Bronx
Free Fun Friday - Free Cooking Classes, Fall Festivals and Local Pumpkin Picking
Posted on October 9th, 2008 by Nina
Fall has arrived and it's time to get yourself some pumpkins! Check out our posts on the best pumpkin picking and apple picking in the area if you want to head out of town. Or, you can stock up on pumpkins and fall fun right here in NYC with the top picks of this weekend's local pumpkin events. Plus, did you know that there are lots of free kids cooking classes available this weekend? Keep reading for the full scoop... Read more »
Free Swimming Lessons for NYC Kids and Adults
Posted on October 8th, 2008 by Anna
Photo by egarc2
The New York City Parks Department provides a variety of free, water-based programs for all ages and levels, ranging from swim lessons to recreational swimming to training for swim team competition. Programs are available for toddlers, children and adults, and both after-school swim classes and Saturday swimming lessons are available. All programs are free and offered in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and After School Swim Classes are available in Queens.
Classes are free and space is limited. Registration is on a first come-first served basis. Here's more info on these free swimming classes and how to register: Read more »
Mad about Madagascar at the Bronx Zoo
Posted on October 1st, 2008 by Anna
This weekend is going to be great zoo weather. Nice and sunny and cool, but the big summer crowds are gone. We visited the Bronx Zoo and had a great time. It made us wonder why we don't go there all the time.
The impetus for our visit was the new Madagascar exhibit. (I can't imagine where I got that idea from). And it was definitely worth the trip. While Madagascar isn't as dramatic as the Congo exhibit with it's amazing gorillas, it was fun for everyone and I gathered some tips for visiting the Bronx Zoo along the way. Read more »
Free Fun Friday: This Weekend's Guide to the Best of the Boroughs
Posted on September 12th, 2008 by Nina
Photo courtesy of Lefferts Historic House
Did you know that you don't need to head out of town to go apple picking or watch honey bees? Want to find out where you can see top Broadway stars dance and sing without dropping a dime? There is so much going on all over the city this weekend I decided to do a best of the boroughs so you can explore the best of your neck of the woods.
Brooklyn - Harvest apples right here in Prospect Park, just as Brooklynites did years ago when nearly every farm in old Flatbush had apple trees. Read more »
Seneca Houses Children Still Need Your Help!
Posted on August 28th, 2008 by Anna
A HUGE thank you to everyone who has donated to help the children of Seneca Houses get the basic school supplies they need to start this school year. Through the generosity of Mommy Poppins readers we have raised almost $1000 worth of school supplies! Wow, I knew you guys were awesome!
But there is still more we can do. Yesterday I received these wonderful letters from some of the children with their school supply lists as well as the Pre-K supply list. I have added the items these children are asking for as well as the Pre-K list that I received.
Also, a corporate donation that had been promised for 75 backpacks fell through, so I am now trying to get backpacks for the kids. I am looking for a business that might be able to help us get the backpacks at a discount or for free, but I don't know if this will be possible.
If you would like to buy a backpack for a child please pick one from the Amazon Wishlist or if you donate cash through the PayPal donate button, I will use that money to buy backpacks and deliver them myself.
If you haven't had time to donate yet, please take a moment to read their letters and buy something from their wishlists. Read more »
Free Fun Friday: Stay Cool or Party in the Park
Posted on July 18th, 2008 by Nina
Lots going on this weekend but be warned, it's going to be a hot one so if all you can deal with is staying in air conditioning or being in water check out our Summer Fun Guide for info on places to hop in the water and cool off.
For air-conditioned events, top picks are the Foot and Fiddle Dance Company at the Museum of the New City on Saturday where you can catch a lively dance program that demonstrates how waves of Irish immigration have influenced American dance, FREE with admission. And Summer Sundays at the Gugenheim which includes tours, drawing and children's lterature, $15 per family.
And now for a line-up of the best FREE outdoor events this weekend: Read more »
Not Too Late for Free Sports Programs in City Parks
Posted on July 16th, 2008 by Nina
Today is the first day of the Prospect Park fishing contest, but that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to free sports activities in New York parks for kids.
