General Events

• Admissions Round Table and Tour, The Kew-Forest School, 119-17 Union Turnpike, Forest Hills, www.kewforest.org. The school welcomes visitors to its facility to meet the headmaster, division heads as well as current parents while they learn about available programs and the curriculum. Also take advantage of the all school Open House. Open House: 2/2, 6-8pm. Admissions Round Table and Tour: 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22 and 2/29, 8:45-11am.
• Flushing Town Hall Events, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, www.flushingtownhall.org. MONTHLY JAZZ JAM: Open to professional jazz musicians, graduate students studying jazz and music educators. Meet new contacts, hone your chops and jam each month with your peers. Open to general public. 2/1, 7-10pm. LUNAR NEW YEAR DANCE SAMPLER: A sampler of dance performances from China, Korea, India, Thailand, Taiwan and the Pacific Islands. 2/4, 2pm. LUNAR NEW YEAR WORKSHOPS: Stop by to sample two family-friendly workshops: Dragon Puppet Making Workshop and Lucky Bag Origami Workshop. 2/5, 2pm. HIP-HOP WITH ILLSTYLE: A fun, challenging class to introduce children and adults to various dance styles, such as B-Boying/B-Girling, hip hop, modern, jazz, African and more. Learn basic movements and techniques, and develop the movements into combinations. All ages and levels welcome. 2/5, 1pm. SU ZHENG – 150 YEARS OF CHINESE MUSIC IN NYC: Su Zheng explores 150 Years of Chinese Music in NYC to demonstrate that music is a powerful and vital cultural expression of the Asian/Chinese American diaspora. 2/26, 1pm..
• BounceU of College Point, 132-25 14th Ave., College Point, (718)747-JUMP (5867). PRESCHOOL BOUNCE: This is the perfect play time for kids 2-6 years old as they explore larger-than-life inflatables at their own pace. 2/3, 2/10, 2/17 and 2/24, 11:30am. Family Bounce: Enjoy an evening of fun for the entire family. Bounce and play for two hours or use the last 30 minutes to enjoy two slices of pizza and unlimited drinks for an additional fee. 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22 and 2/29, 6pm. Valentine’s Day Bounce: Enjoy an hour and 15 minutes of bouncing, then make a card to take home to your sweet valentine. Space is limited. 2/12, 9:15-10:45am. Mid-Winter Recess Bounces: When school is closed, BounceU is open. Head on over and let the kids bounce off of the walls while they’re off from school. 2/20, 2/22 and 2/24, 11:30am-12:45pm (ages 2-6), 2/20, 2/21, 2/22, 2/23 and 2/24, 1:30-2:45pm (all ages), and 2/20, 2/22 and 2/24, 3:30-4:45pm (Cosmic).
• Adoption Meeting, Family Focus Adoption Services, 54-40 Little Neck Parkway, Suite 4, Little Neck, (718)224-1919, www.familyfocusadoption.org. Get the full story about adopting babies, children and teens; domestic and international. No reservations necessary. Private meetings also available. 2/4, 10am, and 2/28, 7pm.
• NYC Compost Project in Queens: I Heart Worms: Heart-Shaped Compost Cookies, Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing, compost@queensbotanical.org, (718)539-5296. Honor St. Valentine at this composting event. Receive a brief introduction to composting and take home heart-shaped compost treats for your greenery. 2/5, 11:30am-1:30pm.
• Open Houses, Magic Carpet Day Camp, 67-19 Parsons Boulevard, Flushing, (718)634-8109, www.magiccarpetdaycamp.com. Stop by for an Open House. 2/5, 2/12 and 2/26.
• Open House, World of Discovery Day Camp, 141-01 32nd Ave., Bayside, (718)229-3037, info@worldofdiscovery.org, www.worldofdiscovery.org. World of Discovery Day Camp hosts an Open House. 2/12, noon-3pm.
• Fourth Annual NY Reelabilities Film Festival, Central Queens YM & YWHA, 67-09 108th St., Forest Hills, www.cqy.org/tickets. Fourth Annual NY ReelAbilities Film Festival comes to Queens with two screenings of outstanding feature films, and discussion with directors and actors from the films, at the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills. The screenings kick off at 1pm with Girlfriend, a drama about a young man with Down Syndrome and his relationship with a girl he has loved since high school. This very powerful and sensitive drama will be followed by a discussion with both the film’s director, Justin Lerner, and the lead actor, Evan Sneider. A second film, Musical Chairs, will be screened at 7pm followed by discussion with several actors from the film. A romantic tale about two New Yorkers and their love of ballroom dancing, Musical Chairs is also a powerful story about a young woman struggling to overcome a traumatic injury that leaves her wheelchair bound. 2/13.

