Bring the whole family to MoMI over the break—open daily April 14–20

Looking for exciting things to do during NYC Public Schools' Spring Recess next week? Museum of the Moving Image is your destination for family fun and engaging activities!  

Explore our galleries for hands-on interactive experiences, including making your own short animation, recording your voice into a famous TV scene, performing a puppet for the screen, or starring in your own flipbook!   

MoMI’s core exhibition, Behind the Screen, features interactive experiences for hands-on media-making, including the post-production process of Automated Dialogue Replacement or ADR. This interactive exhibit allows visitors to step into a booth and try dubbing dialogue for a movie scene with their own unique twist! This provides a fun and hands-on understanding of how actors re-record lines after filming. Visitors will also learn how to experiment with sound effects editing by playing and selecting sounds for scenes from Jurassic Park, a Simpsons episode, and more, to understand how different sounds contribute to the narrative and atmosphere.  

MoMI’s popular and unique flipbook station invites visitors to star in their own flipbook which starts by recording themselves in a five-second video. The captured footage is then distilled into a series of 40 sequential images, which visitors purchase as a printed flipbook in our Shop. Right next to the flipbook are animation stations where you can create your own short animation by recording still images one-by-one. Then, you can save the short and share with the world! This hands-on experience offers a tangible and memorable way to grasp the fundamental principles of animation and the historical roots of moving images, providing a unique souvenir that embodies the magic of bringing still frames to life.  

Also, on the third floor, adjacent to Behind the Screen, step into the vibrant and engaging Media Game Lab, a dynamic space where creativity takes center stage. Here, visitors of all ages are invited to unleash their inner game developer and digital artist. The lab offers a unique opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of video game creation, starting with the fundamental building blocks of game design.  

Beyond creation, the Media Game Lab also provides a playful environment to explore the diverse landscape of video games. Engage with a curated selection of games, both classic and contemporary, offering insights into different genres, mechanics, and storytelling approaches. Moreover, the lab goes beyond simply playing; it peels back the layers of game development, offering glimpses into the coding, design principles, and artistic processes that underpin these interactive experiences. It's a space where fun meets education, fostering a deeper appreciation for the artistry and technical skill involved in bringing video games to life.  

In the dynamic Jim Henson Exhibition, families could explore the magic behind the beloved Muppet and characters and learn about Henson's innovative contributions to film and television. The exhibit offers a fascinating look into the career of the legendary creator of the Muppets, showcasing puppets, sketches, costumes, and clips from his iconic works like Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. It features engaging interactive elements for all ages, including a puppet show booth where visitors can record themselves as puppeteers, and a dress-up booth to design personalized Muppets with various outfits and wigs. These hands-on experiences offer a unique and entertaining way to connect with Henson's creative legacy. 

Throughout spring recess, MoMI will also show daily matinee screenings of the captivating, animated feature The Wild Robot. This deeply touching and gorgeously animated adaptation of Peter Brown's bestselling book stars Academy Award–winner Lupita Nyong'o as Roz, a robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island who must adapt to harsh surroundings.  

To close out this special week, the museum will be screening Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 35th Anniversary on April 19–20, at 3:30 p.m. When the pizza-loving turtles, popularized in comic strips and an animated series, made the trip to the big screen, they had some help from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Introduced by Craig Shemin, President, The Jim Henson Legacy. 

Make this Spring Recess unforgettable!