Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

This weekend the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will host its annual Sakura Matsuri Festival! Photo by Liz Ligon via bbg.org.

Happy Spring Break! Head on out this week to one or more of our enormously entertaining event picks. A fresh mix of springtime festivities awaits, including an awesome Arbor Week celebration, a great gathering for gamers, an amazing theater adventure, super street games, and a cheery cherry blossom fest. We guarantee a good time no matter what you choose! And check out our round-up of awesome Spring Break activities for more fun ideas.

Tuesday, April 26-Sunday, May 1

Arbor Week
Wave Hill
10am-4pm
Enjoy the trees of NYC this week during Arbor Week at Wave Hill! All ages are welcome to participate in family arts and crafts, go on garden walks, take a bike tour of the trees of the Bronx’s Riverdale and Inwood neighborhoods, savor a pine nut cooking demo, and much more. Registration is required for some events. Free with garden admission.

Friday, April 29-Sunday. April 1

IndieCade East 2016
The Museum of the Moving Image
Friday: 10:30am-8pm; Saturday & Sunday: 11:30am-7pm
Calling all gamers! This weekend the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens will host IndieCade East 2016, one of the country’s largest events dedicated to independent video games. Families can play dozens of new and unreleased games in the “Strange Arcade” games showcase and attend creator panels and talks. There will also be an eSports Showcase where players can compete in video sports game competitions throughout the weekend. Ticket passes start at $45. Please note: Not all games are appropriate for all ages.

Beginning Saturday, April 30

“Meet Me at the Fountain”
Lincoln Center
10am-5pm
Now’s your chance to join a secret crime-fighting team and help stop a plot to sabotage an opera diva! “Meet Me at the Fountain,” is an immersive and interactive performance taking place across the entire Lincoln Center campus during which audiences young and old will embark on an exciting adventure as they keep Lincoln Center’s stages safe! Recommended for ages 7 and up. Performances run every 30 minutes. This event will also take place on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22. Tickets are $25.

Saturday, April 30

9th Annual Street Games
Thomas Jefferson Park
11am-3pm
Head to Harlem this Saturday, when NYC Parks and the Walt Disney Company will host the 9th Annual Street Games in Thomas Jefferson Park! The Street Games event re-introduces old-school city games to kids. Participants can join rousing games of stickball, street hockey, ultimate frisbee, wheelchair basketball, and more! Local radio stations will spin jams throughout the day, and kids will enjoy live performances by a hip-hop breakdancer, a yo-yo master, and the Dance Theater of Harlem. This event is free.

Saturday, April 30-Sunday, May 1

Sakura Matsuri Festival
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
10am-6pm
Celebrate the end of Hanami, the Japanese commemoration of the cherry blossom season, at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual Sakura Matsuri Festival. The weekend will be comprised of more than 60 events and performances including music, dance, workshops, exhibitions, and vendors of Japanese fashion, food, art, and more! Enjoy a day of exploration against the backdrop of beautiful cherry trees in full bloom. Tickets are $25 for adults and free for children under the age of 12.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;

Speakitaly NYC

SPEAKITALY NYC offers stimulating and entertaining lessons for children 0 to 16 years through a wide combination of activities based on the communicative approach anchored in the Common European Framework of Reference: active learning (group work, role plays, etc.) and practice exercises aimed to improve listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Kids will start speaking and using Italian in a very natural way.&nbsp; Small classes capped at 6 students to make sure each one gets the needed attention and facilitate learners' progress.&nbsp; Our method is driven by a didactic method that is the result of constant updates, professional certifications and more than 10 years of experience in working with non-native speakers from different native languages and levels of knowledge. Our aim is to develop a range of Italian language skills while improving accuracy that will enable the students and participants to interact without stress or feeling rushed. We want to help those in the community really embrace not only the true culture in Italy but the Italian culture within New York City&hellip; Who doesn&rsquo;t love what Italy represents in the kitchen, in history &amp; in the arts? Speakitaly wants to support multilingual families who want to learn a new language or pass along their ancestor&rsquo;s heritage and culture. Raffaella, the founder said: "We see language awareness and intercultural sensitivity as the milestones for an inclusive society. Italian, like all other languages, is an enrichment and a growth in every way. Vi aspettiamo!"

Penguin Coding School

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