What To Do: With the Kids April

What To Do: With the Kids April: Here’s the best 40 what to dos with the kids in April and May from biking and baby animals to fishing, Disney, Sesame Street, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Pinkalicious and right through to the beginning of carnival season … in & around town! 

April

Westchester Knicks – County Center:  You can see former Michigan State star Travis Trice, Knicks second round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo and the 7’ 2” Arizona State center Jordan Bachynski on Sat, 4/2: 5pm. (County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains; www.countycenter.biz)

Spirit of the Sound Seal Spotting and Birding Cruises: Take a cruise on the Long Island Sound in the Norwalk Aquarium’s Research Catamaran, Spirit of the Sound to catch a glimpse of seals resting on rocks at low tide near the Norwalk Islands. Binoculars are provided for birders to see visiting buffleheads, mergansers, Brant geese and long tailed ducks. Spirit of the Sound offers a climate-controlled cabin for its 2-½ hour cruises. Sun, 4/3: 1pm. (10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT; www.maritimeaquarium.org)

National High School Basketball Tournament – Madison Square Garden: Who is the best high school basketball team in the country? Watch future D-1 stars as top nationally ranked high school girls and boy’s basketball teams come to Madison Square Garden for the 8th annual boys and girls’ championship games sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods. Sat, 4/2: 10am. www.thegarden.com

Phenomenal Physics with Mr. Fish – Playtime at the Palace: Mr. Fish proves that science can be fun by performing circus tricks involving boomerangs, bubbles, bullwhips, balloons, eggs and more. Kids discover the concepts of friction, velocity and inertia when Mr. Fish pulls a tablecloth out from under various objects, juggles eggs to explain the structure of Roman arches and flies boomerangs to demonstrate the principles of aerodynamics. Sun, 4/3: 3pm. (Stamford Center for the Arts, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.stamfordcenterforthearts.com)

Sesame Street Live: Let’s Dance – Palace Theatre: This Sesame Street production offers an up-close, interactive experience when your favorite Sesame Street friends join you on the floor to dance to the music. On stage, Elmo uses his imagination to “Do the Robot”, Cookie Monster teaches all ‘feets’ to dance, and Ernie shares the fun of dance with the Sesame Street favorite “Shake Your Head One Time”. Tues, 4/5: 10:30am & 3pm. (Stamford Center for the Arts, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.stamfordcenterforthearts.com)

Spring Astronomy Nights at Stamford Museum Observatory: Take your children (5 and up) to the observatory to explore the night sky, planets and stars. Held every other Friday night at 7pm, each presentation begins with a new program on astronomy followed by a visit to view the night sky through the Observatory’s 22-inch research telescope. Upcoming topics include: Night Sky Landscapes, 4/8; Baby Stars, 4/22; Jupiter 5/6; The Big Bang, 5/20. (Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd, Stamford;www.stamfordmuseum.org)

Seussical the Musical – Ridgefield Playhouse: Adapted from the Broadway version, this adaptation of Seussical for young audiences from TheatreWorks USA features thirteen actors and enhanced production values. The Cat in the Hat is your host, emcee, and all-around mischief-maker in this romp through the Seuss classics featuring the good-natured elephant Horton, JoJo, an imaginative young Who, the one-feathered bird, Miss Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Maysie La Bird and other Dr. Seuss favorites in an adventure to save the planet of Who. Sat, 4/9: 2 & 4:30pm (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Disney Live! Mickey & Minnie’s Doorway to Magic – County Center: Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy and 25 Disney characters put on a magic show Disney style. See the Fairy Godmother transform Cinderella’s rags into a beautiful ball gown; the Toy Story gang defy the dimensions of Andy’s toy box with the help of green army men; and Rapunzel and Flynn Rider rise into the sky amidst floating lanterns. With special appearances by Snow White, Tinker Bell and Aladdin’s Genie. Sat, 4/9: 1 & 5pm, Sun, 4/10: 11am & 3pm. (Westchester County Center, 198 Central Ave., White Plains; www.countycenter.biz)

Henry and Mudge – Emelin: In this TheatreWorks stage production, based on the best-selling series of books by Cynthia RylantIn, Henry moves to a new house in the country where he has no friends. Luckily for Henry he can share all kids of adventures with Mudge, a 182-pound canine companion. Sat, 4/9: 11am & 1:30pm. (Emelin Theatre, 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Disney’s Choo Choo Soul with Genevieve: The Disney Channel’s Choo-Choo Soul with Genevieve! TV program comes to life on the stage with Genevieve the train conductor and DC her beat boxing, breakdancing engineer. The show has received a Parents Choice Award for children’s television programming. Sat, 4/9: 11am & 3pm. (Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.Paramounthudsonvalley.com)

