Spare Times - For Children, for April 13-19 - NYTimes.com Concert programs rarely get the advance secrecy accorded to Pentagon reports and Super Bowl playbooks. But elements of the events to be presented on Saturday by the New York Pops aren't just classical, but classified. "I've been given very specific instructions about what can be announced ahead of time and what can't," said Steven Reineke, the Pops music director. One thing's certain: "Jim Henson's Musical World," to be performed twice, will feature melodies and Muppets. It will also differ from other family concerts by the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall. "It's a real show," Mr. Reineke said. I have to learn lines, which is unusual for a conductor. There's a story as well. A story? Yes, it's mostly classified, but it will have much in common with the work of Henson (1936-90), right, the designer, puppeteer and filmmaker who created the Muppets. Written by Craig Shemin, president of the Jim Henson Legacy, an organization perpetuating Henson's work, "it has to do with sort of bringing out the best in people," Mr. Reineke said. A few details: After an overture and a video montage he will introduce the actor, writer and puppeteer John Tartaglia, who first approached the Pops about a Henson tribute. But Mr. Tartaglia, the scheduled host, fails to appear. After Mr. Reineke calls him (Carnegie Hall will forgive the cellphone use), Mr. Tartaglia will be seen on video in his rubber-duckie pajamas, completely unaware that the concert is on Saturday. He's not alone. "It becomes this running gag," Mr. Reineke said. Fozzie Bear is enlisted to help gather his fellow Muppets. Among those appearing are Gonzo, Kermit, Miss Piggy and the ornery Statler and Waldorf, who "just razz me throughout the show," Mr. Reineke said. But he's sworn to silence on performances by "Sesame Street" characters. Hints emerge from a few songs in a medley: "Rubber Duckie," "C Is for Cookie" and "I Love Trash." Human guests are no secret. They'll include the ensemble Essential Voices USA; the comedian Rachel Dratch; "Sesame Street" cast members present and past; and the singer-songwriter Paul Williams, whose "Rainbow Connection" (written with Kenneth Ascher) will be an audience singalong. Despite the concert's title, the 13 numbers won't be Henson's musical world, exactly, but worlds. "I don't think anyone's ever put "Sesame Street," the Muppets and "Fraggle Rock" all on a stage together," Mr. Reineke said. But of course they'll harmonize. At 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., with preconcert activities an hour before; 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org; $9 to $20; tickets are limited. Ahhh ... (Friday and Saturday) When a troupe is called Do Jump!, and its show is titled "Ahhh ... Ha!," you can be pretty sure you're not going to get staid entertainment. This company from Portland, Ore., combines aerial arts, acrobatics, comedy, live music and physical theater in a production that is both beautiful (the Ahhh moments) and funny (the Ha! moments). It closes this weekend. Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.; New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street, Manhattan, (646) 223-3010, newvictory.org; $14 to $38; $9 to $25 for members. "Alice in Wonderland" (Saturday and Sunday) Literally Alive Theater, which adapts books into children's productions, has followed the White Rabbit to Greenwich Village, where it has mounted a new musical based on Alice's adventures. Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Sunday at 11 a.m.; workshop one hour before the performance. "The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things" (Saturday) Max Darwin, a k a the Amazing Max, promises not only interesting things, but also some interesting phenomena: levitation, strange appearances and disappearances, props that seem to move on their own. At 4:30 p.m., Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, (212) 239-6200, theamazingmax.com; $20 to $54. "Animation" (Friday through Thursday) There's a lot of science in the creation of cartoons, as young visitors will see in this new exhibition. Comprising a cartoon museum, a screening room, a studio and several thematic sections, the 6,000-square-foot show allows children to explore animation techniques while learning how math and physics help foster visual effects. Characters and series from Cartoon Network illustrate the principles investigated. (Through Sept. Museum hours: Fridays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Mondays through Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th Street, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, (718) 699-0005, nysci.org. Free with museum admission: $11; $8 for ages 2 through 17, college students and 62+; free for under 2 and members; free to all on Fridays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. "Archaeology Zone: Discovering Treasures From Playgrounds to Palaces" (Monday, 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. From 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.; until 8 p.m. on Thursdays; 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. Saturday at 11 a.