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Libraries

• Dream Wall Event, Queens Library at Long Island City, 37-44 21 St., Long Island City, (718)752-3700. I Have a Dream Wall Customers can express their dreams on the library’s Dream Wall. Think of something special and inspirational. Your dreams will be displayed in a prominent location. 2/6, 1pm.
• Little Tot Time, Queens Library at Hillcrest, 187-05 Union Turnpike, Hillcest, (718)454-2786. Join this happy fun get-together on Monday afternoons for toddlers ages 18-24 months and their caregivers, featuring songs, books, fingerplays, snacks and simple crafts. 2/6, 2/13, 2/20 and 2/27, 4pm.
• Beautiful Oops! Making Accidental Art, Queens Library at North Forest Park, 98-27 Metropolitan Ave., (718)261-5512. A special program for families with children affected by autism. Create art inspired by the book Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, in this six-week series. Families explore with sensory-based activities led by a teaching artist designed to appeal to children with autism spectrum disorders. Attendance is limited to six families and all members are encouraged. 2/6, 5pm.
• Origami for a Snowy Day with Karen Wellington, Queens Library at Cambria Heights, 218-13 Linden Boulevard, (718)528-3535. Come and create toys you can enjoy at home when it’s cold outside. In this craft class inspired by Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day, children ages 6 to 12 will learn how to make a snowball, a snow angel, and a dog just like Peter’s. Preregistration is required by calling or visiting the library. 2/7, 3:30pm.
• BOOST Health/Science, Queens Library at McGoldrick, 155-06 Roosevelt Ave., (718)461-1616. Learn basic concepts of health and science through fun activities. 2/8, 5pm.
• Yoga and Me for Preschoolers, Queens Library at Douglaston/Little Neck, 249-01 Northern Boulevard, (718)225-8414. An introduction to yoga that taps into a child’s creativity through movement and games. For children ages 2-5. Preregistration is required. 2/14, 1:30pm.

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Museums

• “Jim Henson’s Fantastic World,” Museum of the Moving Image, Astoria, www.movingimage.us, (718)777-6888. Fifteen iconic puppets, including Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog, Rowlf, and Bert and Ernie, are on display. Enjoy photographs of Henson and his collaborators at work and excerpts from his early projects and experimental films. On view through 3/4.
• Engineering Day, New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Queens, (718)699-0005. Stop by for a slew of hands-on tasks for the family. The day-long event lets kids build, test and construct activities that lend to engineering. 2/20.  

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Puppets and Plays

• Kupferberg Center Performances, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, (718)793-8080. BeBe & CeCe Winans: Held in the Colden Auditorium, Detroit-born brother and sister BeBe (Benjamin) and CeCe (Priscilla) Winans are part of the gospel-singing Winans family. As a duo, BeBe & CeCe embrace and extol the gospel message; however, their records have the production values and style of contemporary R&B. They are true crossover artists whose popularity has not waned in the years since their mainstream debut release in 1987, the self-titled album BeBe & CeCe Winans. This record gave them their first R&B hit, “I.O.U. Me,” which topped R&B and inspirational charts and generated Grammy nominations and Dove and Stellar Awards. Altogether, BeBe and CeCe Winans’ accolades include three Grammy Awards, nine Dove Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, two Soul Train Music Awards, numerous Stellar Awards, three Gold Albums, and one Platinum Album. 2/18, 8pm. Influx: Turkish Contemporary Dance: This free performance in the Goldstein Theatre is a special performance for the Year of Turkey: Exploring Past, Present, Future. Traveling from Istanbul, Turkey, choreographers/dancers Mustafa Kaplan, Ayse Orhon, and Filiz Sızanlı create compelling work that challenge perceptions of dance. 2/25, 8pm.
• Ella, Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, (718)760-0064. Watch the life of Ella Fitzgerald unfold live on stage at the Queens Theatre production of Ella. The show weaves myth, memory and music as it tells the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz/pop vocalists of 20th century music. 2/23-3/4.  

