NYC as Classroom

Let me put it out there that I'm not a big fan of war, but I am intrigued by the arrival of the brand new, not yet commissioned, USS New York in our harbor. This is not something that happens every day and, I have to say, reading about this ship, it's pretty interesting.

By now you probably have all your Halloween events and activities down. Trick or treating, maybe a Halloween costume parade, maybe even a haunted house, if you dare.

How about mixing something a little multicultural into your celebrations? El Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is the Mexican version of Halloween, and a time to celebrate the lives of friends and family members who have passed away with festivities, food and fun.

Sure, New York City is expensive, but think how much money you save by not having to travel all the way to India with your kids to experience the culture and customs of Diwali. Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights and New Year, is a time to celebrate good fortune, family and friendships. While October 17, 2009 is the official holiday date, there are events and activities for kids to celebrate Diwali in New York as early as this week. Enjoy performances of the story of Diwali, create traditional decorations to take home, eat yummy Indian foods at Diwali Mela street fairs...all you need is a Metrocard and a sense of curiosity.

Here are some fun Diwali activities and events for kids in New York City:

Four hundred years ago Henry Hudson and his Dutch ship, the Halve Maen ("Half Moon") arrived at what is now New York Harbor. This week, from September 8-13, NY400 celebrates the anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage with a sea of events culminating in NY Harbor Day on Sunday, September 13th. NY400 Week gives New Yorkers a chance to immerse themselves in Dutch culture, New York history and lots of fun stuff long the way. Here are some highlights:

On any given night, it can be hard to find a visible star, let alone a constellation, here in the City. With all of the ambient light, you might think it's near impossible to do any star gazing at all. But even with the neon signs and lights, there are amateur astronomy clubs that gather weekly and find wonders in the nighttime skies, not to mention the university observatories that are open to the public.

We recently visited the newly renovated Sony Wonder Technology Lab and by the end of the visit this great venue had shot up to the top of our list of must visit spots for kids in New York City. The Sony Wonder Technology Lab has always been a great find, with free movie screenings and a fun children's museum with interactive exhibits. But the new renovation and exhibits leap-frog the Sony Wonder Technology Lab to the forefront of NYC children's museums for kids.

New York is full of great children's museums, but the Sony Wonder Technology Lab does one thing really, really well that none of the other children's museums in New York City currently do: it teaches kids about the stuff they want to learn about most, technology.

Experience random acts of fun at the Come Out and Play Festival, a free New York City street game festival running from June 12-14. This event turns the city into a giant playground, with everything from a photo hunt to a jump roping contest. It's not about winning, but about rediscovering the city through play and play through the city. Although Come Out and Play isn't just for kids, there's lots of fun family friendly games that kids will enjoy as much as you will.

Here are some games from the Come Out and Play Festival that are fun for kids: 

With 16 schools now officially closed due to the swine flu epidemic and some more parents starting to keep their kids home in a preventative measure, over 10,000 children are at home this week, and probably more to come.We always wonder what we can do to help when New York CIty families are in crisis. So, we decided to try to help by doing what we do best: providing interesting and educational activity ideas for kids to do while out of school.

One of the themes of this site is that New York CIty is a classroom in and of itself, with wonderful enriching opportunities all around us that can teach children even more than they might learn in a school. If you have the ability, take advantage of these days off to get the most out of this amazing city.

Of course, the point of closing the schools is to stop the spread of the flu, so stay home and make sure your child isn't sick or incubating the flu before venturing out. If your child has signs of flu, is sneezing or coughing, they should stay home (we have lots of activities to do at home too). And everyone should be covering their coughs and sneezes and washing hands frequently.

We think of New York City as the "real" world, but then there's that other real world: the one where our food is grown and our clothes are made. We can be fairly isolated from these everyday realities. But even in New York, there are ample opportunities to learn about where things come from.

This weekend is Sheep Shearing Weekend with a couple of events to learn about how wool is turned from a sheep's winter coat into the fabric that makes our clothes and other things. Find a sheep shearing event in the city or drive out for one in the 'burbs. For extra credit check out an art exhibit about felt that takes it to the next step to show how wool is made into felt and many beautiful objects made from felt.

I've decided to homeschool my kids by traveling around the world and letting them learn through exposure to different cultures and experiences. What could be a better education than that? Our first stop on this amazing voyage will be Tibet where we will explore the Himalayas, learn traditional art-forms, get to see first-hand the creation of a Tibetan mandala, learn TIbetan calligraphy, children's games and more. It will be a most enriching experience for my kids and for myself.

Of course, leaving New York is kind of a hassle, and the kids kind of like going to school, so we'll do this homeschooling in New york City and on the weekends. Thanks to The Rubin Museum of Art's Family Day this weekend, we can travel to Tibet to experience the art and culture without having to give up our takeout or DSL.

Rubin Museum of Art Family Day: Celebrate Tibet in New York