City College’s STEM Institute Summer Programs offers incoming 9th graders and high school students an intensive and enriching six-week curriculum in college-level study.

     All courses offer elective credits, with CCNY College NOW Credit offerings for qualified 10th and 11th graders in calculus & game design.  

     The program runs in partnership with District 6 Middle Schools, for all students coming from  underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, and help them build the educational pipeline for a smooth transition to high school, college, and careers.

     The programs runr from July 1 through August 12, Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Priority seating will be given to students who either live or attend school in the Northern Manhattan Region/Community District 6 schools.

     The registration deadline is Tuesday, April 6. 

     Mix your own paints and learn various techniques used in works of art in the Cloisters and The Met collections, from ancient panel painting through Pop Art.

     Use a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic, and tempera to build your own painting portfolio.

     For ages 5 through 8. This is a virtual program. Classes are limited to 25 children and registration is required.

     $200; members $170. Monday afternoons from 4 to 5 through April 26.

     Learn the basics of dance or improve your skills with classes in ballet/ tap and modern.

     The Dance Project of Washington Heights opens its winter schedule for students every day of the week. The classes are taught online during the pandemic from the group’s Lower WaHi studio.

     Prices and times vary depending on the class. For more information click here.

     Mix your own paints and learn various techniques used in works of art in the Cloisters and The Met collections, from ancient panel painting through Pop Art.

     Use a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic, and tempera to build your own painting portfolio.

     For ages 9 through 12. This is a virtual program. Classes are limited to 25 children and registration is required.

     $200; members $170. Tuesday afternoons from 4 to 5 through April 27.

      City College continues its after-school program for high school students looking to improve ther math and science skills.

     Part of the STEM Institute, it was launched specifically to meet the needs of students who either live or attend school in Upper Manhattan.

     The program offers sessions Tuesdays through Fridays and on Saturdays too.

     Find out more here.

     Join Fort Washington Library’s staff for a virtual read aloud and book chat of two or three of the librarians’ favorite picture books. 

     The program is geared toward children from infants to 5 years old. Both the parent or caregiver and child must be present during the program. 

     Register here.

     Free. Wednesday mornings at 11:30 online.

     Look, listen, sing, and have fun with storytime from home.     

     Join the Cloisters every week for a picture-book reading and an activity connected to The Met collection.

     Recommended for families with children ages 18 months to 6 years. This program is recorded.

     Wednesdays at noon on Facebook and YouTube. No login required.

     The Uptown Hub provides teens with internship opportunities through employment readiness workshops to prepare for summer jobs.

     WaHi and Inwood residents between the ages of 14 and 24 may enroll to connect to other for employment, education, health and wellness.

     Free. Wednesday afternoons from 4 to 6 at the Hub, at 635 W 165th Street (corner of 165th Street & Fort Washington Avenue). Through the spring.

     Dive into stories, songs, and art activities, connecting with the collections of the Cloisters and the rest of The Met — and the world around you.

     Children and their grown-ups explore art making in their own homes and discover new ways to create together.

     This is a virtual program. One adult is required for every child. Class size is limited to 25 children and registration is required.

     $345; members $300. Thursday mornings from 11 to 11:45 through April 29.

     Does your child imagine big changes in the world, like taking away gravity, putting kids in charge of schools, or giving animals the ability to talk?

     How will your big change affect the rest of the world? 
     In this workshop, the Uptown Writers group of 8- to 12-year-old imagineers will make big changes, then write about the new worlds they create.

     You’ll be the ultimate mastermind – any change you want to make goes! Just remember your world will have to live with the good and bad effects of your decisions. Here’s your chance to invent, experiment and speculate on what your world would be if you keep asking the all-important question, what if?

     Register here.

     Free. Thursday afternoons from 4 to 6 online. Through April 29.

     Uncover the world of art at the Cloisters and The Met!

     Jump into stories, mythology, and folklore from around the globe during this interactive program just for kids.

     This is a virtual program. Classes are limited to 25 children and registration is required.

     $200; members, $175. Scholarships are available. Friday afternoons from 3 to 4 through May 7.

    Do some digging, then get in some riding with your BMX buds.

      Meet up for a day of work and play in the woods and learn what it takes to build, maintain, and ride the most progressive urban bike park in America, with the help of the New York City Mountain Bike Association.

     There will be light trail maintenance tasks for all ages in the morning. Every volunteer receives a free 20-minute clinic and, in the afternoon, a guided ride throughout the trails from 12:30 to 3. Even better, bikes and helmets are provided, so you don’t need your own.  

     Uptown is the home of the city's first mountain biking course, 3 miles of trails of varying difficulty and a free-ride trail that includes drops, steeps, and berms. The park also features a dirt jump park and pump track, making it a good place to develop different skills at all levels.

