Commuters may breathe a sigh of relief when the schools close for a week, but for those of us with school-age kids, the week can be a challenge…or an opportunity to share some engaging time with your young one—son, daughter, nephew, niece or grandchild! Family programs this week are part of Spring Wings Week at Wave Hill, a time to enjoy the return of the much-loved birds with whom we share the landscape.
P.S. Do stop in The Shop, too, for the sale going on this week. I fell in love with a very soft, squishable bunny hand-puppet yesterday. The space is full of life and color, a wonderfully appealing collection of gifts to engage little ones.
FRI, APRIL 3 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM
SAT, APRIL 4 TAI CHI CHUAN
Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. In this beginner-level class, Irving Yee, a member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School, introduces students to the internal martial arts and promotes an awareness of its benefits. Sessions in April are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11AM
SAT, APRIL 4 FAMILY ART PROJECT: ECO FAIR
Display your care for our planet with your own nature-inspired crafts. Fashion a fancy flower from a discarded CD, binoculars from cardboard tubes, little insects from found metal zippers, a board game from bottle caps or an Earth Day pin from a recycled jar-top. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
SAT, APRIL 4 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM
SUN, APRIL 5 FAMILY ART PROJECT: ECO FAIR
Display your care for our planet with your own nature-inspired crafts. Fashion a fancy flower from a discarded CD, binoculars from cardboard tubes, little insects from found metal zippers, a board game from bottle caps or an Earth Day pin from a recycled jar-top. Free with admission to the grounds.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 10AM‒1PM
SUN, APRIL 5 HATHA YOGA
Reduce stress, increase your energy and bring strength and flexibility to mind, body and spirit with a yoga practice. Classes are led by Yoga for Bliss directorNeem Dewji and other certified instructors. Ms. Dewji is certified in Hatha and Therapeutic Yoga from The Yoga for Health Foundation, England, and The Integral Yoga Institute, NYC. All levels welcome. Sessions in April are held indoors. Session fee: $25/$15 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Cancellations must be made by 3PM the Friday before; after that, refunds will not be made. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10‒11:15AM
SUN, APRIL 5 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM
SUN, APRIL 5 MEDITATION
Let nature inspire you to find your center and reconnect with your true self using guided mindfulness and other meditation practices. Each session, led by Yoga for Bliss director Neem Dewji and other qualified instructors, includes instruction in simple techniques, followed by guided meditations. Sessions are held indoors. All levels welcome. Session fee, which includes admission to the grounds: $20/$10 Wave Hill Member. Advance registration online receives a $2 discount. Online registration closes at 8AM on the day of the session. Drop-ins will be accommodated as the limited space permits. Participants must present their Membership card or a printed program registration form at the front gate.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11:45AM‒12:45PM
SUN, APRIL 5 GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free with admission to the grounds.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 2PM
MON, APRIL 6
Closed to the public
TUE, APRIL 7 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM
TUE, APRIL 7 GARDEN HIGHLIGHTS WALK
Join us for an hour-long tour of seasonal garden highlights. Free, and admission to the grounds is free until noon.
MEET AT PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 11AM
TUE, APRIL 7 FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: PASTE PAPERS
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, learn how to use an acrylic paint and paste medium to make decorative and textured paste papers. Embellish yours with plumy marks that you make from actual feathers. Participants will make multiple sheets to take home or use atWednesday’s workshop. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online atwww.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11.Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM
TUE, APRIL 7 DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: SHELLS AND FEATHERS
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Feathers and eggs are two of the most recognizable attributes of birds, but how do they work? Using water, sand, fabric and soil screens, explore how water and air pass through the egg’s membrane, while its shell protects it. Learn how feathers camouflage birds and keep them warm, dry and aloft. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds. Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM
WED, APRIL 8 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
PERKINS VISITOR CENTER, 10AM–4PM
WED, APRIL 8 FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: BIRDY PAMPHLET BOOK
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, delve into the art of bookmaking using a simple pamphlet stitch. Choose a local bird species for the silhouette cover, along with textured paste papers to give your homemade book special character. We’ll provide a list of bird songs to include; add your own notes about the birds you see at Wave Hill. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11. Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM
WED, APRIL 8 DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: BIRD CALLS
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Watch a balloon demonstration of how a bird’s voice box—its syrinx—works. Listen to bird-call recordings, and learn simple mnemonics to help you identify the birds you hear at Wave Hill. Make a homemade bird-call using clothespins, electric tape and rubber bands. Learn some tips to sound like a convincing bird. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds. Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM
THU, APRIL 9 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
THU, APRIL 9 FAMILY ART WORKSHOP: MIGRATING KITES
Join us for a week of bird-inspired activities and art-making, followed by drop-in science explorations, then come back for more over the weekend! Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Today, we look at how birds fly. Study their wing structure, then using a simple building technique, assemble a flyable kite with wings as your inspiration. Fashion your kite with color and flare to make a real or imagined migrator. $25/$15 Wave Hill Member per session includes one child and one adult; additional child or adult $10. Registration required, online at www.wavehillorg or onsite at the Perkins Visitor Center, starting February 11. Spring Wings Week event.
WAVE HILL HOUSE, 1–2:30PM
THU, APRIL 9 DROP-IN SCIENCE EXPLORATIONS: FASTEN SEATBELTS!
Join us for this drop-in program following the art workshop in the morning. Learn about the mechanics of bird flight, and how wing length and the shape of a bird’s body determine their flight patterns. Make paper airplanes to recreate different patterns of bird flight, and test how weight distribution and wing shape influence flight. Programs are geared to children between the ages of five and 10 with a parent or caregiver. Registration not required. Free with admission to the grounds.Spring Wings Week event.
ON THE GROUNDS, 2:30–3:30PM
FRI, APRIL 10 IN THE SHOP: VACATION WEEK SALE
In celebration of Spring Vacation Week, enjoy 20% off all kids’ gifts. The Shop at Wave Hill offers unique, seasonal gifts inspired by nature; all proceeds from sales support Wave Hill’s world-class gardens and outstanding programs.
A 28-acre public garden and cultural center overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades, Wave Hill’s mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscape, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education and the arts.
HOURS Open all year, Tuesday through Sunday and many major holidays: 9AM–5:30PM. Closes 4:30PM, November 1–March 14.
ADMISSION $8 adults, $4 students and seniors 65+, $2 children 6–18. FreeSaturday and Tuesday mornings until noon. Free to Wave Hill Members and children under 6.
PROGRAM FEES Programs are free with admission to the grounds unless otherwise noted.
DIRECTIONS – Getting here is easy! Located only 30 minutes from midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s free shuttle van transports you to and from our front gate and Metro-North’s Riverdale station, as well as the 242nd Street stop on the #1 subway line. Limited onsite parking is available for $8 per vehicle. Free offsite parking is available nearby with continuous, complimentary shuttle service to and from the offsite lot and our front gate. Complete directions and shuttle bus schedule at www.wavehill.org/visit/.