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Ongoing: Support Groups, Workshops and More...

• New Women’s Support Group, Kissena Jewish Center, 43-43 Browne St., Flushing, (718)461-6393. Sponsored by Queens Counseling Services of the Foundation for Religion and Mental Health, the free group provides understanding, compassion and respect for those experiencing anxiety, fear or stress. Alternate Thursdays, 10am.
• Zumbatomic, Vibez Studio, 32-43 Francis Lewis Boulevard, Bayside, (347)889-6987, www.vibezstudio.com. Designed exclusively for kids ages 4-12, Zumbatomic classes are rockin’, high-energy fitness parties packed with specially choreographed, kid-friendly routines. Kids move to all the music they love, like hip hop, reggaeton, cumbia and more genres. Parents love Zumbatomic because of the effects it has on kids, increasing their focus and self-confidence, boosting metabolism and enhancing coordination. Zumbatomic rounds out family fitness goals by giving parents a great reason to head to the gym. Wednesdays, 5:30pm.
• Children’s Programs, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 23-80 Bell Boulevard, Bayside, (718)631-9060. Barnes & Noble offers many free, enjoyable children’s programs on a monthly basis. Monday Morning Storytime at 11am features stories and costumed characters! Call for details.
• Free Play Activity Session, The New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111 St., Queens, (718)699-0301. Build, create and imagine in this open-ended exploration session, using large scale blocks and recyclable materials, Weekends, 11am-1pm.
• Mocha Moms, e-mail mochamomsqueens@yahoo.com, (516)448-3323, www.mochamomsqueens.tripod.com. Mocha Moms is a support group for mothers of color, striving to create a nurturing village for our members. The Queens chapter hosts support meetings with children monthly in Queens and Long Island. Interested moms are welcomed to visit. The format includes support meetings, field trips, speakers, Moms Only Nights and community service. Mondays and Saturdays.
• Native Bayside, Native Voice, Bayside Historical Society, 208 Totten Ave., Fort Totten, Bayside, (718)352-1548, www.baysidehistorical.org. Explore the prehistoric occupation of Bayside and Northeastern Queens through the culmination of archaeological fieldwork by the New York Institute of Anthropology. Also be sure to check out the “If the Hat Fits” that provides an overview of prevalent styles from the 19th and early 20th Centuries.
• Donate Like a Rockstar, www.imermanangels.org. A free one-on-one cancer support group that connects a person fighting cancer with someone who has beaten the same kind of cancer. The relationship provides a fighter the opportunity to ask personal questions and receive encouragement from someone who is uniquely familiar with the situation.
• Baby Fingers Creative Sign Language Classes, www.mybabyfingers.com. Pre-registration and drop-in classes and workshops for families and children ages 1 month and older throughout Manhattan, as well as in Queens and Brooklyn. Ongoing.
• Autism Parenting Support Group, Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC), 30-10 38th St., Astoria, (718)204-7570, www.QSAC.com. QSAC hosts a support group for parents and caregivers of persons with autism or pervasive developmental disorder facilitated by a trained social worker.
• Evening Center Program, YMCA of Greater New York, 46-21 Colden St., Flushing, (718)961-6880. Young people can participate in a variety of activities, including dance, homework assistance and recreation in a fun, social and safe environment. Adult English classes are also offered during the program for a nominal fee. Grades 6-12.
• “Working Moms Secrets to Success” Coaching Group, newyorkaddcoach@rcn.com, (800)929-7176. Are you a professional mom with young children? Don’t just survive— learn to thrive at work and home. Come join this telephone coaching group, run by two experienced personal and professional coaches. Through guided discussions and information sharing, you learn strategies to find quality time with your children, reduce stress and guilt, find more time for yourself, maintain friendships, better manage household chores and more. You will also have the opportunity to work on a personally meaningful goal during course of this group. Through specific exercises, structure and support, our group will help you stay focused and on track toward achieving your goals.
• Asian Outreach Clinic, 87-08 Justice Ave., Elmhurst, (718)899-9810, selinebearman@childcenterny.org. Services include multi-lingual and multi-cultural parent education workshops and classes, which are conducted at the program site and community locations. Topics covered are the impact of immigration, domestic violence, substance abuse and other mental health issues on families and children. Additional workshop topics are parent-child communications, parent stress management, coping skills for children and parents, the American child abuse laws, child and youth development and various issues facing children, such as substance use.
