Gardening with Kids: Classes, Events, and Volunteer Opportunities in New York City

In a recent post we asked readers to leave questions for us as their entry into our giveaway. You all left lots of great questions and, while some of the answers are inexplicable (like why they haven't built a walking bridge over the Hudson River to NJ), we are going to try to go through them an answer as many of them as we can. If you have a question you'd like us to try to answer, send it to us.

kmaloy asks: Are there any gardening classes for kids outside of the NY Botanical Garden?

Good question. We actually wrote about gardening classes almost exactly one year ago, so it's high time to update it. Of course, the New York Botanical Garden and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden both offer great gardening classes, but there are a couple of other places to learn garden with kids in NYC also. In addition to gardening classes, there are many community gardens, gardening events and volunteer opportunities where kids can dig in and get planting. Here's what we found:

Meddling Kids Always Messing with My Melancholia

We saw these at an animation shorts screening at the 92nd St. Y in Tribeca. There are four animation which consist of Swedish philosopher, Strindberg, waxing melancholic while his sidekick bubble, Helium, mimics him. Somehow the whole thing reminds me of how kids force us to keep it real. Agonyyyyyyy!

Free NYC Weekend Events for Kids April 17-19: Old School Street Fun, Carnivals, Earth Day, Movies, Swap and More

It is finally starting to feel like spring, so there is no reason to be cooped up this weekend! We’ve got plenty of free ways for you to take advantage of the 60 degree weather—from taking it back to the streets to celebrating the planet. Many of the best happenings this weekend are in honor of Earth Day, and can be found in our Earth Day post.

Read on for events that let you reminisce of your childhood while sharing a piece of it with the kids (by playing in the streets), learn about the inspiring life of a famous composer, play outside carnival-style, score free admission into the galleries at the MoMa, count bees and more. Whew! Sounds like a jam-packed weekend to me...

5 Reasons to Vacation in the Suburbs

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Lake house near Jefferson Valley in Northern Westchester

For parents, summer planning can get tricky, especially when you find yourself trying to negotiate the different needs of children and spouses. One spouse may have more flexibility in the summer and the other may not. Or maybe you have one child who is ready for camp, but another who is not. One secret solution is to vacation in a nearby suburb. "Ah, vacationing in the suburbs" you say, "how divine...I mean pathetic." If you are imagining postage stamp lawns and ranch houses, then you are missing out. You can find everything you expect from a vacation in the country, plus the convenience of being closer to the city in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider taking your summer vacation in the suburbs:

The Case Against Dr. Sears, Disney Filming in NYC, DOE Bans Sweets, Why Moms Worry, More

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Haven't done a links post in a while, so lots to catch up on, like where to possibley catch a glimpse of Nicholas Cage filming the latest Disney creation, what the DOE is doing to try to reduce childhood obesity, what moms worry about (everything), the case against Dr. Sears (and everything else), cool new craft site, the cute little robot who could, and more free ways to entertain your kids at home. Check it out:

Celebrating Earth Day and Month in New York with 12 Kid-Friendly Activities

April 22 is Earth Day, but you don’t have to confine your celebrating to just that one date: This year, many places are scheduling environmentally-themed events throughout the month with lots of great family-friendly activities. Learn about the environment, how to live more greenly, volunteer to green up New York, or just celebrate the Earth and have fun. Here are some suggestions for Earth Day/Month activities to do with the kids in NYC:

Spring Nature Activities in NYC: Hawks, Flowering Trees and Worms!

Springtime is when the nature in NYC makes itself most obvious to us city kids. While frequently we can be oblivious to the nature all around us, in Spring you can't help but notice the flowering trees, the buds bursting from the earth and, possibly even some wildlife. It's a great time to take your little urbanites to the park and observe the magic of nature at work. Here are some great ways to take in nature in the city this Spring, with places to see red-tailed hawk nests, flowering trees and earthworms.

Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art

Staten Island may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of Tibet, but the only Himalayan temple-style building in the whole U.S. calls the borough home. 

The museum opened in 1947 and houses the private collection of Jacques Marchais, which is the largest collection of Tibetan art in the West. It is on a lovely little hillside, with meditation gardens all around.

In addition to the extensive permanent collection of religious statues and objects, bronze figures and other art and paintings, the Tibetan Portrait: The Power of Compassion exhibit just opened. Tibetan Portrait has portraits, interactive displays and other objects to show the tradition and beliefs of the Tibetan people, and emphasizes cultural understanding and religious tolerance. It also highlights photographic portraits of Tibetan people (from everyday people to the Dalai Lama) by renowned contemporary artist, Phil Borges.

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