Swimming lessons are some of the most popular classes for New York City kids. And, while perhaps you were taught by being thrown in the water and allowed to figure out how to not drown, today's approach is much gentler. I mean, geez, who would pay for that?

Swimming classes start for children as early as newborns, with Mommy and Me Swim Classes, and continue with Group Lessons, Private Swim Lessons, or you might even consider a Swim Team. With all the options (and often high prices) of learning how to swim, it can be difficult to know what class is right for your (soon-to-be) Nemo. Your child’s age, skill level and your own expectations are the key determining factors.

The New York Public Library has put out a list of recommended children's books for Women's History Month. I guess that would be March.  I love books that feature clever, brave heroines any time of year.

Check out their list and here are some of my all time favorite books about cool girls:

Last month I wrote about play spaces where you can drop in and pay for play, but how about places where you can drop in and not pay? There are still some great places that welcome you to play for free and we've rounded up 5 good ones below. Of course, you should also check out our list of free times at NYC museums so you don't miss out on things like pay what you wish Thursdays at the Children's Museum of the Arts.

Where to play for free indoors with NYC kids:

There's lots going on in the world of schools right now, whether you're a parent looking to apply to public Pre-K, Kindergarten or just hearing back from the private schools. And there's lots to be concerned about with radical budget cuts threatening the quality of public school education, teachers getting laid off and class sizes growing. On the up side, there are going to be lots of new schools opening next year. Find out more about them and all this other news, and what you can do to make your voice heard for our kids. Plus we've got an update on the scooters for schools and the winners to our scooter giveaway below.

Well, now even the cave dwellers are feeling the recession.  That has to be proof positive that we’re in tough times.  In Missouri, a Cave Home is facing foreclosure, so they’ve naturally put it up for sale on Ebay.  It even has a stage that Ted Nugent played on once.  Really? Wow.  In happier news links, take a look at the portfolio of a ten-year-old graffiti artist some are calling the new Banksy, excerpts from the latest Michelle Obama interview (love her more and more…), 15 graceful ways to say no (but go ahead and say yes to reading them), and the NY Times coverage of Brooklyn’s newest top foodies.  Checkit!

Comedian Louis C.K.'s humorous rant on Conan about the "spoiled idiots" we are that we take the amazing progress of our generation for granted and whine about the most minor inconveniences from brand new technologies that we didn't even know existed 10 seconds ago.

Will our current economic crisis teach us a little bit of perspective? And is technology saving us or ruining us? What do you think?

Who cares if Spring hasn't sprung? This weekend is the BAM kids film festival and the beginning of the New York International Children's Film Festival. I feel lucky to be going to the Film & Food: NYICFF Benefit Event on Sunday afternoon where we will get to see the new Wallace and Gromit movie, A Matter of Loaf and Death, as well as other food related kid shorts and an international feast. (I'll twitter to KidBuzzNY to let you know how it is).

The Benefit is a pricey ticket, but the films in both festivals are all priced reasonably and in keeping with what you'd pay to see any movie in a theater. But that's just the tip of the iceberg, there's lots more going on this weekend and I've rounded up the best of the bunch here:

Kick scooters are great for New York City kids. We do a lot of walking, which can be hard on little legs and wearisome. I have one of those little guys who would whine with every step and I'd find myself dragging him down the street having to laugh off all the people that were giving me those bad mom glares (oh if they only knew). Got him a scooter and viola, now I can barely keep up with him.

But finding the right scooter took a while. At three we got him a three wheel toddler scooter that didn't work very well and at four, while he was too big for that, he still couldn't handle a two wheeled scooter. Then we discovered the Micro Mini Kick and the new Micro Maxi Kick Scooters.

Read on to find out how you could win a new Micro Maxi Scooter or get one for your school fundraising auction or raffle.