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TGIF! The weekend is here. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! The weather is wacky again. We had some amazing days with temps in the 60’s but I hear there may be snow next week! Right now it all depends which track the storm takes. European and American models have significant differences so we shall see which is victorious. This weekend looks amazing though, so get out there and enjoy it!
The Bruce Museum is a hidden gem located just up the road from us in nearby Greenwich, CT. After you’ve checked out the museum, head across the street to a super fun playground the kids are sure to love!
On Friday from 2:30-2:45pm, check out the Marine Tank Animal Feeding.
On Sunday don’t miss the Family Gallery Tours taking place from 11:30-12:15. Designed for kids ages 6-10 and their family, ”these tours provide interactive discussion-based tours of current exhibitions led by a museum educator. Free and no registration required.”
On Sunday, March 20th from 1-3pm, it’s Science Sunday: Liquid or Solid! This is a drop-in program, best for ages 4-10, is free with general admission and no advance registration is required.
On Saturday at 11am why not check out the children’s When Spring Comes Storytime Special Event. “Spring is in the air ... you can smell it, hear it and feel it - and you can read it! Join us to celebrate spring's arrival featuring the title When Spring Comes. Activities will round out the fun.”
Also on Saturday, at 7pm, an event for teens, “Batman v Superman Day-Join us for Batman v Superman Day to celebrate the upcoming theatrical release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice on March 25. Trivia event sponsored by DC Entertainment™ for teens and adults at 7:00PM. Enter for a chance to win prizes and giveaways. Fun for the entire family.”
This weekend at the GNC, don’t miss Teaching Trails on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30. This “Weekend Walk for All Ages” is a “Guided trail experience through our woodland forest. Our specially trained "Trail Ninja" volunteers provide information on trees, plants, wildlife and seasonal changes. Conversation varies each time. An ideal way to get acquainted with our trail system. Program runs approximately 45 minutes. FREE.”
On Sunday March 20th from 11-3pm, come to The Great Green Egg-Travaganza-“Celebrate the spring solstice with a day of seasonal egg-citement! Participate in egg-themed activities, including our environmentally friendly egg hunt – and meet the GNC chickens. Crafts and games run continuously. Refreshments available for purchase. For discounted rate, preregister online only by Saturday, March 19th, 11PM. Early registration rates: Members $5/person, Non-members $10/person. Children under 2 FREE. Day of event rates: Members $8/person, Non-members $15/person. Children under 2 FREE. Event held Rain or Shine. BOOK NOW”
The Pleasantville Farmer’s Market is inside for one more weekend, until March 26 and is open this Saturday from 9-1pm. The market it now located in the Pleasantville Middle School cafeteria, at 40 Romer Avenue. “Come share a warm smile with returning favorites and new discoveries. Enjoy fresh, winter-grown produce along with our trademark variety of meats, cheeses, breads, prepared foods, you name it. It's a great way to support local agriculture and eat healthy year-round.”
St. Patrick’s Day Parades
St. Patrick’s Day may have passed but there are still fun parades to check out!
On Saturday, March 19th, the Yonkers’ St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place on McLean Avenue, starting at 1pm between Bronx River Road and Coyne Park.
In Mamaroneck “join the Sound Shore St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee and our Grand Marshal Jim Sullivan at our 5th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade held on Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 1:30 pm in Mamaroneck, NY.”
Stepping Stones museum is an amazing place for the kids. Located about 20 minutes north of Rye Brook, in Norwalk, CT, it’s perfect for the whole family! Check them out here, then head on over for a fun filled day of learning and hands-on activities the kids will adore!
On Saturday, Mutt-i-grees will take place from 10:30-11:15. “ Enjoy a special canine storytime followed by a visit from a shelter dog.” Appropriate for ages 3+.
And on Saturday from 11:30-1pm stop by the Animation Station and “learn the basics of stop animation by using an iPad to make a 15 second video. Ages 4 and older.”
Also on Saturday Sat, March 19, 12pm – 3pm “join our Youth Enrichment at Stepping Stones (YES2) volunteers for fun family games! Enjoy board and card games including some that can be purchased in our Age of Reason museum store.”
