Martin Luther King Day Activity Guide

Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy as a family with one of these local events.

Lynda Blackmon Lowery at the New-York Historical Society
Saturday, January 18
2pm

Come hear Lynda Blackmon Lowery, the youngest participant in the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march, share her experiences in the protest as recounted in her book Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom.

The New York Historical Society will also host a civil rights-themed scavenger hunt all weekend long to help kid 8 and up delve into the current special exhibit, “Freedom Journey 1965: Photos of the Selma to Montgomery March,” created by Stephen Somerstein. Free with museum admission, 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th Street), nyhistory.org

ConstructionKids “I Have a Dream” Day
Monday, January 19
9am-4pm

selma_0 — A Stephen Somerstein photograph from the New-York Historical Society exhibit “Freedom Journey 1965.”

Join ConstructionKids on Martin Luther King Day for a project that incorporates the Lincoln Memorial as well as elements of Dr. King’s most famous speech. This fun day of creative, educational building is appropriate for both new and experienced builders. Ages pre-K-4. $140, BLDG 92, at 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn constructionkids.com

Martin Luther King March with Manhattan Country School
Monday, January 19
10am

Join the 8th graders of the Manhattan County Day School as they lead a march from Harlem to the Upper East Side. Students will stop at designated points and give speeches on current social justice issues as a way to commemorate MLK. Free, begins at 2351 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, manhattancountryschool.org

The 29th Annual Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. at BAM
Monday, January 19
10:30am

Join Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York Brooklyn at BAM for NYC’s largest public celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. There will be a keynote address by Dr. Cornel West, as well as live music, a free community film screening, and a free art exhibition. Free, 30 Lafayette Avenue, bam.org

Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan
Monday, January 19
10:30am

Join CMOM for a day-long celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. Make your own children’s book honoring Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King (5 and up); help create a mosaic of Dr. King’s portrait; and help CMOM and their Upper West Side neighbor Mugi Studio decorate fun and educational ceramic tiles to decorate CMOM’s partner outreach locations. Free with museum admission, 212 West 83rd Street, cmom.org

Harlem Gospel Choir MLK Matinee
Monday, January 19
Doors open at 11:30am; show at 12:30pm

Catch the world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir at BB King Blues Club on Monday for an MLK Matinee. $22 in advance, $26 day of show; 237 West 42nd Street, bbkingblues.com

Brooklyn Children’s Museum
Monday, January 19
11:30am

The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is hosting a variety of celebratory MLK activities on Monday. Workshops include “Let’s Join Hands” for children 5 and under, which will teach kids about diversity and tolerance through storytelling and song, and “Let’s March!” for children 4 and up, who will watch footage of the March on Washington and create posters for peace and justice. Plus, don’t miss performances by Crown Heights’ own Berean Community Drumline (at 1:30 & 2:30pm). Free with museum admission, 145 Brooklyn Avenue, brooklynkids.org

Seneca Village Tour in the Upper East Side
Monday, January 19
12-1:30pm

Dive into local NYC history during the Seneca Village Tour and learn the history of the city’s first known African-American property owners, who owned land that would become part of Central Park. The tour will last for an hour and fifteen minutes and requires walking up some inclines. $15, Central Park at 85th Street and Central Park West, centralparkNYC.org

Big Onion Walking Tour: Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Historic Harlem
Monday, January 19
1pm

Learn about Harlem as an African American cultural center during Big Onion’s Walking Tour. The guides will take you through the vast history of the area, starting as it’s foundation at a Dutch colony in the 1600s through its transformation into a hub of African American business, politics, arts, and culture. . Attendees should meet in the front of the Schomburg Center. $20 for adults, $15 for students; 135th Street and Lenox (Malcolm X) Avenue, bigonion.com

Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Lefferts House
Monday, January 19
2 & 3pm

The Lefferts House will host an afternoon of storytelling and song led by Tammy Hall to celebrate MLK’s work. Hall will incorporate stories and songs from around the world based on the theme of freedom. Admission is free and all ages are welcome. 452 Flatbush Avenue, prospectpark.org

Adventuring Portal

<a name="m_-1473885667065203258__Hlk72147528"></a>Adventuring Portal runs Dungeons and Dragons (D&amp;D) games for kids.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We have created a safe online space for tweens and teens to learn and play D&amp;D. Our D&amp;D Summer Camp session are a one-week experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;Monday &ndash; Friday.&nbsp;&nbsp;Each day will be 3 hours of gaming (with 2 breaks build in).&nbsp;&nbsp;15 total gaming hours for $180.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have played with us before, you are entitled to 10% off.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Need your kids, nieces or nephews, grand kids or neighbor&rsquo;s kids to be occupied for a bit so you can get work done &amp; take care of your to-do list? Maybe your tween or teen is still a bit isolated and craves connection with their peers? Whether your teen/tween has played D&amp;D before or is brand-new to the experience, this safe space brings players together to have fun and solve problems as a team in ways few other online opportunities do. All our games focus on experiential learning.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Our players leave knowing all the basic game play as well as experiencing: teamwork, bravery, compassion, generosity, negotiation, improvisation, gamer etiquette, strategy, critical thinking, problem solving, cartography and probability - all through online D&amp;D adventuring! We are an inclusive organization and welcome gamers who are LGBTQIA+ and those on any spectrum.&nbsp; All girls&rsquo; groups available.&nbsp; I am a parent, a certified elementary school and middle school math teacher and last summer in the midst of the mess started&nbsp;Adventuring Portal, an&nbsp;online Dungeons &amp; Dragons&nbsp;business&nbsp;for kids. There are so many benefits to playing D&amp;D and I hope you will consider us as a great way for your child to safely socialize, grow as people and have a great time.

Dance Workshop - Long Island

Nestled in the heart of Lynbrook Village, Dance Workshop is a community-focused studio committed to dance education in a loving and safe environment. Dance Workshop offers Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre and Acro for ages 2+. They also offer a Pre-Professional Company track for dancers interested in taking their technique to the next level. Trial classes may be scheduled with the studio at the start of the season. Dance with the Dance Workshop! MaryAnn Grasso founded Dance Workshop in 1979. Her daughter Nanci later joined her at the helm and in 2016 established Dance Workshop on the Upper East Side of NYC. MaryAnn and Nanci have devoted their lives to dance education, community and the development of children; raising dancers and sound human beings alike. Dance Workshop has seen thousands of dancers pass through the doors. They believe dance has the power to elevate and change lives!

Chickenshed NYC

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company that began in the UK in 1974. Chickenshed NYC is a young organization bringing that same ethos and unique methodology to the USA. Chickenshed&rsquo;s mission is to create entertaining and outstanding theatre that celebrates diversity and inspires positive change. Chickenshed's model of Inclusive Theatre is based in the belief that everyone can flourish when everyone is included. At Chickenshed everyone is welcome, everyone is valued, and together we produce remarkable theatre. We want to break down barriers between people to create a world without labels and where differences no longer divide. At Chickenshed, support is given to those who need it, and given by those who can . We believe that creative activities, self-expression and performance should be available to anyone who has the desire, no matter their background or circumstances. We know that when everyone has the opportunity to shine, amazing things happen. Chickenshed NYC provides programming for little ones, children and youth through semester-long activities and performances.