Education

On the Waterfront

The East River is an important ecological habitat, but also an important amenity and resource for people. Discover the historical and current uses of these “working waterfronts” though our educational crafts, activities, and literature below.

Explore

VIRTUAL OPEN HOURS

Take a virtual engineering tour of the Brooklyn Bridge with our educators as we celebrate the anniversary of the bridge’s construction on May 24, 1883!

BOAT BUOYANCY EXPERIMENT

Participate in our penny boat challenge! Can you make a boat that floats and also holds weight? Watch the video below and experiment with different boat designs to understand more about buoyancy!

ARTS & CRAFTS

Get creative with these bridge and boat crafts!

HEAR THE YEAR GAME

Click here to take a historical audio journey through the ever-changing Brooklyn waterfront! Can you correctly piece together a visual timeline based on the soundscapes you hear?

BROOKLYN BRIDGE ACTIVITY PACKET

Check out our activity guide, created in celebration the Brooklyn Bridge’s anniversary on May 24. It includes a “parts of the bridge” matching activity, bridge building challenges, arts & writing prompts, and lots of great visuals. There is something for all ages!

PARTS OF THE BRIDGE SIMON SAYS

Learn about the engineering of the Brooklyn Bridge with a fun twist that will have you up and moving to memorize the important parts of the bridge! Great activity for elementary age kids!

WATERFRONT HISTORY WEBINAR

Learn about the transformation the water’s edge has experienced over time and the East River’s historic role as a working waterfront and crucial estuarine habitat.