Spare Times: For Children

FOR CHILDREN

‘THE WORLD IS MY CANVAS' Many young people leave their childhoods before they ever leave their countries. But in SoHo, the Children's Museum of the Arts is now offering its visitors an opportunity to view other lands through eyes that are still very young: those of their peers in nations ranging from the Netherlands to North Korea.

These visions make up "The World Is My Canvas: Images From the Permanent Collection," 26 works by artists ages 4 to 15. Displayed with a large map, the pictures are part of the museum's holdings of more than 2,000 pieces of children's art from 50 countries. Although the museum began soliciting the work in 1990, much of it languished in storage until recently, when Elizabeth Fearon Pepperman and Jodi Richard, board members, cataloged it and organized this exhibition. "The big push right now is to really assert ourselves as an art organization with a permanent collection that's available for people to study," said Lucy Ofiesh, the museum's manager of visitor services and marketing.

While some shows of international children's art underscore the impact of disaster on young lives, "The World Is My Canvas" emphasizes joy, even in nations with bloody histories. "Neighborhood Where I Live," by Adama Kendeh, 12, of Sierra Leone, shows women cheerfully cooking before a hut, and "Peace Time Beirut," by Daniel Dadoyan, 12, depicts a bustling, color-saturated street. In an accompanying essay Daniel writes that "Beirut is a very happy city" when war is absent. Harmony is also the theme of "We All Stick Together," a portrait of smiling faces of different races by Halimah Kennedy, 12, an American.

Many of the works celebrate cultures and customs, like "Ethiopian Woman Making Her Wedding Basket," above, by Nejib Mohammed, 10, and "My Grateful Parents," whose artist is identified just as Norbu, 13. He captures a scene that is both Tibetan in detail and universal in sentiment: the joy of a family over a baby's birth. (Through Sept. 2, 182 Lafayette Street, near Broome Street, 212-274-0986, cmany.org; ; free for 65+; pay what you wish on Thursdays, 4 to 6 p.m. Hours: Wednesdays through Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; till 6 on Thursdays.) LAUREL GRAEBER

ASTORIA KIDS DAY (Tomorrow) This Queens neighborhood celebration invites children to do things they enjoy: play a lot, eat a lot, move a lot and even participate in show and tell. Planned activities include a cookout, dancing, a double Dutch contest, a talent contest and a fashion show. Parents will like the price: it's free. From 2 to 9 p.m., Hallett's Cove Playground, Main Street and Vernon Boulevard, (212) 758-4041. Rain date, Sunday.

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL BONANZA (Tomorrow) Even Alex Rodriguez had to start somewhere. Frozen Ropes, an organization that specializes in baseball and softball training for children, would like to help young New Yorkers achieve their first home run (or strikeout), if not their 500th. In this daylong clinic its staff members will offer hitting and pitching evaluations and tips, practice sessions, games, prizes and demonstrations of its programs, which include Born to Play, for ages 2 to 4. (Yes, you're never too young.) From noon to 6 p.m., Asphalt Green, 555 East 90th Street, Manhattan, (212) 369-8890, Ext. 157, frozenropes.com/manhattan; free.

FORT GREENE PARK SUMMER LITERARY FESTIVAL (Tomorrow) Generations of American authors have drawn inspiration from nature, and the newest generation does the same each year in a series of creative writing workshops for children and teenagers in the sunny expanses of Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn. The six-week program, sponsored by the New York Writers Coalition, culminates in this festival of readings, which will include not only the young workshop participants but also well-known authors like Gloria Naylor, Jennifer Egan, Chris Abani and Staceyann Chin. And music, too. At 4:30 p.m., near the center monument in the park, entrance at DeKalb Avenue and Fort Greene Place, Brooklyn. Free. Information: (718) 398-2883, nywriterscoalition.org.