And finally, on Sunday from 2-2:30, check out ATW: Show Me a Tale! “The Magic Brocade: A Tale of China – Enjoy this wonderful tale and paint sand illustrations. For children ages 5 and older.”
Rock and Roll for Kids at Garcia’s at The Capitol Theatre
On Saturday, March 19th at 3pm, come check out Rock and Roll for Kids at Garcia's at The Capitol Theatre. This week’s theme is “The Music of Simon and Garfunkel with special guest Mike Messer from The Dirty Sock Funtime Band.”
Doors open at 2:30 pm. Click here to learn more and/or purchase tickets.
Purim & Shabbat Celebration at Emanu-El
Everyone is welcome to come celebrate Purim with crafts, storytime and snacks on Saturday, March 19th at 9:30am! Admission is free but please bring a new, unwrapped container of chewable children’s vitamins to donate to Afya. Please RSVP to jdubro@congregationemanuel.org or 914-967-4382 x21
There is always SO much going on at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT.
Did you know there are Shark Dives on most Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays at 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. And they are free with Aquarium admission. “Interact with the Maritime Aquarium's dive team among the sand tiger sharks, lemon shark and other creatures of the 110,000-gallon "Ocean Beyond the Sound" exhibit.”
Don’t miss the "Animals Without Passports" exhibit, open now through Jan. 2, 2017.
“The large humpback whale population off Cape Cod supports a popular whale-watching industry. And, for the first time in decades, at least three whales spent the late summer of 2015 in western Long Island Sound.
But humpbacks aren’t in New England waters year-round and their annual international migration is the focus of the special exhibit, “Animals Without Passports."
Displays explore the challenges of humpback whales’ annual 3,000-mile migration between New England and the Caribbean. Learn when and why the whales migrate, and the hazards they face as they cross ocean borders, including poisoning from pollution, becoming entangled in fishing gear and being hit by boats and ships.
The exhibit is installed in the lobby of The Maritime Aquarium’s IMAX® Theater because it is a perfect tie-in to the movie “Humpback Whales,” showing daily through May 26.
“Animals Without Passports” tells its story by focusing on one whale, a female humpback named Salt who has been studied by researchers for 40 years. Trace Salt’s “family tree” as you also learn how scientists identify and track individual whales.”
Dragons! Real or Myth? Meerkats and Jiggle a Jelly are also among some of the amazing current exhibits at the aquarium.
The aquarium is definitely worth a trip up the Merritt or 95!
Click here to learn more about Maritime.
Clay Arts Center Saturday Drop In Classes
Every Saturday from 2-4pm, drop in and have some fun “experimenting with clay for the first time. Plan a great afternoon with friends, family, or just for you while exploring your inner artist in this fun and messy introduction to clay! Professional ceramic artists guide fun, featured weekly projects - decided by the instructor. Projects take between 1.5- 2 hours. This class includes materials. Fee: $25 adult, $15 children under 12, $5 firing fee (per piece).
SPACE IS LIMITED. Tickets go on sale at the front desk 30 minutes prior to each session. First Come First Served.”
Hudson River Museum
The Hudson River Museum, in Yonkers, boasts an amazing Planetarium, six galleries, and a mansion!
Saturdays & Sundays 12 - 5 pm there’s “a safe space for children to explore, play, and create with their families. The room hosts a large-scale dollhouse, blocks, puppet theater, and books. A Junior Docent is present to answer questions and suggest activities.”
And Saturday and Sundays from 1-4, kids can do fun art projects - Creative activities weekends inspired by the Museum’s collections and exhibitions, led by Junior Docents and art and science professionals. Ages 7+, can be adapted for younger children. “Create a 3-D House from a blueprint. Then, pick a disaster — earthquake, a volcanic eruption, a hurricane, a falling meteorite and transform your structure to show the damage of disaster.”
Saturdays 1-4, fun science projects- “Make a Food Web, a ring of cords that looks like a “dreamcatcher,” and weave in cardboard images of organisms that live in the Hudson River.”
On Sunday check out “LEGO Building Sundays from 1-4- Create a Lego building for Micro City and place it on a giant map of city streets. Meet and work with Brett Berland from Brick U, Nyack on March 6. On March 27 demolish the Micro City with Brett.”
There are planetarium shows Saturdays and Sundays that the whole family can enjoy!