     Updates on trail work posted are on the New York chapter’s web site.

     Free. Saturday morning from 10 to 3 in Fort George at the BMX trailhead in Highbridge Park, on Fort George Avenue, just northwest of the Buczek Ballfield. Monthly on the second Saturday.

     Teens who like to draw or doodle or who just enjoy art are invited to join the Met Cloisters online for Saturday Sketching.

     Artistically minded illustrators ages 13 through 18 can join the group on Instagram to get inspired by works of art from The Met collection and experiment with different drawing approaches.

     Tag your sketch @metteens to be featured on the Met Teens’ Instagram account.

     Free. Saturday afternoon at 1. On the second and fourth Saturdays of the month through June.

     Get out and in the dirt.

     Join the Urban Park Rangers for an afternoon of gardening. Whether you are a new gardener or an experienced one, the Rangers can help you learn new things and grow your garden. 

     You’ll see the tulips and daffodils planted last fall, and help clear out the old to make room for new growth. 

     The Rangers offer outdoor programs with limited attendance so that you can have a safe and enjoyable time in parks. They’re asking everyone to help stay safe:

• Stay home if you're sick
• Maintain six feet of physical distance between households
• Wear a face covering
• Wash your hands

     Free. Sunday afternoon at 1 in Inwood Hill Park. Meet at 218th Street and Indian Hill Road.

     With kids spending free time at home instead of with friends, Patience and Fortitude will get parents only so far!

     The New York Public Library offers ways to keep your family occupied and engaged no matter their age.

     Pre-school: Ideas for playing at home, from music shakers to no-mess finger painting.

     Pre-teens: A range of chapter books that meet the requirement for 30-minute independing reading.

     High school: Books and videos chosen for teens who want more than just an assignment to fulfill.

     The full list of resources is here.

     The NYPL offers free online homework help from one-on-one tutors, daily from 2 to 11 p.m. through a partnership with Brainfuse.
     Available in English and Spanish, for early elementary through high school students, in core subject areas. Explore more from the Library's academic resources 24/7, including its wide array of online learning aids for all ages and teaching resources for educators.

     Join Cassie Xu, Director of the Office of Education and Outreach at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, as she builds the simple paper diorama of the Thwaites Glacier.

     Get your colored pencils, scissors, and tape or glue ready and follow along. Share your final creation with on social media (#LDEOtoGO) or email it to events@ldeo.columbia.edu.

     Download the PDFs of the diorama in color or in black and white to print at home. 

     So you’re stuck doing chores at home when you’d rather be playing in the park.

     How about a little experiment?

     Turn an egg into a rubber ball … make nectar for hummingbirds … maybe figure out how focus binoculars.

     They’re all here, courtesy of the Greenbelt Conservancy, our friends in Staten Island who take care of the parks and open spaces on Richmond.

     Where are you going?

     Use a compass rose to help you get there. A video from the Hispanic Society will show you how to make one with a potato, some paint and a few more household objects.

     You’ll also learn a bit about maps through the centuries and how explorers used them to travel to places they’d never seen.

     Here’s a way to make your next outing with the kids a little different.

     Print out a family scavenger hunt booklet and take a walk through Fort Tryon Park’s historic estate remnants.

     Find, draw, and map natural marvels and constructed treasures while you explore the path network that leads from Billings Lawn to the Palisades Overlook.

     The booklet is provided by the Fort Tryon Park Trust.

     Need something new for the kids to do?

     The Hispanic Society of America offers several coloring pages, each based on one of the most famous paintings in the museum’s collection. Recognize the Duchess of Alba? Download the pdf below.

      And here’s a recap of the Society’s summer camp for kids.

      For adults, the society has posted several lectures here.

¿Necesita algo nuevo para que hagan los niños?
      La Hispanic Society of America ofrece varias páginas para colorear, cada una basada en una de las pinturas más famosas de la colección del museo. ¿Reconoces a la duquesa de Alba? Descargue el pdf a continuación.
       Para los adultos, la sociedad ha publicado varias conferencias aquí.

     Have someone at home who needs a bigger stage?

     The Pied Piper Children’s Theatre offers a 35-minute musical theater introductory class to take kids through a typical vocal warm-up, stretches, dance warm-up, and even some funny tongue twisters and other facial and speech exercises. The troupe’s artistic director, Colleen Hawks-Pierce, leads, with guest appearances by Uptown teens.

     Free. Watch it here.

     With miles of trails and the best vistas in Manhattan, Uptown is lucky to have amazing parks. Getting out in one can help you relax and excercise at the same time.

