Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

Since the holidays are right around the corner, we thought we’d take this opportunity to mention some of the spectacular holiday markets and train shows in NYC happening this week and beyond. For little locomotive lunatics, look no further than the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden and/or the Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal. In need of holiday gifts? Check out the Holiday Fair at Grand Central Terminal and/or the Union Square Holiday Market. Plus, enjoy our always reliable event picks of the week!

Friday, November 21-Sunday, November 23

Anansi the Spider: An African Folktale
TADA! Youth Theater
Various times
Based on the Anansi folktales of the Ashanti tribe in West Africa, “Anansi the Spider” tells the story of a spider who uses clever tricks and cunning to get what he wants. The Uzuri Dance Theater Company will amaze with live percussion music and traditional West African dance moves. Plus, a black light stage will illuminate the show’s colorful costumes and props. Tickets are $28.95 for adults and $18.95 for children. Children under the age of 4 are free if not occupying a seat.

Saturday, November 22

The Little Orchestra Society: Four Seasons: A Spinning Planet
New York City Center
11am & 1pm
The Little Orchestra Society, in association with New York City Center, will bring you a spectacular performance in “The Four Seasons: A Spinning Planet.” This collaborative piece with music played by the orchestra and choreographed by “punk ballerina” Karole Armitage will teach kids about our planet using animal fables. The stories will be expressed through a unique combination of music, ballet, and modern dance. Tickets start at $18. Recommended for children between the ages of 6 and 12.

Family Concert: Who is Tito Puente?
The Rose Theater at Lincoln Center
1pm & 3pm
Ernesto Antonio “Tito” Puente was an American salsa musician and Latin jazz composer. Known as the “King of Latin Jazz,” he was able to fuse styles and put a spin on traditional Latin music with his band. Remembered by the music world as a five-time Grammy Award winner, Puente has covered an extensive range of music over the course of his career. Join JLCO bassist Carlos Henriquez and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis to explore Puente’s legacy. Children are welcome to participate in free pre-concert activities prior to showtime. Tickets start at $10.

At the Kids’ Table with Sarah Lohman: Thanksgiving History
New York Historical Society
2pm
Journey back in time to discover what Thanksgiving food and festivities were like in the colonial era. After learning about Thanksgiving’s history and studying related artifacts, kids will get a chance to make their own mini apple pies with a mixture of past and present-day flavors. They will also use kitchen tools from the past to better understand how cooks produced their Thanksgiving feasts. This historic two-hour cooking class will be taught by Sarah Lohman, a historical gastronomist at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. For ages 8 and up. Admission is $15 per child.

Saturday, November 22-Sunday, November 23

Harvest Weekend
Wave Hill
10am-2pm
Celebrate Harvest Weekend at Wave Hill this Saturday and Sunday! Families with children of all ages can visit the garden grounds for Native American storytelling by Joe Cross, a lesson in the making of copper beech bowls by Chris Busak and James Tyrrell, cornhusk doll-making, a pumpkin pie workshop, and a concert by the Canal Street String Band. Free with garden admission. Admission is free on Saturday until noon.