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But it's also true. This weekend the New York International Children's Film Festival will screen ?Dolphin Tale,? to be released nationwide by Warner Brothers next Friday. The movie, though embellished with fictional human drama, tells the real story of ...
It sounds like shameless Hollywood schmaltz: A critically injured young dolphin, facing almost certain death, recovers miraculously when medical research intended for disabled humans leads to a prosthesis for her amputated tail.
This weekend the New York International Children?s Film Festival will screen ?Dolphin Tale,? to be released nationwide by Warner Brothers next Friday. The movie, though embellished with fictional human drama, tells the real story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who was discovered entangled in a crab trap off the Florida coast in 2005. And unlike many subjects of cinematic portraits, Winter stars as herself.
?She?s very funny and personable and a little bit mischievous, sometimes more than a little,? said Charles Martin Smith, the movie?s director, who filmed Winter at her home, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (renamed Clearwater Marine Hospital in the script). ?I took as many examples of her real behavior as I could and put them in the film,? Mr. Smith said, like her love of ring toys ?and this whistling noise that the aquarium workers call her Tweety Bird sound.? Only a few dangerous scenes feature an animatronic dolphin and computer-generated effects.
Besides Winter, the plot centers on two fictional children: Sawyer (Nathan Gamble, above with Winter), an introverted 11-year-old who becomes obsessed with saving her life, and Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff), a marine biologist?s outgoing daughter. While well-known actors play the film?s adults ? Harry Connick Jr. as Hazel?s father, Kris Kristofferson as her grandfather, Ashley Judd as Sawyer?s mom and Morgan Freeman as the doctor who invents the prosthesis ? Mr. Smith focused on the young characters.
?I wanted the story to have a slightly elevated sense of reality, as if it were all being seen through the eyes of a child,? he said. To that end he added fanciful touches, like a comical pelican that has the run of the hospital (actually played by two pelicans) and Hazel?s home, a houseboat with a crow?s-nest. Filming in 3-D (?Dolphin Tale? will be released in 2-D as well) also ?gives the audience the feeling that they?re in the water with Winter,? Mr. Smith said.
The festival, which is showing the 3-D version, will distribute activity books to further the film?s environmental message. ?Maybe it will inspire children to find out more,? Mr. Smith said, ?not just about Winter, but about what?s happening to all our marine animals.?
(Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m., IFC Center, 323 Avenue of the Americas, at Third Street, Greenwich Village, 212-349-0330, gkids.com; $15. Sunday is sold out, but some tickets remain for Saturday, and the festival will have waiting lists at the door.)
?Aladdin? (Saturday and Sunday) The Arabian Nights are coming to Manhattan days. In this adaptation from Galli Theater, young audience members will assist the actors in bringing to life the story of the street urchin who discovers a magic lamp and a genie who will do his bidding. On Saturdays only, the show is followed by a one-hour theater workshop in which children dress in costumes and put together a short play with the help of the theater?s staff. (Through Sept. 25.) At 2 p.m., Galli Theater, 347 West 36th Street, Manhattan, (212) 352-3101, gallitheaterny.com; $20; $15 for ages 2 through 17. Workshop is $15; $10 when more than one child from a family attends. Discounted season tickets also available.
?Angelina Ballerina the Musical? (Saturday and Sunday) That winsome white mouse who does all her scurrying in toeshoes has pirouetted back onto the stage. Vital Theater Company has revived its musical adaptation of the books by Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig and the PBS series ?Angelina Ballerina the Next Steps.? The show, by Susan DiLallo and Ben Morss, features Angelina and her fellow students doing modern dance, the Irish jig and hip-hop, as well as ballet. This is its first weekend at a new theater. (Through Oct. 16.) Saturdays at noon and Sundays at 2 p.m., Theater at St. Peter?s Lutheran Church, Lexington Avenue at 54th Street, (212) 579-0528, angelinathemusical.com; $29.50; $49.50 for premium tickets; $25 lap seats for children under 1 available at the box office on the day of performance only.
?Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures From Playgrounds to Palaces? (Friday, Sunday through Tuesday, and Thursday) Children will step into the shoes of an explorer like Indiana Jones in this permanent exhibition at the Jewish Museum, but the adventures will be purely scholarly. Still, there is plenty of excitement in analyzing artifacts like a jar handle, a clay jug and a bangle and figuring out the purpose behind ancient pieces like a Greek helmet and a bull-shaped vessel. This interactive show, for ages 3 to 10, also includes a re-created room from the Ottoman period (about 1900), where young archaeologists can dress in costume. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Thursdays; Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org; free with admission: $12; $10 for 65+; $7.50 for students; free for under 12 and members.
