Members of the Garden Club reaped their harvest of string beans from their garden plot in Battery Park City’s Rockefeller Park.
For children of all ages, May is the month that Battery Park City’s parks really come alive with activity.Here is a sampling. All activities are free unless otherwise indicated. Go to bpcparks.org for details. To register, call 212-267-9700 ext 366 or email info@bpcparks.org.
Preschool Play and Art
Toddlers play, sing songs and hear stories. Toys, books and other play equipment are provided. For toddlers with an accompanying adult. Ages 2–4. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays (except 5/26), 10 am. Wagner Park near Battery Pl.
Basketball
Kids 5 years and up learn to play basketball using adjustable height hoops and do fun drills to improve skills. Mondays (except 5/26), 3:30 pm: 5-6 year olds; 4:30 pm: 7 and up. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Soccer
Instructors teach children how to pass, shoot and dribble through games and fun drills. Tuesdays, 2:30 pm: 3- 4-year-olds; 3:30 pm: 5- 7-year-olds; 4:30 pm: 8- 11-year-olds. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Young Sprouts Gardening
Simple, age-appropriate gardening projects include planting seeds, watering the garden and picking and eating greens and vegetables from an organic garden. Kids will also hear stories and do crafts. Ages 3–5 with an accompanying adult. Tuesdays, 3:15 pm. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Art and Games
Kids play lawn games, such as Tug of War, Red Light/Green Light and Wiffle ball, and do art projects using clay, wood and other materials. All supplies are provided. Ages 5 and up. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 pm. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Chess
Learn to play the game with tips from an expert. All ability levels are welcome. Ages 5-15. Wednesdays, 3:30 pm. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Explorers’ Club
Using magnifying lenses, binoculars, microscopes and field guides, kids examine the natural world and learn about plants, animals and the environment in Battery Park City’s parks. Concepts from botany, ecology, entomology, meteorology and ornithology will be taught. For first- to third-graders. Registration required. Mondays (except 5/26), 5/5-6/23. $240. Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, 6 River Terrace.
Gardening Club
Kids develop gardening skills, prepare soil and garden beds, plant seedlings and bulbs, water, thin, weed, harvest, compost and learn other garden maintenance techniques. Registration required. Tuesdays, 4 pm. $130 for two months (May to June, July to August, September to October); $350 for the season. Rockefeller Park near Chambers St.
Sunset Singing Circle
Sing rounds and folk songs accompanied by acoustic guitarist and folksinger Terre Roche. All ages welcome. Fridays (except 5/23). Wagner Park near Battery Pl.
Go Fish! Festival
This event for the whole family offers an afternoon of catch-and-release fishing and educational programs about wildlife in the Hudson River ecosystem, plus art projects and a live musical performance by Tom Chapin. Bait and fishing rods are provided. Sat, 5/10, 10 am–2 pm. Wagner Park near Battery Pl.
Stories for All Ages
Storyteller Mary Ann Schmidt recites the tale of Wise Animals and a Heartless Giant, revealing how animals and Mother Nature are clever and resourceful creatures. Sat, 5/17, 11 am. Teardrop Park near Warren St.