Brooklyn Children's Museum | News and Events

MetLife Early Learner Performance: Rolie Polie Guacamole

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Marcos Stafne

On April 20th we were happy to host Rolie Polie Guacamole, a hip “kindie” band from Brooklyn, NY for our MetLife Early Learner Performance Series. Their high energy, interactive show was a mix of funk, rock and folk music. Here are a few highlights from their performance!

I think my favorite song (and an audience favorite) was Red Light Green Light. You can hear a full version of this song on their Rolie Polie Guacamole’s website. Crossing the street is an important skill to learn, and much more fun with a beat!

Pests up close!

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Tiffany Briery

Have I mentioned how much I love Brock microscopes? I have, but I’d like to say it again: I LOVE Brock microscopes. After a day of pest control in the BCM Greenhouse, I took a microscope up to get a closer look at my adversaries. Our two most common Greenhouse pests are mealybugs and scale. Since we want our Greenhouse to be pesticide free, we use Integrated Pest Management techniques to control bugs. This means taking preventative pest action by keeping plants happy and stress-free, and manually removing bugs that take hold by wiping infested leaves down with soapy water or horticulture oils.

Mealy bugs often just look like little cottony clusters gathered on the underside of leaves and at the crotch of each leaf stem (also known as the “node”). Sometimes, I’ll spot one that’s big enough for me to see its 6 insect legs and antennae. But nothing beats getting a magnified look at these creepy crawlies. Their white color comes from a powdery waxy substance that they excrete for protection while they’re sucking juices from the plant. Check ‘em out!

Mealybugs are a type of scale

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Brooklyn College Visits Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Marcos Stafne

We had the pleasure of hosting faculty from Brooklyn College for a visit to the Children’s Museum. It’s been a while since we’ve had a faculty event, so we made sure to showcase the best of BCM. Faculty were given a tour of the GREEN features of our 2008 expansion, a backstage tour of our amazing collection, and an introduction to our new Sensory Room.

Cultural Connections: Folk Dance Festival presented by The Phyllis Rose Dance Company

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Marcos Stafne

The Phyllis Rose Dance Company presented dances from around the world with Folk Dance Festival this past weekend at Brooklyn Children’s Museum. The performance was a perfect blend of unique dances from Ireland, Trinidad, Africa, Nepal, Cuba and more. The dances were fun to watch, and there were many opportunities for kids to get up on stage and perform with the professional dancers in the ensemble.

Here are a few clips of an Italian Tarantella , an Irish Reel, a Nepalese temple dance, and the Cha Cha from Cuba!

Cultural Connections Performances are supported by Tiger Baron Foundation.

Minerals VS. Mush

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Marcos Stafne

On March 16th and 24th we held our first Special Sensory Workshops in the Sensory Room for family visitors: Minerals vs. Mush. Families were able to investigate rocks and minerals from our Sensory Snake and shiny specimens from our collection.

Everyone got a chance to dig in and make colorful mush with their hands. It was an excellent experiment in texture and color! While we facilitate many activities in the Sensory Room every week, this was our first planned experience, and we we’re incredibly happy with the results. The Sensory Room is an inclusive space where children with special needs can engage and explore their senses. The interactive equipment provides a multisensory experience with visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and gross motor activities. This room provides a welcoming environment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).