Using MeetUp.com to Make New Mom and Dad Friends

If I had to give one piece of advice to a new parent in NYC, or anywhere for that matter, it would have nothing to do with stroller choice or sleep schedules. It would be to find a parents group and find it fast.

Being a new mother (or father) in NYC can be surprisingly isolaing. There's people all around, but it's hard to actually meet other new parents and we need that essential support network of mommy and daddy friends here in the city more than anyone. While there are lots of resrources, from community groups to fee-based classes or clubs, what worked wonders for this Manhattan mom was the internet, specifically Meetup.com.

Weekly Reader: Helping Earthquake Victims, City of The Future, Digital Photo Disaster, Muppet Mayhem, More

All the news you missed in print.

While we were busy playing in the snow, the news kept going on around us. Find out the big news stories you may have missed, how to help the vicims of Chile's earthquake, what to do about all your digital photos, the power of touch, the city of the future, a new ice creak shop in Brooklyn, some celebrity news and a fun muppet video.


40 Places to Breastfeed Your Baby in New York City

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.

Snow Day Fun: Snow Painting and Snow Gems

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.

Weekend Events for NYC Kids Feb 26-28: Festivals and Purim, Arts Beyond crafts, Free Movies, Sports and More

This slushy weekend promises to be two things: wet and fabulous. Celebrate Purim, two children's film festivals, the BAMkids Film Festival and the NYCIFF, plus 3 really cool arts & crafts events that put popsicle sticks to shame (though, you can still totally love them), free movies to keep you inside and warm, an African Dance, Nordic Halloween, accessible Shakespeare and way more!

Oh, and don't forget, it's your last chance to enter our giveaway for the Mary Poppins VIP Experience on Broadway.

New Park Slope Armory YMCA is Cheap with Lots of Classes for Kids

We've been dying to check out the newest YMCA location that just opened to the public at the Park Slope Armory. We finally got over there to check it out. The great new space has lots of unique offerings for families and is really inexpensive. Find out what all the hubbub is about:

Cool New Museum Exhibit for Kids: A T. rex Named Sue

A boy named Sue?  Maybe.  But then again, maybe not. No one knows for sure the gender of any of the 22 T-Rex fossils found to date.  There simply aren’t enough of them for scientists to study this trait.  This is just one of the many interesting tidbits we uncovered at the Liberty Science Center's special return engagement of the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex ever found.

The exhibit, A T rex Named Sue, is particularly good at presenting aspects of these pre-historic animals in a child friendly, easy to understand, way by using interactive, hands-on displays. In fact, the displays are so cool and there are quite a lot of them, that the kids might actually overlook the massive, 42 foot long dinosaur skeleton in the room.

Indoor Winter Fun at your Favorite Summer Spots

Last Saturday, surprisingly, my family put on our winter clothes and headed to Coney Island. The Cyclone may have been closed for the season and the stores in and around the boardwalk may have been even more boarded up than normal (which is saying something), but Nathan’s was still open with plenty of warm indoor seats. The boardwalk was freezing but had a certain serene beauty to it not always present at Coney Island.  But the main attraction of Coney Island in winter was the Aquarium, a destination we generally think of as a summer spot. 

Coney Island and the Aquarium aren’t the only summer destinations that can be a great winter destination as well, here are some fun options:

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