Flatiron

New York City families have a brand-new interactive and educational spot to explore: the Museum of Mathematics. Located in a sleek 19,000-square-foot space across from Madison Square Park, MoMath is the only cultural institution devoted to math in all of North America. At the museum's creative hands-on attractions, elementary and middle-schoolers can experience math in action and also see how math factors into our daily lives. While Jersey City has the Liberty Science Center and Queens has the New York Hall of Science, there really is nothing else like MoMath in Manhattan. It gets kids genuinely excited about math—not always an easy thing to do!

The two-floor museum features 30 interactive experiences that immerse visitors in mathematical concepts in unexpected ways. No boring flash cards or times tables here. Instead, kids can ride on Coaster Rollers or the Square-wheeled Trike, and manipulate the fantastic paraboloid sculpture String Product. Regardless of your child's (or your) math abilities, the Museum of Mathematics consistently engages and surprises visitors.

When it comes to Santa, my children have been around the block once or twice. They've sat on the laps of just about every Kris Kringle in town, making googly-eyes and whispering sweet nothings into their ears, as if each one were the only true Santa in their hearts, when really, they've got a different one in just about every neighborhood. So you've come to the right place to get the skinny on the fat man.

These days, you can find a Santa ho-ho-ho-ing it up at most holiday happenings in New York City. We've rounded up the best spots to pose with the big red guy, from department stores offering swanky photo packages to offbeat one-off events where you can take your own festive pics. Remember, we've got lots more more seasonal fun in our NYC Holiday Guide.

With the awesome annual Brooklyn Book Festival coming up this Sunday, we figured it would be a great time to highlight some of our favorite independent New York City bookstores that cater to kids. Because as much as we love Barnes & Noble, the ubiquitous chain doesn't enchant or inspire in quite the same way as a small homey bookshop, packed to the rafters with eclectic titles and staffed with book lovers who know regulars' names and tastes.

Although there are only a handful of dedicated children's bookshops in NYC (Books of Wonder and Bank Street Bookstore, we're looking at you!), there are a number of non-chain bookstores that have impressive kids' sections. Plus these unique lit havens often host events for kids—not just storytimes, but author readings, writing workshops and other interactive activities for burgeoning bookworms. So what are you waiting for? Get reading!