Weekly Wrap Up: Free and Cheap Kids' Classes, Fun Along the East River Ferry Route and Flushing Meadows Corona Park
UPDATE: As of Friday, all weekend events have been canceled! And subways and buses will start shutting down at noon on Saturday.
An earthquake, a hurricane, what's next? Honestly, the wall-to-wall media coverage of these natural "disasters" (the earthquake, thankfully, turned out to be minor; we fear Irene may not pass as quietly) is really overwhelming. But it is important to be prepared!
Since we think we're going to need to stay inside for a few days, we made sure to get out and about this week. (That photo above of a sand artist in Washington Square Park was from one of our adventures.) We spent a day exploring Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, tried lots of fun activities along the East River Ferry route and rounded up free and cheap after-school classes. We've also revamped our Classes Guide for the back-to-school season, and we plan to add several new posts in the coming weeks.
We're almost ready to debut our sister sites in Boston, Los Angeles and Orlando. The exact launch date has yet to be determined, but it should be in early September. To make sure you're notified the minute they go live, sign up for the newsletters now.
And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut. Be safe everyone!
OUR LATEST VIDEOS
New York City
One of our contributors with a baby (ah, I remember those days) wrote about her amazing experience with sleep expert Natalie Nevares.
And an Upper West Side mom with a toddler profiled two local classes she and her son really love.
We shared 20 cool things to do with kids on the East River Ferry route.
We also took an activity-filled trip to Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Our links roundup included info on a pair of new American Girl Dolls (the Big Easy BFFs will be released next week!) and half-price rides at Coney Island's Luna Park.
Looking for cheap after-school classes? We've got the scoop on a bunch of inexpensive or free programs.
Best bets for the weekend (assuming it's not a total washout) include Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the U.S. Open, a Space Camp in Inwood and Taste of Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Children's Museum.
New Jersey
Across the Hudson, we rounded up our favorite New Jersey candy stores. Sweet!
Our special needs writer profiled wonderful sports programs for special needs kids.
Things to do this weekend (weather permitting) include the Chocolate and Vanilla Festival at Camden Children’s Garden and Kid Fondo in Morristown.
Long Island
Seems our LI peeps also have treats on the brain: Check out five sweet candy stores on the isle.
Weekend highlights include the Long Island Scottish Games and Festival in Old Westbury and the Riverhead Railroad Festival.
Connecticut
Our CT writers have been super-busy! They kicked off the week with a list of eco-friendly back-to-school supplies.
Next up, they took a trip to the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium.
Two more day trips: Gillette Castle in East Haddam and Caumsett State Historic Park in Huntington.
And more sweet stuff: a roundup of the best ice cream parlors in the state.
Weekend events include the Terryville Country Fair and the First Major Encampment in Bolton since the American Revolution.
Cool Deals and Giveaways
Our CT site is giving away a hand-cut silhouette by renowned artist Karl Johnson of Cut Arts. Click here for info on how to enter.
This is your last chance to buy our Hot List book, which offers more than $1,000 in savings on the best summer activities for NYC families. (There's still a little bit of the season left!) For just $7.99, you'll snag discounts to places like the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, the Art Farm and nearby water parks. Best of all: 100% of the profits will benefit NYC public schools.