Check out Tycho to the Moon at 12:30 on Saturday and Sunday. “Tycho to the Moon-Kids love Tycho! The dog that doesn’t just howl at the moon—he goes there! See the planetarium’s favorite dog like never before with stunning new fulldome visuals.
Blast off on an amazing ride with Tycho and his young American friends, Ruby and Michael. Learn about night and day, space travel, phases of the Moon, and features of the lunar surface. Take a close-up look at the Sun, see Tycho play in zero gravity, witness Earth from space, and watch meteors shoot across the night sky. Includes the much-loved singalong song “Don’t Touch!” Ages 5+, 24 minutes + Q & A
At 2pm, “The Sky Tonight, gives children 8 and older “a live tour of the heavens as seen from our area with a planetarium educator. Ages 8+ 55 minutes”.”
Finally, at 3:30 pm check out We Are Astronomers- “Discover how astronomers share knowledge and answer our questions about the universe. Narrated by David Tennant, the “Tenth Doctor” in the British sci-fi series Doctor Who. Ages 8+, 25 minutes + Q & A.”
To learn more, click here.
On Saturday from 10am-12pm, come to Michael’s where kids can get into the Easter spirit by creating KIDS CLUB® Tissue Paper Eggs while you shop! “Kids 3 and up can enjoy a quick project and take home a finished masterpiece. Sign up in store or online, or just drop in. $2 per child, supplies included. Parent or guardian must remain on premises during the event.”
Also on Saturday, from 1-3pm check out Fun Family Craft Time: Easter Egg Canvas! “Bring your little makers to this family-friendly Easter event and create a one-of-a-kind mixed media art piece. Buy the canvas, and the rest of the supplies are free.”
Lakeshore will also be creating a fun craft this Saturday from 11-3pm for kids ages 3 & up. This week’s project is creating a “Spring in Bloom Fence.”
The Stamford Nature Center is a wonderful place to visit. There’s a fun playground and animals to see on the grounds. And this weekend is jam packed with fun!
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Stone Barns Farm
This weekend why not head outside and enjoy Stone Barns since it is open and entrance to the property is FREE. In addition there is a paid tour you can participate in or check out the free drop-in programming
Weekend activities may include:
11:00 -11:45 am: Family Farm Tour, $10
12:00 - 12:30 pm: Meet the… sheep, sprouts, pigs or other part of the farm-Drop-in, FREE
1:00 - 1:30 pm: Making the Rounds Tour: Greenhouse-Drop-in, FREE
1:30 - 2:00 pm: Meet the… sheep, sprouts, pigs or other part of the farm-Drop-in, FREE
2:30 - 4:00 pm: Insider’s Tour, $20
Tickets for the tours may be purchased online.
There are also Winter Family Farm tours on Saturday and Sunday from 11-11:45. “On this family-friendly tour for ages 4 and up, explore the farm and some of our favorite seasonal highlights. Join us for a walk around the farm to take a closer look at the animals that we’re raising and the vegetables that we’re growing!” Tickets can be bought here.
Other weekend ideas?
The movies are always a fun and warm weekend option. Still in theaters, it’s Zootopia! A long awaited movie that was absolutely adorable. I loved it!! It’s out in regular, 3D and 3D Imax format!
Have you checked out Fun Fuzion in New Rochelle yet. Fun Fuzion is Westchester’s only indoor amusement park. There’s bowling, mini golf, billiards, lazer tag, and a fun house with games and rides. There’s also a movie theater next door! Definitely a spot worth visiting!
How about ice skating? Nearby rinks include Playland Ice Casino, Hommocks in Larchmont, and Dorothy Hammil in Greenwich.
Or maybe the Bronx Zoo?
The New York Botanical Gardens are also a beautiful spot to visit and stroll around. The Orchid Show is on right now!
And Bowlmor bowling alley is a fun option in White Plains!
The beaches in Greenwich are open and free now! It’s a close, easy option that the whole family will love!
Remember, it’s always a good idea to call ahead, especially with the forecasted weather, to ensure a scheduled activity is still running. Email me at ryebrook@hamlethub.com and let me know if we missed any super fun, family friendly events and/or if you would like to advertise with us!
Photo Credit: Kelly Schwark