Sure, you could hand your kid an iPad, but wouldn't you rather do something fun out of the house? Don't sweat the mid-winter recess with these fun activities and events for children in Brooklyn.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Catch the Greatest Show on Earth at Barclays Center with an all-new, animal-free show. Viewers will encounter never-before-seen stunts, acrobatic displays, and comedic acts along the way. A truly international cast that includes 75 performers hailing from 18 countries including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Ethiopia, Italy, Mongolia, Spain, Ukraine, and the United States will inspire audiences through a variety of circus acts. February 22 - 25.
Midwinter Recess in Prospect Park
Through events organized by Prospect Park Alliance, explore the park's plants, insects, birds, and mammals with the naturalists at the Audubon Center, February 19 - 23. There's also the Great Backyard Bird Count, run by the Brooklyn Bird Club, that will make an effort to count birds and create a real-time snapshot of bird populations, February 19.
Brooklyn Children's Museum
The activities at Black Future Festival are inspired by the national celebration of people of the African diaspora and Black History Month. Cultural curator Adia Tamar Whitaker and the BCM present a week-long experience featuring dance, historical explorations, art projects, music and more. February 18 - 25.
New York Sword Festival
The 38th annual New York Sword Dance Festival at the Prospect Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library features dances based on customs from the farming and coal-mining regions of northern England, where the annual visit of the local sword dancers to the village homes was thought to guarantee good luck for the year. The festival will feature both mystical, stately long sword and vigorous rapper sword dancing, with live music on fiddle, accordion, and other instruments. February 17.
Discovery Days at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Learn about the Earth's habitats, participate in a Caribbean food tasting and enjoy story time at the garden through its Discovery Days events, February 19 - 23.
Ice Skating
Hard to believe after the recent snow flurries but many ice rinks will close in March. Take a glide at Lakeside, the rink in Prosepct Park or Glide at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
