Bring on 2023!
Jan 03, 2023 04:00PM ● By FunTimes Staff
The last of the champagne corks have hit the ground and the final fireworks have faded deep into the sky. But one challenge, especially during the pandemic (and school break), remains, as we decompress heading into a brand-new year: What do we do with our stir-crazy, house-bound kids? Fear not, FunTimes has you covered. Here are some mostly free family activities to engage the young ones in your life. These events are kid-friendly and wallet friendly. What more can you ask?
But before venturing out to these in-person activities, please respect the ongoing pandemic safety protocols, and check individual event-attending instructions with the organizers. As a general rule: If you feel unwell, please do not attend in person.
Family Fundays at the Kimmel rocks!
January 8, 2023. Get your kids’ creative juices flowing at Family Fundays at the Kimmel featuring Let’s Rock Recess Family DJ Dance Party. See live performances and hands-on art and music activities. Enjoy a variety of interactive games and playful activities. Let’s Rock Recess explores Hip-Hop cultural expression. It highlights a local troupe of talent including an emcee-DJ duo, hip-hop dancers, a caricature drawer, juggler, balloon sculptor and face painter. Free, 10 a.m. to noon, Commonwealth Plaza, Kimmel Center, 300 S Broad St., 215-893-1999 or kimmelculturalcampus.org.
LaTasha MorrisBarnes is alive with art & music in the new year
January 8, 2023. The Barnes, a cultural pearl on The Parkway, is bustling on the first Sundays of the month. They call it PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: New Beginnings. We call it fun, fun, fun! The museum is celebrating the “new beginnings and exciting opportunities that come with the new year.” Art lovers, young and young at heart, can see lively musical performances by Philly-based musician LaTasha “Elle” Morris. You also get to xplore the museum’s collection galleries, and enjoy fun family activities. Plus, see the special exhibition of more than 60 works -- Modigliani Up Close -- before it closes January 29th. Limited capacity. (That’s a value of $30 free.) Register, starting on January 5th at 10 a.m. Free, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Barnes Foundation, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 215-278-7000, https://www.barnesfoundation.org.
‘Drawing with Scissors’ is a cut above
January 6, 2023. Drawing with Scissors: Collaging with Matisse Workshop is a great must-see attraction at the Athenaeum, known for its rare books collection. Check out the exhibition “Rhythm and Meaning: Henri Matisse’s Jazz,” a display of 20 plates of Matisses’s Jazz (1947), the most famous of the painter’s artist books. It’s the first time ‘Jazz’ has been exhibited in full in Philadelphia since the mid-20th century. Then, head upstairs to the library to make your own collage inspired by the works of Matisse. Free, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, 219 S. 6th St., 215-925-2688, https://philaathenaeum.org.
A free class with strings attached
January 14, 2023. Where is the next B.B. King? If your child ever wanted to study the guitar, here’s a chance – free! Try Beginning Guitar, an introductory session. Meet the teacher and try out the class before considering if you will register for the full term. Children, ages 8 to 15, can learn the basics of the guitar in a fun setting; they can explore reading music, learn how to accompany songs and how to play music in a different styles. Kids must provide their own acoustic guitars and tuners. Free, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Spaces are limited. Register here. Temple University Center City, 1515 Market St., 5th Floor. 215-204-1512, Learn more here, or e-mail [email protected].
Canvas of color
January 6, 2023. First Friday West Philly will feature urban artist and muralist Flygirrl. Her acrylic and ink works of urban/comic book/graffiti-esque are eye-opening covering many aspects of art and illustration. Her art has been highlighted on MTV’s The Real World Philadelphia. Her murals were recently showcased through The Tiny Room For Elephants Festival. For more than 25 years, Flygirrl has actively contributed to the creative arts and nightlife communities locally and worldwide. She was named Philadelphia Creative Ambassador by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Board and featured as the original resident artist at Cherry Street Pier. Free, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Indie-Life Creative Studio, 4616 Baltimore Ave., 267-973-9352, e-mail: [email protected] or https://www.eventbrite.com.
Street curling makes the rounds at the Square
Through February 26, 2023. The game of curling is a Canadian or Winter Olympics thing. But not anymore. Franklin Square Street Curling is now at Franklin Square in Philly. It brings us the cool game of competing players who slide stones of granite towards a bulls-eye target on a sheet of ice. It’s sort of like the Italian bocce of Canada. Book a 30-minute session, for up to 8 players, at each of two rinks; $40 per session. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays; noon to 9 p.m. Saturdays and & Sundays. You can also check out a light show, a beer garden, Chilly Philly Mini Golf and the Parx Liberty Carousel for the kids. It’s all part of Winter in Franklin Square, one of William Penn’s original squares built in 1683. The light show’s theme focuses on Benjamin Franklin’s electric discovery illustrating a giant kite and key. Also, chill out in the Ben’s Sweets and Treats heated tent for comfort snacks. Some activities are free; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th St., 215-629-4026 or historicphiladelphia.org.
A lot of choo-choos to choose!
January 8, 2023. What better place to excite the kids than at a toy train show? Check out the Winter Train Show and Sale, with its 140 tables of vintage toy trains in a wonderland of motion and mystery in South Philly. There’s plenty of kids’ activities and door prizes. This is hosted by the Train Collectors Association Atlantic Division. $5, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Penn’s Landing Caterers (Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall, 1301 S. Columbus Blvd. 610-872-3309 or ADTCA.com.
