Want to see what's going on next weekend or when you have those few days off? Check out the NY Metro Parents' calendar!

Fidelty FutureStage Playwriting Contest -
Through March 15, 2010 -

Fidelity FutureStage, the producers of Billy Elliot the Musical, and Elton John invite public school students in the New York Tri-State Region to participate in the 2010 Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest, presented by Billy Elliot the Musical.

19th Annual Bunny Hop - FAO SCHWARZ
March 09, 2010 - Manhattan

Enjoy a carnival atmosphere and a variety of hands-on activities such as cupcake decorating, face painting, photo booths, dress up areas, live animal presentations, entertainment from magicians, DJs, and favorite cartoons characters, and private shopping. Proceeds to benefit The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Family Literacy - McDonald's
March 09, 2010 - Manhattan

Help your child improve in reading and enjoy cooking, dinner, music, and nature.

Free Demonstration Class Presented by Eastside Westside Music Together - Manhattan Church of Christ
March 09, 2010 - Manhattan

Learn new songs and sing old favorites, dance, and make music with the family. RSVP is suggested.

The Secrets to Effective Parenting - Metropolitan Kids Movement
March 09, 2010 - Manhattan

Learn to set clear intentions which guide your parenting style. Discover strategies that nurture compassion, curiosity, kindness, patience, respect and creativity in a way that inspires your children for their greatness.Presented by parenting expert Sandi Schwartz.

Tokens of Love Exhibit - Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden
Through March 14, 2010 - Manhattan

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this exhibit explores 19th-century traditions of courtship and the ways in which sweethearts could express their feelings. Plus, make your own “token of love,” a heart-shaped pin cushion.

New York International Children's Film Festival - Various Theatres Around the City
Through March 21, 2010 - Manhattan

The festival will present over 100 films from around the world with most making their US, east coast or world premieres. Plus, the festival will present opening and closing galas, filmmaker Q&As, workshops, panels, hands-on filmaking intensive workshops, a 50-year French animation retrospective, plus audience voting and an awards ceremony.

New York Internatiuonal Children's Film Festival - Various Theaters
Through March 21, 2010 - Manhattan

See ground-breaking, exciting and thought-provoking new films and events at North America’s largest festival of film for kids.

FDR's Brain Trust and the Beginning of the New Deal - New York Historical Society
Through March 25, 2010 - Manhattan

Learn how the "Brain Trust" became the central component of the New Deal.

John Brown: The Abolitionist And His Legacy - New York Historical Society
Through March 25, 2010 - Manhattan

Learn how Brown, an ardent abolitionist who believed in racial equality, embraced violence as a means to end slavery.

Lincoln and New York - New York Historical Society
Through March 25, 2010 - Manhattan

The exhibition traces the crucial relationship between America's greatest President and its greatest city.

Winter Playtime - The Art Farm in the City
Through March 30, 2010 - Manhattan

Participate in arts and crafts activities, animal time and interactive play at the only indoor petting zoo in NYC.

The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower - The New York Botanical Garden
Through April 11, 2010 - Bronx

Experience the tropical beauty of Old Havana in bloom featuring thousands of orchids and native plants. Exotic floral displays through architectural scenes transport visitors to the romantic intrigue of Cuba.

The Orchid Show: Cuba in Flower - The New York Botanical Garden
Through April 11, 2010 - Bronx

Experience the tropical beauty of Old Havana in bloom featuring thousands of orchids and native plants in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Exotic floral displays through architectural scenes transport visitors to the romantic intrigue of Cuba. Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures in the Everett Children's Adventure Garden give families an interactive look at the vanilla orchid and the cacao tree. Open Tuesday-Sunday through April 11.

The Drawings of Bronzino - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Through April 18, 2010 -

This exhibition is the first ever dedicated to Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572), and will present nearly all the known drawings by, or attributed to, this leading Italian Mannerist artist, who was active primarily in Florence.

The Velveteen Rabbit - Manhattan Children's Theatre
Through April 18, 2010 - Manhattan

Margery Williams' beloved tale of a stuffed rabbit's longing to be something more than sawdust and velveteen comes to life in this original adaptation by Manhattan Children's Theatre Managing Director Chris Alonzo.