Backstage Tours at ?The Fantasticks? (Saturday and Sunday) The producers of ?The Fantasticks? think it?s time to introduce the next generation of theatergoers to their show, the longest-running musical in the world. They have initiated a program for young audiences that will take them behind the scenes after matinee performances, where they can tour the backstage area, meet cast members, learn how the show is put on and take pictures. And, of course, have their first experience with Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt?s fable about love. Saturdays after the 2 p.m. show and Sundays after the 3 p.m. show, Jerry Orbach Theater, Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street, Manhattan, (212) 921-7862, fantasticksonbroadway.com. Free with the purchase of matinee tickets: $51.50 to $76.50; $160 for a family four-pack. Reservations are required.
?Mario Batali?s Edible Garden? (Friday through Thursday) Children can dig into the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden ? and its succulent harvests ? in this new program at the New York Botanical Garden, which draws on the talents of the chef Mario Batali. Young visitors can explore three plots of vegetables and fruits chosen by Mr. Batali (including the Otto Pizza Garden) while searching for missing ingredients in Mario?s Menu Mystery Scavenger Hunt. Every day at 2 and 4 p.m. cooking demonstrations will also feature child-friendly recipes from Mr. Batali?s staff. From 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., Bronx River Parkway, Exit 7W, and Fordham Road, the Bronx, (718) 817-8777, nybg.org. Free with grounds-only admission: $10; $5 for students and 65+; $2 for ages 2 to 12; free for under 2 and members.
?The Berenstain Bears Live! in Family Matters, the Musical? (Saturday and Sunday) The most famous bears since the three in the Goldlilocks story are now onstage in this adaptation of three of the titles in the long-running children?s book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain. The show, by Michael Borton and Michael Slade, offers a pleasant hour for small theatergoers, with a pop-flavored score and actors who inhabit their fuzzy roles enthusiastically. But like the books, it?s rather tame and tidy; after this many years of a formula, even the Berenstain cubs are starting to show their age. (Through Oct. 30.) Saturday at 2 and 4:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, (866) 811-4111, berenstainbearslive.com; $34.95 to $59.95. (The most expensive tickets include wearable bear ears and foot-of-the-stage seating.)
Brave New World Drama Fair (Saturday) Aspiring thespians as young as 3 and as old as 18 can participate in this fair, which will offer sample classes from Brave New World Studio, part of Brave New World Repertory Theater. The subjects will include ?dreama? (for small children), sketch comedy, improvisation and Shakespeare for teenagers. The day will also feature group demonstrations, among them a puppet show, a rehearsed sword fight from ?Romeo and Juliet? and an original play whose cast will feature participating children. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Avenue, at Union Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (917) 660-4660, bravenewworldrep.org, brooklynlyceum.com; $5.
Children?s Museum of the Arts Free Art Island Outpost (Friday through Sunday) This island fun doesn?t require a flight to distant shores. Through Sept. 25, the Children?s Museum of the Arts offers weekend workshops on Governors Island. This week?s activities, in Building 14, include making mountainous landscapes from paper and recycled materials, and putting together topical maps. In Our Lady of the Sea Chapel, the series Big Movies for Little Kids will show shorts from its Student Film Festival, as well as offer video and art activities. Also on view, in Building 11, is ?Beyond the Refrigerator Door,? an exhibition of children?s work created in the museum?s art classes this summer. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Governors Island, cmany.org; free.
Cirque de Légume (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) It comes from Dublin, but its name is French. It means the Vegetable Circus, and onions and peppers and beets play starring roles, along with Jaimie Carswell and Nancy Trotter Landry, who use only a chair and the veggies as props in this 50-minute show. Part of the annual 1st Irish festival, it includes acts like the Veget-animal and the Magical Carrot. (Through Oct. 2.) Friday at 8:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 and 8:30 p.m.; Sunday at 3:30 and 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; 59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street, Manhattan, (212) 279-4200, 59e59.org; $25; $17.50 for theater members; depending on sales, $15 seats may be available on Sundays at 7:30 p.m.
