Picks Of The Week: January 17-22

This week we’re all about
celebration. After commemorating the legacy of MLK Jr., we’re amped up to for a
two-day healthy Kids Food Fest, adventures with a new American Girl doll and
observing the Lunar New Year in every borough. So, put on your party hats and
make merry with great events all week long. —

Tuesday, January 17
The Swedish Cottage
Marionette Theatre Presents Little Miss
Muffet’s Monster-Sitting Service
79th Street and West Drive
10:30am, 12pm

Opening today, the Swedish Cottage’s new production puts a whimsical spin on a
favorite childhood nursery rhyme. What happens when Miss Molly Muffet befriends
Al the spider?

Veggiecation
Program Holds Free Cooking Class at UWS Whole Foods Market
808
Columbus Avenue
4pm

Lisa Suriano, Founder of the Veggiecation Program, will teach
elementary schoolers how to prep healthy and delicious veggie dishes, such as
chickpea tuna salad and celery & pear salad, that they can make at home. Free.

Wednesday, January 18
Learn to DJ with DJ Spooky
:: That Subliminal Kid at Church Street School for Music and Art
74 Warren Street
6pm

Paul Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky :: That Subliminal Kid, will demo his
iPhone/iPad DJ, live sampling, and remix app. Bring your (or your parent’s)
device to learn how to spin some tunes. For
kids 12 and up.

Thursday, January 19
Children’s
Storytime at the Strand Presents A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story
828 Broadway
3:30pm

During Chinese New Year, the air is full of
firecrackers, sticky rice balls and dancing dragons. But for little Maomao,
it’s even more special—she gets to see her dad. Strand staff members will read this
heartwarming story about Chinese customs by Yu Li Qiong.

UES Barnes & Noble Presents Tiger Beat In Concert
150 East 86th Street
7pm

Celebrate
the book Rock God by Barnabas Miller
and get ready to groove as the kiddie band (composed of young adult authors) Tiger
Beat takes to the stage.

Friday, January 20
McKenna
2012 Celebration at the American Girl Place
609 Fifth Avenue
5:30pm

Celebrate McKenna, the
newest Girl of the Year! Learn all about the determined, goal-setting American
Girl doll. Participate in a scavenger hunt throughout the store, or make a
paper mirror with positive, inspirational messages. (Plus, take home some
really cool swag!)

Saturday, January 21
Kids
Food Festival at Citi Pond at Bryant Park
West
40th Street
between Fifth and Sixth avenues
10am-6pm

What’s cookin’? This child-friendly fest will feature cooking
classes, food demos led by gourmet dynamos like David Burke, and a Balanced
Plate Scavenger Hunt to continue the fight against childhood obesity.

“Your Attention, Ladies and Gentlemen!” At The New York Transit Museum
Boerum Place and Schmererhorn Street
1:30pm

5’s and up can explore vintage cars and learn the history of the
subway’s address announcement. Then, they’ll head to the Technology Lab to make
their own.

Sunday, January 22
Lunar
New Year Festival Family Day at the Museum of Chinese in America
215
Centre Street
10am-5pm

The 4,710th Lunar New Year is underway, and it’s
the Year of the Dragon, the only mythical being of the 12 animals that form the
Chinese Zodiac. Celebrate the magic of this creature with calligraphy and
storytelling workshops, art projects and family gallery tours.

New York Family Camp Fair On The UWS
7 West 83rd Street
12-3pm

One of the four free NYF camp fairs happening this weekend. (Check out the full
list here.) Visit with over 30 camps!

Ivy Camps USA

<p>Ivy Camps USA is a premium online provider of engaging after-school classes, holiday camps, summer camps, and personalized tutoring. Their instructors come from the&nbsp;top 10 US universities and love to inspire and mentor emerging minds. Extracurricular classes, holiday camps, and summer camps are offered in STEM, Business Leadership, and Arts, Media &amp; Communication for ages 6-14. Tutoring programs focus on supporting students academically, developing a mentoring relationship, and rekindling a love of learning. Ivy Camps USA is known for exceptional programming that kids love and parents trust.</p>

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Summer Game Camp</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">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;</p> <p dir="ltr">- Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch!</p> <p dir="ltr">- A digital campus!</p> <p dir="ltr">- Moderated chat hours!</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more!</p> <p dir="ltr">Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">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;</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr">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!</p> <p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">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.</p>

Plugged in Band

<div>Plugged In is a nonprofit program that offers online programs to student&nbsp;musicians (Ages 10-18) in a non-competitive environment and provides band and individual performance opportunities in support of community and charitable causes.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Our programs include:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Rock Band Classes</div> <div>Private Music Lessons</div> <div>Summer Camp</div> <div>Digital/Audio Production</div> <div>Songwriting and Recording Workshops</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Oh and hey parents, we are now offering private music lessons and our rock band program for adults too. Reach out to us for more information.&nbsp;</div>