LC Kids Winter Warm-Up

Frolicking is one way to stay toasty when the temperature drops, and Lincoln Center will offer opportunities to do just that at this free indoor-outdoor event, part of the LC Kids program. Starting at noon, outside on the plazas, carvers will create ice sculptures that families can vote on (their responses will be entered in a raffle for free tickets to “The King and I”), and indoors, children can boogie in one of three hourlong sessions of Silent Disco (at noon and 2:30 and 5 p.m.), a dance party in the lobby of Alice Tully Hall in which revelers will hear the D.J.s’ music on wireless headphones. (An LC Kids membership is required to reserve one of the disco sessions, which are currently full; standby entries will be permitted as space allows.) Those seeking more sedentary pleasures can attend one of two screenings (noon and 2 p.m.) of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing in Lincoln Center at the Movies in the David Rubenstein Atrium.

‘The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids’

Young sleuths have a venerable tradition, from Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys to the set of enterprising middle school detectives at the heart of this musical revival from Tada!, the youth theater troupe. Jim Colleran, the show’s author, has set his hourlong romp in Littletown, a surprisingly cultured hamlet that’s home to the Cosmopolitan Museum of Art. When it’s discovered that a masterpiece has been replaced by a fake, the Gumball Gang steps in.

‘The Velveteen Rabbit’

In the Chinese zodiac, it may have been the Year of the Sheep, but in the theater, it has definitely been the Year of the Rabbit. This production, from the Unicorn Theater in London, is the second adaptation of Margery Williams’s children’s classic this season. Receiving its American premiere at the New Victory Theater, Purni Morell’s 90-minute version uses original music and an actor in the title role to tell the bittersweet story of the bond between a child and a toy, and the transformative power of love.

‘Flight School the Musical’

If you want to fly, and you’re a bird, you should be all set, right? Well, not if you happen to be a penguin. That’s the challenge confronting the little hero of this musical revival from Vital Theater Company, recommended for ages 2 through 7 and adapted from “Flight School,” a  picture book by Lita Judge. With a script by Cara Lustik, lyrics by Joshua H. Cohen and a score by David Mallamud, this charming show — the score is particularly impressive — chronicles Penguin’s determination to remove the technical obstacles between him and the sky.

‘One Snowflake’

You may not have seen much of these in the sky yet in New York, but it is beginning to feel more like winter, and the New York Public Library is offering a way for children under 5 to celebrate the season. This free musical series, unfolding at various branch libraries, draws on the catalog of Music for Aardvarks, the classes begun by the children’s rocker David Weinstone, and will comprise tunes about snow and rain and getting around the city. The fun will include singing, dancing, chanting and jamming with various instruments.

‘Connected Worlds’

Human choices and actions have an impact on the world’s ecosystems, but people usually can’t see the effects as they happen. That isn’t true in this new permanent exhibition in the renovated Great Hall of the New York Hall of Science. Consisting of huge screens (one is 38 feet tall), the show depicts six interconnected environments with a shared water supply. With the help of technology that responds to  gestures, “Connected Worlds” allows children to use simple motions to plant, harvest, cut trees, create clouds and make other changes in the projected landscapes — and see how the native flora and fauna fare.

‘Twinkle Tames a Dragon: The Musical’

If you think a puppy can be obstreperous, imagine what a mischievous little dragon can do. That’s the pet that Twinkle, a fairy, unexpectedly receives from her godmother in this new musical from Vital Theater Company, adapted from the book of the same title by Katharine Holabird, author of the Angelina Ballerina series. There may not be an obedience school for dragons, but Twinkle has a few magical advantages to draw on in this show for ages 2 through 7. 

‘Letters From Anne and Martin’

Anne Frank and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. never met, but they both knew what it was like to be denied freedom, to endure constant danger and to believe passionately in ideals that seemed elusive in the times they lived in. This play, compiled by Hannah Vaughn, draws directly on Frank’s diary and on Dr. King’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail,” illustrating the parallels in their lives. Recommended for children over 10, the performance will be followed by a discussion with the cast and with Spirit Trickey, a community activist who will talk about her mother, Minnijean Brown Trickey, who was one of the nine students involved in the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

EcoCruises: ‘Winter Seals and Waterbirds of New York Harbor’

A lot of tourists visit New York in the winter, but some of the most interesting won’t be found in the crowds at Times Square. These two-hour cruises from New York City Audubon focus on birds that migrate to this region at this time of year, like many ducks and geese. They also visit the harbor seals that can be found around Governors, Hoffman and Swinburne Islands. (Seal behavior researchers will take part in several of the tours.) An Audubon naturalist narrates the adventures, which include complimentary hot tea and cocoa and are conducted via New York Water Taxi. Warm clothing and binoculars are recommended, as is advance purchase.

‘One Snowflake!’

You may not have seen one of these in the sky yet in New York, but it is beginning to feel more like winter, and the New York Public Library is offering a way for children under 5 to celebrate the season. This free musical series, unfolding at various branch libraries, draws on the catalog of Music for Aardvarks, the classes begun by the children’s rocker David Weinstone, and will comprise tunes about snow and rain and getting around the city. The fun will include singing, dancing, chanting and jamming with various instruments, which will be included in the event.

‘Museum of Memories’

When a life ends, memory fills the void, but memory can be distorting. Presented by the New Victory Theater, this play from NIE (New International Encounter) Theater explores the legacy of its narrator, a teenage boy who’s committed suicide. Recommended for audiences 13 and older, the production, conceived by Kjell Moberg, investigates the boy’s life through the experiences of his teacher, his neighbor, his brother and his girlfriend. Theatergoers, who are seated onstage, can tour the set after the show and participate in a 15-minute discussion of the work’s themes.

MoMA Art Lab: Process

The Museum of Modern Art is offering children a new way to play: Instead of pretending to be, say, Batman or Katniss Everdeen, how about imagining yourself as Ellsworth Kelly or Louise Nevelson? The place to try on these identities is the latest MoMA Art Lab, intended not only to acquaint young visitors with the works in the museum’s collection but also to help them relate to the methods and meanings behind them. The space explores the artistic process through stations where children can, for example, imitate Kelly’s gridlike designs or recreate and reinterpret a Nevelson sculpture. There are also opportunities to sketch a still life, design a chair, work with unusual materials and listen to tapes of artists discussing their work.

‘All Aboard With Thomas & Friends’

In winter, the New York Botanical Garden becomes as much a train station as a plant-filled paradise. In addition to the Holiday Train Show, the garden is now offering “All Aboard With Thomas & Friends,” a mini-performance featuring Thomas the Tank Engine and Driver Sam, of storybook and television fame. Children will receive coloring sheets and crayons and can help decorate the train station for a big surprise party for Thomas. They’ll also receive certificates and temporary tattoos and pose for photos with the characters at the end of the 20-minute singalong show.

Family Astronomy

Stargazing may not be as popular in winter as it is in summer, but there’s still plenty to see: galaxies, nebulas and constellations, many visible with the naked eye or binoculars. At this program at the American Museum of Natural History, children will learn about the methods and tools used to observe these heavenly bodies. Afterward, if the weather allows, attendees will join members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York on the Arthur Ross Terrace for a close viewing through telescopes.

‘Pedal Punk’

Forget about those daring young men on a flying trapeze — how about those daring young people on a flying bicycle? This circus show, presented by the troupe Cirque Mechanics at the New Victory Theater, takes place aboard the Gantry: a huge, Rube Goldberg-style contraption consisting of bicycle parts. It can be pedaled and ridden, but it can also be a platform and a series of devices for aeralists, contortionists, clowns and dancers, as this company of nine demonstrates.