Mcoming soon:
Pier 40
212-989-3764, www.pier40.org
pier 40 Baseball Program
Summer Camp is for players ages 6-16. Activities focus on developing baseball skills and having fun. 9am – 3:30pm. Early drop off begins at 8:30am and late pick-up ends at 5:30pm. Both available for no additional fee. $275 per week, includes lunch. First session is June 6-10. Final session ends Aug. 12. Visit the website to register.
south street seaport museum
212-748-8758
120th Birthday Bash
Celebrate the birthday of one of the oldest active sailing vessels in the United States, the Schooner ‘Pioneer.’ Enjoy free, hour-long sails throughout the day on June 4th. Tickets will be distributed first-come, first-served beginning at 7am until all sails are full. 2 tickets per person. Rain or shine. Sat., June 4 from 8am – 9:30pm.
Manhattan youth
212-766-1104, www.manhattanyouth.org
Day Camp
Now in its 14th year, The Downtown Day Camp offers children entering kindergarten thru 6th grade a variety of fun and enriching activities in a safe, caring environment that encourages social, emotional and personal growth for its participants. Begins Wed, June 29 from 9am – 5pm. Early drop off is from 8-9am and late pick-up is from 5-6pm. For information and prices, visit the website, e-mail natalie@downtowndaycamp.com or call 212-766-1104 x 230 or 229.
Programs for Children
Manhattan Youth provides the children and families of Downtown with quality programs during non-school hours. Programs offer children opportunities to participate in theater and summer camp and families can participate in Family Renewal Workshops. Check below for details on other current events. All programs require pre-registration. Most activities are free, fees apply to comprehensive child care programs.
After School – A comprehensive program for over 800 children from PS 234, SP 89, PS 150 & IS 89. Thru June from 3-6pm.
The Youth Council – Year-round meetings and community service placements for students. Call for more information.
Swimming Lessons – Offered on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school. Classes are taught by experienced, certified and friendly instructors under the supervision of the Swim Director at the Downtown Day Camp. Lessons are 40 minutes long. Children must be in kindergarten or above. Lessons offered year round.
Parent Child Swim – Parents and children 1 – 4 years old are invited to take a swim together. Mon., Tues. & Fri. from 10am-Noon thru the end of June.
Free.
Battery Park City Parks Conservancy
2 South End Avenue, 212-267-9700, www.bpcparks.org
It’s spring time again and BPCPC is featuring special youth programming thru October. Check here weekly for upcoming events.
weekly programs
Below is a list of regular weekly programs. Activities meet at indicated day and time. No programs will be held Sun., May 29, July 3, Sept. 4, Oct. 9 and Mon., May 30, July 4, Sept. 5 & Oct. 10. This year, some of the programs have a $5 fee per participant. Multiple-use cards for individual use or to share are available for $50 good for 11 pre-paid programs, in any combination. Cards can be purchased at most programs and events, online at www.bpcparks.org or at the BPCPC’s office Mon. – Fri. from 8am – 5 pm.
Preschool
Family Play – Join other families with toddlers for interactive play with imaginative toys. Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 10am – noon. Also Sundays from 2-4pm. Wagner Park, access Battery Place.
Art – Enjoy simple art projects with paper, clay, wood, paint and mixed media for young artists. Dress for a mess! Thursdays from 10:30am – noon. Rockefeller Park, access Chambers St. $5 per child.
Kids
Basketball – Play with adjustable height hoops for kids of all sizes. Mondays, 3:30-4:30pm: 5-6 year olds & 4:30-5:30pm: 7 years old and up. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St.
Chess – Chess Master Alex Rasic teaches the popular strategy game to participants ages 5-16 years. Mondays from 3:45-6pm. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St. May/June $80. July/Aug $80. Sept/Oct $70.
Gardening – A new session of kids’ gardening for 2nd thru 5th graders. The group meets on Tuesdays from 3:45-5pm at The Children’s Garden, Rockefeller Park. $5 per session or $130 for the whole season. Call extension 348 to register.
Soccer – Learn to pass, shoot and dribble. Tuesdays, 2:30-3:15pm: 4 year olds; 3:30-4:15pm: 5-8 year olds; 4:30-5:30pm: 9-12 year olds. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St.
Art & Games – School-aged kids, ages 5 and up, are invited to participate in a variety of art projects including clay, jewelry making, 3-D collage, instrument making and more. Group games will also take place. Thursdays from 3:30-5:30pm. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St.
Wednesdays in Wagner – Elementary school kids are invited to participate in fun group games and art projects using clay, plaster, wood and fabric. Ages 5+. Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30pm. Wagner Park, Battery Place.
Amateur naturalists Club
First, second and third graders who enjoy the outdoors and are interested in learning about plants, animals and the environment are invited to join. Mon., June 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 3:30-5pm. Nelson A. Rockefeller Park. $40. Registration and pre-payment required. Call ext. 348.
Sunset singing circle
Join singer and guitarist Terre Roche for an evening of songs and chants. All ages welcome. Fridays, June 3, 10 & 17 from 7-8:30pm. Wagner Park. Free.
Art Portfolio Development
For middle and high school students wanting to attend specialized art high schools and colleges. Working with BPCPC artist/educator Miki Iwamura, students will develop a body of work to present with their application. They will develop and strengthen foundation skills by drawing from observation (still lifes, landscapes, cityscapes, clothed figure drawing and portraiture) as well as exploring abstraction and drawing from memory and imagination. Outside work will be assigned including museum visits and maintaining a sketchbook to record and develop personal ideas. Sat., June 4, 11, 17 & 25 from 10am – 1pm. BPCPC Office, 2 South End Ave., access Rector St. $120 + $20 materials.
