Toddling the Upper West Side: 10 Things to do in 10 Blocks with your Toddler in the West 80s

If you spend your days toddling around the city with a toddler, the Upper West Side is a perfect place to let them explore.  Sandwiched between two amazing parks are tons of places to enjoy with your little ones in this neighborhood that may just be as family-friendly as they come in NYC.  I’ve been touring the Upper West Side with my one-and-a-half-year old 10 fun-filled blocks at a time and sharing my recommended itineraries for parents and toddlers.  We’ve already tackled the 60s and 70s, so this time we’re toddling our way through the West 80s.   It seems everywhere you turn there is something fun for families in this corner of the city,  but these are our top 10 finds starting south and walking north.

Weekend Events and Free Things To Do for New York City Kids July 24-25, 2010

Summer's almost half over? I've spent so many summers in an office where you barely know it's summer at all. But living in New York City, each weekend can be a mini-vacation. This weekend take advantage of the water all around us at the City of Water Festival, or head to the beach for a sand-sculpting contest. Not traveling the world this summer? In New York the world comes to you. Soak up some culture: Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Gospel, theater and art.

It's going to be crazy hot again so you might want to head to Chelsea Waterside Park for some sprinkler action, the new Pier 6 playground or another great sprinkler park. Or at least feel the gentle breeze of one the city's best carousels. If you're heading out of the city, stop at a local farm to pick your own produce in NJ or LI. This weekend NJ events include a couple of county fairs (love them) and even a hot air balloon festival.

We've picked out all the fun things to do, all you have to do is pick your activities, grab your kids and go!

Long Island Weekend Round -Up of Events July 24th-25th

Whether you’re in the mood for surrounding yourself with nature or relaxing while watching a production, you’ll find great activities happening this weekend on Long Island. And if you want the best of both worlds you can gather the family and stake out a piece of grass to watch one of two productions while simultaneously enjoying the great outdoors.

 


Alice in Wonderland

The Vanderbilt Museum Carriage House
180 Little Neck Road
Centerport
631.854.5579
Saturday, July 24th and Sunday, July 25th, 2PM

Join Alice and the unusual creatures she encounters on her journey in Wonderland in this production by the Arena Players. Tickets are $10; Call in advance to reserve tickets.

Butterfly House Program
Sweetbriar Nature Center
62 Eckernkamp Drive
Smithtown
631.979.6344
Saturday, July 24th, Sunday July 25th, 12PM-1PM

Surround yourself with over 200 butterflies and learn about the life cycle of these beautiful creatures. Children may participate in making a butterfly craft. The fee is $3 for adults and $2 for children.

 

Animal Olympics
Caleb Smith State Park Preserve Nature Museum
581 West Jericho Turnpike
Smithtown
631.265.1054
Saturday, July 24th, 10AM-11:30AM

Compete by using skills that animals need to survive in the environment. The cost is $3 per child. As with all New York State Park events, there is a charge for parking.

 

Children’s Summer Theater – Suffolk County
Heckscher State Park
East Islip
631.321.3510
Saturday, July 24th, 2PM

Make a run for a magical afternoon! This summer theater production features magician James Lazzarini in the “Magic of Amore.” Call for additional details. As with all New York State Park events, there is a charge for parking.

  

Moon River Walk
Connetquot River State Park Preserve
Box 505
Oakdale
631.581.1072
Saturday, July 24th, 8PM-10PM

See the beauty of the preserve at night. All ages are invited to join in a 3 mile guided walk along trails in and along the Connetquot River. The fee for adults is $4 and $3 for children. As with all New York State Park events, there is a charge for parking.

 

Children’s Summer Theater – Nassau County
Hempstead Lake State Park
West Hempstead
516.766.1029
Sunday, July 25th, 2PM

Bring your blankets and chairs! Watch as the traditional English puppet show, The Tragical Comedy of Punch and Judy is performed in a beautiful park environment. As with all New York State Park events, there is a charge for parking.

 

 

NJ Weekend Events July 24-25: County Fairs, Hot Air Balloons & Family Fun

Forget the Jersey Shore!  This weekend there are festivals galore throughout New Jersey, so leave your bathing suit at home!  Check out the animals, lumberjacks, and racing bigs at the Monmouth County Fair or Morris County 4-H Fair. Take a hot air balloon ride or just enjoy the view from the ground at the NJ Festival of Ballooning.  The Karavan of Kids is a day of fun activities, performances and entertainment including a baseball game.  Animal enthusiasts can spend a Family Fun Day at Monmouth Park complete with pony rides, music, and face painting or learn how to be a zookeeper at Space Farms Annual Junior Zookeeper Day.  And Liberty Park is hosting City of Water Day with kayak tours, bird watching and more. Can't bear to leave the Shore?  How about concluding your trip to the beach with an ice cream sundae and Cabaret at the Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe...

Summer Children's Theater on Long Island

There’s nothing better than live theater to ignite our children’s imaginations. Here on Long Island, we are lucky to have a wide variety of theater venues. During the summer, we also have the opportunity to enjoy some of this fine theater in the great outdoors. So grab a blanket, pack a snack, and have fun. The most difficult part, figuring out whether to watch the show, or watch your young one watching the show.

An Awesome Day in New York City - Things to Do in Southern Central Park

I know it is lame to write about having an awesome day in Central Park but the park has been host to just so many fun filled summer days for me and my son that I find it difficult to think of anyplace else.  Like any other day I still have a plan and an itinerary, because if you don’t, the park is so huge you could wind up wandering too far in one direction or another to get home easily. Read on for the deets on one of the many awesome days in and around Central Park, and then go have one for yourself.

We're sharing our awesome days of summer with you. We hope you'll share yours with us. Send in a description of an awesome day you had (with pictures) We'll post the best ones and you could even win an awesome Flip Video Camera.
 

Things to do this Weekend in New York City for Families and Kids - July 17-18, 2010: Concerts, Design, Museums and Art

If your kids are like my kid they are likely getting a little antsy after the two rainy days this week, so make sure you plan something extra fun for them this weekend.  How about the 63rd annual Macy’s fishing contest in Prospect Park that is running through the weekend?  Another retail giant, Target, is not only paying your families admission at a bunch of New York City’s best museums and performance spaces but they are also offering special family programming at many of them, too, as part of the Target: Arts and Wonder weekend.  Also going on around town this weekend you will find a  cool DYI program at The NY Hall of Science, family day at the Jewish Museum, shopping for cool indie kicks for your little one, arts at the zoo and a whole lot more.

This week we told you about some new museum exhibits that the kids will really dig, where to cool down at some of the best ice cream spots for the picky eater set and what to do for a day of fun in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park - all great weekend activities. 

Don’t forget our post on 100 free things to do this summer, The Mommy Poppins Summer Fun Guide and our Events Calendar with new and improved search capabilities -- useful tools to keep the kids happy, enriched and busy all summer. 

Have a great weekend.  Keep cool (and dry!)

NJ Weekend Events July 17-18: FREE celebrations of National Ice Cream Day, Summer Sailing, Butterfly and Family Festivals!

Ronald Reagan developed National Ice Cream Day in 1984 as a national holiday?! Who knew?! Well, we can’t imagine what else you would want to be doing this weekend except eating ice cream in honor of your country, but we’ll give you a few other options, you know, in case you’re lactose intolerant or something. You could also enjoy a live butterfly release or even venture into Manhattan for the mother of all family festivals, Global Family Day. Or maybe you could do all of these, ice cream cone in hand. Enjoy!

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