Preschool

My 2-year-old and I are several weeks into our first school experience, a preschool coop organized by some friends for our children one morning a week.  Over the summer I wrote about the process of planning our coop, and why we chose this option among all of the preschooling choices in NYC.  Now, one month in, I can share some of what’s working and what hasn’t.  Overall, it is a great learning experience for not just the kids but the parents as well.

There is a staggering statistic being bandied around on tree hugger websites lately, that each school aged kid throws out 67 pounds of garbage a year with their home packed lunch. Multiply that by the number of school kids on your block and that is a lot of plastic wrap and juice boxes going into landfills every year.  It doesn’t have to be that way. When my son started full day school last year I made an effort to pack a “waste free lunch”. To my surprise it was easy.  Cutting back on all that trash even saved me money. Now if I could just figure out how to get him to eat what I pack!  

Read on for our tips on how to build a greener and cheaper lunch.

Hard as it is to believe, we enter into August this weekend. Summer's winding down, folks, so get out there with the munchkins and enjoy these last few weekends. If your girl has a thing for Barbies, Ellis Island is exhibiting Barbies from around the world. If your boy has a thing for sharks, it's Shark Week at Adventure Aquarium. And if Mom and Dad are biting some nails over the small ones entering the hallowed halls of education, a trip to the Short Hills Mall to hear an author speak on preschool preparation might be in order. Whatever you choose, kick back and enjoy this last month of summer!

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:

You'd think things would be easier in Brooklyn, but applying to preschool in Brooklyn can be just as challenging , if not more so. Sometimes there just aren't as many choices and preschool admissions can be just as competitive in Brooklyn. But there are always options. Grab your sense of humor and our listings below and find the preschool for you child.

Start with our Overview of Preschool Admissions Process, where we've laid out our take on the real deal with preschool admissions.

You might also like our Classes Guide which lists many cool classes to take with your preschooler.

BROOKLYN PRESCHOOL LISTINGS
See also:   Manhattan Preschool Listings    Queens Preschool Listings