6th Annual Fishing Derby – Gedney Pond: New Castle Recreation & Parks Department stocks Gedney Pond with a variety of fish for this catch-and-take home event. This event for ages 6 & up offers prizes and giveaways to keep the competition going. Please pre-register by Fri, 4/8 at the Recreation Department office or online. Sun, 4/10: 8:30-11am. (Gedney Park, Rt. 133, Chappaqua; www.mynewcastle,org)

Muscoot Movie Night: Check out the farm and watch the 1971 children’s classic Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder. Fri, 4/15: 7:30pm. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Teatown’s Firehouse Chili Challenge: Teams (dare we say top chefs from) the Briarcliff, Croton and Ossining Firehouses serve up their best chili recipes. You taste and vote for the best. This event also offers craft beer tastings, live music, a fire truck for kids to explore, other kids activities, Charchaels Hot Dog Truck and a pre-event family hike at 2pm. Sat, 4/16: 3-6pm. (1600 Spring Valley Rd., Ossining; www.teatown.org)

Clifford The Big Red Dog Live! – Performing Arts Center Purchase College: For more than 40 years Clifford has charmed and amazed children with his zany escapades and “big ideas” and he’s coming (with hummable songs) to The Center to emBARK on his latest adventure, live on stage! “Kids who love Clifford’s books and the animated series will enjoy every moment of this production” – Scholastic Entertainment. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Kids 16 and under take 50% off. Sat, 4/16: 3pm. (Concert Hall, Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Lyndhurst Family Fun Day: View amazing LEGO sculptures in the mansion created by area children and see pieces made by adult LEGO artists in the Carriage House. The event includes a 350 square foot LEGO moving train display, a LEGO play space and a scavenger hunt on the grounds of this historic mansion overlooking the Hudson. Sat-Sun, 4/16-17: (Lyndhurst, 635 S. Broadway, Tarrytown; www.lyndhurst.org)

Sheep to Shawl at Phillipsburg Manor: Sheep ready to lose their winter coats are shorn by hand just like in the 18th century. Scottish border collies herd sheep and corral ducks. Yes, ducks. Costumed interpreters demonstrate wool dyeing, spinning and weaving, and lead hands-on activities. Storyteller Jonathan Kruk also entertains. Sat-Sun, 4/16-17: 10am-5pm. (381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow; www.hudsonvalley.org)

The Very Hungry Caterpillar – Emelin Theatre: The Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia returns to the Emelin Theatre with their stage production of three of Eric Carle’s children’s book favorites: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Little Cloud and The Mixed-Up Chameleon. Sun, 4/17: 11am & 1:30pm. (Emelin Theatre, 153 Library Ln, Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Cinderella – Connecticut Ballet: The Connecticut Ballet’s 34th season closes with a revival of Brett Raphael’s full-length production of Cinderella set to the Prokofiev score. You can meet and greet the dancers following each performance that is suitable for all ages. Sat-Sun, 4/23-24: 2pm. (Stamford Center for the Arts, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.stamfordcenterforthearts.com)

Spring Crafts & Things – Bedford Recreation: Kids grades 2-6 make a spring craft with friends. Sat, 4/23: 6-8pm. (Bedford Hills Community House, 74 Main St., Bedford Hills; www.bedfordny.gov)

New! Spirit of the Sound Lighthouse Cruises: The Norwalk Aquarium’s Spirit of the Sound catamaran introduces two new Long Island Sound Lighthouse Cruises. Their 4 ½ hour Central Long Island Sound cruise visits five lighthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cruises depart at 10am on Sat, 3/5, 4/2 and 5/7. Their Western Long Island cruise will make passes at Greens Ledge, Sheffield Island, Stamford Harbor, Great Captain Island, Execution Rocks, Stepping Stones, Sands Point and Eaton Neck. These 6-hour cruises depart at 9am on Sat, ,4/23 & 5/28. (10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT; www.maritimeaquarium.org)

