Things To Do With The Kids, Through September 22: Brooklyn Book Festival, Pencil Buildings, And Young Readers Book Group At Greenlight

Looking for something to do with the whole family this week? There are a lot of great kid-friendly events coming up in Brooklyn, and we’ve selected some of our favorites. See the full details below!

For more things to do around Brooklyn, and to add your own upcoming event, check out our calendar.

This post is sponsored by the LeFrak Center at Lakeside. For more information about children’s events, check out their website.

REGIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Cantamos, Let’s Sing With Louie Miranda
When: Wednesday, September 16, 10:30am
Where: Dean Street, 755 Dean Street, Fort Greene
What: Sing along to the tunes of Louie Miranda
How Much: $8 per family.

Ezra Jack Keats Bedtime Stories
When: Thursday, September 17, 7pm-7:30pm
Where: Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Park Slope
What: Enjoy Ezra Jack Keats themed stories, songs, and activities at this evening library storytime.
How Much: Free!

Lakeside Recess
When: Friday, September 18, 2pm
Where: LeFrak Center at Lakeside, Prospect Park
What: It’s recess time! Play in the park with free pickelball, badminton, Kan Jam, and ladder ball.
How Much: Free!

Brooklyn Book Festival — Free Children’s Day
When: Saturday, September 19, 10am-4pm
Where: Various Locations
What: Beloved children’s book authors come together for book readings, workshops and crafts for kids.
How Much: Free!

Stand Clear Of The Closing Door, Please
When: Sunday, September 20, 10am and 11:15am
Where: The Old Stone House, 336 3rd St, Brooklyn, Park Slope
What: Follow along as lost teddybear, Catbear, journeys through the NYC subways to find his owner in this Spellbound Theater performance, perfect for kids ages 2-5.
How Much: Adults $15, children $12

Folk Music Sing Along With Katy Stone
When: Monday, September 21, 11am
Where: Park Slope Library, 431 6th Ave, Park Slope
What: Katy Stone visits Park Slope Library for a fun singalong of her favorite tunes.
How Much: Free!

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

Explore and Create: Hispanic Heritage Arts and Crafts
When: Tuesday, September 15 at 3:30pm
Where: Bedford Library at 496 Franklin Avenue
What: Come in and make Paper Fiesta Flower! Ages 6-12 year olds.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Reading Is Fundamental
When: Wednesday, September 16 at 2:30pm
Where: Walt Whitman Library at 93 Saint Edwards Street
What: Earn free books by joining RIF and checking out books with library card. Ages 6-18.

KIDtivity Wednesday with Creative Kitchen
When: Wednesday, September 16 at 4pm
Where: Lakeside at Prospect Park at 171 East Drive
What: Kids make recipes and participate in related activities such as kitchen crafts, fun food stories, and songs!

Bedtime Stories
When: Wednesday, September 16 at 6:30pm
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: Wind day your day with sweet bedtime stories and songs for ages 0-5. Wear your pajamas, if you wish!

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

Morning Movies
When: Thursdays from 11am-1pm
Where: Ingersoll Community Center at 177 Myrtle Avenue
What: Enjoy popcorn, air conditioning, and a family friendly flick! Ages 2+.

Stutengarten Brooklyn
When: Thursday, September 17 from 2:30-5pm
Where: Die Stammkneipe/ Der Schwarze Kölner at 710 Fulton Street
What: Tuesdays & Thursdays playgroup! Parents and/or caregivers can bring their babies (infants and toddlers) for play and socializing.
How much: $10 includes food and drink

Science Club: Construct with Pencils
When: Thursday, September 17 at 4pm
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: Build a cool geometric sculpture out of ordinary pencils and rubber bands. This activity is for older kids (10-up) and teens; parents and caregivers are also welcome to join us.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Toddler Time
When: Friday, September 18 at 10:15am
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: Stories, songs, fingerplays, puppets, and fun for toddlers and caregivers!

Babies and Books
When: Friday, September 18 at 11:15am
Where: Clinton Hill LIbrary at 380 Washington Avenue
What: Storytime is for babies, too! Come sing, play, hear stories, and meet with other parents and caregivers.

