Long Island Children's Museum to host make-your-own mask event for Mardi Gras
Children can create their own Mardi Gras masks, like the one pictured here, at the Long Island Children's Museum on Feb. 22. Credit: Long Island Children's Museum
For little Long Islanders, there’s no need to travel to New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. The Long Island Children’s Museum will hold a Mardi Gras celebration on Saturday, Feb. 22 for children ages 3 and up.
Kids can learn about the traditional parades, beads and floats of Mardi Gras celebrations and create their own masks to take home.
Mardi Gras is one of many global celebrations, including Lunar New Year and Halloween, that the museum holds events for, aiming to highlight each celebration's cultural significance, said Maureen Mangan, the museum’s director of communications and marketing.
“Part of it is to learn that 'My family celebrates that way,' or 'Now I understand why people do certain things,'” Mangan said.
Children love the creativity of Mardi Gras and creating a mask to take home, she said.
Museum visitors can drop in to make their own masks any time between 1 and 3 p.m. After learning about Mardi Gras, check out the "Thomas & Friends: Explore the Rails!" exhibit, learn about tools at the Tool Box Gallery and play with bubbles.
"It's break week, so we know it's an incredibly popular time to visit the museum," Mangan said. "We try to create activities everyone in the family can enjoy," Mangan said.
The children’s museum is at 11 Davis Ave., in Garden City and admission is $14 per person.
For more information, call (516) 224-5800 or visit icm.org
