The options for finding fun family activities in New York City are limitless. Below we've compiled the best of today's events. Whether your family prefers music and museums or theater and libraries, check out today's family activities in Manhattan. Making plans for next weekend? Take a glance at the NY Metro Parents' calendar!
Want to see what's going on next weekend or when you have those few days off? Check out the NY Metro Parents' calendar!
Trinity Children's Fall Fair - Trinity Lutheran Church
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Enjoy a bouncy castle, pony rides, arts and crafts, food, a rummage sale including children's items, and entertainment.
Tech In the Plaza: Peeking Into Playstation - Sony Wonder Technology Lab
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Go beyond what's on your screen and explore the inner workings of the PlayStation and PlayStation2 consoles and Dual Shock2 controller. Take it apart yourself as museum staff guide you through the process piece by piece. No reservation required; space is limited.
Dream Big - Rockefeller Center Plaza
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Enjoy a celebrity reading of the world's largest children's book which includes a collection of dreams gathered from children across the country. Plus, family activities like balloon artists, an acrobatic dance troupe, magicians and a coloring station.
Jazz for Young People: Who is Mary Lou Williams? - Lincoln Center
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Host Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra demonstrate how this leading lady of jazz created a sum of musical moods that fully reflected the spectrum of jazz.
Living History Days: 57th Virginia Infantry, Co. B - New York Historical Society
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Civil War reenactors will display original weaponry and show visitors what life was like both on the battlefield and on the sidelines of the war.
Family Workshop: Elephant Portraits - Rubin Museum of Art
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Elephants are an important and precious animal throughout India, as is elephant-headed Lord Ganesh, who symbolizes new beginnings. Sculpt portraits of Ganesh to display or carry home.
Family Art Project: Dances With Leaves - Wave Hill
November 07, 2009 - Bronx
Fashion a festive crown or costume from fall leaves and leaf rubbings, toss leaves in the wind, jump and run through piles. Make artful arrangements of leaves on the lawn and collage leaf designs to carry home.
Urban Foodies: Murray's Cheese - Murray's Cheese
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Explore the world of cheese and learn how cheese is made, aged, and more and then enjoy a cheese tasting.
Mr. Lincoln, A Play - New York Historical Society
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
An original play by Tom Klingenstein, which chronicles the reunion of two fictional characters who meet each other--and Lincoln--when he comes to New York in 1860 to deliver his Cooper Union speech.
Pigeon Party - Tribeca Performing Arts Center
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Enjoy a show filled with fun, laughter and excitement featuring original music and lots of audience participation.
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type - Manhattan Children's Theatre
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
See the comedic stage adaptation of the book about a farmer and the suddenly-communicative animals on his farm who go on strike until their demands for "creature comforts" are met.
Beautiful Ballerina - Scholastic SoHo Store
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Listen to a reading of the new book, "Beautiful Ballerina" by Marilyn Nelson and Susan Kuklin then make tutus and more.
Artist Series: Nina Meledandri - Children's Museum of Manhattan
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
Explore how color, continuity and chance encounters are all part of the artistic process and make 2-4 square drawings on a magnetic surface.
Tribeca Family Festival Favorites - Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club
November 07, 2009 - Manhattan
See a series of musical and colorful shorts from all around the world and enjoy a post screening question and answer session with the director and a dance lesson.
Japanese Autumn Adventures - New York Botanical Garden
Through November 15, 2009 -
Participate in innovative projects that complement the Kiku in the Japanese Autumn Garden exhibition. Activities include an interactive Japanese tea ceremony, tea leaf exploration, chrysanthemum planting, and more.
Ready, Set, Story! How Katie Saved the Sneaky Spider's Tales - Looking Glass Theatre
Through November 22, 2009 - Manhattan
A new children's show exploring international folktales of tricksters.
Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Through November 29, 2009 -
A special exhibition that will include all five paintings by Vermeer from its collection, as well as a select group of works by other Dutch artists.
Matthew Takes Mannahatta - Vital Theatre Company
Through November 29, 2009 - Manhattan
Follow the adventures of Matthew and his sister Piper who take a magical adventure back in time, where they discover that the Manhattan of the past held a very different Thanksgiving than the one we all know today.
Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! - Private Picassos
Through December 08, 2009 - Manhattan
Explore shapes, color and strengthen fine motor skills through a variety of 2 and 3 dimensional mediums.
Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! - Island Kids Art Classes
Through December 10, 2009 - Roosevelt Island
This class has been created for young toddler artists who have taken the toddler class in the past. Using a similar format to the regular Triangles, Squares and Circles, Oh My! class, this class will focus on three main activities in one session, but with the addition of recycled sculpture. Through December 10.
Women Movers & Shakers Walking Tour - East Village Visitors Center
Through December 18, 2009 - Manhattan
Learn how the women of the Lower East Side helped to break new ground in music, art, literature, fashion and medicine; made advancements in working conditions and women's rights and otherwise played a role in politics and culture in America and around the globe. The Lower East Side is the birthplace of the Women's Suffrage movement, Planned Parenthood, Visiting Nurse Services, Children's Aid Society, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, Catholic Worker, Mother Earth magazine, experimental Off-Broadway theater, and so many more institutions and movements spearheaded by these pioneering women.
