Picks of the Week: June 17-23

The Grossology exhibit now at Liberty Science Center; photo by John Porcaro

Hope all the dads out there had a great Father’s Day! There are some fantastic fests, excellent exhibits, and dynamic daytime activities going on this week that are guaranteed to please all. Feast your eyes on these picks of the week:

Through Monday, September 2

Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body
Liberty Science Center
9 am-4 pm
Based on the book of the same name, the new Grossology exhibit at Liberty Science Center teaches kids about the cruder side of the human body. Visitors can walk through a giant schnoz while learning about mucus and the nose’s filtration system, play a pinball game called Gas Attack, scramble up a climbing wall that looks like human skin, and more. Free with Center admission.

Through Sunday, July 14

River To River Festival
Various locations
Various times
The River To River Festival is a 30-day celebration of art, music, and theater in Lower Manhattan. Family-friendly fest highlights this week include a performance by the Dana Leong Trio in Brookfield Place Plaza (Tuesday, June 18), Fluid: Construct, an art installation that explores water and its relationship to the city, and Mantra Percussion’s production of Cornelius Cardew’s The Great Learning (Friday, June 21). Next month (Saturday, July 13), hop on a ferry to Governors Island for Field Day and Family Day, co-sponsored by Come Out & Play. Visit River To River’s website for more information.

Friday, June 21

Make Music New York
Various locations
Various times
Now in its seventh year, Make Music New York is a one-day musical extravaganza with over a thousand free concerts occurring throughout the city. Amateur musicians are invited to perform in street concerts for instruments like, cello, guitar, harmonica, keyboard, accordion, gong, clarinet, french horn, harp, and much more. Also, pro-musicians and bands will give concerts in various locations around the city throughout the day and into the night. For more information, visit Make Music New York’s website.

Saturday, June 22

Adventures NYC
Central Park
11 am-4 pm
Calling all adrenaline sports enthusiasts! Bring along the family and check out the NYC Parks Departments’ and Backpackers Magazine’s Adventures NYC. This daylong, outdoor sporting event encourages all ages to stay active through extreme sports like climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and more. There will also be health and fitness clinics, outdoor gear exhibits, bike helmet giveaways, and live music. Adventures NYC is free and will be held rain or shine.

Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND® New York Resort

Monstrous Family fun returns with Brick-or-Treat at LEGOLAND&reg; New York Resort! &nbsp; The signature children&rsquo;s Halloween event kicks off October 3rd&nbsp;when the Park transforms into a bewitching party filled with candy, seasonal shows, and Halloween themed LEGO characters. The event runs on all operating dates in October, with all festivities included in general admission. Meet LEGO Monster characters like Spider Lady and Wacky Witch and make your way to the treat stations around the Park. Don&rsquo;t forget your costumes! &nbsp; New for 2024: Monster Party Nights at LEGOLAND New York Hotel! Book a Brick-or-Treat overnight package in October to enjoy extra sweet Halloween-themed fun after a day in the Park. Hotel guests will have the opportunity to eat breakfast with a Monster, participate in themed crafts and LEGO builds, rock out at the Monster Dance Party each night, and more! &nbsp; AWESOME AWAITS at LEGOLAND&reg; New York Resort, the ultimate LEGO&reg; theme park destination, for kids ages two through twelve and their families. Ride, climb, and build your way through seven LEGO themed lands. &nbsp;

That's Mandarin

That's Mandarin is one of the oldest Chinese language schools in China. With a unique approach to language learning and our own in-house teaching methodologies; we aim to be not only the most experienced, but also one of the best Mandarin schools in China! We focus on providing the smoothest service and the best teaching experience to all our students; no matter whether they are studying Chinese online with our innovative online language learning system or at one of our Chinese language schools in China. Founded in 2005, That&rsquo;s Mandarin has been delivering excellence in Chinese teaching for over 15 years to more than 30,000 students of different nationalities. We now have schools in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen with plans to open more locations in more cities soon.&nbsp; &nbsp; COURSE INFO&nbsp; Learn Chinese online and enjoy private online classes with our professional native Chinese teachers anytime, anywhere. Our Online Chinese Course is perfect for students abroad who want to learn Chinese remotely. Besides, online Chinese classes are also a great opportunity for those who don&rsquo;t have enough time to come to our Mandarin school. By using That&rsquo;s Mandarin special learning platform, you can have online Mandarin classes with our teachers anytime and anywhere.&nbsp; &nbsp; We Offer：&nbsp; &bull; Standard Chinese Course&nbsp; &bull; HSK Preparation Course&nbsp; &bull; Chinese Course for Kids&nbsp; &bull; Chinese Course for Corporate Clients&nbsp; &nbsp; All lessons are private Chinese classes with certified native Chinese teachers with 24/7 access to our online system.&nbsp; For every new student we offer a free trial lesson with us.&nbsp; &nbsp; Online Classes Content:&nbsp; &nbsp; REAL-LIFE PRACTICE&nbsp; &bull; Communication skills&nbsp; &bull; Speaking practice&nbsp; &bull; Real-life situations&nbsp; &bull; Modern Chinese expressions&nbsp; &nbsp; LANGUAGE LEARNING&nbsp; &bull; HSK Vocabulary&nbsp; &bull; Daily Vocabulary&nbsp; &bull; Useful Grammar&nbsp; &bull; Set Phrases&nbsp; &bull; Slang &amp; Idioms&nbsp; &nbsp; CULTURAL ELEMENTS&nbsp; &bull; Chinese culture&nbsp; &bull; Natural wonders&nbsp; &bull; Famous sights&nbsp; &bull; Festivals &amp; traditions&nbsp; &bull; Classic literature, opera &amp; art&nbsp; &nbsp; HEATED DISCUSSIONS&nbsp; &bull; Discovering interesting topics&nbsp; &bull; Discussing global topics&nbsp; &bull; Social phenomena&nbsp; &bull; Cultural differences&nbsp; &nbsp; How&nbsp;much?&nbsp; The price starts at $24. &nbsp; When?&nbsp; The schedule depends on your availability as the course is fully customized.&nbsp; &nbsp; Where?&nbsp; We use our in-house digital platform NihaoCafe to help you connect with your teacher, review class notes, and schedule classes.&nbsp; &bull; Online Chinese Class content and teacher&rsquo;s notes automatically get recorded into the system, so it&rsquo;s easy to review your classes&nbsp; &bull; There&rsquo;s a huge teaching resource database, so you can prepare for your future online Chinese classes in advance&nbsp; &bull; There is an online course arrangement system that manages your booked Chinese classes &ndash; to guarantee that wherever you are, you and your teachers can stay informed about the online Mandarin class schedule and changes&nbsp; &bull; Teachers can also add their own courseware including webpages, PowerPoint presentations, videos, etc. into the system anytime&nbsp; &nbsp; &bull; Our professional IT team is online 24 hours a day, ready to solve any unexpected issues&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; CONTACT: &nbsp; Website: https://www.thatsmandarin.com&nbsp; Email: info@thatsmandarin.com&nbsp; &nbsp; Phone: +86 10 8448 9799&nbsp;