     Just be sure to follow these common-sense guidelines:

• Go out in small groups no bigger than three, making sure that everyone remains at least 6 feet from each other at all times. 
• If you go out at night, stay near the street, and go with a friend — and maintain that distance of at least 6 feet. 
• Bike or stroll  on the Greenway along the Hudson or Harlem Rivers. 
• Do not engage in team sports or other group games. 
• Use playgrounds at your own risk. Although playground bathrooms remain open and are disinfected daily, the playground equipment is not disinfected. Avoid using playground equipment, but you do, take wipes to sanitize anything you or your child may touch and play on equipment only if you can remain at least 6 feet apart from anyone not in your household.

     Instilling values in your children at an early age is important to help build character.

     Join Rabbi Ari Perten and the Y in Fort George to learn practical steps in fostering moral beliefs and positive behavior based on values like kindness, gratitude, justice, and dignity.

     Register here. Hosted by the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood.

     Tuesday night, April 13, at 8 on Zoom.

     The Lo’Mas Lit Book Club is a reading group, a book club, a discussion zone, and a quarantine-era hangout time for anyone from 13 to 20.

    The group started last summer and brings together teens from across  Uptown Manhattan and followers from across the country. Join every other Friday, with a new book each month this spring.

     April Latinext, edited by Felicia Chavez, José Olivarez, and Willie Perdomo
     May Almost American Girl, by Robin Ha
     June Undocumented, by Dan-el Padilla-Peralta

     Sign up here.

     Free. Friday evening, April 16, at 5 online. On the first and third Fridays this spring.

     Join the Urban Park Rangers on an inter-borough super hike from Inwood Hill Park to Henry Hudson Park while crossing the Henry Hudson Bridge on foot.

     It’s a three-hour trek, so wear comfortable shoes!

     Registration is required at the Urban Park Ranger Registration Page. Registration begins on Wednesday, April 7.

     The Rangers are offering outdoor programs with limited attendance so that you can have a safe and enjoyable time in parks. They ask everyone to help us stay safe:

• Stay home if you're sick
• Maintain six feet of physical distance between households
• Wear a face covering
• Wash your hands

     Free. Sunday morning, April 18, at 11. The meet-up location will be shared with registered hikers.

     Build new worlds, brick by brick. 

     In this workshop for 11- to 14-year-olds, you’ll be the mastermind of your imagined world’s past, present and future, setting up the foundation of your story.

     Since this fantastical new landscape will play a major role in your storyline, you’ll start by drawing detailed maps, giving it features like water, mountains, borders and weather.

     Then you’ll go even further, using Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky as our inspiration. You’ll invent inhabitants for your world, giving them robust backstories through letter-writing, journals and social media. Maybe you’ll put robots in charge, or create a secret language only spoken in your world!

     You are the keeper of this world, and what you say goes!

     Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 on Zoom, from April 19 through June 23.

     The difference between a good writer and a great writer is the willingness to step outside your comfort zone.

     This workshop will push you toward greatness.

     Regardless of your preferred writing genre — the groups welcomes them all — you’ll gather with two goals in mind: improving our own writing and supporting each other.

     You’ll be challenged with advanced craft exercises, playing with voice, point-of-view, challenging word counts, and unreliable narrators, among others. For the second half of the workshop, we’ll set you free. Expect to write at least two pages a week on your own time, and share your work with the group every other week.

     To sign up for this workshop, you must have either already participated in an Uptown Stories class or get permission from the instructor. Please contact Kate at kate@UptownStories.org for more information.

     $600 or pay what you can. Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7:30 starting April 20. At St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hudson Heights 178 Bennett Avenue. Through June 22.

.

     Grab your pens and your moral compass because we’re going on an epic journey!

     With Josh Bayer as our brave leader, we’ll be creating, writing, and illustrating comics featuring our very own heroes, from origin story to the victorious last battle.

     Who is your hero? An ordinary human? Space cat? Robot? And where do they come from? Earth? A distant planet? NYC? Are they on a quest?

     Maybe your hero will have extraordinary powers, like controlling gravity or talking to animals. Or maybe they’ll have a sidekick. Anything is possible in this Hero's Journey!

     For writers aged 10 to 14. Previous comics experience is not required for this workshop, nor are capes or X-ray vision.

     $600 or pay what you can. Wednesday and Saturday afternoons starting April 21 from 4 to 5 online. Through June 26.

     Girls, it's time.

     Time to be smart, time to be creative, time to let your voice be heard!

     Every girl has a story that she needs to shout from the mountain tops, and that includes you. Come write, discuss, and revel in what you love, in what inspires you, and discover how you’re going to change in the world.

     During this girls-only writing workshop, you'll get energized by a few lady rebels from history, and be surrounded by girls who are ready to take on the world, just like you.

     Any and all kinds of writing are welcome - from real-life to poems to fiction - you just need bring the unique girl you are. All awesome girls (and those who self-identify as a girl) need to apply soon because space is limited, unlike your potential.

