| A Note From New York Family's Editor |
| Sibling Congestion: My 8-year-old daughter recently decided to take on Rush Hour, the well-regarded game from Thinkfun, in which kids have to maneuver their cars through congestion created by other cars and trucks. It's a fun, nifty game that, like Checkers or Chess, challenges you to think about sequential movement. But apparently it's much less fun to play when your 4-year-old brother insists on playing too, even though he really doesn't have the brain power yet and is most likely going to be another source of congestion. Help! After years of relative harmony, I live in a house divided by sibling rivalry. Any suggestions? The tension over Rush Hour itself ended up being defused by a most unexpected but wonderfully ironic source (if you consider the game's subject matter). I received handwritten note, in brown crayon, that said: "To Eric Messinger: Your son is not permitted to play Rush Hour on behalf of your daughter. Sincerely, The Mayor Michael Bloomberg."---Eric Messinger (emessinger@manhattanmedia.com) |
| Parenting Tip |
| It's Not Children's TV, It's HBO Family: It's just a wild guess, but we suspect that you're probably more familiar with HBO's seminal hits, like "The Sopranos" and "Sex and the City," than you are with the terrific children's programming created by the HBO Family division over the years. We strongly encourage you to take a look at their occasional specials, now available on DVD, such as the compilations "Classical Baby 3-Pack: Music, Art & Dance," and "Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales." They are so well done--so complex and enriching, yet so accessible and fun--they captivate children from infants to eight plus. They would be great gifts to your children--or to others. |
Joy's Shopping Tips
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A Good Feeling Tee: Designer Luella Bartley paired up with company Tonic to launch a line of limited-edition adult t-shirts to help raise funds for specific charitable causes. Proceeds from the Robin Tee will provide a pair of sneakers to a student in Abricots, Haiti. The Pagan Sun Tee will help protect a quarter-acre of endangered coral reef in the Pacific Ocean. The Stag Tee will provide one soccer ball to school children in Kenya. The Scary Douglas Tee will provide one year of dental care to two kids in Columbia. All tees are made from sustainable materials and are $45 each. www.tonicgen.com.
Bathtime Light Show: Have your children ever asked you to turn off the lights while taking a bath and illuminate the room with a glow-in-the-dark product? The Dot It Checker is a mini waterproof light that comes in assorted colors that flash on and off. You can also attach the light to your child's backpack or use it in the pool. Starting at $4.99; www.sylvannia.com.
Eat and Play: Kids love to touch and squeeze and mush things with their fingers. How about play dough that is made from sugar cookie dough? It comes in red, yellow, green, and blue, and kids can create all sorts of shapes and have fun mixing the colors together. Best of all, you won't have to worry if they put it in their mouth. Bake it after to show off their masterpieces. $32.95; www.1-800-Bakery.com.
*Joy Sherwood is the Style Director of New York Family. She can be reached at jsherwood@manhattanmedia.com. |
| Activity Tips* |
Independence Day: There are plenty of fun, history-focused events on July 4 to keep city families busy between breakfast and the fireworks. For a scenic way to break up the day, sail around the New York Harbor on an Independence Day kids' cruise hosted by the Friends of Hudson River Park. The cruise, which runs from 2-4 pm (all ages; $25 adults, $15 kids under 12), includes a barbecue lunch, games, and close-up views of the Statue of Liberty (and American flag favors for everyone). Fraunces Tavern, built in 1719 and a meeting place of the Revolutionary upstarts the Sons of Liberty, will have free admission at the Fraunces Tavern Museum from noon until 5 pm (all ages). Watch history come alive with the New-York Historical Society's July 4 celebration (all ages; free; 10 am-5 pm), which includes re-enactments of Revolutionary War battles and figures, a Revolutionary War-themed quiz show, and live folk music. And on July 5, the South Street Seaport Museum hosts a Revolutionary War Walking Tour of lower Manhattan from 12-2 pm (ages 4 and up; free with museum admission). Island Getaway: Here's a cultured adventure: take a ferry to hear the New York Philharmonic give a free concert on Governor's Island at dusk. Pack a picnic and stay for the fireworks after the show. The concert itself features works by Rossini, Copland, and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Tchaikovsky's famous 1812 Overture. Details: Saturday, July 5, at 6:30 pm. For a complete ferry schedule and more information, visit www.govisland.com or call 212-440-2202. Ice Cream Demonstrations: July is National Ice Cream Month, and in its honor the Liberty Science Center will show families how to make ice cream the new-fashioned way...with liquid nitrogen. Watch the ice cream being made, and sample some interesting new flavor combinations to see which you like best. Details: Demonstrations at 1, 2:15, and 4 pm, 4th floor Breakthroughs Lounge. Free with exhibition ticket. Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ, 201-200-1000, www.lsc.org.
*Activity Tips are from New York Family and GoCityKids.parentsconnect.com.
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| The Week's Bonus Tip |
New Jersey State Fairs: This summer, New Jersey's serving up two very different state fairs. Through July 13, you can visit the State Fair Meadowlands at Giants Stadium Fairgrounds, which boasts plenty of rides and entertainment for kids of all ages. There is a direct bus to the stadium from the Port Authority. For a more bucolic experience, there's the New Jersey State Fair (August 1-10), with its oxen pulls, petting zoo and animal pens, carnival games, and bake-offs. Details: State Fair Meadowlands: 6 pm-midnight (Monday-Thursday), 6 pm-2 am (Friday), 2 pm-2 am (Saturday), and 2 pm-midnight (Sunday); adults $7-$9, kids 12 and under $5-$6. Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, 201-438-1477, www.njfair.com. New Jersey State Fair: 10 am-10 pm; adults $11, kids 12 and under $5. Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ, 973-948-5500, www.newjerseystatefair.org.
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Play in the park with
Gymboree!
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 Got kids? Then
you know Gymboree Play & Music, the world renowned early childhood
educational program for families with children ages newborn to five
years. Join us this July & August at the park for some fun
under the sun. With the assistance of the park community
associations and the NYC Parks Department, Gymboree will host informal classes
for free at select NYC parks, from 10 to
noon. Participation is first come first served in your age group.
Adult participation is required. Sorry, no rain dates. Just look for our colorful parachute
& bubbles! Carl Schurz Park Playground - 84th &
East End Ave. Fri: July 18 &
25. Aug. 1, 8, 15 & 22 DeWitt-Clinton Park Playground - 52nd &
11th Ave. Wed:
July 16, 23 & 30; Aug. 6, 13 & 20
Hudson River Park - (near Pier 51)
Thur:
July 17, 24 & 31; Aug. 7, 14 & 21
Riverside Park -
72nd St. & Riverside Dr. Wed: July
16, 23 & 30; Aug. 6, 13 & 20 |
The Poppyseed Pre-Nursery
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 Where BIG things are happening for little people...
Receive $25 off for first-time enrollees
Music, Art, Gym and Play!
Mommy and Me classes for Babies, Toddlers, 2's or 3's
424 West End Ave at 81st St. (212) 877-7614
Gail Ionescu, MSW Director
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TOP NEW YORK
CHEFS TAKE ON TOFU
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House Foods and the Gohan Society Present Summer's
Hottest Cook-Off Event in NYC
Four of New York's
hottest chefs will put their tofu technique to the test this July in a "Tofu Around the World" cook-off
event sponsored by House Foods America, a leading U.S. manufacturer of tofu and tofu
products.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 3pm - 5pm
Astor Center, 399
Lafayette St. at East 4th Street
This event is free of charge and open to the public!
To RSVP, send email to: housetofu@dcinyc.com
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