Technology

The bankers and the artists may get all the press, but NYC is a great city for science too. There are many wondrous places in New York where kids can soak up, explore and create scientific knowledge for themselves. From Science Museums, Programs, Shops and more, we've rounded up the best places for kids to get scientific in New York City.

We don't need to tell you that iPhones, iPads and other iThingies are serious kid magnets. Even if you don't have one, you've seen children tapping gleefully on them on buses and subways, and in restaurants.

While we can't help you wrest those devices from their sticky hands, we can offer some app suggestions that have more educational value than Angry Birds. (Not that we don't love Angry Birds.)

My two sons (one school-aged, the other in preschool) and I tried a ton of apps and found seven that we love that are educational, fun and often free.

The web is a beautiful and ever-changing thing. Amidst the web clutter, every once in a while, a cool new web site springs up that is so awesome it's hard to imagine how you lived without it before. We've been keeping our eye on a couple of new ones that are super useful or just plain fun for moms and dads, with great info like finding good family friendly restaurants in NYC (finally!), a tech blog for non-techy mommas, a site just for Jewish moms and one just to make you laugh (till you cry). 
Check 'em out: 

This evening my 7 year old unloaded the dishwasher, swept the kitchen floor, made his bed, picked up his toys, and expressed gratitude in the form of a polite "Thank you for making dinner." I kid you not...and I'm not trying to impress you with my uber mothering either. In fact, this is the first time he ever did some of those things.

The magic behind this household chore windfall was a new app I installed on my iPhone and my son's iPod Touch,

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.