Events this Weekend for Families and Kids

Friday Night is Alright

I am posting late today, so the Friday night events at both Bambinim (Fürstenwalder Str) and the Rykestraße Synagogue have taken place. Still, just a reminder - perhaps for next Friday, of a nice place to meet other families with some Jewish cultural background. You don't have to be excessively religious (Bambinim is non-religious; Rykestr. is a liberal synagogue) or even have both Jewish parents.


Funfair Season Continues 

We have many street parties this weekend as well. The Easter Markets in Alexanderplatz and in Breitscheidplatz continue, with the regular combination of food stalls, stands selling all kinds of bric a brac and small rides. There is also a small street party in the old city (Altstadt) of Spandau on Saturday.

Easter Market in breitscheidplatz

Nature Activities 

Spring is out there and it's an ideal time to get to Berlin's forests and parks.

On Saturday, the Waldschule (nature education centre) in Zehlendorf organises a bird watching walk, combined with a picnic, from 10:30 to 2 pm. For families and kids older than 5.
Starting Point: Stahnsdorfer Damm 3, 14109 Berlin
Getting There: Not far from the Wannsee Train Station
Website: http://www.jibw.de/veranstaltungen/familien
Further in this area: Ferry service F10, which is part of the BVG public transportation, provides a "cruise" on the Havel for a BVG (AB) ticket fare. If it's warm enough, you can also visit the Wannsee Beach, or the Loretta am Wannsee Biergarten.

On Sunday, a similar event will take place, this time in the Plänterwald not discussing birds, but crawly animals.
Where: Dammweg 1b 12437 Berlin
Getting There: S Plänterwald
Website: http://www.inu-berlin.de/inuws/wspl/aktuell.php
Further in this area: There isn't any special event at the Insel in Treptow this weekend, but the place is always worth a visit. This is also the last weekned of the Spreepark ruins. This place is surprisingly very interesting for kids to visit, you can read some more about it here.

Plaenterwald

Also in Treptower Park 

The Archenhold Observatory will offer lego building activity on Saturday


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Yom Hashoah in Berlin

Monday is Yom Hashoah, and there will be a ceremony, between 9 am and 7 pm, at the Fasanenstrasse JCC. Names of Berlin Jews murdered in the Holocaust will be read.

Events for Families on the Very Long Easter Weekend

Friday: Kabbalat Shabbath

Like every week, there are family-oriented Saturday-Eve activities at the Rykestrasse Synagogue and in the Bambinim Centre on Fürstenwalder Straße.

International Children Day - 23 Nisan

The International Children Day is the 3-day party in Brandenburg Gate (on Saturday, Sunday and Monday), originating in Turkey (read more background, in German, here). It is a mega-event, with stands and stages from the Brandenburg Gate all the way to Yitzhak Rabin Str. Admission is free.

Easter in Berlin

There are many events especially for Easter in Berlin. Besides the really religious events, this long weekend has many Easter-Fires and events.

The largest Easter Fire in Brandenburg will take place in Basdorf near Wandlitz, on April 19th in the evening. The full event description can be found here, but one thing that might be overly exciting is the option to ride all the way there with an old tank engine. All in all this event end very late (at about midnight!), so despite the trains and fire, this is definitely not for your average 3-year-old Thomas fan.
Basdorf Easter Fire - Saturday, 19th, at 6 pm, in Basdorf bei Wandlitz; ride the train from Wilmhelmsruher Damm. Entrance and train ride for a fee.

EASTER FIRE

Spring Fairs

Three major fairs this week : the Zentraler Festplatz and in Britz have been mentioned last week; on Friday (11th) you can enjoy the fair in Alexanderplatz and in Breitscheidplatz (till the 27th)

Easter Fair in Alexanderplatz, till the 27th

The Spring Fair in the Zentraler Festplatz continues (until April 21st) and includes rides, food stalls, and general fair fares. Free entrance; Wednesday is family day (with half price on the rides). 

Where Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 207, 13405 Berlin
Getting There  U7 to Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and then X21, M21 or N21



Another spring fair will take place in Britz, not far from the beautiful Britzer Gardens. The fair is on the  Fulhamer Allee and Parchimer Allee and includes "non-stop entertainment", rides and more. Also, a 8.5m high Easter Bunny will be there. 

The mighty Easter Bunny in Britz

Britzer Baumblüte (until April 21st),, Fulhamer/Parchimer Allee (Getting there: U7 Parchimer Allee) 

This Weekend in Berlin: Passover and Much More

Friday: Kabbalat Shabbath

Like every week, there are family-oriented Saturday-Eve activities at the Rykestrasse Synagogue and in the Bambinim Centre on Fürstenwalder Straße.

Passover

Seder night is officially on Monday (14th), but until then, you can enjoy Bambinim's children Seder on Sunday. More Seders in Berlin

Saturday: Opening of the Sandmännchen Shop and other Shopping "Experiences"

Not a huge fan of shopping myself and even less so when my kids tag along, but there are so many shopping "events" this weekend, some may of interest.

If your kids are fans of the Sandmännchen show, the RBB TV are opening a special shop only for Sandmännchen merchandise at their HQ in Charlottenburg, and for the grand opening on Saturday you can take your picture with the Sandmännchen taken.

