Our guide to cultural events in New York City for families with children and teenagers.
ACT WINTER FAMILY FESTIVAL at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine (Jan. 6, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). These indoor festivities promise to be warm enough for everyone — even the coldblooded guests. Those will be the stars of a reptile show, one of the highlights of this open house for Adults and Children in Trust (ACT), an organization providing educational and recreational family programs at the cathedral. Visitors can tour the facilities, meet the staff and try out classes, as well as enjoy attractions like a whipped-cream-eating contest, crafts, carnival games, face painting, storytelling and singalongs.
212-316-7530, actprograms.org
‘FAMILY DAY: ALTERNATIVE MIGRATIONS’ AT THE NEW MUSEUM It’s not just the journeys that are alternative at this event; the birds are, too. This program draws inspiration from “Petrit Halilaj: RU,” an exhibition consisting of an imagined landscape populated by whimsical avian creatures fashioned from pottery fragments, found objects and other detritus. Mr. Halilaj’s work reflects on Runik, Kosovo, the city of his childhood and the site of a neolithic settlement whose archaeological finds have been dispersed through war and appropriation. In his sculptures and an accompanying video, he has recreated and transformed these relics, giving them new identities that proclaim their wandering. This free workshop for ages 4 through 12, first come first served, will give participants clay to make works of their own that are both artifacts and animals, past fixtures and new species. All flights of fancy are welcome.
212-219-1222, newmuseum.org
‘ILLUMINATION BOX: TINKER WITH LIGHT!’ at the National Museum of the American Indian (Jan. 6 and 20, 1 to 4 p.m.). This is a chance to make a little light of your own — and to let it shine. Inaugurating a new series at the museum, Tinker Labs: Exploring Art and Technology, this program will investigate themes in the exhibition “Transformer: Native Art in Light and Sound.” Children (the recommended ages are 9 and older) will take inspiration from “The Harbinger of Catastrophe,” a work by Marianne Nicholson that uses light, shadow and traditional Pacific Northwest Indian designs to illuminate the connections between humans and nature. Young participants (registration is required) will be encouraged to reflect on the environment and climate change as they experiment with simple circuits to create their own miniature light boxes.
212-514-3705, nmai.si.edu
‘MILO THE MAGNIFICENT’ at Symphony Space (Jan. 6, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.). Milo is a bit of a cardboard character, but you can’t blame him for that. He’s a puppet: specifically, a huge cutout fellow, whose arms, hands and feet belong to one of his creators, and whose changing facial expressions are recorded on flippable circular cards. The duo Alex & Olmsted — Alex Vernon and Sarah Olmsted Thomas — invented his world, which includes other puppets made of cleverly repurposed materials. Milo, appearing here as part of the Just Kidding series, aspires to be an illusionist, and while his tricks and experiments rarely work out as planned, children will still find them magical.
212-864-5400, symphonyspace.org
‘OWEN & MZEE: THE MUSICAL’ at the Theater at Blessed Sacrament (Jan. 6-Feb. 11). The world is filled with unlikely relationships, but few have drawn as much attention — or amazement — as that between Owen, a baby hippopotamus, and Mzee, a 130-year-old Aldabra giant tortoise. Owen, orphaned by a tsunami in 2004, was rescued by Kenyan villagers and transported to an animal sanctuary, where he met his new best friend. Craig and Isabella Hatkoff, a father-daughter team, and Paula Kahumbu documented the animals’ unusual bond in a children’s book, “Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship.” Now Michelle Elliott and Danny Larsen have adapted the book into this Vital Theater Company production, playing weekends at 11 a.m. and showing that cross-species companionship is something to sing about.
212-579-0528, owenandmzeethemusical.com
PAUSE/PLAY: FAMILY FIT DAY at the 14th Street Y (Jan. 6, 2-6 p.m.). The title of this series sums up it: Time to take a break and have some fun. This edition focuses on fitness, with activities ranging from a bouncy house for the tiniest visitors to a rock wall for confident climbers. The possibilities will also include family swim, all-ages yoga and a music-and-movement program from Funkytown Playground. Visitors can enjoy games and crafts, too, and end the afternoon boogieing at a disco dance party.
646-395-4310, 14streety.org/tickets
THREE KINGS DAY at the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center (Jan. 6, 3 to 5 p.m.). For Latino children, Three Kings Day can be as exciting as Christmas. On this occasion, Santa doesn’t bring gifts, but the Three Wise Men do. Although the freezing weather has led El Museo del Barrio to cancel its annual parade in honor of the holiday (instead, the museum will host an indoor celebration on Jan. 20 with live music, art workshops and storytelling), Teatro SEA, the Latino theater for young people, will still host this free event on the Lower East Side. The fun will include festive music, actors portraying the Magi and gifts for the first 1,000 children to arrive.
212-529-1545, teatrosea.org