The NYC Parks Department offers some really amazing sports programs that are (even more amazingly) FREE. NYC kids can do all sorts of sports from learning to swing a golf club or to play tennis to going fishing, paddling a canoe or even sleeping out under the stars—all for the sweet price of FREE. Your next thought is that these programs filled up in February, right? Not so, many of these programs require little if any advance registration and have gotten great reviews from our reader parents. We'll tell you all about the City Parks Foundation's and Urban Ranger's activities and how your city kids can be part of these free sports programs in the city parks this summer. Read more »
Little Naturalists: Wildflowers Everywhere
Posted on July 9th, 2008 by Leslie Day
Photos by Leslie Day
All summer long, New York City is filled with beautiful flowers and gorgeous scents. Mommy Poppins' resident naturalist Leslie Day has put together this guide of local wild flowers for you to look for as your explore your streets and parks and some background science so you can turn a walk in the park into a teachable moment.
Linden Tree Flowers (above)
Everywhere you go on the Upper West Side and on streets that have these lovely trees throughout the five boroughs, you smell the heavenly scent of linden tree flowers. Show your children the leafy bracts that each flower cluster is attached to. When the flowers produce seeds, these modified leaves carry the seed clusters to the ground like little helicopters. At night, when you emerge from the subway, you are greeted with this heady perfume. Follow your nose!
NYC Family Summer Fun Guide 2008
For many New Yorkers, as soon as the weather warms up, it signals a primordial urge to flee, but summer is one of the most fun times to be in New York. In the summer you can take advantage all the City has to offer — amazing beaches, gardens, pools, outdoor concerts and movies, events and activities. And much of it is completely free, turning New York in the summer into one big fest...and we don't mean a big "sweat-fest" — there's a million ways to stay cool and enjoy the summer in NYC with your family.
Whether you are visiting New York for the day, a week or hanging here with your kids for the whole summer, our Summer Fun Guide will tell you everything you need know to have an incredible summer right here in the city with the kids.
Be sure to check out our Free Fun Summer: A free activity a day for the entire summer!
Summer Concerts and Festivals
The Best Grown-Up Outdoor Music Festivals for Families
The Under(play)ground Music Scene
Free Outdoor Shakespeare for Families
Free Outdoor Movies at Waterside Plaza
Water Fun
Best Free and Cheap Swimming pools
Best New Swimming Pools for NYC Kids
Best Free Swimming Pools in Brooklyn
Top 5 Beaches Near NYC for a Family Daycation
5 Water Theme Parks Close to NYC
Best Water Playgrounds around NYC
Best Boat Rides for Families in NYC
Outdoor Fun
Four Excellent Summer Outings for NYC Kids
Where to discover wildflowers in NYC
Free Sports Programs in NYC Parks
Free Summer Sports Activities for Kids in NYC
Free Bike Rentals in Manhattan
Children Blossom at Free Brooklyn Botanic Garden Programs
Go Around to NYC's Nine Carousels
Indoor Activities
The Early Childhood Resource and Information Center
5 Museums You've Never Heard Of
Free Family Museum Programs:
Cool Stuff at the Queens Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Tips for visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Kids
Day Trips and Daycations
Long Island Farms to Visit with Kids
Farm Fun for City Kids at NY State County Fairs
Day Trips: Long Island's Best Parks
Four Ideas for Day Trips from NYC
Summer Family Travel
Top Resources for Family Travel
Taking a Babysitter on Vacation with You
How to bring your own water on the airplane
Neighborhood Outings and Expeditions Exploring the city is another great thing to do while the weather is warm. Just hop on the train or bus and head to a neighborhood you haven't been to before or would like to explore more. We've got loads of neighborhood outings and expeditions for you to explore in our Neighborhood Guide.
Summer Camps Just looking at all this make you exhausted? It's not too late to find a camp. Check out our Camp Guide.
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The Best Grown-Up Outdoor Music Festivals for Families
Posted on June 16th, 2008 by Nina
The great thing about New York City's outdoor festivals is that everyone can enjoy them. If it's kids music, at least the grown ups can enjoy being outdoors on a lovely day or evening, relaxing. And, generally kids will put up with an outdoor concert or performance if they can run around, dance, play and picnic while you enjoy a little grown up entertainment for once.
The following (mostly) free outdoor festivals are not specifically children's festivals, but they, for the most part, each have at least one kids performance and otherwise offer great performances in great outdoor environments around NYC, making a fun day or evening out with the kids either way. Read more »
The Happiest Baby on the Block - The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer (DVD)
