This weekend’s events and activities celebrate Dr. Suess’s birthday, the thrilling conclusion to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, and a chance to donate your time and monetary resources to the New York Public Library.
Out of This World: Tickets to the Greatest Show on Earth are still available for purchase. The show runs from Thursday, February 23rd to March 3rd, 2017. During this space-age adventure, families can enjoy the wondrous feats of acrobats, aerialists, clowns, and majestic animals.
Zoo-dunnit: A Midwinter Mystery: Families should make it a point to visit the Prospect Park Zoo on Saturday, February 25th, 2017 to take part in an interactive winter mystery. Participants will get the chance to decode hidden clues around the zoo and interview suspects to help track down the missing zoo animal.
Happy Birthday, Dr. Suess!: The Court Street Barnes and Noble in Brooklyn is hosting a special event on Saturday, February 25th, 2017 in honor of Dr. Suess’s birthday. The program schedule includes coloring, activities, and story-time.
New York International Children’s Film Festival: The New York International Children’s Film Festival runs from Friday, February 24th to March 19th, 2017, and exposes children to films from all around the world. The movies tackle book adaptions by Roald Dahl, shows how animation translates from an artist’s mind to the screen, and families can even watch a special preview screening of Disneynature’s new True Life Adventure film Born in China. Watch it at the festival before it hits theaters on Earth Day, April 22nd.
Alley Pond Environmental Center: The Alley Pond Environmental Center in Douglaston, New York has a variety of educational and interactive programs on deck this upcoming weekend. On Saturday, February 25th, 2017, families can enjoy the Winter Bird Walk for Beginners and afterward, tweens and teens can take a yoga class. The following day, visit the center to learn more about the needs of APEC’s animals and assist with feeding, brushing, and cleaning for certain animals.
Stroller Tour: On Saturday, February 27th, 2017, the Whitney Museum of American Art is closed to the public from 9:30am to 10:30am so parents and babies ages 0 to 18 months old can join Whitney Teaching Fellows, PhD candidates in art history and discuss works on display. Pre-registration is required to obtain access to the exhibition.
Eloise Wins an Oscar!: This Oscar Sunday, visit the Plaza Hotel for an opportunity to be the star of the show. Using their imaginations, children will take a trip to Hollywood to learn the basics of acting and then write a letter to Eloise about their Oscar-winning performance in a film. During the hour-long presentation, refreshments such as hot chocolate, star shaped sandwiches and an assortment of treats will be served to the participants. Each child will go home with a goody bag and a $10 gift card to the Eloise store.
The New York Public Library’s Family Benefit: On Sunday, February 26th, 2017, the landmark Stephen A. Schwarzman Building will be transformed into a jungle adventure. Programming during the two-hour event includes arts and crafts, festive food, science lessons, and a multitude of other activities that will encourage your child to read more during their life. Proceeds from the benefit support children’s services and programs in the Library’s 89 neighborhood branches.
A Year with Frog and Toad: Families will meet at noon for a delicious, kid-friendly pizza lunch and then engage in a food-based scavenger hunt. Then, everyone will journey to the Tribeca Performing Arts Center for a showing of A Year with Frog and Toad, an adaption of the beloved childrens’ books.
Boogie Down Break Week: Families that are looking for an early afternoon of fun should make it a point of visiting the Children’s Museum of Manhattan on Saturday, February 25th, 2017. Two workshops taking place are the Hanagasa Odori: Flower Hat Dance Workshop, where children can create their own hats and then learn a beautiful folk dance from Northern Japan. The second workshop is the Make-A-Face Makerspace: Create Your Own Emoji, where children can design their own emoji to put on their refrigerator.
Paint like Pollack: Children can visit the Museum of the City of New York on Sunday, February 26th, 2017 to learn more about various pouring and dripping techniques to create their own Pollock-inspired painting.