CRY Walk (Saturday) CRY stands for Child Rights and You, a nonprofit organization promoting children?s health, education and welfare worldwide. This fund-raising event, organized by CRY America, consists of a competitive five-kilometer race at 9:30 a.m. and ?fun walks? of three kilometers and five kilometers each for families at 10 a.m. All participating will be treated to snacks, drinks, T-shirts and other giveaways. (On-site registration starts at 8:30 a.m.), Riverside Park, 116th Street and Riverside Drive, Morningside Heights, (914) 302-7042, america.cry.org/cryevents/walk; $20; $15 for ages 12 to 17; free for under 12.
?Curious George: Let?s Get Curious!? (Friday through Thursday) Not many summer vacation spots offer the opportunity to climb into a rocket, manage a farm, play miniature golf and design a building. Those activities are all part of this exhibition at the Children?s Museum of Manhattan, which engages young visitors in math, science and engineering through the character of Curious George, the enterprising monkey made famous in the storybooks by H. A. and Margret Rey. The exhibits in the show include explorations of wind power and physics, set up in the neighborhood where Curious George lives. (Through Sept. 25.) This Saturday offers birthday activities in honor of H. A. Rey, including storytelling and cake sculpture. Sunday is the EatSleepPlay Family Festival, with information on nutrition and opportunities to make art projects featuring favorite vegetables and fruits. Museum hours: from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open until 7 p.m. on Saturdays; Tisch Building, 212 West 83rd Street, Manhattan, (212) 721-1223, cmom.org; free with admission: $11; $7 for 65+; free for under 1 and members.
Family Friday Pizza & Movie Night (Friday) The New York weather has been a bit erratic, but you can expect some real temperature extremes when this program from Trinity Church presents ?Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.? In this third installment of the animated ?Ice Age? film series, Sid, the ground sloth, swipes some eggs that turn out to belong to dinosaurs, which are still living in a jungle environment buried beneath the ice. At 6 p.m., Charlotte?s Place, 109 Greenwich Street, between Carlisle and Rector Streets, Lower Manhattan, (212) 602-0800, trinitywallstreet.org; free.
?Gazillion Bubble Show: The Next Generation? (Friday through Sunday) Children love bubbles, and this interactive show promises not just a gazillion but also some of the largest ever blown, along with light effects and lasers. The stars are the members of the Yang family: Fan and Ana Yang and their sons Deni and Jano, who rotate as M.C.?s for the production. Audience members may even find themselves in bubbles of their own. Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 and 4:30 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 3 p.m.; New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, Clinton, (212) 239-6200, gazillionbubbleshow.com; $44.50 to $89.50; lap seats for ages 2 and under are $20, at the box office only.
JCC in Manhattan 10th Anniversary Open House Celebration (Sunday) Little ones and parents will each have their own reasons to mingle and move at this introduction to the Jewish Community Center?s fall offerings. The highlights will include a children?s singalong, performances by the Gallim dancers, a coaches? corner with information on sports and athletic classes, a culinary showcase and the rooftop playground. At 10 a.m., JCC in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Avenue, at 76th Street, (646) 505-5708, jccmanhattan.org; free.
?Jim Henson?s Fantastic World? (Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) The man behind the Muppets ? and so many other feats of puppetry, film and imagination ? is being celebrated in this exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image. Containing over 120 artifacts, the show includes Kermit the Frog and Bert and Ernie Muppets; excerpts from Henson?s experimental films and his Muppet movies; and animations, storyboards, props and photographs spanning his career, from the 1950s television show ?Sam and Friends? to ?Sesame Street? and beyond. (Through Jan. 16.) Family programs this weekend include a puppet-making workshop with the Henson Company puppeteer Noel MacNeal, for ages 8 and older, at 3 p.m. (Registration is available online or by calling 718-777-6800; a materials fee of $10 is required; $5 for Red Carpet Kids members.) Guided tours of the exhibition are also at 3 p.m. 35th Avenue at 37th Street, Astoria, Queens, (718) 777-6888, movingimage.us. Museum hours: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Fridays; until 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Free with admission: $12; $9 for 65+ and college students; $6 for ages 3 to 18; free for under 3; free to all on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m.
?Kite Flight? (Sunday) It?s not unusual to see big vehicles barreling out of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, but how often do you see colorful designs flying off its roof? That happens once a year when the Fashion Center Business Improvement District hosts its ?Kite Flight? on the seventh-floor rooftop parking deck. Artists will hold workshops to help children create and decorate the kites, and Glenn Davison, a kite expert, will demonstrate flying techniques. The event will also include refreshments, live music and circus performers. Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., Port Authority Bus Terminal, (212) 764-9600, fashioncenter.com; free.
