH
JANUARY 29
[All ages]
Mil’s Trills, led by Amelia Robinson, is a children’s music project that invites families to celebrate their community through original tunes. Enjoy a live show that includes an infusion of brand new, playful, and highly interactive tunes at the annual Winter Bash as they celebrate their 7th anniversary. You can also enjoy the premiere of Say Hey! from their latest release, “Now That We’re Friends…” at the ShapeShifter Lab in Gowanus. $10, 10am. ShapeShifter Lab in Gowanus, 18 Whitwell Place, Brooklyn, 347-703-5207, milstrills.com
MEET THE DINOSAURS
FEBRUARY 4-5
[Age 3+]
Calling all dino fans out there: You and your family won’t want to miss this opportunity to observe, meet and interact with these life-like dinosaurs! Voted ‘Best Children’s Show’ on Adelaide Fringe Festival, Erth’s DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE is an entertaining and educational live show, created by Erth Visual & Physical of Sydney, Australia, and designed with the help of professional paleontologists. A team of skilled performers and puppeteers will bring you back to pre-historic Australia. You may even feel the urge to run when you see these realistic and amazing puppets! $29-70, 11am & 3pm. NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, 566 LaGuardia Place, 212-998-4941, dinosaurzoolive.us
LUNAR NEW YEAR
FEBRUARY 5
[All Ages]
Get ready for the year of the rooster! Swing by Chinatown’s annual celebration to the New Year with performances, parades, street party, and much more. Enjoy some of the most authentic food and learn the culture from all sorts of festivities, such as the wonderful and stunning traditional lion dance. You and your family will have a jolly time and very much enjoy the lively crowd. Free, 11am. Sara D. Roosevelt Park, East Houston Street to Canal Street, between Forsyth and Chrystie Streets, 917-660-2402, betterchinatown.com
WINTER ICE FESTIVAL
FEBRUARY 11
[All Ages]
Visit an all-day outdoor event at the 6th Annual Ice Festival in Central Park’s Naumburg Bandshell. Okamoto Studio will use electric chain saws, chisels, and picks to transform more than 6,000 lbs of ice into a replica of one of the park’s most beloved statues. The evening activities features a silent disco with live DJs. Free, 3-7pm. Naumburg Bandshell, Mid-Park from 66th to 72nd Streets, Central Park, 212-310-6600, centralparknyc.org
DOG SHOW 2017
FEBRUARY 11-14
[All Ages]
Attention all animal lovers: Westminster Week 2017 is almost here! Join the Westminster Kennel Club, America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs, for an entire week of fun-filled events. Don’t miss a unique opportunity to meet and visit with hundreds of adorable dogs and cats while learning about responsible pet ownership and various breeds at AKC Meet the Breeds. See the country’s greatest canine athletes and their handlers as they face a challenging obstacle course at the 4th Masters Agility Championship at Westminster. And finally, the 141st Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at The Piers 92/94 and Madison Square Garden! $10-100, various time and locations at The Piers 92/94 and Madison Square Garden. 212-213-3165, westminsterkennelclub.org
SESAME STREET LIVE!
FEBRUARY 16- 26
[All Ages]
Join Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, and their Sesame Street friends in welcoming Chamki, Grover’s friend from India, to Sesame Street! “Sesame Street Live: Make A New Friend” celebrates friendship and cultural similarities with singing and dancing, and of course—cookies! There will be lots of lively music, choreography, dazzling lights, and special effects, so feel free to sing along, dance, and clap while learning valuable lessons at this musical production. $15-147, times vary. The Theater at Madison Square Garden, 7th Ave & 32nd Street, 212-465-6080, sesamestreetlive.com
PLAY LIKE BACH
FEBRUARY 18
[Age 3-6]
Are your kids interested in music and wanting to play with some real musical instruments? Here’s their chance to get hands-on experience and learn some musical concepts at Baby Got Bach: “String ‘Stravaganza”. Join the MainStage Concert and enjoy live classical music performed by world-class concert performers led by pianist Orli Shaham and her friends, including 92Y School of Music faculty. Create wonderful memories and enjoy this live and interactive experience. $20, 10am. Weill Art Gallery, 92Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, 212-415-5500, 92y.org
PLANTS DISCOVERY
FEBRUARY 20-23
[All ages]
Take a break from the city scene and dive into the natural beauty of Mother Nature. Join the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s February Break Discovery Days for some fun and hands-on science experience during the midwinter school break. Kids will get a chance to investigate plants and objects firsthand and learn how plants survive in environments from deserts to rainforests. Participate in scavenger hunts, listen to stories, and bring a plant to bring home after their discovery at the Steinhardt Conservatory. Free, 11am-1pm. Steinhardt Conservatory, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-623-7200, bbg.org
CHILDREN’S FILM FEST
FEBRUARY 24-MARCH 19
[Age 3-18]
Explore the world without leaving the city of New York by celebrating the 20th anniversary of the New York International Children’s Film Festival. Enjoy close to 100 new films from around the world, representing more than 30 countries in more than 15 languages. Children will have the opportunity to participate in interactive Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers and get hands-on filmmaking workshops. Join the largest film festival for children and teens in North America to enjoy four weeks of international film programming for young people. Times vary. Screenings at the SVA Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, IFC Center, and the Scandinavian House. 212-349-0330, nyicff.org
BACK TO 19TH CENTURY
FEBRUARY 25
[Age 8-12]
Recognized as a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Merchant’s House is only family home in New York City to remain intact from the 19th Century with over 3,000 items of original furniture, decorative arts, and personal possessions from the Tredwell Family. Though it is ranked as one of the most haunted places in NYC, the house is hosting an event, the Special Interactive Tour for Families: A Child’s View of Life in 19th Century New York, allowing families and kids to learn more about the lives of children and their families in the 1850s. $15-20, 3:30pm. Merchant’s House Museum, 29 East 4th Street, 212-777-1089, merchantshouse.org
BROADWAY FOR KIDS
FEBRUARY 28
[Ages 6-18]
Enjoy a Broadway show for free this winter! Kids’ Night on Broadway is inviting kids and young adults ages 18 and under to Broadway shows in New York City when accompanied by a full-paying adult. As a program of The Broadway League, Kids’ Night on Broadway has introduced live theatre to young people and made Broadway more accessible to a new generation of theatergoers each year. Participating Broadway shows this year includes hit shows like “Aladdin,” “Wicked,” “School of Rock,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” and many more. Free, various times and locations throughout Times Square. 877-250-2929, kidsnightonbroadway.com
NIHON BUYO
MARCH 5
[Ages 5+]
Join the Japan Society for their special program, Nihon Buyo Dance for Kids & Families, which is specifically for kids and offered by the Geimaru-za Nihon Buyo Troupe. Kids will be introduced to the Japanese traditional dance nihon buyo, which is a kabuki technique-based dance. You may also enjoy the performances of “Ayatsuri Sanbaso” (“Puppet Sanbaso”), “Oshukubai” (“The Nightingale in the Plum Tree”) and excerpts from “Shunkashuto” (“Four Seasons”). $23-38, 4pm. The Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, 212-832-1155, japansociety.org
MAGIC OF PETER PAN
MARCH 18-26
[Ages 7+]
What if you are a grown up adult in Neverland? Come enjoy a story about five adult strangers finding back all the joys of childhood, including all your favorite toys that you used to play and music you used to love and dance to. Dutch children’s theater company Het Laagland presents The Peter Pan Experience, where you will explore the invisible magic of Peter Pan and fly high with the boy of make-believe. $15, 2pm & 7pm. BAM Fisher, Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Place, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, bam.org