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.; Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, 10 West 64th Street, Manhattan, (866) 811-4111, berenstainbearslive.com; $34.95 to $59.95. "The Butterfly" (Saturday and Sunday) Even children played roles in helping to defeat the Nazis. One such story - a dramatization of Patricia Polacco's children's book ""The Butterfly," based on the early experiences of her Aunt Monique, who helped her family hide a Jewish girl, Sévrine, in Nazi-occupied France - is now coming back to the stage. With a script and lyrics by Barbara Zinn Krieger, and a score by Charles Greenberg, "The Butterfly" is Holocaust theater that moves and inspires but does not lead inexorably toward heartbreak: Sévrine survived the war. Making Books Sing, the organization Ms. Krieger founded to adapt children's books into musicals, is reviving the show, which first ran in 2008. Saturday (previews) and Sunday (opening performances) at 2 and 4 p.m. At Theater 3, 311 West 43rd Street, Clinton, (212) 573-8791, Ext. 13, makingbookssing.org; $15; $10 for children. "City Hawk" and "Titanic Sinks!" (Sunday) Young visitors can experience two great true stories - one inspiring, the other tragic - in these programs at the Barbara K. Lipman Children's History Library in the DiMenna Children's History Museum of the New-York Historical Society. In Sunday Story Hour, at 11:30 a.m., children will hear "City Hawk: The Story of Pale Male," Meghan McCarthy's picture book about Pale Male, the red-tailed hawk who captured the imaginations of countless New Yorkers when he and his mate, Lola, established a nest on a Fifth Avenue apartment building. At 1 p.m., for ages 7 and older, Barry Denenberg, author of "Titanic Sinks!," will read excerpts from his book, a fictionalized portrayal of the Titanic's sinking that relates the events from the perspective of a doomed reporter on board the ship. Sunday is the centennial of the sinking. A discussion will follow. Children can also see an installation of Titanic artifacts (through June 3) at the DiMenna, including the handwritten account of the disaster by a surviving passenger, Dr. Washington Dodge. At 170 Central Park West, at 77th Street, (212) 485-9276, nyhistory.org. Free with museum admission: $15; $12 for teachers and 65+; $10 for students; $5 for ages 7 through 13; free for under 7. "Freckleface the Musical" (Friday through Sunday) Based on the actress Julianne Moore's picture book "Freckleface Strawberry," about a 7-year-old redhead who earns that nickname from her teasing friends, this delightful production transcends the usual themes about celebrating the differences that make us special. Friday at 1 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m.; Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, 248 West 60th Street, (212) 239-6200, frecklefacethemusical.com; $45 to $85. "Go Wild Garden" (Saturday and Sunday) Human beings impose order on nature when they create gardens, but some cultivated spots still embrace the untamed. One is the Wild Garden at Wave Hill, the public garden in the Bronx. In this weekend's Family Art project, children will explore the wildflowers and rustic paths there, sketching them for inspiration. Back inside, they'll each use recycled materials to create a wall relief that expresses the wildness of spring. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Ecology Building, West 249th Street and Independence Avenue, Riverdale, (718) 549-3200, wavehill.org. Free with admission: $8; $4 for students and 65+; $2 for ages 6 through 18; free for members and under 6; free to all on Saturdays until noon. Jazz for Kids (Sunday) Every Sunday during the school year the Jazz Standard presents not just jazz for kids, but also jazz by kids: the featured players at its Sunday brunches are the members of the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra, a group of talented young people ages 11 to 18. They play new arrangements of big-band classics while listeners enjoy barbecue offerings that include a children's menu. Doors open at 1 p.m.; shows are from 1:30 to 3 p.m.; 116 East 27th Street, Manhattan, (212) 576-2232, jazzstandard.com. Free; in lieu of a cover charge, guests make a $5 donation, which benefits the Jazz Standard Discovery Program, an initiative that brings musical performances to city schools. "J-Cation: Sakura" (Saturday) The J stands for Japan, and the idea is to feel as if you really were spending a day there. The final event in Japan Society's celebration of the centennial of Japan's gift of cherry trees to New York and Washington, this cultural festival will have events for adults and children. Highlights for young visitors will include taiko drumming, kamishibai (picture-card storytelling), shodo (calligraphy) lessons, an introduction to basic Japanese and the creation of paper blossoms for an origami cherry tree with messages of hope for Japan. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (full schedule is on the Web site), Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, Manhattan, (212) 832-1155, japansociety.org; $10; $5 for members and ages 2 to 12; free for under 2. "Little Miss Muffet's Monster-Sitting Service" (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) This Little Miss Muffet, Molly, a descendant of the original, is certainly a lot braver: not only does she not fear spiders, but she's also willing to go into business with the very one that sat down beside her ancestor. Friday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and noon, with an additional 2:30 p.m. show on Wednesday; 79th Street and the West Drive, Central Park, (212) 988-9093, cityparksfoundation.org/swedish_cottage.html; $8, or $5 for under 12. Reservations required; some shows are sold out. This Sunday Mr. Ackerman will visit after the 2 p.m. show for a discussion and book signing that will also include cake, crafts and gifts for children. Regular performances: in advance, $18, or $16 for children; at the door, $20. Book signing event, $40. Through June 30. Mil's Trills Musical Lunch Hour (Friday) Not many ensembles are built around an electric ukulele, but that instrument is the specialty of Amelia Robinson, founder of the children's music series Mil's Trills. At this lunchtime event for ages 4 and under (snoozing babies are welcome), she will present music and stories in collaboration with a guest artist, Jesse Neuman, on jazz cornet. Families are asked to bring shakers and other instruments. From noon to 1:15 p.m., 61Local, 61 Bergen Street, between Smith and Court Streets, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, milstrillsmusicandlunch61local.eventbrite.com; $25; free for under 4. Price includes a drink and a sandwich for each person attending. Reservations advised. "Monkey King: A Story From China" (Friday through Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday) The Children's Museum of Manhattan has welcomed back a mischievous hero: Monkey King, the star of this exhibition, which has traveled many miles for years, just like the character it centers on. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; to 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Free with admission: $11; free for under 1 and members. Saturdays at 3 p.m. through April 28, Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center, 107 Suffolk Street, at Rivington Street, Lower East Side, (212) 529-1545, teatrosea.org; $18; $15 for children. Sci-Tech Workshop: Cool Light (Saturday) Light doesn't get much cooler than the kind that comes from within. This program, recommended for children 8 and older, explores the phenomena of phosphorescence and chemiluminescence - or, put more simply, glowing in the dark. Participants will investigate the chemistry that makes lightning bugs and other creatures gleam and make their own glow-in-the-dark artwork. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Avenue, at 56th Street, (212) 833-8100, sonywondertechlab.com; $10. Spring Fun in Prospect Park (Friday through Sunday) Young visitors can immerse themselves in nature, history or both in afternoon programs that emphasize the rustic side of Brooklyn. On Friday, also at Audubon, "Blooming Naturalists" will include making field observations and creating a nature journal. On Friday the house will also offer "Spring Sprouts," a chance to observe its kitchen garden and to plant pots of herbs to take home. "Steal Away: The Living History of Harriet Tubman" (Saturday) The New Perspectives Theater Company's World Voices Program is reviving this fascinating and poignant play by Rick Balian, aimed at ages 5 and older. In less than an hour, using puppets and live actors, it covers Tubman's sad girlhood as a slave; her relationship with her father, who taught her to use the night sky as a map; the head injury inflicted by a cruel master, which left her prone to narcolepsy; and her rise as a leader of the Underground Railroad. After the production, children will learn two spirituals that contained coded messages for fleeing slaves. Also on April 21. At 1 p.m., New Perspectives Studio, 458 West 37th Street, Manhattan, (212) 630-9945, nptnyc.org. Admission is by donation; reservations are advised. "StinkyKids, the Musical" (Saturday and Sunday) Britt Menzies, author of the StinkyKids book series, based the stories" characters on her own children - not because they smelled bad but because, like a lot of little stinkers around the world, they tended to be mischievous. UniverSoul Circus (Friday through Sunday) Don't expect hurdy-gurdy tunes at this big-top event. In Queens through Sunday; in Brooklyn from Wednesday through April 29. Friday at 10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at noon and 4 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 12:30, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m.; Roy Wilkins Park, Merrick and Baisley Boulevards, Jamaica, Queens, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com; $15 to $30; free for under 1. "Zorro" (Sunday) Here's one masked hero today's children may not be familiar with: Zorro, the Spanish-influenced swashbuckler with Robin Hood values who made his first appearance in pulp fiction in 1919. He's galloping onto the stage of the TriBeCa Performing Arts Center in this production, written by Davey Anderson for ages 8 through 13. Expect lots of cape swirling and swordplay. At 3 p.m., Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, near Greenwich Street, (212) 220-1460, tribecapac.org; $25; $14 for 10Club members.