Material Lab at the Museum of Modern Art (Friday through Monday, and Wednesday and Thursday) No matter how much talent artists have, they need the right materials to create their work. This new interactive space at MoMA invites families to explore a wide range of mediums that are reflected in the museum?s collection. The stations in the Material Lab include a drawing table; a collage table; Discovery Boxes, with surprise materials within; Cornell Boxes, filled with found objects, in the spirit of the work of Joseph Cornell; and a digital painting experience using new technology from Microsoft. (Through June.) From 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (until 8 p.m. on Friday), Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, (212) 708-9400, moma.org. Free with museum admission: $20; $16 for 65+; $12 for students; free for ages 16 and under; free on Friday evenings from 4 to 8 p.m.
?The Ohmies: Morning Wish Garden? (Saturday, Sunday and Thursday) Preschoolers won?t have to worry about sitting still at this show; they?ll be invited to move and stretch for both fitness and fun. A musical for ages 3 to 8 about the Ohmies ? a butterfly, a caterpillar and all their friends, on a mission to wake up the sun ? this 55-minute piece incorporates gentle yoga-inspired exercises that the children do on mats. (Loose clothing is recommended.) Pop, reggae, doo-wop and hip-hop all exert fresh influences in the accomplished score. The dialogue and lyrics are less inspired, but the show is nothing if not sweet and sincere. (Through Sept. 25.) Saturday at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m.; Sunday at noon and 3 p.m.; Thursday at 11 a.m.; Peter Jay Sharp Theater, 416 West 42nd Street, Clinton, (212) 279-4200, theohmies.com; $35.
?The Old Boat Goddess: Songs of the Ainu? (Friday through Sunday) The puppeteer Ralph Lee delves into strange worlds, both physical and metaphysical, in his inspired productions for the Mettawee River Theater Company. This show, his latest, draws on the legends of the Ainu, the native people of the northern islands of Japan. He and his troupe use masks, puppets and giant figures to bring to life three stories whose characters include a fierce dragon, a massive fish, a primordial tree and, last but not least, human beings. Friday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Bishop?s Green, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue, at 112th Street, Morningside Heights, (212) 929-4777, mettawee.org; $10; $5 for children and 65+.
OpenGreenHouse at the 14th Street Y (Sunday) Yes, it?s one word, and the puns are intended. The Y will showcase its fall programs, this time also emphasizing environmental concerns. Activities for children will include arts and crafts with recycled materials; demonstrations on healthy lunches; and a concert and creative play on the rooftop. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 344 East 14th Street, East Village, (212) 780-0800, 14streety.org; free.
PAW Day (Sunday) PAW stands for Pets and Wellness and, of course, all the paws that are going to be trotting around this annual event. Presented for pets and their owners by the Animal Medical Center, this health fair includes educational stations staffed by veterinarians specializing in fields like cardiology, dentistry, exercise and nutrition. A children?s area will offer jewelry-making activities, animal safety information and appearances by the storybook dog Spot. From 9 a.m.. to noon, Carl Schurz Park, 84th Street and East End Avenue, Manhattan, (212) 329-8660, amcny.org; free.
?Pinkalicious, the Musical? (Saturday and Sunday) In Elizabeth and Victoria Kann?s adaptation of their children?s book, the pink-obsessed title character, a little girl, finds out that sometimes being in the pink can be too much of a good thing ? especially when eating too many pink cupcakes has turned her pink from head to toe. (John Gregor wrote the score and some of the lyrics.) (Through Oct. 30.) At 11 a.m., Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, (212) 579-0528, pinkaliciousthemusical.com; $29.50; $49.50 for premium tickets.
?Poems From the Sky? (Saturday) Creativity can come out of the blue, and in this project, it can sail into it as well. In ?Poems From the Sky? children will add their own contributions to ?The Truth Is I Am You,? an exhibition by the Cause Collective, an artists? group, in the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center?s Arts Center on Governors Island. The collective?s members have inscribed lines from a poem, ?The Truth Is I Am You,? in English and more than 20 other languages (all spoken in New York) in bubbles on the gallery?s walls and on helium balloons floating in the space. Also sponsored by Poets House and the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Art, the program will lead children in writing verse in blimp-shaped books and adding their thoughts to the floating poetry, which celebrates the world?s diversity. At noon, Building 110, Governors Island, lmcc.net; free.