FRINGE FESTIVAL SHOWS (Tonight through Sunday, and Tuesday and Wednesday) On the fringes of the New York International Fringe Festival - not marginalized, just not grown-up - is Fringe Jr., a whole series of theatrical adventures for ages 5 to 12. The offerings tend to have the same offbeat sensibility as other Fringe productions, but nothing that would make young audiences (or their parents) blush. This year's Jr. shows are "Angela's Flying Bed," Karl Greenberg and Dave Hall's musical about a little girl with a magical, wisecracking bed (Sunday at 3:15 p.m. and Thursday at 8 p.m.); "Earth's Vacation," by Maura Kelley, about an ailing Earth that would really like to go away for some rest and recreation (tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30, Tuesday at 2:45 p.m. and Wednesday at 3 p.m.); and "Myles the Hypoallergenic Superhero and His Superhero Friends," by Bridget Ryan, about a boy who develops superpowers sufficient to fight his allergies (tonight at 7:45 and tomorrow night at 6:45). Although not part of the junior division of the festival, "The Miracle on Monroe Street," Jennifer Levine's puppet play based on her grandmother's experiences growing up on the Lower East Side, is recommended for ages 10 and older (tomorrow night at 8:30 and Tuesday night at 7:30). Fringe Jr. tickets are , for under 12; "Miracle" tickets are . Information and theaters: (212) 279-4488 or fringenyc.org.

‘THE JUNGLE BOOK' (Tomorrow and Sunday) This Mowgli shouldn't have any trouble swinging through the jungle; he's on strings anyway. Puppetworks has adapted Rudyard Kipling's tales into a marionette production featuring traditional Indian motifs. At 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., 338 Sixth Avenue, at Fourth Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 965-3391, puppetworks.org; ; for 15 and under.

LITTLE AIRPLANE STUDIO TOURS (Tuesday and Thursday) Young television viewers are used to getting their shows with the push of a button, but the new studio tours at Little Airplane Productions will show them that producing a series is a bit more complicated. Little Airplane, the company responsible for preschool programs like Nick Jr.'s "Wonder Pets!," Playhouse Disney's "Go, Baby!," Noggin's "Oobi!" and others worthy of exclamation points, will give visitors 3 and older a glimpse of every facet of TV production, including writing, animation and recording voice-overs. The tours, at the company's South Street Seaport Studios in Lower Manhattan, are each limited to 10 participants and will continue indefinitely. At 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; . Reservations required: (212) 965-8999, littleairplane.com.

MAD. SQ. KIDS 2007 (Tuesday and Thursday) The kids attending won't have to worry about being mad or square: the entertainment is fun and hip in this series of free events in Madison Square Park. This week there are two choices: On Tuesday the musicians Opus Diddy and the Hoedown Gang will bring a taste of country to the heart of Manhattan, and on Thursday Rick Adam presents "Red's Recycle-O-Rama," a one-man junk band. With puppetry, juggling and magic, Mr. Adam performs a show devoted to the theme of recycling and reuse. At 10:30 a.m., the Oval Lawn, 23rd through 26th Streets, between Madison and Fifth Avenues, (212) 538-6667, madisonsquarepark.org.

RECYOUTH MULTIMEDIA FESTIVAL (Thursday) "REC" doesn't stand for recreation, but for Reel Education & Communication for Youth, a New York City program dedicated to teaching aspiring filmmakers, ages 6 to 19, all about digital video and audio production. This festival celebrates their achievements with live musical performances by Crown Heights Live and the Sunset Park Crew, followed, of course, by screenings of selected projects and an awards ceremony. There will be food and frolicking along with the film noir, this year's theme. From 6 to 10 p.m., the Directors Guild of America Theater, 110 West 57th Street, Manhattan. Information: (212) 255-3066, Ext. 118, or via e-mail to recyouth@parks.nyc.gov.; free.

‘THE RECRUITING OFFICER' AND FREE CLASSICAL THEATER WORKSHOPS (Tomorrow and Sunday) Where else can you find a theater that welcomes infants, children and dogs? This one is in Central Park, where New York Classical Theater presents outdoor productions at which the actors change location with each scene. This weekend the company is also offering preshow workshops for 7-to-12-year-olds, in which the children will learn about the play - "The Recruiting Officer," by George Farquhar, is a comedy about love, war and money - do theatrical warm-up exercises and even perform a scene with actors. It's a good idea to take a picnic, and sneakers. Workshops at 5 p.m. (children must be accompanied by an adult), performances at 7 p.m., in the park at West 103rd Street and Central Park West, (212) 252-4531; free. (The play alone is also being performed tonight at 7.)

SHOE MAKING (Sunday) Feet are definitely more noticeable during the summer, and this drop-in family workshop at the Queens Museum of Art gives visitors ages 5 to 12 an opportunity to step out fashionably. Using materials like fabric, plastic, beads and fabric, they will create their own summer shoes. The starting point will be museum-worthy inspirations - Greek and Roman designs - and their own imaginations. From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the museum, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, (718) 592-9700, www.queensmuseum.org. Free with admission (suggested donation): ; .50 for children over 5; under 5 and members, free. LAUREL GRAEBER

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