Sky & Earth Sunday – Hudson River Museum Planetarium: Celebrate Earth Day and Astronomy Month with HRM’s new star show Habitat Earth. From colonies of tiny microbes to massive whales to humans, Habitat Earth shows what it means to live in a world connected by vastly different forms of life. The Cassatt Quartet previews excerpts from composer Gerald Cohen’s new work Voyagers and perform sky-inspired music from Haydn, Peter Shickele and others. Finally, Rutgers University Associate Professor of History, Neil Maher offers a multi-media talk, Think Globally, Act Locally about how NASA’s Apollo Program launched the environmental program. Sun, 4/24: 12-5pm. (Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers; www.hrm.org)

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood – The Palace: The legacy of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” lives on with the award- winning television series, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood on PBS KIDS. In this live show, Daniel dons his iconic red sweater and invites the audience on an interactive musical adventure to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. In February 2015, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was the #2 program across all TV networks for Kids 2-5. It was recently nominated for a 2015 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Animated Program. Fri, 4/29: 4pm. (Stamford Center for the Arts, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.stamfordcenterforthearts.com)

A Beautiful Planet IMAX – The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk: Narrated by Jennifer Lawrence, the aquarium’s latest IMAX offering, A Beautiful Planet provides a portrait of Earth from space. Made in cooperation with NASA, the film features captured by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station. Directed by Toni Myers, the acclaimed filmmaker behind celebrated IMAX® documentaries Blue Planet, Hubble and Space Station. Opens Fri, April, 29 and is screened at 11am, 1 & 3pm through May 26. (The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 N. Water St., Norwalk, www.maritimeaquarium.org)

May

LIGHTSCAPES – Van Cortland Manor: This springtime garden fantasy from the creators of the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze is a nighttime display of sculpture, light, sound and special effects. Recycled elements are building blocks for intergalactic flora and woodland creatures. Otherworldly mushrooms, floating fairies, butterflies, a massive praying mantis, a super-size birdhouse, and a dino-sized egg are among the state of the art illuminations that are set against the natural landscape of Van Cortland Manor. Squiggle through an enormous caterpillar and walk through a giant garden maze. This event takes place over 15 May evenings. Tickets go on sale April 1. (Van Cortland Manor, 525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson; www.hudsonvalley.org)

Bicycle Sundays on the Bronx River Parkway: Friends of Westchester County Parks closes off a six and a half mile stretch of the Bronx River Parkway for the exclusive use of bicyclists, joggers, scooters and strollers. Park your car at the County Center lot and bike to Scarsdale Road in Yonkers. Round trip 13.1 miles. Bicycle Sundays return on May 1 and run through the last Sunday in June. www.friendsofwestchesterparks.com

Bedford Fishing Derby: The Bedford Recreation Department’s 16th annual Fishing Derby at Lake Marie is open to kids to age 15. Bring your own fishing rod. Volunteers will help young anglers bait hooks and provide fishing tips. Prizes are awarded throughout the day. Pre-register at the Bedford Hills recreation office by Fri, 4/29. Sun, 5/1:12-3pm. (Lake Marie, Bedford Hills Memorial Park, Haines Rd., Bedford Hill; www.bedfordny.info)

Learn to Ride Bike Program – Bedford Recreation: This program from Bike New York, a Bicycle Education Program teaches kids how to ride a bicycle and shows parents effective methods for teaching their kids at home. The Bedford Police will be on hand to provide safety tips and bike registration. Bring your own bike and helmet. For boys and girls of all ages. Sat, 5/7: 10am-12pm. (Bedford Hills Memorial Park, Haines Rd, Bedford Hills; www.bedfordny.gov)

