This Week: NYC Day Trip Ideas, Focus on Staten Island, Best Parks & Playgrounds for Kids' Birthday Parties
We had an awesome time at our inaugural Mommy Poppins Family Cruise last Sunday. That's my daughter in the pic, helping to hoist the sails of Manhattan by Sail's Clipper City Tall Ship. (She turned eight that very day so I figured it was time to put her to work.) We put up a photo gallery on our Facebook page of all the fun we had, including face painting, Bill Gordh's sea songs and incredible views of the Statue of Liberty. Our next cruise is coming up on Tuesday, August 20 and it's got a pirate theme! Read our post for all the details and to book tickets.
It's the last full month of summer break so there's no time to waste: NYC's beaches and pools close on Labor Day. If you're in need of childcare those last few weeks before school starts, check out our post about late-August/early-September camps—we keep adding new programs as we hear about them. Or if you're looking for day trip ideas, check out our regional sites for inspiration. Westchester's August Go List includes one of my family's summer favorites: the New York Renaissance Faire in Sterling Forest. Much as we love NYC's free public pools, city kids really get a kick out of taking a dip in natural swimming holes like these ponds and lakes in Connecticut and New Jersey. Or stick close to home and explore the "forgotten borough:" We're highlighting the best things to do in Staten Island throughout the month.
Finally, if you're thinking about taking the kids to one of the big summer family flicks, our Boston site has parent-child reviews of Smurfs 2 and Turbo, so you can get opinions from both sides!
Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:
OUR LATEST VIDEOS
Although we've certainly written a lot about Staten Island over the years, we're excited to be highlighting the borough throughout August. We kicked off our coverage with a list of the top 50 things to do on the isle with kids, written by an in-the-know local mom.
Must-see exhibit alert: Get wet at MoMA PS1's interactive Party Wall, the perfect excuse to visit the activity-filled Long Island City.
Kids getting a little too much TV/iPad/iPhone/Xbox this summer? We've got 9 easy ways to curb their screen time.
Coney Island isn't the only place to go for a ride in Brooklyn. The little-known Adventurer's Family Entertainment Center is an undiscovered gem, especially if you have preschoolers.
Our biweekly links roundup included news about a pair of new treat shops, the return of Fancy Nancy the Musical and the final days of an Upper East Side toy store.
We added a new Parties on a Budget section to our Party Guide and we included a new post about the best city parks and playgrounds to throw your own bash.
A lot of our August Go List picks take place this weekend including the annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Queens, SummerStage Harlem Family Day and two kid-friendly FringeJr shows.
