10 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Brooklyn this November

By Michael Bieber October 31, 2013

Our list of fun and low-cost things to do with kids in Brooklyn this November includes Disney on Ice at the Barclays Center, a family jazz party in Fort Greene, fun family concerts in Park Slope and Crown Heights, and more.

Dikki the Magician

Brooklyn Public Library, Prospect Heights
Nov. 9

Decked out in his bow tie and a Technicolor dream coat that seems hand-painted by Piet Mondrian, Dikki the Magician appears straight out of a circus, which is precisely the case; he’s a veteran of the Big Apple Circus, recognized for combining old and contemporary magic tricks in a presentation that will drop jaws. He’s also sidesplittingly funny, with great tricks and a hamminess that collide in one madcap performance. Be prepared for snowstorms, fireballs, and the levitation of an audience member. FREE!

Rolie Polie Guacamole

Hip Tot Music Fest at Shapeshifter Lab, Park Slope
Nov. 10

It’s worth giving props to Rolie Polie Guacamole, a Brooklyn kindie band that somehow manages to make an appearance in Brooklyn Parent’s calendar every month. These guys play a lot, and they’re a popular draw around these parts. The three-piece band (guitar, bass, and drums)—with occasional instrumental augmentation—sings about everything from local places (“Museum of Natural History” and “Prospect Park”) to physical states of being (“Upside Down”). The group also covers fun crossover tunes like The Beatles’ “Octopus’s Garden” and Joni Mitchell’s “Circle Game” to original effect. RPG’s sound is joyful and silly and bouncy—the kind of thing young kids love.

'Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate'

Barclays Center, Prospect Heights/Park Slope
Nov. 12-17

Yes, there will be professional hockey at the still-new Barclays Center. But along with the Zamboni comes the Disney. A Disney arena event never fails to be spectacular, and Disney On Ice: Let’s Celebrate! pulls out all the stops. The show stars Mickey and Minnie, who celebrate holiday traditions from throughout the world, including a winter wonderland festival with Buzz and Woody, Hawaiian luau with Lilo and Stitch, haunting Halloween with a few Disney villains, and a kooky “unbirthday” party with Alice and the Mad Hatter. Like all Disney On Ice productions, these characters will display some top-notch figure-skating moves.

The Super Sprowtz Show

Brooklyn Public Library, Prospect Heights
Nov. 16

Super Sprowtz is a nutrition program for children that began when its founder, restaurateur Radha Agrawal, realized that kids weren’t ordering any veggies on their cheese pizzas. Why, Agrawal thought, when toppings such as peppers and mushrooms were so tasty and healthy? Thus was born a media initiative that includes a YouTube channel and a TV show featuring adorable puppets representing vegetables. Each has a specific “superpower” similar to their veg’s actual benefit. For example, Colby Carrot has “Super Sight” and Erica Eggplant has a “Super Brain.” The Super Sprowtz’s characters have taken their act on the road with The Super Sprowtz Show, which stops by the Brooklyn Public Library’s central branch this month. With a show that conveys a message about healthy eating via interactive singing and dancing, let’s hope you and your children will become converts and Captain Crunch will be walking his plank back to the junkyard. FREE!

Movie Screening: 'The Secret Garden'

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Fort Greene
Nov. 16

BAM screens some great children’s cinema in November, including classics such as Albert Lamorisse’s The Red Balloon and White Mane (Nov. 30). One screening that will appeal to a large audience is Agnieszka Holland’s movie adaptation of the great Francis Hodgson Burnett book, The Secret Garden (1993; 101 minutes; rated G). The acclaimed film features Dame Maggie Smith and Kate Maberly as Mary, a young girl who becomes orphaned and moves in with an emotionally distant uncle. Mary discovers an abandoned garden once belonging to her deceased aunt, and under the girl’s care it becomes a source of healing for a wheelchair-bound cousin and others. The story finds the bitter and sad Mary transformed into a loving and happy child. This is a truly upbeat film with a genuine feel-good quality that all ages will enjoy.

Webop Family Jazz Party

Brooklyn Academy of Music, Fort Greene
Nov. 23

What is jazz if not sonic art? Its beauty is moving and provocative, like great art should be. Jazz is also a great big teachable moment for children. Jazz at Lincoln Center, the great jazz incubator directed and co-founded by the genre’s great Wynton Marsalis, addresses the kid “niche” with its Webop program. Webop is an early childhood jazz education program that lets families and wee ones stomp, strut, and groove. Classes offer opportunities to handle real and toy instruments (think kazoos) and learn about the music and history. Webop has also been showing up around the city and elsewhere for “jazz parties,” and it’ll stop by BAM for the Webop Family Jazz Party this month. This event will showcase percussion instruments and feature singer Beatrice Anderson, who will lead Webop classes at BAM during the winter.

Joy with Laraaji

Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Crown Heights
Nov. 23

Laraaji Nadabrahmananda is well known among music fans for his recordings of ambient music (particularly with Brian Eno) in which he uses a range of instruments like the African M’bira and piano to create lush soundscapes that inspire audiences to listen…deeply. Deep Listening is a means of using music for relaxation and reaching higher states of consciousness, and Nadabrahmananda’s use of ancient tunings—on a 36-string electric, signal-processed zither, no less—definitely hews close to something metaphysical. One of his teachings is the use of laughter and music, combined, for the purpose of simply being happy. In Joy With Laraaji, a workshop for children, Nadabrahmananda uses much the same techniques and lessons used with older audiences to teach the joy of laughter and listening.

Thanksgiving Events

Throughout NYC

It’s the holiday we all look forward to: Thanksgiving! The day we lowly earthlings get to gorge on football and turkey. But Thanksgiving is also, in many ways, the culmination of autumn—a celebration of the harvest, gourds and pumpkins, and fall colors. Check out these November events that celebrate Thanksgiving and the harvest season.