     $600 or pay what you can. Wednesday afternoons at 4:30 on Zoom, starting April 21. Through June 23.

     Tired of being inside? Do you want to be wild and break out of the limitations that are always being set?

     Poetry is the answer. Put on your mask, meet at the P.S. 187 school yard and go on a poet's adventure!

     Poetry is a way of seeing things outside the boxes they are always being put in. You’ll be rejuvenated by the nature of Fort Tryon park and emboldened by your resilient neighborhood.

     Explore the wilds of language out in the world (safely!), allowing a stream of poetry to flow from the river of possibility.

     Thursday afternoons at 3 in Hudson Heights starting April 22. Through June 24.

     Poems are like miniature worlds, inviting us to think about the familiar in a new way.

     Here’s a workshop for 8- to 15-year-olds that meets safely in person, outdoors in Fort Tryon Park together for a poetry adventure. The young poets will use scavenger hunts and hands-on building activities to create avatars and dioramas out of natural objects to spark imagination and inspire poetry about whatever your want.

     Using poetry to imagine the fantastic out of the ordinary, you can make new sense out of the old chaos that confronts us every day.

     Friday afternoons at 3:30, starting April 23. Meet in the school yard of P.S. 187 in Hudson Heights. Through June 25.

     Discover the Colonial and early American past of Upper Manhattan when you visit the house where Gen. George Washington slept.

     The Morris-Jumel Mansion hosts the family day activity so kids can get their hands in New York history.

     Enjoy spring blooms in this special Earth Day workshop. You can take a virtual walk through the park and gardens around the Morris-Jumel

     To join in the gardening, you will need to collect these materials to make a seed pot:

• Potting soil
• Recycled plastic container, such as a Coke bottle
• String or shoelace
• Safety scissors
• Nail and hammer (or the heel of a shoe)
• Seeds
• An adult to supervise and help with hammering

     Free. Saturday afternoon, April 24, at 1 on the social media feed of the mansion’s partner, the Dyckman Family Farmhouse.

     Are you ready for the invasion of Brood X? Sounds like a scary movie but it’s just a bunch of bugs.

     To be specific: millions of red-eyed cicadas will emerge from their seventeen-year gestation in a few months, once the ground reaches 64 degrees.

     They’re harmless to humans. Their noise, on the other hand, can be obnoxious. It come from the males vibrate membranes on their abdomens.

     In a park near you!

     Bubbie’s Kitchen is a place where universal Jewish values are shared, holidays are experienced, foods are tasted, and we learn how mitzvot (good deeds) make our world a better place.

     The kitchen is a welcoming place, and there's room for all at Bubbie’s table for children and their families.

     Traditionally, older generations transmit a cultural narrative to younger ones. Children today, however, are less likely to live with, or near, extended relatives. The program replicates a Jewish grandmother’s (Bubbie’s) kitchen where language, recipes, music, stories, and activities can be preserved and passed on to the next generation.

     Register to bake here, where you can also get your ingredients ready from the list of recipes.

     Thursday night, May 13, at 7 on Zoom. Also on June 10.

     At a time when we may miss traveling to see family, the Y in Fort George bring pages alive this year with Sharing Our Stories, a series of intergenerational events that build bonds and foster community around Jewish holidays and family narratives.

     Inspired by the PJ Library book, Estie the Mensch, this year-end gathering and celebration will feature ice cream — related to the menschiness in the book, and Shavuot — games and music. Families may also share their storybooks and the results of our year-long inter-generational relational work.

     Best for chldren up to age 8. To join, contact Mara Bragg at mbragg@ywashhts.org.

     Sunday, May 16, online.

     The annual Drums Along the Hudson began in 2002 as a traditional Pow Wow to celebrate Native American heritage and culture, and also to commemorate the Lenape people who first inhabited Inwood Hill Park, or Shorakapok (“edge of the water”).

     The event features dancers and drummers from around the world, combining Native American heritage, culture and art with the diversity of New York City. Activities include a Tree of Peace planting, international cuisine, Native American storytelling, a Pow Wow and crafts.
     The event has attracted a growing audience, numbering from 400 in the first year to over 8,000 in recent years.
     Free. A Sunday in June in Inwood Hill Park at Indian Road and 218th Street.

    The Medieval Festival is the most famous event in the Heights, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to the neighborhood.

     Lords, ladies, knights and commoners bring to life the customs and spirit of the middle ages, transforming a slice of Upper Manhattan into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Visitors are greeted by period music, dance, magic, and minstrels, as well as jugglers and jesters. The day concludes with a joust among four knights on horseback.

     Free. A Sunday in late September or early October in Fort Tryon Park.