14 Fun Things to Do with Kids in Manhattan this May
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HOWL! Festival
Thompkins Square Park, East Village
May 31 – June 2
Beat poets and counter-culture lovers rejoice, because the HOWL! Festival is coming back to town and it’s celebrating its 10th year on the scene. This festival of freewheeling bohemia celebrates poetry, music, dance, and art while highlighting the history of the East Village and the Lower East Side. The festivities call on the spirit of the late poet Allen Ginsberg as more than 350 artists, poets, and performes—including many youthful new talents—transform Thompkins Square Park into a participatory artwork infused with creative energy and inspiration. The festival opens with the signature group reading of Howl, one of Ginsberg’s most famous works, on Friday afternoon and features family entertainment through Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, make sure to take advantage of The Great HOWL! Out Loud Kid’s Carnival, which features carnival games, funhouses for all ages, fairway attractions, arts and crafts activities, miniature golf, and continuous kids’ entertainment (both for kids and by kids). FREE!
Sprout Film Festival
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side
May 31 – June 2
Mainstream media has a long way to go when it comes to representing everyone fairly and accurately, and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (both as subjects and performers) often appear only on the sidelines. The Sprout Film Festival aims to change that by showcasing works of all genres featuring this population. The festival is entering its 11th year with a robust program of educational and inspiring works, including the "Foreign Gems" program, which features unique and rarely seen stories from foreign lands (with subtitles); The Punk Syndrome, a feature documentary following Finland’s most outlandish punk rock band; and Growing Pains, a thought-provoking drama about adolescence, to name a few. (Pictured: My Brother Vinnie, starring Australian actor Aaron Pedersen and his brother Vinnie, will screen June 1.) Perfect for parents and older children, this festival also offers a number of free museum events open to all festival attendees and particularly tailored to people with special needs.
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