FAMILY brooklyn botanic garden Brooklyn’s lovely Botanic Garden offers free admission to ...

Brooklyn's lovely Botanic Garden offers free admission to visitors entering before noon on Saturdays, always free for those 16 & under & Tuesdays are free all day. Victorian Holiday & train show [opens Fri. through 1/9]. Watch bunnies skate & ice fish at "City Bunnies' Winter Wonderland" [opens Fri. through 1/9]; Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 1000 Washington Ave. (Eastern Pkwy.), 718-622-4433, ext. 216; Weds.-Fri. & Tues. 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat. & Sun. 10-6.

 

children's museum of the arts

Museum feat. daily activities & exhibitions incl. children's art shows & art studio, interactive computer art station, creative playroom, actor's studio, costume shop, community group workshops, after-school art programs & birthday parties. London's Young Circus Performers come to CMA (Fri. & Sun. 2-4); 182 Lafayette St. (betw. Broome & Grand Sts.), 274-0986; Weds. 12-7, Thurs.-Sun., 12-5, $5, s.c. & kids under 1 are free.

 

WINTER FESTIVAL AT PROSPECT PARK

Saint Nicholas stops by for an afternoon of holiday oriented workshops incl. candle- & toy-making; Lefferts Homestead Children's Historic House Museum, Prospect Park, Flatbush Ave. (Empire Blvd.), 718-965-6505; Sun. 1-4.

 

Activities

ARTIME

Every Saturday Sensation artist, Rachel Whiteread leads 90-minute gallery tour, discussion & activities in Chelsea; meet at Luhring Augustine, 531 W. 24th St. (betw. 10th & 11th Aves.) 718-797-1573, res. req.; 11 a.m., $20 per child & adult, $5 each add. child.

 

FAMILY SERIES

Henry Street Settlement celebrates 25th anniversary with performances & workshops. Today, London's Young Circus Performers in "Cinderella á la Tango;" Henry St. Settlement, 466 Grand St. (Pitt St.), 598-0400; Sat. at 2, $5.

 

GARDEN TO GARLAND-WREATHS TO SWAGS

Make a fragrant decoration from flowers & dried herbs; Kerlin Learning Center at Wave Hill, 675 W. 252nd St. (Indep. Ave.), Bronx, 718-549-3200; Sat. & Sun. 1-4, free w/grounds adm.

 

HAWK MIGRATION & NAVIGATION

Learn about hawks & falcons with Central Park Conservatory staff as the birds pass over Central Park during their migration south; Dana Discovery Center in Central Park, 110th St. (5th Ave.), 860-1370; Sat. 1-2, free.

 

RAP WRITERS & PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP

Free seminar on rap music at Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave. (betw. 120th & 122nd Sts.), 870-6784; Fri. 7-9 p.m. [through 12/17].

 

rock climbing classes

Offered by Central Park Conservancy, free for ages 9 & up?learn rope management, anchor set-up, knot tying & more; North Meadow Recreation Center, 97th St. (midpark), 348-4867, res. req.; Sat. at 1:30 & Tues. at 3:30, free [through 11/30].

 

70TH ANNIVERSARY OF IRVING JOHNSON'S VOYAGE

Celebrate Johnson's voyage around Cape Horn on South Street Seaport's historic Peking ship. Activities incl. screening of Peking, reading from Johnson's diary & splicing rope ($2 fee); South St. Seaport Museum, 207 Front St. (Fulton St.), 748-8600; Fri.-Sun., call for times, free w/mus. adm.

 

WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS

Learn how to generate ideas & explore different writing styles with Adam Nadler's "Writing & Producing the Screenplay" (Mon. 4-6) & Marcelle Karp's "Making the Zine" (Mon. 4-6)?ages 13 & up; Writer's Voice at the West Side YMCA, 5 W. 63rd St. (Central Pk. W.), 875-4124; free [through 12/16].

 

Things to See & Hear

BIG APPLE CIRCUS

Returns to Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, B'way (64th St.), 307-4100 or 800-922-3772; call for times, $15-$60 [through 1/9].

 

CAROLINE KIDS KLUB

Watch Don Miller go out of control at Caroline's Comedy Club, 1626 B'way (49th St.), 757-4100, res. req.; Sat. at 2, Sun. at 1, $14.

 

CHILDREN'S TELEVISION FESTIVAL

Join Blondie, Dagwood, Babar, Wallace & Gromit for the eight annual children's festival at The Museum of Television & Radio. This week, "Growing Up" shorts & international screenings incl. "Growth Vitamins: Jolly Good Family" & Canada's animated "Stickin' Around: Send in the Clones" Other events incl. storytelling, live music & workshops; 25 W. 52nd St. (5th Ave.), 621-6600; Sat. & Sun., call for times, free w/mus. adm. [through 12/5].

 

EVERYTHING IN THE WORLD CAN MAKE YOUR MIND BIGGER

Advice from the theories of Aesthetic Realism Foundation on learning to like the world as a whole, for children ages 5-12; 141 Greene St. (betw. Houston & Prince Sts.), 777-4490; Sat. at 11, $7.

 

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT & SOUND

Lights, Santa, Action?Lighting ceremony & Chanukah celebration with caroling & St. Luke's Orchestra; World Financial Center Winter Garden, West St. (betw. Vesey & Liberty Sts.), 945-0505 for complete schedule of events; Tues. at 5:30, free.

 

MISS MAJESTY'S LOLLIPOP PLAYHOUSE

Santa & the Snow Queen (1:30) & The Three Bears' First Hanukkah (3:30); Grove St. Playhouse, 39 Grove St. (betw. Bleecker & Hudson Sts.), rsvp 741-6436; Sat. & Sun., $8.50 [through 1/2].

 

NEW YORK GOOFS

Try to win tickets to the Film Society's "Reel to Real for Kids" screening of Lucy at the Circus; Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble, 1972 B'way (66th St.), 595-6859; Mon. at 4:30, free.

 

RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

Radio City Rockettes, dancers & Santa Claus continue to entertain families during a 90 minute production incl. "Parades of the Wooden Soldiers" & "The Living Nativity;" Madison Square Garden, 2 Penn Plaza (34th St.), 465-MSG1, call for schedule, $29-$77 [through 1/2].

 

READINGS AT BOOKS OF WONDER

Weekly readings & meet the author series at NYC's largest independent children's bookseller. Today, Jerry Pinkney pres. his new picture books, The Ugly Duckling & The Little Match Girl & Robert Sabuda pres. The Movable Mother Goose at Books of Wonder, 16 W. 18th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 989-3270; Sat. at 2, free.

 

REAL-T0-REAL

Fourth annual Family series at Lincoln Center. Today, the Alloy Orchestra performs original scores for silent movies during "Cookin' Up Music for the Clowns" event; Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center, 165 W. 65th St. (B'way), 875-5370; Sat. at 2, $12, $6 for kids 4-14.

 

STORYTIME

Every Monday night Barnes & Noble hosts storytime for kids; 4 Astor Pl., Junior's Dept. (betw. Lafayette St. & B'way), 420-0816; 7:30, free.

 

WEST END CHILDREN'S THEATER

Today, "Cross Currents" at West End, 2911 B'way (betw. 114th & 113th Sts.), rsvp 877-6115; Sat. at 1:30, $12.