At Last It’s April
BROOKLYN
Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington
Avenue, Brooklyn, www.bbg.org
APRIL 8 – APRIL 30, All day:
Celebrate the Cherry Blossom Season at Brooklyn Botanic
Garden!
Hanami is the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing and
cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season, from
the first buds to the brilliant blossoms to the petals
falling like pink snow. Brooklyn Botanic Garden visitors
can enjoy a stroll under a canopy of cherry trees, view
Mizue Sawano's exceptional cherry tree paintings, taste
a special Japanese menu at the Terrace Café, and
celebrate Sakura Matsuri, a two-day family festival of
Japanese culture, arts, and performances.
Hanami Events Include:
APRIL 8: Mizue Sawano:
The Art of the Cherry Tree:
In celebration of the 25th annual cherry blossom festival,
Sakura Matsuri, the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery is
proud to announce an extensive exhibit of paintings by
celebrated artist Mizue Sawano, a painter who has captured
the beauty of the Garden in her works for many years.
This exhibit will showcase the large-scale, vibrantly
expressive cherry blossom paintings that have been featured
in Sakura Matsuri posters since 1992. This exquisite exhibition
opens Hanami and extends the cherry blossom season until
long after the last petal has fallen to the ground.
APRIL 29–APRIL 30, Noon–6 p.m.:
New York City's "Rite of Spring" celebrates
25 years!
With over 200 trees in bloom, Brooklyn Botanic Garden's
flowering cherries take center stage during this phenomenal
weekend celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events
and performances. Enjoy traditional Japanese music and
dance, taiko drumming, ikebana flower arranging, cooking
demonstrations, tea ceremonies, craft demonstrations,
and workshops for both adults and children.
NY Aquarium, Surf Avenue and W. 8th
St, Brooklyn. www.nyaquarium.com
APRIL 1, 11 – 12 noon: Fool
Me Once…
Celebrate April Fool’s Day by learning how some
sea animals fool others, and why other creatures that
seem foolish to us really aren’t. Try to find a
stonefish, learn why clownfish have the last laugh, investigate
the octopus and kin, and much more. Ages:
5–8, with adult. FEE: $18. members, $25. non members
APRIL 8, 2-3 PM: Pre-K Planet
Ocean!
Investigate the animals of the ocean planet with your
child in one or both of these fun-filled programs. In
Session A, Behave Yourself! you’ll burrow like a
clam, bray like a penguin, and learn how such behaviors
help animals survive. Session B, Incredible Inverts, will
introduce you to the amazing world of animals such as
sea stars and horseshoe crabs. Ages: 3–4, with adult.
FEE: $18. members, $25. non members.
APRIL 16, 2 – 4 PM: Shark-a-Rama!
Sharks are among the most fascinating marine animals,
and are truly remarkable creatures. Participants will
begin with a visit to our shark tank to view our toothy
sand tigers, the low-lying nurse sharks, and their cartilaginous
relatives the stingrays. Back in the classroom, they will
learn more about sharks and their habits, examine shark
teeth and skin, and will make shark-themed crafts to take
home. Ages: 5–8, with adult. FEE: $18. members,
$25. non members.
APRIL 17, 18, and 19, 10 – 12 noon: Spring
Break with Elly Jelly
Through stories and activities from our popular national
book series, Elly Jelly Looks at Marine Animals, we will
take your child on a tour of ocean adaptations. In session
A, Elly Jelly’s Surprise, children investigate sea
jellies, corals, and anemones. Session B, The Right Move,
focuses on animal movement, while in session C, The Birthday
Feast, children learn who eats what in the ocean. Take
one session or all three! Ages: 6–8 FEE: $40 members;
$48 non-members per session
$105 members; $120 non-members for all three
APRIL 21-22, 7 PM – 10
AM: Sleep in the Deep!!!
