Outdoor Activities

There seems to be an explosion of new ice skating rinks in NYC this year. Last week we reported that the American Museum of Natural History is opening a new ice skating rink in November and now we've heard of two more new rinks opening this winter. Read more »

There may be less and less ice at the North Pole for polar bears to skate on, but Manhattan's getting a new ice skating rink this winter. This year, for the first time in 140 years, The American Museum of Natural History will be opening its skating rink. Opening on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008, here's what the press release says: Read more »

The weather is getting chilly and the ice skating rinks are starting to open. Here's a schedule of ice skating rinks openings in New York City.

October 11: The Rink at Rockefeller Center
October 20: Wollman Skating Rink, Central Park
October 24: The Pond at Bryant Park (FREE)
October 25: Lasker Skating Rink, Central Park
November 19: Wollman Rink, Prospect Park

For more information about ice skating with kids in New York, check out our previous post, 5 Favorite Ice Skating Rinks for NYC Kids .

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Starting this weekend, most events taking place for kids in NYC invite you to come in costume. So, get your Princesses and Spidermen ready and check out these fall festivals:

NYC Apple Day 2008 - the LES turns the "Big Apple" green with NYC Apple Day and  Go Green Lower East Side. Be transported back in time with the old-fashioned apple cider press, a live honey beehive plus some modern faves like Read more »

In addition to all the local Halloween Parades and Festivals, the city is literally packed with FREE Halloween activities. In fact there are so many great things to do on October 25th you may need a magic eight ball to decide where to go. Luckily your kids will be so hopped up on candy they will have the energy to take in several events in one day.

Keep reading to find out where and when you can levitate at magic shows, hop on hay rides, take a creepy candle-lt tour of Grant’s Tomb, visit haunted houses, dance your way through the post trick-or-treat sugar comma and get the whole family dressed up, even the dog. (Photo  by Istolethev). Read more »

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 »

Halloween is going commercial. It seems like every place I go and everyone I know is offering a Halloween version of what they do. The museums, the parks, the playspaces: everyone is doing Halloween events right now. With more options than ever before, I set out to find some of the coolest and most unique Halloween activities on Long Island that would be worth a trip from the city or beyond. Some of these sell out so order your tickets soon: Read more »

It's the height of apple and pumpkin picking season and the weather is perfect for it. But what about the little ones? We went looking for some of the best places to go apple picking within one hour of New York City that are good for families with toddlers: low down trees so that toddlers can reach the apples from their small stature, plus other fun stuff for kids like hay rides, petting zoos, and more. Read more »

Art is taking over the streets of Downtown Manhattan at two events:

Throughout October, the entire length of 14th Street will be the home of some weird stuff as part of an obscure art event called, 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 »