Queens Library Discovery Day (Saturday) When is a library more than a library? When it?s also a museum. The new 14,000-square-foot Children?s Library Discovery Center at Queens Library offers all the usual educational resources, along with the kind of interactive technology found in many museums. This street fair celebrates the center with hands-on experiments, a science show from the Franklin Institute, circus performances, a concert by Bilingual Birdies (who perform in English and Spanish), face painting and other activities. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine. (Activities will be indoors if it rains.) Outside the Queens Library, 89-11 Merrick Boulevard, at 89th Avenue, Jamaica, (718) 990-0700, queenslibrary.org; free.
?The Secret History of the Swedish Cottage? (Saturday and Sunday) Gnomes, sea creatures and various magical beings help to tell this tale, but the history it explores is real: how the Swedish Cottage was built in Sweden and came to be transported to its current location ? Central Park ? in 1877. Created and directed by the puppeteers Tom Lee and Matthew Acheson, this commissioned new piece unfolds, of course, at the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater, the heart of the site it celebrates. (Through Nov. 30.) At 1 p.m., 79th Street and the West Drive, Central Park, (212) 988-9093, cityparksfoundation.org/swedish_cottage.html; $8; $5 for under 12. Reservations required.
?The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats? (Friday through Tuesday, and Thursday) One of the most groundbreaking works of the 1960s wasn?t intended for adults: ?The Snowy Day,? a picture book by Ezra Jack Keats, helped revolutionize children?s literature by featuring a black boy as its protagonist. This new exhibition at the Jewish Museum explores the life and art of Keats (1916-83), born Jacob Ezra Katz. The son of Jewish immigrants, Keats drew on his own experiences with poverty and prejudice to create Peter, the character at the heart of ?The Snowy Day? and several more books. (Through Jan. 29.) From 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., except Thursdays, to 8 p.m., and Fridays, to 4 p.m., 1109 Fifth Avenue, at 92nd Street, (212) 423-3200, thejewishmuseum.org. Free with admission: $12; $10 for 65+; $7.50 for students; free to under 12 and members; free to all on Saturdays.
Staten Island Zoo 75th-Anniversary Celebration (Saturday and Sunday) The animals may not be able to sing ?Happy Birthday,? but children will enjoy the festivities even without a serenade. In addition to the resident beasts, the zoo will offer face painting, carnival games, a dance performance, a magician, a D.J., a magician and clown, and a historical exhibition about the zoo?s founding. From 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Staten Island Zoo, 614 Broadway, at Colonial Court, West Brighton, (718) 442-3100, statenislandzoo.org; free with admission: $8; $6 for 60+; $5 for 3 through 14; free for members and under 3.
?Stone Soup? (Saturday and Sunday) In this old folk tale a lot of cooks don?t spoil the broth; they enrich it. Literally Alive Children?s Theater has revived its version of the fable, which unfolds during the American Revolution, when a pair of hungry but wily soldiers persuade villagers to add ingredients to their odd but delectable recipe. The show, by Michael Sgouros and Brenda Bell, is preceded by an hourlong arts workshop to make small take-home soup bowls and to decorate delivery bags for the AIDS charity God?s Love We Deliver. Through Nov. 5 (except Oct. 2) at 11 a.m.; workshop at 10 a.m.; Players Theater, 115 Macdougal Street, at Minetta Lane, Greenwich Village, (212) 352-3101, soupinthevillage.com; $25 to $40 (includes workshop).
Stories at the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen (Saturday) Not everything that blooms perennially in Central Park is a flower or a tree. Storytelling also returns there each summer, as the city?s Parks and Recreation Department, the Central Park Conservancy and the Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling Center bring narrative performers to Andersen?s statue every Saturday. The series, for ages 5 and older, continues this week with ?Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep,? told by Diane Wolkstein. Bringing a jump rope is encouraged. At 11 a.m., inside the park at 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue, hcastorycenter.org, dianewolkstein.com; free.