Movies at the Library
When: Friday, September 18 at 3:30pm
Where: Walt Whitman Library at 93 Saint Edwards Street
What: Free movie screenings for kids ages 6-12 and their families.

Build With LEGO and DUPLOS
When: Friday, September 18 at 4pm
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: LEGOs at the library! Come help us think up new things to build – towers, house, cities, vehicles, monsters? Collaborate with your friends and get creative. Also, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will have their own play area at the library with DUPLO blocks galore!

Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco
When: Friday, September 11 form 7:30-10pm
Where: LeFrak Center at Lakeside in Prospect Park at 171 East Drive
What: All things “Grease!” at this weekly roller disco party. A different theme every week!.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

Shape Up: Stretching (Essentrics)
When: Saturday, September 19 at 10am
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: Our popular NYC Parks Department “Shape Up! program with a local volunteer instructor and an emphasis on stretching (Essentrics). Class begins at 10 AM and ends at 11 AM. No registration is needed.

Storytime: “Where’s Walrus? And Penguin?”
When: Saturday, September 19 at 11am
Where: Greenlight Bookstore at 686 Fulton Street
What: When Walrus escapes the zoo with his new friend Penguin, their adventures are twice the fun! In this sequel to the acclaimed Where’s Walrus?, author Stephen Savage doubles the fun when Walrus escapes the zoo with his mischievous pal, Penguin. Will the zookeeper find them? Or will these clever runaways stay one step ahead disguised as subway riders, baseball players, and even grand opera performers? Join Stephen at Greenlight as he presents his new book, a delightful game of hide and seek! Ages 3 to 8.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Free Movie
When: Sunday, September 20 at 8pm
Where: The Joint on Myrtle at 471 Myrtle Avenue
What: Free movie for the family, every weekend. Free popcorn and kitchen open until 11pm. Call 347-763-1455 to find out what movie is playing. Suggest your favorite movie for a future screening!

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Preschool Storytime
When: Monday, September 21 from 10:30-11am
Where: Clinton Hill Library at 380 Washington Avenue
What: A read-aloud for preschool-aged kids. Groups and classes are welcome to attend (please contact the children’s librarian, Emily Heath, at 718-398-8713 to let us know ahead of time that you will be bringing a group, if possible, so we can arrange for adequate seating).

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Baby Breakfast
When: Tuesday, September 22 from 10am-12pm
Where: Habana Outpost at 757 Fulton Street
What: The courtyard is transformed into an into a toddler wonderland complete with toys, a water table and supervised art projects geared towards children 4 and under. Come meet your neighbors and watch your kids make new friends. Presented in conjunction with My Brooklyn Baby.
How much: Free, rain or shine

Toddler Time with RIF
When: Tuesday, September 22 at 11am
Where: Bedford Library at 496 Franklin Avenue
What: Come and enjoy books, songs and toy time. For ages 18 months to 3 years. Get free books with the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program.

Story Play with Reading Is Fundamental
When: Tuesday, September 22 at 11am
Where: Walt Whitman Library at 93 Saint Edwards Street
What: Children ages birth-5 years can hear stories, sing songs and play with their parents and caregivers.

Sing With Me!
When: Tuesdays from 11am-12:30pm
Where: Ingersoll Community Center at 177 Myrtle Avenue
What: Sing, dance, laugh and make music with your little ones (aged 4 months to 4 years).

Young Readers Book Group
When: Tuesday, September 22 at 5:30pm
Where: Greenlight Bookstore at 686 Fulton Street
What: This book group is geared toward kids ages 8 to 14, and reads great contemporary and classic chapter books. Parents are welcome (but not required) to attend, and pizza is served. For September, the group discusses Half a World Away, by Newberry Medal and National Book Award-winning author Cynthia Kadohata. Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.’ That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby – to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels… nothing. But when they get to Kazakhstan, it turns out the infant they’ve travelled for has already been adopted, and literally within minutes they are faced with having to choose from six other babies. From camels rooting through garbage like raccoons, to eagles being trained like hunting dogs, to streets that are more pothole than pavement, Half a World Away is Cynthia Kadohata’s latest spark of a novel.