Schedule: Fridays at 12:00pm Reservations: Suggested/Not required Fee: $15 Meet: East Village Visitors Center, 308 Bowery (btwn E. Houston & Bleecker) Directions: F, or V train to 2nd Ave/Lower East Side or 6 train to Bleecker/Lafayette
East Village History Walking Tour - East Village Visitors Center
Through December 30, 2009 - Manhattan
Get a crash course in East Village/Lower East Side history. From the farmlands of the 1600s and the wealthy estates of the 1700s, to immigration, tenements, the "melting pot" and how the East Village became a haven for artists and counter-culturalists in the 20th century (and everything in between). Also learn about how recent commercial development and gentrification is the changing landscape of the East Village and surrounding neighborhoods. Through December 30. Wednesdays and Saturday.
Shrek the Musical - The Broadway Theatre
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
The characters from the William Steig book and DreamWorks animated film come to life on the stage. Open run.
Monarchs of the Sea: Celebrating the Ocean Liner Era - South Street Seaport Museum
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
This permanent exhibition features plans, models and memorabilia evoking the majesty and magic of a time when ocean liners were considered the last word in luxury travel.
Breastfeeding Support Group - Prenatal Yoga Center
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
Andrea Syms-Brown, IBCLC, RLC, CIMI, who has over 20 years experience supporting breastfeeding mothers and their babies, hosts this workshop to discuss and solve breastfeeding problems in a warm, supportive atmosphere. Meets every Tuesday.
Infant Massage Class - Prenatal Yoga Center
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
Learn to soothe your baby with infant massage. Moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, and caregivers welcome. Specific benefits include stimulated circuation, improved body awareness, improved sleep patterns, reduced discomfort from teething, congestions, gas, colic and emotional stress. Every Wednesday.
Open Boat Tours - The Waterfront Museum
Through December 31, 2009 - Brooklyn
Come aboard the 1914 Lehigh Valley Barge #79, a floating museum and houseboat aboard the last remaining covered wooden barge. The exhibition, "Showboat-'Round the Bend" traces the history of the tug and barge "Lighterage Era" and showcases how food and comerical goods were transported before today's bridges and tunnels. A clown and juggler tell the story of the rescue of Barge # 79 and a bunny mascot roams about.
Studio Tours - Little Airplane Productions
Through December 31, 2009 - Manhattan
The award-winning creator of popular shows Nick Jr.'s The Wonder Pets, and Playhouse Disney's Go Baby, and Noggin's Oobi opens its doors for interactive guided tours of its production studio. Learn how children's television is made, and get involved, from writing to animation to voice-over recording. Ongoing; Tuesdays and Thursdays and one Saturday per month. Reservations required. Tours limited to groups of 10.
Dutch Culinary Traditions in America - Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
Through December 31, 2009 -
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's voyage to New York Harbor, this exhibit in the museum's historic kitchen will explore the Dutch culinary traditions that were present in 19th-century America and are still evident today. Adults and children can test their knowledge about popular foods and compare historic and modern recipes. More details at www.mvhm.org. Note: Museum will be closed for August.
Journey to the Stars - American Museum of Natural History
Through December 31, 2009 -
Featuring images from telescopes on the ground and in space, the show is filled with physics-based simulations and an exploration of space and time. Experience the life and death of the stars in the night sky.
Extreme Mammals: The Biggest, Smallest, and Most Amazing Mammals of All Time - American Museum of Natural History
Through January 03, 2010 -
Extreme Mammals explores the surprising and sometimes bizarre world of extinct and living mammals. Featuring spectacular fossils from the Museum's collections, the exhibition will examine the ancestry and evolution of numerous species, ranging from huge to tiny and speedy to sloth-like, and showcase animals with oversized claws, fangs, snouts, and horns. Planned highlights of the exhibition include fascinating specimens—from the egg-laying platypus to the recently extinct Tasmanian wolf—and fleshed-out models of extinct mammals like Ambulocetus, a "walking whale."
Pinkalicious, The Musical - Bleecker Street Theatre
Through January 03, 2010 - Manhattan
Pinkalicious can't stop eating pink cupcakes, despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.
Just Drop In! - Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Through January 03, 2010 -
Explore highlights of Kandinsky through creative, interactive projects led by museum educators. For families with children ages 3–10.See signage in main lobby for location. Sundays, through January 3.
New Amsterdam: The Island At The Center of the World - South Street Seaport Museum
Through January 07, 2010 - Manhattan
Celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Hudson's voyage with an exhibition that highlights the original document sometimes referred to as "New York's birth certificate."
New Amsterdam: The Island at the Center of the World - South Street Seaport Museum
Through January 07, 2010 - Manhattan
An exhibit that features dozens of rare historic maps, paintings, drawings and documents relating to the history of early New York.
New! Listen to the Wind, original illustrations by Susan L. Roth - Children's Museum of Manhattan
Through January 10, 2010 - Manhattan
Connect to the Pakistan village of Korphe through original and colorful collage illustrations from the popular children's book "Listen to the Wind" by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth.
Free Daily Storytime - FAO Schwarz:Barefoot Books
Through February 26, 2010 - Manhattan
Daily storytime with a wide array of books for all ages, including singalong stories, multicultural travel adventures, classic fairytales and pirate story collections.
Last Day of the Myrtle Avenue El: Photographs by Theresa King - New York Transit Museum
Through February 28, 2010 - Brooklyn
A personal exhibition that captures a nostalgic moment in time and the essence of riding on wood elevated cars.
Storytime - Housing Works Bookstore
Through March 02, 2010 - Manhattan
Every Monday morning at 11:30am, kids age 3 and under and their moms, dads, grandparents, and sitters are invited to enjoy free stories and songs in the children?s book section.
Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road - American Museum of Natural History
Through September 01, 2010 -
Learn about the vast Inca Empire and it's extensive and intricate network of roads.