Big Kids

The bankers and the artists may get all the press, but NYC is a great city for science too. There are many wondrous places in New York where kids can soak up, explore and create scientific knowledge for themselves. From Science Museums, Programs, Shops and more, we've rounded up the best places for kids to get scientific in New York City. Read more »

At the New Victory Theater's, Hunchback , author Victor Hugo narrates the tale, leading children through the performance, giving the story some significant historical context and explaining the importance of references to the Notre Dame Cathedral. The play/puppet show is pretty cerebral, and can be a little scary, but my 8 year old companion loved the goofy Victor Hugo and I loved the artistry of the puppets, mask and staging of the show. Read more »

Back in August we did a giveaway for 4 complimentary tickets to the Kiddie Cruise and it was so popular, we are doing it again but this time two lucky Mommy Poppinistas will win 4 tickets to the Halloween Kiddie Cruise.

Setting sail on Oct. 26 at noon, the Halloween Kiddie Cruise will take you on a ghoulishly fun two hour tour of the Hudson. The cruise ship is a 3 level Louisiana-Style paddle-wheel boat that is packed full of Halloween kiddie entertainment. Recommended for kids ages 2 to 8, you can expect face painting, balloon sculpting, arts and crafts, magic shows, performances, story telling, live music, raffles and yummy food for kids and adults.

Keep reading for details on how to enter... Read more »

I am terrible at planning in advance for Halloween.   Alright, I admit it, I'm terrible at planning in advance for everything, but in some very rare cases this can be a good thing. Halloween, is all about getting creative. Sometimes being a slacker-mom on Halloween forces you and your kids to be more creative and have more fun since you are left with putting together a costume that you can make with what you already have or what is easy to get.

Keep reading to find out some great toddler and kid Halloween costume ideas that almost entirely use stuff you either already have or can find in a stationary store.  Plus, the best last minute costume ideas on the interweb. Read more »

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 »

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 »

Do you have a finicky eater at home?  Studies show that getting your kids to cook with you in the kitchen is the best way to get them to try new foods.  Even Rachel Ray (who in my opinion lost some cred when she did those Dunkin' Donuts ads but that's another story) just came out with a book on cooking with kids.  Plus, even for good eaters, its just plain old fun.

OK, so you are convinced, you're going to let Junior touch the Le Creuset and here's a fun way to get started. Meet Jessi Walter, a former VP on Wall Street and Harvard graduate turned kid chef extraordinaire and founder of Cupcake Kids.  Her mission is to give kids hands-on cooking experiences so they can have fun in the kitchen while learning about food and building self-confidence and independence.  For this giveaway, two lucky readers will win spots in Jessi's Back to School Snack class.  That way, you can get your kids making their own healthy snacks rather than falling into the buy-a-cookie-after-school rut.

Keep reading for Jessi's great recipe for applesauce muffins, perfect after a day of apple picking and details on how to enter this giveaway. Read more »

Still haven't signed up for any kid-classes? Whether you are dragging your feet cause you're feeling the money pinch or your just can't commit, here is an incentive to get you going. We reached out to some great NYC programs and asked them to give our readers a deal on fall 2008 classes and they delivered.

Keep reading to get special discount codes for tons of programs including: !Hola¡ Playgroup in Spanish (pictured above), Elf Tennis, The Little Gym, Kids at Work, Play Together NYC, 92nd St Y, TADA! and more. Read more »

[UPDATED: 9/21/08]

Growing up in New York City, one of our family traditions was going apple picking in the Hudson Valley every Fall. It's a tradition I've enjoying continuing with my own kids because it's a great day out in the country, it's economical (considering the price of apples from FreshDirect), and it's even trendy (if you're into the locavore thing).

It's a great activity for Columbus Day Weekend, but there are also a bunch of free Apple Festivals right here in NYC if you don't feel like taking the kids traveling. Read more »

All signs are pointing towards a really depressing economy but as bad as it may get, the kids still need fun stuff to do! Which is where we come in, we promise you that NY remains a great place with kids and there are loads of great free activities so please don't go running now that the stock market is tanking. Stick with us and we will keep churning out great ideas on how to spend your days where all you need is a metro card and some PB&J's in your bag. Read more »