Black History, Valentines, Pigeon Plays And More At LICM In February

UNIONDALE, NY — February may be the shortest month, but the Long Island Children's Museum has packed it full of things for families to do.

The month will include celebrations of Black History, Valentine's Day, Mardis Gras and more. There will be an exhibition of Mo Willems characters, and even a musical about a pigeon.

Here are some of the events that families can take part in during February:

AdvoKids: Black History Month

Feb. 4 and 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This month the AdvoKids series focuses on Black History Month. Learn why Black History Month began and the importance of why it is celebrated. Visitors will create a “peace plate” to display in their home.

Ages: 4 and up. Fee: $3 with museum admission ($2 LICM members).

Puppy Love

Feb. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. Feb. 12 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Come celebrate Valentine’s Day by making your own puppy puppet! This is a drop-in program; it takes approximately 10 minutes and is yours to keep.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

STEM Explorers: Engineers Week

Feb. 18 from noon to 2 p.m.

Get ready to celebrate Engineers Week! Each year, the third week in February is dedicated to acknowledging how engineers make a difference in the world. Join the Green Teens and learn about engineering as you tinker your way to creative solutions.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Marvelous Mardi Gras Masks

Feb. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is a celebration of the last day before Lent. This holiday is observed differently all over the world but commonly includes parades, costumes and a lot of food! Come celebrate with us and make a colorful mask to take home. This is a drop-in program; it takes approximately 10 minutes and is yours to keep.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Wilbur, the Naked Mole Rat Puppet

Feb. 20-24 from noon to 2 p.m.

Come make a Wilbur, the Naked Mole Rat puppet and help design him a stylish outfit. This is a drop-in program; it takes approximately 10 minutes and is yours to keep.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Saltwater Stories: Meet the Baymen

Feb. 22 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come meet bayman Tom Jefferies and bayman and decoy carver George Rigby. Learn about their connections to Long Island’s waters and what they find interesting about the sea. Come curious about their experiences and ready for some hands-on fishy fun!

Ages: 4 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Love the Bus

Feb. 25 from 1 to 3 p.m.

February is Love the Bus Month. There are so many great reasons to celebrate buses. They cut down on pollution, which keeps the air clean, and they also cut down on traffic which, makes the roads safer. Come create a 'Pigeon Drives the Bus'-themed craft to take home. This is a drop-in program; it takes approximately 10 minutes and is yours to keep.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Knuffle Bunny Tumble

Feb. 26 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Knuffle Bunny is lost at the laundromat! Come make you own turning washing machine and spin, spin till you find them. This is a drop-in program; it takes approximately 10 minutes and is yours to keep.

Ages: 3 and up. Free with Museum admission.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! – LICM Premiere

Feb. 11 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. Feb. 15-17 at noon. Feb. 18 and 25 at 2 p.m. Feb. 20-23 at 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.

The arrival of a Mo Willems exhibit for a winter residency at LICM opens the door for complementary programming throughout the museum. In addition to his status as the leading contemporary author of children’s books, Willems has also built a reputation for his popular plays for youth audiences. His productions of “Knuffle Bunny” and “Elephant and Piggie’s: We are in a Play!” at LICM have resulted in sold out runs. Now the museum is getting ready to present his newest work: “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!”

This musical comedy adventure features Willems' popular character The Pigeon, who is eager to try anything and everything. Audience members get ready: you’ll be part of the action! “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” is a perfect way to introduce children to theatre and the humorous stories from Willems’ books.

"Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!" is produced with permission of Music Theater International.

Ages 3 and up. Fee: $9 with museum admission ($7 Members), $12 Theater only

Sensory-Friendly Performance: Feb. 24 at 6:15 p.m. Sensory-Friendly Theater brings the live theater experience to children and families with a range of sensory, learning and communication differences in an exclusive environment. Pre-registration is required. Reserve seating at licm.org/licm4all.

Travelling Exhibit — The Pigeon Comes to Long Island! A Mo Willems Exhibit

Through May 14

Visit the whimsical world of Mo Willems and his cast of lovable characters, including best friends Elephant and Piggie, faithful companion Knuffle Bunny and The Pigeon, the wily city bird best known for his antics in Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! Here, simple stories inspire hours of play and reveal the rich emotional lives of Mo’s characters. The challenges of growing up, like learning to make yourself understood or figuring out what it means to be a good friend, are gentle themes throughout. Along the way, children get to make their own art, surprises abound and every exploration ends in fits of laughter.

This exhibit is co-organized by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art of Amherst, Massachusetts.