Free & Fun Things To Do With Your Kids During This Week’s Mid-Winter Break

From hot chocolate and ice skating to  traditional music from West Africa, there are a ton of free and fun events happening around our area to keep you and your kids entertained during this week’s mid-winter recess. Here are some of our favorite events that are happening, and let us know if you know of something that we’ve left off! Comment below or email us at editor@ditmasparkcorner.com.

Stomp, clap and sing with West African musician Sekouba Dembele
When: Tuesday, February 17 from 11am-12pm
Where: The Dweck Center at the Central Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza
What: An energetic and interactive performance by Sekouba Dembele, a master drummer from the Ivory Coast, will introduce the audience to the traditional music of West Africa. You’ll be able to learn about the diverse drums — the doun doun, djembe, and krin — as well as melodic instruments, such as the balafon and banjo.
Cost: Free

Sing-along with Miss Katie at Lark Café
When: Tuesday, February 17 from 11-11:45am
Where: Lark Café, 1007 Church Avenue
What: Miss Katie welcomes everyone to her mix of classic kid favorites and rare folk gems.
Cost: $5

Discovery Days at Brooklyn Botanic Garden
When: Tuesday, February 17 and Wednesday, February 18 from 11am-1pm
Where: Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 990 Washington Avenue
What: Kids of all ages are invited to explore exotic habitats from around the world and have some hands-on science fun at the Botanic Garden’s Steinhardt Conservatory. Activities, including scavenger hunts and story-telling,  are the same each day, but you’re welcome to come for a repeat visit.
Cost: Free

Winter break fun at Prospect Park
When: Tuesday, February 17 through Friday, February 20
Where: Prospect Park Audubon Center and Lefferts Historic House
What: From Tuesday through Friday, “Winter in the Wild” will be held at the Audubon Center from 12-3pm, when you can join educators to discover the winter survival strategies of animals that live in Prospect Park. On the same days, from 3-4pm, you can join Prospect Park Alliance naturalists to track North American bird populations. From Tuesday through Friday, you can go to the Lefferts Historic House from 1-4pm to play the historic board game Nine-Man Morris and make your very own playing board to take home.
Cost: Audubon Center events are free; $3 suggested donation at the Lefferts Historic House

Very Very Verrazano at the New York Transit Museum
When: Tuesday, February 17 through Friday, February 20 at 1:30pm
Where: New York Transit Museum, located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street
What: Children ages 5 and up are invited to work together to build a giant-sized model of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge at the museum’s education center. While you build, you can learn about he towers, anchorages, cables and deck that makes this suspension bridge an engineering marvel.
Cost: Free with museum admission ($7 for adults and $5 for children ages 2-17)

Dance and sing to The Dad Beats at Lark Café
When: Thursday, February 19 from 11am-12pm
Where: Lark Café, 1007 Church Avenue
What: Bring your baby, toddler or kid and dance along to The Dad Beats, a local music trio wrapped in a playdate with a hootenanny garnish.
Cost: $5

Make winter bird feeders at Compost for Brooklyn
When: Thursday, February 19 from 2pm-4pm
Where: Compost for Brooklyn, E. 8th Street and Newkirk Avenue
What: Learn about local bird species and make suet bird feeders during this free event. Plus, visit the garden’s squirrel-proof feeder and help feed our avian friends.
Cost: Free

Ezra Jack Keats bedtime stories
When: Thursday, February 19 from 7-7:30pm
Where: Central Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza
What: Librarians will read aloud bedtime stories by Ezra Jack Keats, as well as lead singing, rhyming and playing activities related to the themes and images of the book. At the end of the evening, every child will be given a free copy of one of Mr. Keats’ books to keep.
Cost: Free

Ice skating and hot chocolate in Coney Island
When: Friday, February 20 from 9am-11:30am
Where: Abe Stark Skating Rink, 1902 W. 19th Street
What: Councilman Mark Treyger is sponsoring a free family ice skating event, and you’ll also be able to sip on free hot chocolate, thanks to Peggy O’Neill’s.
Cost: Free

Learn how to play the guitar at the Park Slope Library
When: Saturday, February 21 from 11am-12pm
Where: Park Slope Library, 431 6th Avenue at 9th Street
What: Anyone over the age of 7 (adults included!) are welcome to learn the fundamentals of guitar playing, including proper fingering technique, chords, and blues scales. Please bring your own instrument – both electric and acoustic guitars can be used. If you are an intermediate player please feel free to join the class and we can work out a lesson for you as well.
Cost: Free

Watch the critically-acclaimed documentary ‘Brooklyn Boheme’
When: Sunday, February 22 at 2pm
Where: Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street
What: In honor of Black History Month, BHS is screening the documentary “Brooklyn Boheme” every Sunday in February.Narrated and written by Fort Greene resident Nelson George, this feature length film celebrates the vibrant African American artistic community that thrived in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill during the 1980s and 90s and includes interviews with some of the artists who called these neighborhoods home, including Spike Lee, Chris Rock, and more.
Cost: Free with museum admission (Museum admission is free for children under the age of 12 and for students over the age of 12 who have identification. Adults are $10 and teachers and seniors are $6.)