End the Week on a Joyful Note!
Sunset Singing Circles return to Battery Park City Parks for its 21st season and Blast Off! can't think of a better way to end your hectic school/work week. The program is pretty much as described. New Yorkers of all ages gather on blankets and lawn chairs in the lower Manhattan park for 90-minutes of singing, led by the fabulous Terre Roche, singer, songwriter and member of the sister-trio the Roches.

Songbooks are available covering an eclectic range of traditional Americana, folk, pop and world music. Attendees are encouraged to bring instruments, play along and shout out requests. The vibe is low-key, friendly and peaceful. Definitely worth the schlep for the opportunity to sit with strangers, sing "Red River Valley" and watch the sun sink over the Hudson River.

Sunset Singing Circles start this Friday, May 12, 7-8:30pm and continues May 19, 26, June 2, 9, 16 and 30. The program will meet this year on the lawn next to the Irish Hunger Memorial; entrance is at North End Avenue and Vesey Street. For further information, visit bpca.ny.gov.

Where to Blast Off This Weekend!
Saturday, May 13
ConEd Family Day: Make Your Own Mandela
Participants create mandalas, a geometric configuration of symbols, using repurposed materials at Manhattan's oldest remaining residence. Materials provided on a first come, first serve basis. 1-3pm. FREE. Morris-Jumel Mansion, 65 Jumel Terrace, Upper Manhattan. Visit morrisjumel.org for further information.
Pin On Symbols Family Program
Held in conjunction with the Give Me A Sign: The Language of Symbols exhibition, drop-in family program invites participants to create a unique symbol for a wearable button to express themselves. More interactive activities will be available throughout the exhibition.10am-noon and 1-3pm. Ages 5-12. FREE with museum admission $16 adults, $10 seniors, youth 18 and under admitted FREE. Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Museum, 2 E. 91st St., Manhattan. Advance registration is not required; program is on a first come, first served basis. Visit cooperhewitt.org to learn more.
Native New York Children's Festival
Children’s Festival highlights the exhibition, Native New York, introducing visitor to the Native nations and the places in present-day New York they call home. Activities include corn husk doll making, traditional Tuscarora beadwork, lacrosse demonstration, storytelling, dance and more. 11am-5pm. FREE. National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green, Lower Manhattan. Visit americanindian.si.edu for further information. Also, May 14.

Lift Off: A Waterfront Kite Festival
Watch your kite soar above the Manhattan skyline the one day of the year kite flying is open to the public at Brooklyn Bridge Park. Kids can learn about the science of flight through kite flying experiments, as well as the Caribbean's rich history of kite-flying through workshops and activities. Families are encouraged to bring their own kites. 11am-3pm. FREE. Pier 5, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 334 Furman St., Brooklyn. Visit brooklynbridgepark.org for further information.

Open Stages 2023
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s spring music festival returns to stoops, school lots, parks, gardens, and sidewalks throughout Park Slope. More than 150 musicians, classical musicians, hip-hop artists, marching bands, kids' groups, and more perform in an event raising money to support BKCM community programs . 3-8pm. Most performances are free; family ticket (2 adults and kids) is $250 and includes curated snacks and drinks during the festival. Visit bkcm.org for further information.

Brooklyn Bike Jumble
In the market for a bicycle? Try New York City's bicycle flea market in Park Slope. Vendors from all over the east coast sell new and used bikes, accessories, and anything else bicycle-related. Used bikes run the gamut from $50 'beater' bikes to historic collectible bikes, overstocks, closeouts and other deals. You can also test ride bikes before buying. 11am-4pm. Old Stone House, Fifth Avenue and 4th Street, Brooklyn. Visit nybikejumble.com for further information.

Farmhouse Family Day: Pinkster Celebration
Discover the history of Pinkster, one of North America's first African celebrations with live music, carnival activities, drumming and storytelling from Chief Baba Neil Clarke.11am-3pm. (Performances by Chief Baba Neil Clarke and musical guests begins at 1pm) Ages 4-10. FREE. Wyckoff House Museum, 5816 Clarendon Rd., Brooklyn. Reserve tickets in advance.

The Magic of Bill Blagg LIVE!
One weekend only. Interactive magic and illusion show presented by Bill Blagg that manages to astonish and crack up the audience. Show is 80 minutes, no intermission. 7pm. Ages 5 and up. Tickets: $25-$35, plus fees for 4 for $90, plus fees. (Use code: 4FOR90). Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens. Reserve tickets at queenstheatre.org. Also, May 14 at 4pm.