• Trude Weishaupt Center, 140-15B Sanford Ave., Flushing, (718)539-2500. Stop by for parenting workshops for families at risk of abuse or neglect. Special services include Baby and Me classes for parents of young children.
• Social Skills Group for Children, 114-06 Queens Boulevard, Suite A91, Forest Hills, (917)725-5215. Help your child learn to better interact and socialize with peers in a safe, caring environment. Strengthen and develop emotional intelligence, learn conflict resolution and communication skills, and how to handle anger and social decision making. Every Saturday, 12:30-1:30pm.
• Yoga Group, PlayWorks, 65-10 99th St., Suite LL1, Rego Park, (914)214-4558. Yoga group is intended to help children with various difficulties by helping to quiet the mind and improve mood, increase attention and concentration abilities, as well as promote inner strength and confidence. These goals are met through the use of breathing, exercise and yoga postures.
• New Mom’s Support Group, Moms In Babeland, Forest Hills, (516)466-7876. With sensitivity and humor, the group explores balance, role changes, relationships and family dynamics, stay-at home mom/working parent/options, sleep, developmental issues, sandwich generation and more. The group is led by a NYS-licensed psychotherapist/mom who is still juggling many roles and demands and surviving it all! Morning and afternoon groups are forming. Call for a free consultation.
• Group for Siblings of Children with Autism, 76-13 113th St., Forest Hills, (347)756-5019. Interactive support group for adolescents with siblings with autism. Group meets bi-weekly, Thursdays, 7:15pm.
• ADHD Parent Training, (516)487-0636, www.adhdparenttrainer.com. In sessions with Elaine Lerner, MSW, CSW, parents learn how to develop behavior management skills for children struggling with behavior, focus, attention, organization, hyperactivity, impulsivity and/or oppositional defiance. Groups now forming in Garden City and Hauppauge. Give your child a better chance at success in school, at home and in social settings. Enroll online or by phone.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders Parent Support Group, Grace Lutheran Church & School, 400 Hempstead Avenue, Malverne, (516)887-3371. Meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm.
• Bereavement Groups, Friedberg JCC, 15 Neil Court, Oceanside, (516)766-4341, ext. 131, www.friedbergjcc.org. Bereavement support groups available. Learn your strengths and receive support from others experiencing similar feelings. Call for dates and times.
• Bereavement Support, Good Shepherd Hospice, Carle Place, Babylon and Port Jefferson, (631)474-5500. Support groups are currently available for children and adults in eight-week sessions at all locations.
• Bereavement Support Groups, COPE, (516)484-4993. This grief and healing organization, dedicated to supporting parents and families living with the loss of a child, holds monthly meetings. Call for this month’s meeting dates, times and locations.
• Bereavement and Trauma Services, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center, 480 Old Westbury Road, Roslyn Heights, (516)626-1971, www.northshorechildguidance.org. Provides low-cost support groups and trained professionals for those who have been through traumatic experiences. Specialists are available for schools and communities to provide crisis intervention, therapy and consultations.
• Brain Fitness Groups, Advanced Mindcare, LLC, (516)569-7717, (516)376-0865 to sign up. For all ages. Groups include different exercises for stimulating brain activities and offer information on how to achieve and sustain optimum mental performance. Learn to fulfill your potentials, achieve balance and take a better control over your life. Call to sign up.
• Breast Cancer Support Groups, Adelphi NY Statewide Breast Cancer Hotline and Support Program, most groups held at the Adelphi Breast Cancer Program, School of Social Work, Adelphi University in Garden City, offices: (516)877-4314, hotline: (800)877-8077, www.adelphi.edu/nysbreastcancer. Individual, group and telephone counseling are available, along with a 24/7 hotline staffed by trained volunteers who have had breast cancer. Groups offered include: Women with Breast Cancer, Single Women with Breast Cancer, Young Women with Breast Cancer, Post Treatment, Women Newly Diagnosed, Telephone Support and more. Pre-registration required. Call for start dates and to find out about other groups, including those for couples, teens and men with breast cancer.  

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