Teen Marine Adventure
Kids entering 6th, 7th and 8th grades are invited to join in a four-week program exploring the Hudson River from the shores of Battery Park City. Participants will engage in scientific adventures, picnic on the park lawns, take boat trips, enjoy catch and release fishing, take field trips and more. Tues., July 5 thru Thurs., July 28. Meets Mon. – Thurs. from 10am – 2pm. Rockefeller Park, Park House Lawn, Chambers St. $400 for 15 sessions. Pre-registration required. Call 212-267-9700 x 366.
Teens
Chess – Chess Master Alex Rasic teaches the popular strategy game to participants ages 5-16 years old. Mondays from 3:45-6pm. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St. May/June $80. July/Aug $80. Sept/Oct $70.
Tai Chi – Learn the ancient martial art with master, Alex Hing. No experience necessary. Thursdays from 4-5pm. Also Fridays from 8:30-9:30am, except 7/1. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St. $5 per class.
Drumming – Drop in for a drumming circle led by master drummer Maguette Camara from Senegal. Sessions begin with a lesson on West African drumming patterns and proceeds to call and response playing and chanting. Later drummers create their own sounds. Drums provided. Tuesdays from 4-5:30pm. 13-18 year olds. Rockefeller Park, Chambers St.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
OF THE ARTS
182 Lafayette Street, 212-274-0986
$6 per person, kids and adults. All events are free with admission.
Wee drop in
Children 10-42 months experience and explore a variety of age appropriate projects and materials including play-dough, paint, glue, chalk, and stickers. Sessions include music, stories, and time in the ball pond. Show up at 10:45 am to join in the fun. Wed, Thurs, and Fri. from 10:45am-noon. $17 per family (group of 3.)
Children’s Theater Workshop
Yankee Ferry, Pier 25 at N. Moore St., Call or e-mail Heather at 212-608-5480 or nils@supergalaxie.com
Summer Camp
Children ages 6-10 are invited to attend a four week Children’s Theater Workshop where kids will participate in every aspect of putting on a theatrical production, from acting to making costumes to set construction and creating the sound track. The production will be loosely based on a story set in both Paris, France and in the Nile River Valley. Through the story, children will learn about music, dance and fashion from the 20s in Paris, discover the civilizations of Egypt and even learn about the animal kingdom. July 5-31, week days from 9:30am – 2:30pm. Performances will take place on July 30 and 31. $650.
Chelsea piers
23rd Street and the Hudson River, www.chelseapiers.com
new general skating prices
Celebrate Chelsea Piers 10th Anniversary with reduced rates for general ice skating at Sky Rink. $7.50 kids, $10 adults. Mon. – Sat. from 11:30 – 5pm and Sun. from 1-4pm. 212-336-6100.
Summer Sports Camp
A variety of sports activities will be available to keep children active during the summer months. Kids ages 3-16 can take part in bowling camp, skate camp, gymnastics camp, pre-school camp and more!
Manhattan youth
212-766-1104, www.manhattanyouth.org
weekend basketball
Saturday basketball at Stuyvesant High School. Open play and games. Girls, grades 4-8 at 1pm; boys, grades 4 & 5 at 2:30 and middle school boys at 4pm.
touch football
It is touch football season again for grades 6-10 in two divisions. Sundays at 11am at Pier 40 on the top level of the parking lot. Call (ext. 0) or go online to register.
Stuyvesant high school
345 Chambers St., 212-267-9700 ext. 342, www.ccshs.com
Pre-school family play
Programming provided by BPCPC. Sundays from 3-4:30pm. $5 per family.
Museum of Jewish Heritage
Edmond J. Safra Hall, 36 Battery Place
Celebrate Shavuot
Celebrate the Feast of the Weeks with an afternoon of crafts, snacks and engaging stories. Sun., June 5 at 2:30pm. $10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 members and students.
THE SCHOLASTIC STORE
557 Broadway, between Prince and Spring in SoHo, Stroller entrance: 130 Mercer St., Event hotline: 212-343-6166
Enjoy stories read by the Scholastic Story Teller every Sunday and Tuesday at 2pm. All ages. Free.
Memorial Day Party
Come meet Clifford and kick off the summer with a big red, white and blue party. Parents be sure to bring your cameras. Sat., May 28 at 3pm. All ages.
south street seaport museum
212-748-8758
Let’s Play Ball
Slide into the Seaport and discover baseball as it was played in the 1850s. Take home your own handmade ball. Sat., May 28 from 1-4pm. Museum, 12 Fulton St. Free with museum admission.
Waves and Currents
Come to Pier 16 and drop by the Living Harbor Wet Lab aboard the tall ship Peking. Learn about the critters of the East River. Look through the lens of a microscope at aquatic creatures and let them inspire you to make arts and crafts. Sun., May 29 from 1-4 pm. Animal feeding at 3pm. Museum, 12 Fulton St. Free with museum admission.
child’s play exhibition
Exhibition showcases toys, dolls and games manufactured from the mid 19th century thru the early 20th century. Highlights include a wooden Brooklyn Bridge from 1881, a metal elephant from Coney Island, wooden and metal firehouses, Erector set vehicles, school books, windup toys and two large doll houses furnished and decorated in 19th century styles. Schermerhorn Row Galleries, 12 Fulton St.
Listings requests for the “Downtown Express” can be e-mailed to casey@downtownexpress.com. Please be sure to include the date, time, location, price and description of the event. Information must be received two to three weeks prior to the event.
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