Sheep Shearing Festival
Watch the sheep get their spring haircuts. Farmer-led tours, sheep shearing demonstrations, live music, kids crafts, scavenger hunt and a hay ride are all happening at the annual festival. Tickets: $15 adults, $12 children (plus fees), children under 2 admitted FREE. Hay ride tickets are additional $6 per person, purchased on site. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park, Queens. Advance tickets required.
Sunday, May 14
Mother's Day Flower ID Walk
Take a stroll through the Heather Garden in honor of Mother's Day with the Urban Park Rangers. 1-2pm. FREE. Margaret Corbin Circle, Fort Tryon Park, Inwood. For further information, call 212.304.2277.

MET Family Afternoon: Portraiture
Family program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter. Paint a portrait inspired by the artist's work, join an interactive family tour, and listen to an interactive bilingual storytime. Masks strongly recommended. 1-4pm. Ages 3-11. FREE with admission $30 adults, $22 seniors, $17 students, children 12 and under admitted FREE. Carson Family Hall, Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave., Upper East Side. Learn more at metmuseum.org or call 212.535.7710.

Family Sundays: Enlightening Leaves
Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) achieved enlightenment while sitting underneath a bodhi (fig) tree. To this day, Buddhists travel to the living descendant of the original bodhi tree in India, to meditate and find inspiration on their own paths to enlightenment. In honor of that cherished tree, participants craft their own bodhi leaves, while reflecting on our place in nature. 2pm. Ages 3 and up. The Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., Chelsea. Advance reservations required. Also May 21&28

Weekends in Bloom
Final day to catch celebration of spring blooms and flowering trees. Take in a steelpan performance, an all female brass band, Afro-Caribbean dance, stories of Native American nation, plus tours and hands-on stations in the Discovery Garden. 10:30am-4pm. FREE with admission: $18 adults, $12 students/seniors, children under 12 FREE. Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 150 Eastern Pkwy., Brooklyn. Visit bbg.org for the complete schedule.

Printmaking From Bricks to Botanicals
Day trip! Discover new ways to create by repurposing LEGO® bricks as a medium for printmaking and explore patterns found in nature by collecting wildflowers and grasses and making inked prints on a customized printing press. Program is presented by Newburgh Creates. Noon-3pm. FREE with general admission. Storm King, I Museum Rd, New Windsor, NY. Book timed tickets in advance. Visit stormking.org for further information.
Giddy Up!
(Plan ahead. These upcoming events have limited availability or sell out in advance.)
Lenfest Kids: Community Double Feature
Family film series concludes on Saturday, May 20 with a double feature, The Phantom Tollbooth, the 1970 live action and animated film based on the classic book by Norton Juster. and The Karate Kid, the 1984 film directed by John Avildsen. Reserve tickets for one or both films. Community programming will also be held throughout the day. Noon-6pm. FREE. Katharina Otto-Bernstein Screening Room, Columbia University, Lenfest Center for the Arts, 615 W. 129th St., Harlem. Space is limited; reserve tickets in advance.

Open House: Musical Theater Class
Still nailing down summer camp plans? TADA! Youth Theater hosts in-person Open House where students participate in a musical theater class led by two NYC teaching artists on Saturday, June 3. Two sessions are offered: 10-10:45am (ages 4-7) and 11-11:45am (ages 8-12). Fee: $25 per student. Information on the summer camp will be provided after the class. Fee will be applied to class registration for those who sign up for summer programs. Spaces for the Open House are limited and will likely sell out. Register in advance.
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About Blast Off

“In a perfect world, someone would send me the 10-20 of the coolest New York things to do with kids,” is the genesis for this e-newsletter. The statement came from a parent overwhelmed by the amount of content posted and pushed out by online parenting sites.

Blast Off strives to provide an informative, useful resource the exhausted parent can trust. I vet all the worthwhile stuff to do with kids, so you don’t have to. I’m also on the hunt for affordable and free events; if a cultural institution offers a discount on a quality event, I want you to know about it. Conversely, you may also encounter pricier listings totally worth the splurge. Feedback and ideas are always welcome; email me at blastoffkids@gmail.com.

Blast Off NYC | blastoffkids@gmail.com