Allison's blog

Cooking with your child is a great way to spend some quality time together. The hands-on exploration of cooking is not just a great sensory experience, but can also help to get junior interested in what he eats, and might just tempt him out of his hot dog and applesauce comfort zone into the wilds of more exotic flavors. Plus, it's fun. Family cooking activities abound this fall, and we've found some great parent-child cooking workshops and classes for you. Here are a few options.

Are you looking for a last-minute labor day weekend getaway? Or maybe you are organized enough to already be planning a fall weekend trip. If Providence, Rhode Island, doesn’t immediately come to mind as a family-friendly hotspot, maybe it should. This medium-sized town is hopping with fun, arty activities that even “been there, done that” New York kids and their parents will approve. 

Providence is a three-hour straight-shot up the I-95. If you prefer to leave the driving to someone else, Megabus is launching direct service from Manhattan to Providence, starting August 25. These double-decker, WiFi-equipped buses are an eco-friendly way to travel, and the views from the top-deck should please the kids. To launch the new service, there will be plenty of bargain-priced tickets for sale over the next few weeks. 

Here are 5 cool things to do with kids in Providence, Rhode Island’s Creative Capital.

You're in Central Park with the kids and haven't packed a lunch.  What are your food options when hunger strikes?  It used to be tough to find much in the park other than pretzels, hot dogs and ice cream.  City food staples?  Yes.  Healthy or yummy? Not so much.  Now, thankfully, there are some better, and healthier, places to grab a bite and refuel in between your playground hopping.  Here's a look at some food stops now open around Central Park and some that are coming soon.

What's the best baby shower gift for a friend who is having a baby? In my opinion, skip the cute onesie and BRING FOOD.  A healthy, home-cooked meal delivered to a new mom's door, ready to eat, is an amazing gift any time, but especially when you’re trying to adjust to one of life’s curve balls. I remember my mother bringing foil-covered lasagnas to neighbors after a birth or death in the family.  Now our generation is continuing that awesome tradition with the help of a modern resource: online meal registries which make organizing deliveries amongst friends much easier.

Perhaps you've read about some of the great amusement parks around NYC and are dying to go, but if you don't have a car the trills may seem out of reach. No need to fret, we've got you in mind with this post. You can keep your commitment to public transportation (or a greener lifestyle) and still have all the fun. Here are four amusement parks accessible from New York City that are guaranteed to increase the thrills, without increasing your carbon footprint.

If you spend your days toddling around the city with a toddler, the Upper West Side is a perfect place to let them explore.  Sandwiched between two amazing parks are tons of places to enjoy with your little ones in this neighborhood that may just be as family-friendly as they come in NYC.  I’ve been touring the Upper West Side with my one-and-a-half-year old 10 fun-filled blocks at a time and sharing my recommended itineraries for parents and toddlers.  We’ve already tackled the 60s and 70s, so this time we’re toddling our way through the West 80s.   It seems everywhere you turn there is something fun for families in this corner of the city,  but these are our top 10 finds starting south and walking north.

My jogging stroller has been doing a lot more strolling than jogging until I recently signed up for a pair of "stroller workout" classes here in NYC.  I strapped on my sneakers and strapped in my one-and-a-half-year-old to try them out.  Here's what we learned about stroller fitness classes in the city, what to expect, and some tips for making these workouts work for you and your child.

We love exploring neighborhoods with our toddler.  It gives you a whole new view of NYC. My 1-and-a-half-year-old and I have been exploring every square inch from Columbus Circle up to 100th Street, coming up with itineraries in 10-block stretches for parents and toddlers. We recenly posted about 10 toddler-friendly spots in the West 60s and this week we've dug up 10 cool finds in the West 70's.

Find out what to do, where to eat and how to have fun on the Upper West Side with your tyke in tow:

For young children, a ride on a carousel’s painted pony, a spin with Mom or Dad around the track in a bumper car, and the dripping swirl of frozen custard are the stuff that summer memories are made of. No need to seek out the newest, scariest, highest tech roller coaster. Rides that may look kind and gentle to big people provide the right amount of thrills for little ones. Get your family in gear to head out to one of these manageable-sized theme parks.

Ah toddlers, so full of energy and always on the go, much like our beloved NYC!  I've been getting a unique new view of my neighborhood on the Upper West Side through a toddler's eyes with my one-and-a-half-year-old.  It's a very child-friendly area from Columbus Circle at 59th Street Columbus all the way up to 100th Street.   You're sandwiched between two amazing parks, but there are loads of other places to explore as well.  So we're taking you and your toddler on a tour of the Upper West Side, 10 fun-filled blocks at a time. There will be lots of child-friendly play spaces and food options,  and a little something for the adults to enjoy along the way too.  In this first part of the series we tackle the West 60's. Here we go!