Snoopy As the World War I Flying Ace - Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum
Through April 30, 2010 - Manhattan

The exhibit showcases Snoopy's imaginary journeys through the skies of Europe in his transformed doghouse—now a Sopwith Camel airplane—from the time he faced a deadly bout of influenza to sparring with the Flying Ace's archenemy, the Red Baron. Digital prints from the original drawings done by Schulz will be on display alongside a photograph of the artist.

Projects 92: Yin Xiuzhen - MoMA
Through May 04, 2010 - Manhattan

A leading figure in contemporary Chinese art, Yin Xiuzhen works primarily in site-specific installation and sculpture. This exhibition features a cozy refuge complete with low stools and soft pop music.

Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage - The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Through May 09, 2010 - Manhattan

See photocollage compositions Victorian women made with photographs and watercolors. They are whimsical and fantastical, combining human heads and animal bodies, placing people into imaginary landscapes, and morphing faces into common household objects.

William Kentridge: Five Themes - MoMA
Through May 17, 2010 - Manhattan

This major exhibition includes works related to Kentridge's staging and design of Shostakovich's The Nose at the Met Opera.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Objects - MoMA
Through May 23, 2010 - Manhattan

A program specially designed for four-year-old visitors, families look, listen, and share ideas as they explore the world of modern and contemporary art. Interactive gallery activities and discussions give everyone the chance to participate.

The Mourners: Medieval Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Through May 23, 2010 -

See the alabaster mourner figures from the tomb of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, and his wife, Margaret of Bavaria. The installation will be supplemented by related works from the Museum's collection, including the monumental Enthroned Virgin from the convent at Poligny (established by John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria) that was carved by Claus de Werve.

Banana Shpeel - Beacon Theatre
Through May 30, 2010 - Manhattan

World premiere of the new show by Cirque du Soleil, which combines classic Vaudeville with modern theatre. Banana Shpeel blends comedy with tap, hip hop, eccentric dance, and slapstick, all linked by the hilarious story of Schmelky and his dancers, singers, and sidekicks.

The Lion King - Minskoff Theatre
Through May 30, 2010 - Manhattan

See the Tony-award winning show based on Disney's classic story.

Mary Poppins - New Amsterdam Theatre
Through May 30, 2010 - Manhattan

See the magical Broadway version of the classic film.

Pinkalicious, The Musical - The Bleecker Street Theatre
Through May 31, 2010 - Manhattan

Follow along the adventures of Pinkalicious as her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink loving enthusiast.

Interactive Space: Space Lab - MoMA
Through June 14, 2010 - Manhattan

Explore and make discoveries about shape and art. Experiment, build, draw, read, and create with a variety of kid-friendly materials and activities.

City Parks Foundation presents "Three" - Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre
Through June 25, 2010 - Manhattan

See an adventurous retelling of the classic children’s fairytales “The Three Pigs,” “Three Billy Goats Gruff,” and “The Three Bears.” Reservations are required.

“Mission to Mars” - Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Through June 30, 2010 - Manhattan

The exhibition presents a timeline of the American space program from President John F. Kennedy’s race to the moon speech to the current Rovers on Mars, and introduces the next Mars probe, Curiosity, which will launch in March 2011.

Last Day of the Myrtle Avenue El: Photographs by Theresa King - New York Transit Museum
Through July 31, 2010 - Brooklyn

A personal exhibition by photographer Theresa King that captures a nostalgic moment in time and the essence of riding on wood-elevated cars.

Traveling the Silk Road: Ancient Pathway to the Modern World - American Museum of Natural History
Through August 16, 2010 -

Watch live silkworms spinning cocoons, wander through a replica of a lively night market, encounter life-sized camel models, explore the ancient skills of papermaking and metalwork, and track the stars using a working model of an Arab astrolabe. Plus, kids collect special stamps in Silk Road passports issued to them at the exhibition entrance.

Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road - American Museum of Natural History
Through September 01, 2010 -

Learn about the vast Inca Empire and it's extensive and intricate network of roads.

LIZARDS and SNAKES: ALIVE! - American Museum of Natural History
Through September 06, 2010 -

See more than 60 live lizards and snakes from five continents in exquisitely prepared habitats. In addition to the live animals, the exhibit uses interactive stations, significant fossils, and an award-winning video to acquaint visitors with the world of the Squamata, the group that includes lizards and snakes.