Library Programs for the Pre-School Kids

As the weather gets colder, opportunities to get out of the apartment become more and more precious. Don't forget about the reading programs at the library. They are a lot of fun for the kids, and the RIF programs even offer books to take home - permanently!

The Sunset Park library (51st and 4th) has Babies and Books (RIF) every other Tuesday at 10:30 AM. This is for children under 18 months. It is the first and third Tuesday of the month. Sing a couple of songs, have a little reading time, and then watch the kids go nuts with the baby toys.

Read and Play is a program for children from birth to five years. It meets EVERY Tuesday at 1 PM. Its focus is on inclusion of all children's abilities and learning levels. Learning activities, some storytelling, and some playtime make up the hour or so of fun.

Another program is the Toddlers and Books (RIF) program that meets every other Wednesday at 10:30 AM. Don't be late for this one or you'll miss all the songs! There are two groups (puppies, kittens) due to the large number of families that participate. Children from 18 months to three years old are welcome to register for one of the groups. Again, songs (hokey-pokey, anyone?), stories, playtime and fun make up the program.

Battle of Brooklyn Re-enactment at Green-Wood Cemetery

If you want to avoid the partying birthday crowds at Prospect's re-enactment...

Thanks to lostingreenwoodheights for always keeping us informed about GWC's events:

In memory of the brave patriots who fought for our country's
independence in this first battle after the signing of the Declaration
of Independence, The Green-Wood Historic Fund hosts a day of free
commemoration ceremonies and trolley tours.

Sunday, August 30th, 2009.

Admission to this event is free. Events will begin at 10:00 AM and
continue all day with the final commemoration on Battle Hill at 2:00
PM.

11:30 AM Tributes - Tribute to George Washington's Irish Generals, The
Bold Fenian Men/The Civil War, Irish Korean War Memorial, Matilda
Tone, John Gallagher & Charles Higgins.

12:00PM Reenactment - Revolutionary War Reenactors will relive a
portion of the Battle of Brooklyn in Green-Wood's Meadow and the
surrounding area near Green- Wood's main entrance.

1:30 PM Parade - The Green-Wood Historic Fund and United States
Merchant Marine Academy sponsor the Annual Battle of Brooklyn Parade.
Meet at the main gate for a parade to Battle Hill led by George M.
Cohan's own, The Regimental Band of the United States Merchant Marine
Academy.

2:00 PM Commemorative Ceremony - Battle of Brooklyn Commemorative
Ceremony honoring the Patriots who fought the first battle of our new
nation on this sacred ground 233+ years ago.

For more information, http://www.green-wood.com/index.php/4/21/detail

Free Weekend Event: Bi-Lingual Cinderella from the Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre

On Saturday, August 16th at 6 PM, join the Friends of Sunset Park in welcoming the Puerto Rican Travelling Theatre's presentation of Cenicienta/Cinderella. It is a bi-lingual show aimed at children, but it will be enjoyed by all ages, I'm sure. Last year's show was a lot of fun, and this year's looks even better.

Young Dancers in Repertory Perform on Wednesday

photo from the YDR website

As usual, the Friends of Sunset Park bring us something to fill our Wednesday mornings in the summer. This week the Young Dancers in Repertory, who have been giving dance and movement lessons on Thursdays, will be performing at 10:30 AM by the chess tables.

Don't miss their moves; they always give a wonderful performance!

The lessons and performances are best aimed at the pre-school to elementary set. Very young children might be too distracted to enjoy/take advantage.*

*See first comment for more info - apparently this Wednesday's performance is good for all ages!

Corduroy Ruled Sunset Park

Anything that can keep a bunch of toddlers and slightly older youngsters (and the adults who accompany them) sitting still for an hour or more is pretty darn impressive, if you ask me. And that's exactly what happened on Wednesday when the Life Lines Players came to Sunset Park to share the Adventures of Corduroy with a bunch of eager kids. The Center for Family Life and the Friends of Sunset Park brought us this performance.

With a disco number (see the BViB flickr pool, VeesVision got some shots of that), familiar tales of Corduroy's adventures in laundromats and looking for the perfect birthday gift for very best friend Lisa, and group dances, the Lifelines group entertained a tough audience for over an hour. It was a low-tech and low-key costumed affair, but the young actors and singers carried the show to a rapt audience. Who needs fancy wigs and hoop skirts to put on a play like our neighbors to the north? We'll take matching t-shirts, enthusiasm, and bear-ears any day. Just keep my kid entertained! Kudos to the entertainers and their coaches.

Corduroy and friend address the audience.

Despite the coordinated dance moves, most of the kids in the audience were checking out the moon.

March of the toy animals.

These guys were really great, and managed to pull off this particular performance and its moves
to the delight of the kids watching.