Sat, 10:00-16:00
Where: Kaiserdamm 80, 14057 Berlin-Charlottenburg
Getting There: U Theodor-Heuß-Platz

Another shop is opening only on this Saturday: The International  Popup Store @ Driss am Wunderland

Also on Saturday, Naschmarkt will organise a "Kaffeeklatsch" market for Easter, with special stuff (not kosher for Passover, I guess... :-) 

Naschmatkt in Markthalle IX 

Sunday: Bratwurst Championship

The Domäne Dahlem runs on Sunday the "12th Berlin Championship in Bratwurst-Making". Not a place for vegans...

Es geht um die Wurst!

Where: Domäne Dahlem Königin-Luise-Straße 49 14195 Berlin
Getting There: U Dahlem Dorf
Entrance fees apply


Sunday: Cherry Blossom Festival in the Gardens of the World

Trees are blooming all over the place, and the Gardens of the World in Marzahn will organise an Asian themed cherry blossom festival.

Cherry Blossom Festival in Marzahn

Where: Gardens of the World, Eisenacher Straße 99 12685 Berlin
Getting There: Bus 195 from Marzahn or Mahlsdorf
Entrance fees apply



Fr/Sa/Su: Spring Fairs

Three major fairs this week : the Zentraler Festplatz and in Britz have been mentioned last week; on Friday (11th) you can enjoy the fair in Alexanderplatz (till the 27th)

Easter Fair in Alexanderplatz, till the 27th

The Spring Fair in the Zentraler Festplatz continues (until April 21st) and includes rides, food stalls, and general fair fares. Free entrance; Wednesday is family day (with half price on the rides). 

Where Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 207, 13405 Berlin
Getting There  U7 to Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and then X21, M21 or N21



Another spring fair will take place in Britz, not far from the beautiful Britzer Gardens. The fair is on the  Fulhamer Allee and Parchimer Allee and includes "non-stop entertainment", rides and more. Also, a 8.5m high Easter Bunny will be there. 

The mighty Easter Bunny in Britz

Britzer Baumblüte (until April 21st),, Fulhamer/Parchimer Allee (Getting there: U7 Parchimer Allee) 

More Events 

Also on Saturday, an Easter Market at the Museumsdorf Düppel 

Address  Clauertstraße 11 14163 Berlin

Getting There bus 118 from Mexikoplatz or bus  115 from Zehlendorf

Sat/Sun: Block Party in Rheinstr/Walther Schreiber Platz

Sat/Sun: Potsdam Port Party, near Bahnhof Potsdam 

Sat/Sun: LegoFriends Weekend at Lego Discovery Centre 

Events for Families in Berlin, March 4 - 6

Welcoming the Saturday: Bambinim and Rykestrasse

As in every Friday afternoon, there are family Kabalat Shabbath activities in the Rykestrasse Synagogue (from 6 pm) and in Bambinim/East Fürstenwalder Str (from 4 pm). 


Block Parties, Street Fairs and Festivities 

There are many street parties and fairs this weekend. 

The Spring Fair in the Zentraler Festplatz continues (until April 21st) and includes rides, food stalls, and general fair fares. Free entrance; Wednesday is family day (with half price on the rides). 

Where Kurt-Schumacher-Damm 207, 13405 Berlin
Getting There  U7 to Jakob-Kaiser-Platz and then X21, M21 or N21



Another spring fair will take place in Britz, not far from the beautiful Britzer Gardens. The fair is on the  Fulhamer Allee and Parchimer Allee and includes "non-stop entertainment", rides and more. Also, a 8.5m high Easter Bunny will be there. 

The mighty Easter Bunny

Britzer Baumblüte (until April 21st),, Fulhamer/Parchimer Allee (Getting there: U7 Parchimer Allee) 


Street Parties

There are also less "commercial" street parties. One will take place in Mehringplatz (Fri-Sat) and will include crafts activities and lots of plants; another will take place in the UFA Fabrik, and will be dedicated to sustainability, environment and spirituality.

UFA Fabrik - Zukunft Erde Festival 2014 (Sat/Sun) 
Where Viktoriastraße 10-18 12105 Berlin 
Getting There U6  Ullsteinstr 





Saturday: Oh, the Horrors! Pillow Fight in Potsdamer Platz 

On Saturday, between 2 and 5 pm, there is supposed to be a massive (?) pillow fight in Potsdamer Platz. This is in fact the 7th year of this bizarre event, and pictures from last year seem fun enough. 

This year in Potsdamer Platz

Sunday : Crafts for Passover and Easter 

On Sunday, Bambinim will offer Passover-themed workshops and activities for children in their Fürstenwalder Str place. From 3 pm (fee based, EUR 10 per family)

Passover at Bambinim 

The Märkisches Museum will offer Easter activities on Sunday,with crafts (Am Köllnischen Park 5 10179 Berlin), fees apply. 


More Weekend Events 

There are many other events at the weekend. You can also do treasure hunt with a GPS and a compass at the Ökowerk ; the Spuk im Hochhaus, in an abandoned Plattenbau in Pankow, continues (I have to make it to this one before it ends!) ; there are several baby/children flea markets, for example here and the blog Berlin for All the Family has many other ideas


Sidenote on Passover in Berlin

I have assembled a list of public Seders in Berlin for this year (it is in Hebrew, but then again, most of these Seders are in either Hebrew or German/Russian). I am not really sure what to recommend someone who feels lonely and would like to celebrate Passover with others. These public Seders are usually not a highly pleasant experience, being in the same room with 200 other people and paying outrageous amounts for kosher-for-Passover-hospital-cuisine. I am willing to play a matchmaker, being the busybody yente I am: if you want to invite another family over, feel free to use the comments section.