The LatinX Fest continues at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan in October, but things get a little spooky starting October 18, when the biggest Monster Bash ever creeps into the schedule.

October programs include:

Latinx Fest — Ancestral Traditions: Saturday, October 1 – Sunday, October 9
Honor ancestral traditions native to the Caribbean, along with Central and South America, through interactive art-making projects, theatrical mini-plays, and more!

• Nitza Tufiño’s Neo-Borikén Mural (Inside Art): In honor of Nitza Tufiño’s love for the world of murals—and as an ode to the East October Street MTA station ceramic tile mural—CMOM invites families to a week-long installation meant to foster a strong sense of community and belonging. This program runs daily between 10/1 – 10/2 & 10/4 – 10/9.
• Carnaval de Vegigantes: Caribbean Carnival Masks (MakerSpace): Build a colorful creature mask inspired by characters like the vejigante that appear in celebrations in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. Complete your mask and join the parade! This program runs daily between 10/1 – 10/2 & 10/4 – 10/9.
• Cecilia Vicuña Inspired Quipus (PlayWorks): In honor of Cecilia Vicuña and ancient peoples of the Andes, explore an immersive installation of quipus. Informed by the artist’s studio practice of reinterpreting quipus, learn more how to use this device that incorporates elaborate knots to record information related to the environment. This program runs daily between 10/1 – 10/2 & 10/4 – 10/9.
• Interactive Story Time: Rainbow Weaver/Tejedora de Arcoiris (PlayWorks): Ixchel wants to follow in the long tradition of weaving on back strap looms, just as her mother, grandmother, and most Mayan women have done for more than two thousand years. Museum Facilitators take kids on a journey through a beautiful learning experience about ancestral traditions. This program runs at 4pm between 10/1 – 10/5.
• Interactive Story Time: Cuauhtémoc: Shapes – Formas (PlayWorks): Explore the city of Tenochtitlan alongside Cuauhtémoc, the last Aztec emperor―where you’ll come across the circulo (circle) in the Aztec calendar, the triángulo (triangle) in the pyramid, the heart in the shield of an Aztec princess, and more. Museum facilitators introduce little ones to shapes and their first English and Spanish words. This program runs at 4pm between 10/6 – 10/9.

Latinx Fest — Art & Design: Tuesday, October 4 – Friday, October 7
Explore art and design all week at CMOM. Inspired by cultural and ecological values, traditional weaving practices, and minimalist jewelry making, tap into your creative side to produce powerful and meaningful masterpieces!

• Eco-Home Design (MakerSpace): Inspired by the work of Chilean architect, Sebastian Contreras Rodriguez, explore cultural and environmental values to design a home that ensures harmony with nature.
• Weaving Workshop: Otavaleño Blankets (Inside Art): Weave multi-color bands of fabric that honor traditional textiles by the Otavaleño people.
• Sustainable Jewelry: Love + Language (PlayWorks): Explore mixed media materials to design your very own piece of jewelry! Influenced by Afrolunatika—a Puerto Rican based organic jewelry brand— kids are encouraged to think of a word and use it as a source of inspiration for a one-of-a-kind jewelry piece!

Yom Kippur: Wednesday, 10/5
Charity Box Making (PlayWorks): Learn about Yom Kippur, the day of atonement in the Jewish calendar, and design a box to collect money for someone in need.

We Are Here – Indigenous People’s Day: Monday, October 10
Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day at CMOM. Learn about the indigenous lands we live on, share stories, and explore ways to help support the rights of Indigenous Americans.

• Paper Mache Rattles (PlayWorks): Did you know that rattles can be found in almost every Native American tribe? They can be heard in personal or ceremonial music, as well as in social and celebratory music. Use different materials to create a rattle inspired by family and cultural traditions while learning about Native American customs and traditions.
• Artful Activism: Megaphone (Inside Art): Show the world what you care about by creating a megaphone to amplify your voice and raise awareness about community issues.
• Drawing Home: The Art of Annie Pootoogook (MakerSpace): Annie Pootoogook created giant color pencil and crayon drawings of everyday life in her Inuit community of northern Canada. Learn more about Annie’s art and make a huge cutout portrait of yourself to include in an ever-growing community mural.

Latinx Fest — Nature: Tuesday, October 11 – Sunday, October 16
This week, CMOM focuses on relationships in nature. Inspired by the Caribbean and South America, families can design a larger-than-life diorama, create a three-banded armadillo, find magic in jars in the form of Haitian fireflies, and share the story of a golden Puerto Rican coquí!