Child's Play NY Virtual Classes

<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Child's Play NY is a Brooklyn-based company founded in 2009, committed to offering a diverse array of theater arts classes for children. They believe studying the art of acting encourages kids to be even more creative, collaborative and compassionate human beings. Since its inception, Child's Play NY has touched the lives of hundreds of students, worked inside dozens of schools and is consistently ranked as among the top theater arts programs. It is the 2019 winner of Brooklyn Family's Choice award for Best Performing Arts Class. &nbsp; <span style="color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fall/Winter 2020-21 Virtual Class Guide<span style="color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">: &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make a Movie Class <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Experience creative fulfillment and movie magic with Child&rsquo;s Play NY! Kids get to make and star in their own film, with professional actors, directors and designers. From development to design to editing choices too, kids can take ownership over the creative process. Their friends and family get to celebrate their accomplishments at a final watch party premiere! Deep project-based learning and peer-connection is at the heart of this 9-week experience which can be done remotely or in-person. &nbsp; <span style="color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fall and Winter Virtual Classes &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hogwarts School (grades 1-3): Come get sorted into your favorite house, jump on your Firebolt and let&rsquo;s make some magic! Class culminates in a movie montage featuring our original scripted work from the session. &nbsp; &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration-skip: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Create Your Own Class <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Make your own custom group to support social-emotional growth and play. Child&rsquo;s Play NY provides a dynamic teacher and their lauded curriculum that puts peer-interaction at the front and center. Custom classes are a special way to nurture what your child loves most and share that excitement with their friends, in-person or online. &nbsp; <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Playwriting (Grades 4-6)</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students will use their creativity, compassion and confidence to build a story they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. Individually, each student will craft a play, and together they will workshop their scenes, exercising their acting, directing, and most importantly, imagination skills. Over the course of the sessions, students will learn the basics of playwriting and be able to present any and all parts of their theatrical story. All classes will include individual assignments and collaborative opportunities. Each day will be structured so that all participants have the chance to learn and study other writers&rsquo; work, write for 10-15 minutes and share their words with each other. By the end of the semester they will have used their bodies, intellect and imagination to come up with an original play. By being confident, vulnerable and creative with each other and actively supporting and encouraging each other&rsquo;s work, students will emerge with meaningful connections to each other and a strong sense of their writing and collaborative abilities. Class culminates in a montage and packet of students&rsquo; original work. </div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musical Theater Lab (Grades 4-6)</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Learn how to be a triple threat in this dynamic class for budding performers with Child&rsquo;s Play NY. Students focus on songs, dances and characters from Broadway&rsquo;s most celebrated and kid-friendly shows. They work alongside professional performers with years of experience bringing their passion to children. Class culminates in a movie showcase of scenes and songs. Join for the full session, or enroll as a drop-in! </div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shakespeare Scene Study (Grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12)</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young people become confident with Shakespeare&rsquo;s world, language and characters as they learn how to interpret a role with technique and courage. Classically trained professional actors assist the players in their physical, vocal and emotional transformations. All Shakespeare teaching artists are classically trained professional actors and have performed Shakespeare both on and off Broadway and in regional theaters across the country.</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Students jump into the worlds of Shakespeare in this robust mash-up of improvisation and classic text scene study class. After learning the plot and characters from several plays, they rehearse and memorize scenes from the original text. New material, devised by the cast, adds a contemporary through-line to their show and highlights the universality of Shakespeare&rsquo;s themes. Class culminates in a movie showcasing their work.</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Big Twist: A New Musical (Grade 1-4)</div> &nbsp; <div style="caret-color: #222222; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this acting class, students get to perform a brand new musical based on The Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the South wants to return Oz to a time when WITCHES reigned supreme, and all was evil. Summoning a dark magic Tornado, the Wicked Witch of the South sends Oz hurtling into an alternate Oz. With the Yellow Brick road destroyed, the Wizard left powerless, and the citizens of Oz scattered to the Wind, our heroes are forced into unlikely partnerships to stop the Witch and restore the world to order. The Wizard of Oz meets The Tempest. &nbsp;Class culminates in a premiere of a movie starring the students, filmed over the last few days of the session.</div> &nbsp; &nbsp;