Looking for fun and affordable family events? If you’re in Queens, you’re in luck! We’ve rounded up the top 10 things to do with your kids this February, including seeing Bjork in concert, hanging out with Muppets, celebrating Valentine’s Day, and more.
For even more upcoming kids’ events in Queens and the NYC area, check out our full, searchable calendar of events.
Starts February 3
Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk is making her way to Queens, bringing her Biophilia show to the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI). In addition to giving a live audio-visual performance of her latest album, Björk will collaborate with NYSCI on a three-week, music-meets-science education series. The multitalented singer will step outside her chosen profession to work with local kids in interactive, exploratory workshops. Middle school-aged children can participate in an intensive study of the scientific concepts at the core of Biophilia’s songs, including crystalline structures, lunar phases, viruses, and more. Björk has also collaborated with app developers, scientists, writers, inventors, musicians, and instrument makers to create a unique multimedia exploration of the universe and its physical forces-particularly those where music, nature, and technology meet. As part of the workshops, students will learn to use those apps as tools for music composition and will delve into the study of how musicology relates to nature.
February 5
You and your family already enjoyed the excitement of ringing in 2012 on January 1. This month, Flushing Town Hall is offering two workshops to celebrate the Lunar New Year. You won’t have to stay up late to participate in Dragon Puppet-Making, where crafters of all ages will create their own dragons inspired by Chinese shadow puppets. This hands-on event is inspired by the auspicious Chinese Dragon, which brings wisdom, health, and prosperity. And in the Lucky Bag Origami Workshop, learn how to make a Korean lucky bag (Bokjoo-money), then write down your wishes for the year and put them in the lucky bag’s secret pocket.
February 7
Queensborough Performing Arts Center presents a kid-friendly musical, Fourscore and Seven Years Ago, about what life may have been like for African Americans living in Gettysburg during the Civil War.
February 5-29
Celebrate Valentine’s Day!
Love is in the air throughout the borough this Valentine’s Day. If you and your kids look forward to crafting heart-shaped cards and indulging in some “be mine” candy in honor of the holiday, we’ve got the perfect roundup of activities to keep everyone happy:
February 5: Just because Valentines are usually red and pink doesn’t mean you can’t go green. In a Heart-Shaped Compost Cookies workshop, kids will be introduced to composting and bring home heart-shaped compost cookies to give their household plants. Plus, get step-by-step instructions on how to start and maintain an outdoor compost bin or indoor worm bin. Be prepared to get your hands dirty!
February 14: If this day is a little too lovey-dovey for your liking, head to the library for a creepier take on the holiday. In Love Stories from Beyond, Joseph Flammer and Diane Hill, Long Island’s most famous ghost hunters and investigators of the paranormal, provide heartwarming stories of real-life experiences that explore how the love of deceased family members and friends transcends even death.
February 14: On a day when everyone is more in love than usual, head to a Valentine’s Day Poetry Reading and Writing Workshop, where children will recite Valentine’s Day-worthy rhymes. Participants will also write their own poetry and share it with their peers.
February 29: Later in the month, head to the library to hear Spanglish Love Songs. Argentinian soprano and guitarist Irene Failenbogen and classical guitarist Liam Murphy will perform well-known love songs from around the world, including selections like “Love Me Tender,” “Besame Mucho,” and “The Shadow of Your Smile.”
February 19
If your family can’t get enough of the Muppets, you are in luck. The Museum of the Moving Image is extending its Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit through March 4, and it will be supplemented by a variety of family-friendly events throughout February. In addition to programs featuring popular Muppets episodes, families can look forward to a special film event on February 19: the Oscar Day Muppets Triple Feature will include flicks that take Kermit and the gang to Hollywood, Broadway, and London.
February 19
Doktor Kaboom brings his one-man variety show full of surprisingly successful (and entertaining) science experiments to Queens Theatre.
