Marcy's blog

Last week we wrote about some great places to do kids crafts for free in New York City as the first in a series of posts about NYC kids crafts. This week we've got another great crafting option for you to try: painting your own pottery. It's fun, anyone can do it and you get to take home something special at the end.

The great thing about crafts is that anyone can do them. all ages, year-round, in any weather, and you don't have to sign up for an expensive class. Not only is doing crafts fun for kids, but it's good for them too. If you read our recent post about sensory toys for kids, you know how important it is for kids to do crafts to help prepare them for writing.

So what could be better than free craft classes and workshops? We've rounded up some great places to do kids crafts for free. And, we love crafts so much, we've got a whole series of crafts posts coming up for you, so stay tuned for lots more great finds.

In New York State, legally, you can nurse in public anywhere you want, but knowing you’re protected under the law doesn't always make it easy. The great thing about breastfeeding is that you don't need much, but a comfy chair, a quiet spot, maybe even a little privacy certainly make nursing on the go a little more pleasant.

Finding a good place to breastfeed your baby in New York City can be a challenge. We asked moms from all over the city for their secret nursing spots and got the goods on where to go and tips on which places have extra benefits, like some toys on hand for older children to play with while they wait.

The flurry of city snow flakes might make you feel like popsicled parents and even your French bulldog might be in a snit about the salt on her tender tootsies, but it's "the more the merrier" when it comes to kids and those billowy drifts of white. Snow days are sure to be some of the lasting memories for your child, get out there as much as you can (as long as it is safe). But if the snowballs lose their luster, the snowman falls down and or maybe your child is really too young to do those things anyway, we have some ideas for colorful ways to enjoy the snow with kids.

Whereas folded paper origami is pretty much a household word nowadays with those delicate little animals and boats taking center stage at craft shows and kiddie cultural events, cut paper arts have never quite made it into the spotlight. Until now. For  luckily cut paper's the new star of the Museum of Art and Design's (MAD) latest show, Slash: Paper Under the Knife. 

With giant cardboard sculptures, intricate cut paper designs, amazing pop-ups, and other unique paper creations, both children and adults will marvel at the many ingenious paper works and wonder that something as simple as paper can be used in so many different ways to create such different works. It's a very cool show even for little kids so don't let the somewhat surgical and slightly ominous title dissuade you from taking your gang.

Read on for highlights of the show and activity ideas:
 

Not too long ago we covered How to Choose and Use a Baby Carrier in New York City in our Baby Guide, but now that it’s cold outside, with more frosty weather to come, you'll want to learn how to keep warm and toasty while wearing a baby carrier (since that old maternity coat isn’t going to stretch around a sling for too much longer!).

With a Bang! and a Grrrr! kids will love to ring in (and gong in) the Year of the Tiger on Chinese Lunar New Year, February 14th, 2010. Whether you cheer on lion dancers, follow the dragon in the parade, or go out for yummy dumplings (or make them in a fun workshop), we’ve got the goods on all that’s happening and where to find it to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year in New York City.

Earlier this week we posted about some very high tech ways to make cool Valentines Day Cards, On the other end of the spectrum, this post shares how you can use your computer to find pretty, free, vintage Valentines Day clip art that you and you kid can use to make beautiful home made Valentines Day Cards with nothing more than red or pink construction paper, a paper doily, a glue stick.

Did you know that you can get free clip art in your inbox every week?

We recently wrote about some wonderful places to Shop for Handmade Toys and Children's Items in New York City. We wanted to complement that list with some other great suggestions where you can buy natural and green toys. What's the difference? While some natural toys are indeed handmade too, others come from eco-certified production facilities. Most importantly, all differ from commercially mass-produced, run-of-the-mill wooden toys in terms of quality, origin, and construction from sustainable, safe, natural, non-synthetic materials.

Even if you're a crackerjack story reader (silly voices, accents and all), most kids appreciate a new face behind even the most familiar books now and then, which is why story times are a swell way to spend an hour or two. Most storytimes are free (or cheap) and some venues also offer other activities or tempting kids' book-browsing, so the fun can continue after reading time ends. 

Luckily, Brooklyn has plenty of regular story time opportunities for kids, but if you're looking for more, check out our earlier post on NYC Story Times (mostly Manhattan). Or add yours to the list in the comments section below.