Paint The Town Blue

They
may be blue, fuzzy and tiny as can be (as tall as three smurfberries)—but they’re
running the show this week. That’s right, joining the ranks of Fashion Week and
Restaurant Week is a Smurfed-up family semana. —

Celebrate Huge With Tiny Friends

While
the slew of Smurf events will sadly not be hitting the boroughs of Queens or Staten Island (we blame Gargamel!) there will be plenty of
festivities taking place in the city. Beginning Monday, July 25 and continuing until
the film release on Friday, July 29 many popular city establishments will be
hosting Smurf-themed attractions.

Kick
off the special week on Monday at Columbus Circle where a Smurf
Village has been built. You have to see it to believe it! There will be 3-D
mushrooms and a towering inflatable Smurf. Other delights include fabulous facepainting,
Smurfy coloring books, photobooth fun, and a performance from the 92 Street Y’s
musical theater program. Also that day, keep an eye out for the Empire State Building’s blue pride. But the festive color change is not
just for the flick—it’s to encourage fans to donate to the U.S.’ fund for UNICEF.

On
Tuesday, July 26 (and repeating throughout the rest of the week) explore
everything from bread molds to mushrooms at the Brooklyn
Children’s Museum “Extraordinary Laboratory: Fungus Among Us.” That
same day, little ones can build their very own skyscraper
Smurf-sized village at the Skyscraper Museum. Adding to the smurfy fun this
day is a scavenger
hunt at the New York Botanical Garden (repeats on Thursday).

Catch
a cameo
appearance from a Smurf at the marionette performances at the Swedish
Cottage in Central Park on Wednesday; stay a bit longer and make your own
Smurf puppet! That same day you can storm Gargamel’s castle (actually Belvedere Castle) and take a NYC
Urban Park Ranger Tour in Central
Park. On Wednesday and
Thursday, Smurf fans can use their stellar imaginations, as well as stop-motion
animation techniques at the Sony
Wonder Technology Lab to create a Smurf short film to take home with them.

Finish
off the special week with a Smurf celebration at Regal Cinemas E-Walk 13; the
whole family will get to meet-and-greet the characters. And of course, don’t
forget to catch the flick!

For all Smurf happenings, click here.

Treehouse Shakers

<div>Treehouse Shakers&rsquo; Branching OUT After-School program is for ages 12-14. This awarded program is for young people who identify as LGBTQIA+, or are seeking to become better allies. Branching OUT centers on discovering and exploring one&rsquo;s story and identity through an intentionally artist-led format. During our community-based program, young people will explore and reflect on their own story to create a larger, more meaningful experience, while gaining self-empowerment and gathering with like-minded peers. Through the guidance of our awarded teaching artists, young people will create narratives that will be turned into podcasts, dances, songs or poetry.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Young people have the opportunity to learn new art forms, work with professional artists, while building a meaningful community.</div>

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.

BAMkids

BAMkids presents adventurous art and ideas for young audiences, igniting the imaginations of creative kids ages 3&mdash;11 with a fun and engaging lineup of workshops, movie matinees, and live performances from around the world. BAM Education connects learning with creativity, engaging imagination by encouraging self-expression through programs for students, teachers, and audiences of all ages. Explore the programs on their website to learn more about their opportunities for creative online engagement!