ANIMALS

ZOO SNOOZE Families can enjoy a nighttime expedition in the Central Park Zoo’s Rain Forest. Participants can meet tropical animals, play games, and enjoy tasty tropical treats. The event is for families with children ages 6 to 10. In the morning, there’s breakfast for humans, too. Friday-Saturday, 7 p.m.-9 a.m., Central Park Zoo, 64th Street and Fifth Avenue, 212-439-6583, registration required.

CLASSES

NET HELP The Harlem branch of the New York Public Library hosts a class for parents and children on Internet use. The session is designed for parents with children ages 8 to 12. Friday, 4 p.m., New York Public Library, Harlem branch, 9 W. 124th St. at Mount Morris Park West, 212-348-5620, free, registration required.

SCIENCE OF MUD “Hands-On Science” introduces preschoolers to science by letting them dig through soil (probably already a favored activity), experiment with seeds and rocks, and explore other down-and-dirty subjects. The 15-week workshop also invites members to use an “official” collection bag to gather specimens and present their findings in class. Tuesdays beginning January 25, 1:30-2:30 p.m. or 3:15-4:15 p.m., 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-415-5500, $525.

FESTIVAL

ROMAN HOLIDAY A carnival celebrates Italian culture with family activities including tours, a mosaic workshop, a theatrical performance, and a wine-tasting (for grownups). “When in Rome” is presented in conjunction with the exhibit “The Castellani and Italian Archaeological Jewelry.” Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Bard Graduate Center, 18 W. 86th St., between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, 212-501-3011, $3 general, $2 seniors and students, $10 families. See www.bgc.bard.edu for full schedule.

FILM

MONKEY BUSINESS The American Museum of Natural History is screening the 42-minute IMAX documentary “Jane Goodall’s Wild Chimpanzees.” American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5200, $13 general, $9 seniors and students, $7 children.

HEALTH

PEDIATRIC PREVENTION Dr. Lawrence Palevsky, a pediatrician who integrates western and alternative therapies for preventing illness, leads a seminar in strengthening children’s immune systems. Wednesday, 7-9 p.m., the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, 334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St., 646-505-5708, $25, registration required.

MLK JR. DAY

GREAT DAY The Brooklyn Botanic Garden celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day today with free admission to an annual performance of spirituals by the Great Day Chorale. Plant lovers can enjoy a tour highlighting the plants of Africa (1 p.m., Steinhardt Conservatory). Today, 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. performances, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 900 Washington Ave., near Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, 718-623-7200, $5 general, $3 seniors and students.

GOTTA DANCE The Brooklyn Children’s Museum is usually closed on Mondays, but it stays open to celebrate with the Creative Outlet Dance Theater, a youth repertory. Today, 1:30 and 3 p.m., Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. at St. Mark’s Avenue, 718-735-4400, Brooklyn, $4 general, members free.

PARENTING

FULFILLING POTENTIAL An evening program informs parents about how to help learning-disabled children fulfill their social, emotional, and academic potential. Thursday, 7-9 p.m., the Churchill Center, 301 E. 29th St. at Second Avenue, 212-722-0610, $40.

THEATER

DIRTY HARRY The all-ages play “Harry the Dirty Dog” tells the story of a muddy pup who hates bath time. After escaping the tub, he gets grimier with every adventure, from running at the railroad tracks to sliding down a coal chute. Soon he has changed from a white dog with black spots into a black dog with white spots and his family no longer recognizes him – until he retrieves the scrub brush he had hidden to avoid a bath. Through Sunday, February 13, Saturdays and Sundays, noon and 2 p.m., Manhattan Children’s Theatre, 380 Broadway at White Street, fourth floor, 212-352-3101, $15 general, $10 seniors and children ages 2 to 16.

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