Your adventure begins when you arrive at the aquarium
after the other visitors have departed. After stowing
your gear, your instructor will lead you on an evening
of fun and learning. You’ll tour the aquarium after
hours, and watch the seals and walruses settling down
for the night. In our classroom, you’ll explore
animal biofacts and the live invertebrates in our touch
tank. You will make marine-themed crafts, including an
aquarium button to show others that you slept by the sea.
Finally, you’ll arrange your sleeping bags by the
side of our Explore the Shore exhibits (indoors), and
doze until morning, when you will tour behind-the-scenes
and feed a fish tank. An evening snack and Continental
breakfast are included.
Prospect Park, Brooklyn www.prospectpark.com
APRIL 1, 11 – 12 noon: Fool
Me Once…
Celebrate April Fool’s Day by learning how some
sea animals fool others, and why other creatures that
seem foolish to us really aren’t. Try to find a
stonefish, learn why clownfish have the last laugh, investigate
the octopus and kin, and much more. Ages:
5–8, with adult. FEE: $18. members, $25. non members
APRIL 8, 2-3 PM: Pre-K Planet Ocean!
Investigate the animals of the ocean planet with your
child in one or both of these fun-filled programs. In
Session A, Behave Yourself! you’ll burrow like a
clam, bray like a penguin, and learn how such behaviors
help animals survive. Session B, Incredible Inverts, will
introduce you to the amazing world of animals such as
sea stars and horseshoe crabs. Ages: 3–4, with adult.
FEE: $18. members, $25. non members.
BRONX
NY Botanical Garden, 200th
St and Kazimoff Blvd, Bronx, www.nybg.org.
Every
day at the Garden, kids can embark on an exciting
adventure--the adventure of discovering the world of plants.
In two gardens designed especially for kids, the Everett
Children's Adventure Garden and the Ruth
Rea Howell Family Garden, hands-on activities introduce
them to the thrill of science exploration and of seeing
what seeds and soil can become. Each season brings special
programs--things like Chocolate
and Vanilla Adventures in winter, Wild Wiggly
Worms in spring, and Goodnight, Garden in
fall--that let them learn even more about the plants we
encounter every day and the joys of making a connection
to nature. What's more, puppet shows, dance and music
concerts, and other events throughout the year offer fun
for the whole family in the beautiful setting of the Garden.
Wave Hill, 675 W. 252nd
Street, Bronx, www.wavehill.org.
APRIL 1, 9- 12: Learn all
about honeybees in workshops with urban and suburban beekeepers!
APRIL 22 – 23, ALL DAY:
Celebrate Earth Day as you help remove invasive plants
in the woodlands of the park; enjoy spring blossoms as
you overlook the Hudson River; and sketch your own flowers.
Remember to take a stroll in VAN CORTLANDT PARK
(open daily), Broadway and 246th Street, Bronx, www.vancortlandt.org
Bronx Zoo, Fordham Rd, Bronx, www.bronxzoo.com
APRIL 15- 16, ALL DAY: Eggstreme Weekend
Join Bella the costume bunny at the Bronx Zoo for a weekend
of egg races, egg hunts, storytelling, and a guaranteed
eggciting time! Explore the World of Reptiles and World
of Birds to see some of nature’s hatchlings and
visit the Children's Zoo, opening for the season on April
1 (weather permitting).
Schedule of Events:
|
Crafts
|
|
Create a bunny mask or a 3D bunny to
take home (while supplies last)
Time: 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. (Last entry into crafts 3:50pm)
Location: Zoo Center |
|
|
|
|
Photo with Bella the bunny |
|
Take a photo with the Bronx Zoo’s
Bella the Bunny and we’ll turn it into a button
for you. $4.00 per photo.
Time: 12:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Zoo Center |
|
|
|
|
Storytelling with LuAnn Adams |
| |
Time: 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30
p.m.
