Joyful Noises and Seasonal Sounds Come to Staten Island Children's Museum

Visitors will be dancing, singing, playing, cooking and making throughout December at the Staten Island Children's Museum. The month will culminate in a week full of activities because the museum will be open for Winter Break from Sunday, December 26 through to Friday, December 31 when they will host a "Noon Year's Eve" celebration.

In honor of winter, visitors are making snow globes in the Walk in! Workshop this month. The Children's Museum has figurines available for snow globe scenes and also welcomes visitors to bring their own tiny figurines to include.

When families get together, more and more they are making TikTok videos, so on Saturday, December 11, the museum is hosting dancer Kiara Caesar, who will lead workshops throughout the day on some of the latest viral dance hits to inspire your personal dance crew.

Local young musicians, The Mighty String Demons will give a FREE performance on Sunday, December 12 at 1:00 pm in the Gallery. They will play seasonal and holiday selections on a variety of stringed instruments. The event is open to all.

Carols and other seasonal songs will fill the air on Saturday, December 18 at 4:00 pm, when local choral group, Viva Voce performs and leads a sing-a-long.

What better time of year to craft lip balms and herbal salves: two must-haves for keeping skin moist? Sunday, December 19, Aly Stoffo, the Glam Gardener, will guide visitors in making lip balm from natural ingredients in workshops throughout the day. Participants will discuss common plants used in such balms, get their hands dirty with local beeswax, and practice using kitchen tools to make these products. All attendees will take home a lip balm of their choice and the ability to make one as a gift at home!

For the Winter Break, the museum will be open Sunday, December 26 through Friday, December 31 (closing on New Year's Eve at 1pm). Throughout each day, choreographer and dancer, Walter Rutledge will teach variations on traditional West African dance in recognition of the celebration of Kwanzaa. Visitors will learn about the Afrobeat musical genre pioneered by renowned composer Fela Kuti and how Afrobeat has influenced current trends in dance and music.

Visitors will join Ms. Becky as she shows them how to create a kid friendly charcuterie board full of crunchy, noisy and nutritious food in workshops on Monday, December 27 throughout the day. Leave a place on your New Year's open house table for this masterpiece of taste, appearance, and sound.

Makerspace NYC will guide visitors in making portable string and percussion instruments with wood, metal and rubber bands on Tuesday, December 28 throughout the day.

Wednesday, December 29, Aly Stoffo, The Glam Gardener, will return to lead interactive workshops throughout the day about making music with nature including shuffling leaves, rhythmic seed pods, and clanking rocks. In addition to experimenting with texture and sounds from nature, all attendees will create a maraca to take home, made from recycled materials and seeds that they can plant at the start of Spring

For all those who can't, won't or don't stay up for the Ball Drop at midnight, the Children's Museum is holding a NOON Year's Eve celebration with party favors and a special countdown. Ring in the New Year with other families on Friday, December 31 from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The museum will close at 1:00 pm on Friday December 31 and be closed all day on Saturday, December 25 and Saturday, January 1 and Sunday, January 2. Doors will open again on Saturday, January 8.