Events: Top Kid-Friendly Activities For The Week

Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell will perform this Saturday at the Go Fish festival in Wagner Park. Photo via bpcparks.org.

Hope everyone’s Labor Day weekend was fun-packed! The short work (and school) week will end with a weekend full of can’t-miss events. Highlights include a kite fest in Brooklyn Bridge Park, a fishing festival with Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell in Wagner Park, an Italian street fair in the Bronx, a puppet performance in downtown Manhattan, and a wonderous “Avatar”-themed spectacle at the Barclays Center. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 7-Sunday, September 11

Cirque Du Soleil: “Toruk: The First Flight”
Barclays Center
Various times
Beginning this Wednesday, Cirque Du Soleil will present “Toruk: The First Flight” at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn! Based on James Cameron’s groundbreaking film “Avatar,” this live production will transport audiences to the world of Pandora where Toruk’s story unfolds. Featuring the famed artistry and talent of the acrobatic troupe with original music, this show is a must-see for the entire family. Tickets start at $40.

Saturday, September 10

Go Fish! with Dan Zanes & Elizabeth Mitchell
Wagner Park
10am-2pm
Gather in Wagner Park this Saturday for a fishing festival! All ages are welcome to participate in catch-and-release fishing sessions led by master anglers. Visitors can learn about the Hudson River’s marine life and catch their own fish using barbless hooks. The day’s festivities will also include an arts and crafts workshop, a bird-watching class, and a special performance by the great Dan Zanes and Elizabeth Mitchell with You Are My Flower. All equipment including rods, reels, bait, and binoculars will be provided. This event is free.

Kite Festival
Brooklyn Bridge Park
11am-3pm
Grab your camera and your kites, and bring the whole family to this incredible kite festival! You can’t beat this view of the Manhattan skyline, and you and your little ones can even customize a kite. Kites will be available for purchase, but feel free to bring your own. This event is free.

Beginning Saturday, September 10

The Galli Theater: “The Princess and the Pea”
The Gloria Maddox Theater
2pm
Starting this Saturday, families with children ages 4 and up can see the Galli Theater’s production of “The Princess and the Pea!” This modern version of a classic fairytale will have the whole family in stitches. Watch as Prince Prince attempts to find the girl of his dreams with the caveat that she must be a princess—according to the pea test! Runs Saturdays and Sundays through September 25. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for kids.

Sunday, September 11

Ferragosto 2016
Arthur Avenue (between Crescent Avenue and 187th Street)
12-6pm
Ferragosto 2016 on Arthur Avenue is the place to be this Sunday for all things Italiano! This street fair will offer face painting for children, Italian street food, and live performances from Nick Vero, Two Gents & the Lady, and others. Admission is free.

Play On! Studios

Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games! Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun! Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show! During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we&rsquo;ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us. &nbsp;

The Language Workshop For Children

After offering both group and private lessons for many years and analyzing the results over&nbsp;time, The&nbsp;Language Workshop for&nbsp;Children, founded&nbsp;in1973, has decided&nbsp;to emphasize private remote lessons at shorter intervals.&nbsp;Our skilled educators&nbsp;will&nbsp;focus their attention exclusively on the&nbsp;unique needs, learning style, and interests of your child.&nbsp;This allows a&nbsp;bond&nbsp;to develop&nbsp;between teacher and student, which&nbsp;has been&nbsp;shown to&nbsp;drastically improve retention.&nbsp; OUR METHOD&nbsp; Developed by the pioneers of language education for children, our programs bring decades of&nbsp;experience to your living room with individualized, active language classes. Each lesson is based on proven methods and materials perfected to capture your&nbsp;child&rsquo;s attention during the ages when he/she absorbs information the fastest. &nbsp;&nbsp; While other online language classes rely on videos for passive learning, we deliver interactive, and engaging lessons with native-fluent teachers. In addition, all our teachers are certified in the Thibaut&nbsp;Technique which has been featured&nbsp;in the New York&nbsp;Times, the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal, and many other well-respected&nbsp;publications.&nbsp;&nbsp; Our short one-on-one lessons give kids the chance to focus, hear pronunciation clearly, and practice speaking in their target language.  THE PROCESS&nbsp; First, students have a short meeting with our Director&nbsp;Francois&nbsp;Thibaut, in&nbsp;English, with&nbsp;their parent(s)&nbsp;present.&nbsp;Mr. Thibaut&nbsp;will determine&nbsp;the best course of study, including&nbsp;class length and&nbsp;frequency, the&nbsp;right&nbsp;teacher, lesson&nbsp;format and materials (or action games for younger students.) Then the learning&nbsp;begins!&nbsp;Mr. Thibaut will continually check in on your child&rsquo;s learning to assure they are getting the most&nbsp;of&nbsp;their&nbsp;classes.&nbsp; OTHER OFFERINGS&nbsp; We can also help your child prepare for: the French subject tests for SAT, AP &amp; CLEP, the European DELF/DALF, the Canadian TEF and other standardized testing, college entry exams, studying or traveling abroad,&nbsp;cultural changes when moving abroad,&nbsp;and much more!&nbsp; &nbsp;

Academics West

Academics West is an accredited high-support college preparatory school designed to meet the academic and social-emotional goals of its students. Our unique model allows for each student to benefit from a customized educational experience to ensure they are acquiring the skills necessary to navigate their post-secondary lives whether they attend college or pursue another path to future success. Students can select different tracks to construct the most beneficial program to suit their needs and goals. Unlike conventional education, this innovative model enables students to prepare for an ever-changing world that requires young people to have advanced executive functioning, interpersonal and leadership skills to become independent and resilient adults. &nbsp;