Thalia Kids? Book Club: Brian Selznick (Tuesday) Richly drawn illustrations are as important as words in telling Brian Selznick?s stories. Here he visits the first meeting of the season of Thalia Kids? Book Club, the author series at Symphony Space, for a celebration of his latest novel, ?Wonderstruck,? for children 9 and older. The actress Emily Mortimer, who appears in the coming film adaptation of Mr. Selznick?s book ?The Invention of Hugo Cabret,? will read from ?Wonderstruck,? which chronicles the adventures of Ben and Rose, hearing-impaired children who live in different eras (the 1970s and the 1920s), but whose destinies converge. The author Matthew Cody will interview Mr. Selznick. At 6 p.m., Peter Jay Sharp Theater, Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th Street, (212) 864-5400, symphonyspace.org; $15; $12 for members.
?Tunes With Tina? (Saturday and Sunday) That?s Tina deVaron, a jazz musician and singer who?s reputed to be as skilled at pleasing children as she is at playing the piano. In this new musical brunch for young people at the Bar on Fifth, part of the Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel, Ms. deVaron will gear her performances to the audience, whether that means belting out ?Mary Poppins? tunes or Taylor Swift?s. Singing along is encouraged. This Saturday (for MasterCard holders only) and Sunday at 10 a.m.; every Sunday thereafter at 10 a.m.; further weekend performances are planned for the fall. 400 Fifth Avenue, at 36th Street, (212) 695-4005, setaififthavenue.com; $40 a person, including food; $20 for ages 3 and younger.
Veggiecation (Tuesday) What do you get when you mix vegetables and education? Veggiecation, a school-lunch program for elementary grades, aims to encourage healthy eating while offering children choices not typically found on cafeteria menus. Lisa Suriano, the program?s founder, will give demonstrations this month at Whole Foods Market, teaching children and parents easy ways to prepare and serve vegetables. The recipes this week include a shamrock smoothie made with kale and a zucchini quesadilla. At 4 p.m., Whole Foods Market Cafe, 808 Columbus Avenue, near 97th Street, Manhattan, veggiecation.com; free.
Watson Adventures? Whodunit Family Scavenger Hunt (Saturday) Imagine playing the game of Clue when the board consists of the halls of a great museum. That?s what this scavenger hunt for children 10 and older is like: they?ll trail a killer who has committed a murder in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He?s mocked the police with an intriguing series of hints about his name, the weapon he used and the gallery where he hid the body. Teams, which must each include at least one adult and one child (six is the maximum number for a team), will receive a list of suspects, along with weapons and hiding places that are all in the museum. Then the sleuthing begins. From 4 to 6 p.m., (877) 946-4868 (information); (866) 811-4111 (tickets); watsonadventures.com; $38.50; $29.50 for ages 10 to 17 (includes museum admission). The meeting place will be revealed upon registration, which is required at the Web site or by phone.
?The Wizard of Oz? (Friday through Sunday) Narrows Community Theater in Brooklyn is making the first trip of the fall to the Emerald City, bringing to life the classic musical version of L. Frank Baum?s story about young Dorothy Gale?s adventures. The production features a cast of more than 60. (Remember all those Munchkins?) Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m. (Also Oct. 1 and 2.) Fort Hamilton Army Base Theater, Fort Hamilton Parkway and 101st Street, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, (718) 482-3173, narrowscommunitytheater.com; $20; $15 for students under 21, ages 65+ and children. (Photo ID is required for admission to the Army Base.)
World Maker Faire (Saturday and Sunday) The spelling may be old-fashioned, but the ideas are all 21st-century in this festival of do-it-yourself science. First presented on the West Coast by Make Magazine, the fair is coming east again to the New York Hall of Science, which will showcase more than 500 projects combining craft and technology. This year?s highlights include a life-size version of the Mousetrap game, a bottle submarine challenge and a deconstruction zone for taking apart computers, stereos and other electronics. From 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (until 6 p.m. on Sunday), 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, (718) 699-0005, nysci.org. Tickets (including museum admission): $25; $20 for ages 62+; $15 for students; $10 for 2 to 17; free for under 2. Weekend passes: $50, $40, $30 and $20. For Sunday only, an all-day family pass of five tickets for $10 each is available for entry to the fair between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Yoga for the Young (Thursday) Children aren?t known for their Zen-like attitudes, but this new program at Beth Israel Medical Center is geared to help them focus and temper some of that boundless energy. Intended for ages 4 to 12, this class offers a mix of stories, yoga positions and breathing and relaxation exercises. Registration is not required, and children can drop in. From 3:30 to 5 p.m., First Avenue at 16th Street, Manhattan, (212) 844-5028; $10 suggested donation.