The Olate Dogs – Paramount Hudson Valley & Ridgefield Playhouse: The Olate Dogs are the winning participants from Season 7 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent, scooping up the $1,000,000 prize and headlining The Palazzo in Las Vegas! Led by Richard Olate and his son Nicholas Olate, the Olate Dogs are a high-energy, fast-paced canine theatrical act filled with amazing dog tricks, human acrobatics and humor. Thurs, 5/5: 7pm. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org) Sat, 5/7: 2pm. (Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.Paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Curious George ­– Ridgefield Playhouse: With every swing and flip in this Theatreworks USA production for ages 3 & up, George takes the audience through a fun-filled adventure in which he learns about Rome…and meatballs…and the “secret ingredient” to cooking! Join Curious George, star of books, movies and the award-winning PBS television show in this delightful musical. Ages 3 and up. Sat, 5/7: 11am. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Sheep Shearing & Farmers Market at Muscoot Farm: Every Mother’s Day Muscoot Farm shears its adult sheep and the public is invited to watch them get their spring haircut. Mother’s Day also marks the opening of the Muscoot Farmers Market. The market is open every Sunday through October. See our guide to Farmer’s Markets. Sun, 5/8. 9:30am-2:30pm. Sheep shearing 12-3pm. (Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Marine Life Cruises – The Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk: The Norwalk Aquarium’s new 63 foot silent running, hybrid-electric power catamaran offers 2½-hour “study cruises” on the Long Island Sound for passengers over 42” tall. Cruises run most Saturdays and Sundays at 10am, 2 or 4pm from 5/14-6/19 (check times and exceptions) and daily at 1pm from June 20-September 5 (Check exceptions). (10 N. Water St., Norwalk, CT; www.maritimeaquarium.org)

41st St. Patrick’s School Carnival in Bedford: The local carnival season always kicks off at St. Patrick’s School in Bedford. One of the state’s biggest grossing carnivals, this event raises money for educational ministries of the parish. With full-scale carnival rides and games for kids and teens, food, cotton candy and a big-prize raffle worth $25,000. This event typically runs from Tues-Sun in mid-May. (483 Old Post Road, Bedford; stpatricks.org)

Spring on the Farm Festival a – Stamford Museum & Nature Center: Featuring spring’s baby animals, sheep shearing, yarn demonstrations, face painting, crafts, music, a bonsai exhibition and the museum galleries exhibit of Art on a String: Asian Kites in Flight. There will also be a plant, herb and bonsai sale and an assortment of good trucks. (Yay food trucks!) Sat-Sun, 5/14-15: 11am-3pm. (Stamford Museum & Nature Center, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford; www.stamfordmuseum.org)

Pinkalicious – Emelin Theatre: Pinkalicious can’t stop eating pink cupcakes (join the crowd) despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor’s office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe – a dream come true for this pink loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament. Sat-Sun, 5/14-15: 11am & 1:30pm. (Emelin Theatre, 153 Library Ln, Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Pinkster Day at Philipsburg Manor: Philipsburg Manor’s Pinkster Day recreates this 17th century African-American spring celebration with a colonial-style festival of music, dance and food. Including presentations of drumming, traditional dance and African folktales. Phillipsburg Manor is the only living museum dedicated to the history of slavery in the northern colonies. Sat, 5/14: 10am-5pm.  (Philipsburg Manor, 381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow; www.hudsonvalley.org)

Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies – The Palace: The Regal Pops Orchestra, with conductor Dirk Hillyer, and four leading vocalists perform classic Disney movie songs to projected video clips from iconic Disney films. The program features songs and film clips from The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Frozen, Mary Poppins, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Sat, 5/21: 3pm. (The Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford; www.stamfordcenterforthearts.com)

Meet the Baby Animals – Muscoot Farm: Get up close and personal with Muscoot Farm’s new arrivals. Like this Dorset lamb. Visit their Farmers Market when you are three. Sun, 5/22: 12-3pm. (Muscoot Farm, Rt. 100, Somers; www.muscootfarm.org)

Lime Rock Park Memorial Day Season Opener: After a three-year absence the SCAA Pirelli World Challenge returns to Lime Rock Park for their Memorial Day Season Opener. Four big races are scheduled for GTS, GT and GT Cup plus the park’s first-ever races of the all-new United States Formula 4 open-wheel single seat championship. On Sunday, the Royals Car Show draws 200-400 prime vehicles from rare sports cars to muscle cars from the 60s and 70s. Fri-Sun, 5/27-29: check schedule. (60 White Hollow Rd., Lakeville CT: www.limerock.com)

Hilltop Hanover Farm Memorial Day Farm Fest: A family day at Hilltop Hanover celebrating farming in Westchester. With plants for sale, a farm stand, vendors, kids events, tours, hiking, food, and more! Sat, 5/28: 10am-4pm. 1271 Hanover St., Yorktown Heights; www.hilltophanoverfarm.org)

Memorial Day Picnic – Bedford: The local American Legion Post 1575 will host a Memorial Day picnic at American Legion Hall next to the Katonah Museum of Art. All town residents are invited. Mon, 5/30: 11am-2pm. (American Legion Hall, 136 Jay St. Katonah; www.bedfordny.gov)

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