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 [through 1/9]. Watch bunnies skate & ice fish at "City Bunnies' Winter Wonderland" [through 1/9] & "Blooming Lights" lights up the Garden with holiday displays, entertainment & refreshments [starts Thurs. 5:30-9, through 1/2, $5, $2 child./s.c.]; 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. On Sunday LuAnn Adams reads stories for children (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.

 

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM

Family tour of Clemente exhibition followed by poetry workshop with artist John Cassotra; Guggenheim Museum, 1071 5th Ave. (88th St.), 423-3587; Sun. 2-4, $15 per child, incl. mus. adm. for parent & child, $8 each add. child.

 

NY BOTANICAL GARDENS

"A Victorian Holiday" celebrates the holidays with a 30-foot glowing tree, miniature trains, caroling & holiday puppet show. On Sunday, Christmas/Chanukah celebration with The Bronx Arts Ensemble's Elijah's Angel feat. Robert Kapilow & Jim Friedland, followed by tree-lighting ceremony outside the Conservatory at 4:30 [Sun. at 3, $3, $1 child.]; NY Botanical Garden, 200th St. (Southern Blvd.), Bronx, 718-817-8773; noon-5, free w/grounds adm., free after 4.

 

PROSPECT PARK HANDMADE: A HOLIDAY CRAFTS FAIR

Third annual event feat. handcrafted jewelry, photographs, pottery, art stuff & lamps?free shuttle bus from 7th Ave. & 1st St; Picnic House, Prospect Park, enter Prospect Park W. (5th St.), 718-965-6505; Sat. 10-5, free.

 

Activities

ARCHAEOLOGY-DIG IT

Kids ages 6-11 are invited to excavate archaeological site & explore science at 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. (92nd St.), 996-1100; Sun. 10-12, $35 for 1 child & adult, $10 each add. person.

 

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.

 

KINGS OF THE COURT VS. TRAXTARS

Harlem Globetrotters & demo kids show off Reebok's new high tech shoes which measure performance levels via 3-level (gold, silver & bronze) microprocessor; Reebok Concept Store, Lincoln Center, 160 Columbus Center, (betw. 67th & 68th Sts.), 595-1480; Sat. 2-4, 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.; Weds. 3:30-5:30, free [through 12/22].

 

SATURDAYS ALIVE!

Family events incl. Mickey D. & friends in "Mellow Moves" dance (11), "Painting on Glass" with artists from Urban Glass & "Learn to Play the Steel Drum" workshops (12-1) then watch the C.A.S.Y.M. Steel Band perform (3-4); Arts Connection, 120 W. 46th St. (betw. 6th Ave. & B'way), 302-7433 ext.1440; Sat., $2-$6.

 

TILES THAT BRING SMILES

Explore the history of Minton Tiles at Bethesda & build your own design with Central Park Conservatory staff?ages 6 & up; Dana Discovery Center in Central Park, 110th St. (5th Ave.), 860-1370; Sat. 1-2:30, free.

 

WRITING WORKSHOPS FOR TEENS

Learn how to generate ideas & explore different writing styles with filmmaker K. Wise during today's "Casting Your Net" workshop (Thurs. 4-6), 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

Singer/performer Bill Gordh's "Out of the Watermelon Patch" 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, animated shorts "The Adventures of Dodo" & "the Adventures of Captain Pugwash" during "Adventure & Travel" weekend. 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].

 

DANCES BY VERY YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHERS

Dances for children by children at the Bessie Schonberg Theater, 219 W. 19th St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 924-0077; Sat. & Sun. at 3, $12, $8 kids.

 

FATHER GOOSE'S TALES

Puppeteer Jim Napolitano pres. new show at Puppet Playhouse, Mazur Theater, 55 E. 90th St. (betw. York & East End Aves.), 369-8890, ext. 159; Sat. & Sun. at 10:30 a.m. & 12, $6.

 

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT & SOUND

Lights, Santa, Action?A Chanukah Celebration: Ancient Wonders Modern Miracles feat. classics by Lazar & The Selah Vocal Ensemble; World Financial Center Winter Garden, West St. (betw. Vesey & Liberty Sts.), 945-0505 for complete schedule of events; Mon. at 6:30, free.

 

LOS TRES CERDITOS (THE THREE LITTLE PIGS)

New LES puppet & children's theater for Latino children; SEA @ Los Kabayitos Puppet & Children's Theater, 107 Suffolk St., 2nd Fl. (betw. Rivington & Delancey Sts.), 260-4080 ext.14, Sat. at 3:30, Sun. at 2, $8, $6 kids.

 

MISS MAJESTY'S LOLLIPOP PLAYHOUSE

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

 

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, Hilary Knight, illustrator for Eloise joins Books of Wonder, 16 W. 18th St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 989-3270; Sat. 12-2, free.

 

SONY WONDER

Sony hosts holiday activities for families. This week, "The Puzzle Place" screening & discussion about holiday celebration with Patti LaBelle; Sony Plaza, 550 Madison Ave. (55th St.), 883-8100; Sat. & Sun. at 2, free.

 

WEST END CHILDREN'S THEATER

Today, ventriloquist Winnie Blake & Dottie Lee's puppet show; West End, 2911 B'way (betw. 114th & 113th Sts.), rsvp 877-6115; Sat. at 1:30, $12.

 

YIDDISH SONGS FOR FRIENDS & FAMILY

Chanukah Yiddish party with The Jewish People's Philharmonic Chorus & the Pripetchik Youth Chorus; De Jur Playhouse, Henry St. Settlement, 466 Grand St. (Pitt St.), 598-0400; Sun. at 2, $5.

 

Holiday Fairs & Carnivals

CRAFT STUDENTS LEAGUE HOLIDAY SALE

Affordable handmade crafts incl. ceramics, jewelry, books & more; YWCA, 610 Lexington Ave. (53rd St.), 735-9731; Thurs. & Fri. 12:30-7:30.

 

P.S. 41

Annual winter carnival feat. holiday gifts, games, crafts & international food, all proceeds benefit the children of P.S. 41; 116 W. 11th St. (6th Ave.), 741-1099; Sat. 12-6.

 

TARTAN CHRISTMAS FAIR

Eighth annual fair feat. live entertainment, handmade crafts, toys, books, antiques & more; The First Presbyterian Church, 12 W. 12th St. (betw. 5th Ave. & University Pl.), 675-6150; Fri. 4-8:30, $1 [repeats Sat. 10-5 & Sun. 11-4].