High kicking with canes.

A job well done, and another successful project for the Center for Family Life and Friends of Sunset Park.

Wednesday: Corduroy to Appear in Sunset Park

Now that the CityKids and Friends of Sunset Park music events have ended, whatever will camps and caretakers of children do on Wednesday mornings?? Not to fear, FoSP is still looking out for us. This Wednesday will feature Life Lines performers giving us Corduroy - the bear with a lost button. This has recently become one of my son's favorite books, so I'm hoping he lasts through this performance.

The Center for Family Life is the co-sponsor of this event.

Saturday and Sunday have Free Music for the Kids

Two chances for free music over the weekend. Both are lovely, child-focused, and I can personally recommend each set of performances (as if you trust my opinion).

On Saturday, enjoy the sounds of Fati & Charles, the wife and husband team that sings fun children's songs in Spanish. They will be singing at Coco Roco (392 5th Avenue), starting at 3:30 PM. They also use props like shaker eggs and animal-shaped sponges to help the kids participate in the songs. Check out their website and listen to clips of songs.

On Sunday, check out City Stomp at 4 PM in Slope Park (6th Avenue and 19th). Kevin, the creator of City Stomp, used to do Music Together of Greenwood Heights.

from the email:

Come see Kevin and Nick play City Stomp songs and other originals at Slope Park this Sunday at 4:00. The park is hosting a party for kids and we will be playing for about 40 minutes. The party goes from 3:00 to 6:00, so come out and play! Slope Park is located on 6th Avenue between 18th Street and 19th Street.

Ill Style & Peace in the Park

Ill Style & Peace will provide this Wednesday's entertainment at 10:30 AM in the Park. As far as I can tell, this show will include music, dance, puppets, and readings. It's geared towards ages 3 - 10. That's courtesy of the "Where to Go" calendar from The Brooklyn Paper.

Recess Monkey at the Library Tomorrow

In case you end up missing Jazz-Ma-Tazz on Wednesday due to nap-time or other life issues, or if you just want a day filled with lots of musical activities, check out Recess Monkey (get it? Rhesus monkey?) at the Sunset Park library. It starts at 1:15 PM, and it's described as "a fun concert of goofy original and educational songs for children." It's for the Pre-K set, but I'm sure slightly younger and older children would also enjoy it.

It's part of the Summer Reading program. Read more and sign up for the program here.

Sunset Park Library
5108 Fourth Avenue
718 567 2806

Wednesday Summer Music and Fun is Back

Last summer hosted a wide variety of plays, music, dancing, and puppets from outer-space. This year, the Friends of Sunset Park and CityParks Kids are giving us Jazz, Peace, and Mexican Ballet.

It all starts this Wednesday with Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz. Hayes Greenfield hosts "an interactive music education program that inspires participants to take risks, gain confidence, and experience a sense of personal achievement through the use of jazz and the art of improvisation." Sounds like a fantastic musical experience for the kids and those they bring to the show.

All the shows start at 10:30 AM, and they are well attended. (They are popular with the local day camps as well as care-givers and park-goers.) Get there early for a good seat.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for the Kids

Happily for those of us feeling the squeeze on our wallets, or for families who are out and about without a packed lunch, any child under 18 is entitled to a free breakfast and lunch during the summer months. The breakfast hours are from 8 AM to 9:15 AM, and the lunch hours are from 11 AM to 1:15 PM.

You can look up locations based on zip code at the official site, but here are the locations for our area:

MS 136 - 4004 4th Avenue
PS 169 - 4305 7th Avenue
The Sunset Park Pool serves breakfast and lunch.
PS172 - 825 4th Avenue
PS 24 - 427 38th Street
JHS 220 - 4812 9th Avenue
PS 1 - 309 47th Street
PS 314 - 330 59th Street

The link above even has PDFs of the menus. And not to worry, there are vegetarian options available daily (PB&J and Cheese Sandwiches) for those of us who avoid hamburgers and chicken filets. The breakfasts also always offer cold cereals and fruit along with milk.

Pool Opens this Weekend

During a brief conversation with a couple of other parents this AM, I realized that I just wasn't sure when the pool actually opened. I thought it was the first week in July, but it's actually THIS weekend. Don't forget that the pools have pretty strict rules about what you can wear/bring with you.

If the weather cooperates, and if this year is anything like last year, you may want to avoid the first few days if you are bringing little ones. The AM session is a lot less crowded than the PM session. And after a week or so, if you get there right at 11 AM, you have 30-45 minutes before it starts getting active.

Enjoy!

from the NYC website:

All 54 Parks outdoor pools have closed for the season and will reopen on June 27, 2009. Indoor pools remain open year-round. General hours of operation are 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Call individual pools for more specific information.