• Zapata Swamp – Cuban Crocodile Diorama (Inside Art): Cuban crocodiles can be found in Zapata Swamp. Stop by CMOM’s Inside Art gallery and contribute to a community diorama by sculpting a crocodile and learning more about these ferocious creatures.
• Three-banded Armadillo Puppets (MakerSpace): In the Gran Chaco areas of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina, three-banded armadillos can be spotted in grassy places. Make your own little armadillo friend that coils its body into compact balls.
• Magic in a Jar: Koukouy (PlayWorks): Did you know that Koukouy is the Haitian Creole word for firefly? Inspired by the traditional Haitian game of catching fireflies, littles enhance fine motor skills as they sculpt their very own! With a little dab of glow-in-the-dark paint, these itsy-bitsy friends are sure to light up any room.
• Interactive Story Time: Callaloo: The Legend of the Golden Coquí (PlayWorks): Museum Facilitators share the story of two best friends and their journey through the enchanted Yunque rainforest in a book by Marjuan Canady.

CMOM Monster Bash: Tuesday, 10/18 – Sunday, 10/31

CMOM is throwing the biggest Monster Bash ever! Design monster cupcakes out of clay, create invitations for the party, hear some spooky monster tales, and make a monster buddy to join you on your wildest adventures throughout the Museum.

• Monster Party Planner: Museum Wide Scavenger Hunt (Museum-wide): Get those monster claws ready and gather all the things needed to make the bash a success, from monster party hats to monster treats, monster decorations, and monster beats! Search the Museum for all the party’s needs and win a prize. This program runs daily between 10/18 – 10/30.
• Beasts and Banshees Bean Bag Toss (Inside Art): What’s a party without some party games? Create giant monster cut-outs and challenge new friends to a round of bean bag toss! This program runs daily between 10/18 – 10/24.
• Monsters Love Cupcakes (MakerSpace): CMOM needs delicious treats for the Monster Bash! Mold, shape, and paint some disgustingly delicious cupcake sculptures, inspired by the book Monsters Love Cupcakes by Mike Austin. This program runs daily between 10/18 – 10/21.
• Pop-up Monster Invitations (PlayWorks): Create an invitation to CMOM’s Monster Bash that goes bump in the night. This program runs daily between 10/18 – 10/21.
• Interactive Story Time: The Color Monster (PlayWorks): Did you know that even monsters get sad? Help a mixed-up Color Monster learn about its different emotions. This program runs at 4pm between 10/18 – 10/21.
• Monster Noodle Sensory Bin (PlayWorks): The Monster Mash won’t be a bash without proper monster snacks! Prepare monster noodle sensory bins full of fun, squishy and creepy appetizers. This program runs daily between 10/22 – 10/23.
• Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun! (MakerSpace): Use felt socks, card boxes, fabric and mixed-media materials to create a monster buddy you can bring along to CMOM’s Monster Bash! This program runs daily between 10/22 – 10/23.
• Interactive Story Time: Go Away, Big Green Monster! (PlayWorks): Conquer your fears this Halloween season as CMOM Museum Facilitators share an interactive reading of Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberly. This program runs at 4pm between 10/22 – 10/23.
• Swamp Diorama: Spooky Guests (MakerSpace): Think of all the flying bats, friendly ghosts, and three-eyed monsters you would like to invite to this year’s Monster Bash and create them by using mixed media materials and a little help from your magical imagination. This program runs daily between 10/25 – 10/28.
• Monster Party Hats (PlayWorks): Dress your best for CMOM’s Monster Bash! Design petrifying party hats and hair-raising headbands. This program runs daily between 10/25 – 10/28.
• Interactive Story Time: Don’t Eat Me, Chupacabra! / ¡No Me Comas, Chupacabra! (PlayWorks): Little Chupacabra is a picky eater. See what happens when it meets Mr. Goat and learn some Spanish along the way. This program runs at 4pm between 10/25 – 10/28.
• Monster Vision Goggles (Inside Art): Make sure all of your eyes are ready for the party with a pair of fancy and frightening goggles. This program runs daily between 10/25 – 10/28.
• Trick-or-Treat: Monster Totes (MakerSpace): Just in time for Halloween! Use stencils and airbrush tools to design a trick-or-treat tote only a monster would love, and make sure to stop by admissions to collect a treat! This program runs daily between 10/29 – 10/30.
• Monster Bowling (Inside Art): Stimulate endorphins and get your blood pumping with a low-impact exercise. Utilize your arms, shoulders, wrists, and legs to propel the ball down the lane and knock down all the spooky monsters. This program runs daily between 10/29 – 10/30.
• Creatures of the Night Puppet (PlayWorks): Create a spooky monster puppet and bring it along as your plus one to this year’s Monster Bash! This program runs daily between 10/29 – 10/30.
• Interactive Story Time: Looking for a Jumbie (PlayWorks): Naya is a brave girl who goes out into the dark to search for a jumbie, but her mama says that they are only found in stories. Enjoy this creepy, fun tale inspired by traditional Caribbean myths and meet other creatures along the way. This program runs daily between 10/29 – 10/30.