Location: Wild Asia Theater
Music with Sruli and Lisa (Sunday only)
Time: 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
Location: Dancing Crane Pavilion |
| |
|
|
|
|
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Astor Court
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kids search for eggs in stacks of
hay to find small prizes.
12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Astor Court
|
MANHATTAN
American Museum of Natural History,
Central Park West, NYC - www.amnh.org
APRIL 5, 4 – 5:30 PM: Cosmic Collisions
See the new Space Show, Cosmic Collisions, and follow
up with an in-depth workshop exploring the science behind
the show. Price includes Space Show ticket.
APRIL 9, 11- 12:30, 1:30-3: Cosmic Splat!
Making moons, smashing stars, and producing planets: that’s
what cosmic collisions do! In this hands-on workshop,
explore the forces that drive the universe.
APRIL 17- 21, 9 – 4 PM: Destination Space:
Stars and Light
Twinkle, twinkle, little star—there’s more
to know about what you are! Journey into a nebula, learn
how light travels, and hear about the constellations and
the myths that go along with them. This in-depth investigation
will give students hands-on experience with Starlab, an
inflatable planetarium, and a chance to present a guided
tour through the nighttime sky.
APRIL 17-21, 9 – 4 PM: Meet the Beetles:
Darwin Adventures
Break out your magnifying glasses and get ready to observe
the natural world and its amazing creatures, from the
beetles, birds, and giant tortoises Charles Darwin studied
to the local bugs and plants in Central Park.
APRIL 22, 11:00 - 4:00 PM: Earth Day Fair
Bring a picnic lunch and join New York City environmental
and youth organizations for the Central Park Conservancy's
annual Earth Day Fair in Central Park. This year's featured
entertainment will be a production of the Arm-of-the-Sea
Theater's "City That Drinks the Mountain Sky,"
a large-scale theatrical puppet show that brings to life
the epic story of NYC's water supply. The event will also
offer family planting projects; an educational family
scavenger hunt; guided walking tours; storytelling; face
painting; arts and crafts; games; delicious food; and
free valet bike parking for people who bring their bikes
that day (provided by Time's Up Environmental Group).
CONTINUING EVENTS:
Central Park, www.centralparknyc.org
TUES - SAT, 10 AM - 2 PM: Beginner Climbing
Course for Ages 8 to 17, North Meadow Recreation Center,
Mid Central Park at 97th Street, www.centralparknyc.org.
TUES - FRI, 10 AM - 2:30 PM: Challenge Course
for Ages 12 to 17, North Meadow Recreation Center, Mid
Central Park at 97th Street, www.centralparknyc.org.
TUES - SUN, 10 AM - 5 PM: Woods and Water Exhibit
at Belvedere Castle, Mid Central Park at 79th
Street, www.centralparknyc.org.
QUEENS
Alley Pond Environmental Center,
228-06 Northern Blvd, Queens, www.alleypond.com.
APRIL 1, 8, 22, and 29: Free competitive
internship, open to all high school students interested
in environmental studies. Join use as we explore the trails
of APEC armed with field guides, experimental apparatuses
and our brains. Please call for more information and our
application. Acceptance into the program is required in
order to attend.
Visit some of the other wonderful parks in Queens including
Forest Park in Jamaica (www.nyforestpark.org)!!!
STATEN ISLAND
Greenbelt Nature Center,
Staten Island, www.sigreenbelt.org
APRIL 2, 10 AM: Take a spring
hike through the nature center
APRIL 15, 1 PM: Join the
Metropolitan Museum of Art as you explore the difference
between realistic and symbolic images of nature.
APRIL 19, 10 – 12 noon:
Celebrate Arbor Day as you learn all about trees!
APRIL 22, 12 – 3 PM:
It’s Earth Day! Join the staff as you celebrate
all the wonders of our amazing planet.
EARTH DAY NYC
On April 22nd, every borough will be holding special
events in honor of the planet we all call home. For a
continuously updated listing of what’s happening
and where, go to http://www.earthdayny.org/events.html
