Poe Cottage

Submitted by Erin on

Located at Kingsbridge Road and the Grand Concourse, the Edgar Allen Poe Cottage is truly a unique sight to see in the Bronx. Surrounded by bustling traffic and towering apartment buildings, the simple white structure is like a relic from another time. Perhaps the best thing about visiting the Poe Cottage with kids is its size. The cottage is teeny tiny, which means it’s perfect for fidgety kids who don’t do well with long, drawn out tours of historical sites. Tours of the cottage are $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Stay tuned… the best is yet to come for the Poe Cottage. It is slated for a $250,000 restoration and will soon get a $3.2 million, 2,000 square foot visitor center! These improvements are a fitting tribute to the nearly 200-year-old cottage where it is believed Poe penned “The Bells,” “Annabel Lee,” and Eureka.” Click here to visit Poe Cottage’s website. If you’re looking to pair your visit to the Poe Cottage with another outing, consider visiting the new Bronx Library Center, which is just around the block. We affectionately refer to it as a “library on steroids.”

Wednesday Quick Hits: New Meaning for a Smoking Jacket, Lunch Bag Art, The Moth, Table Manners for Kids and More!

Submitted by Jodi on

While my son's lunchboxes are getting more and more uh...personality (?) with each day, I've found a man that actually does give some character to his children's lunch bags.  He decorates a new one every day, with input from the kids.  They are awesome and I'm betting those kids are the ones everyone else wants to sit next to.  Also, today - speaking of food - how about finding a site devoted to the most delicious and disgusting food combinations entitled “This is Why You're Fat”.  It's at least good for 5 seconds of laughter/disgust.  And to stimulate you cerebrally and creatively, I submit Fiona Carswell.  She's awesome, and that's all I'm telling you about her.  If you don't take the time to check out her thought provoking and incredibly creative projects, it is truly your loss.  These links and more brought to you today by ME!  So go check them out, yo!

Inspiration from Sascha and Malia, Dad Breastfeeding Rampage, Free Food in Prospect Park, More

Anna Fader's picture Submitted by Anna Fader on

The New York City twitter stream never sleeps and the great tweets just keep coming. I feel kind of silly retweeting these online when you should all just be following me and kidbuzzny on twitter and seeing them as they happen, but I know not everyone has made the leap o tweet. I guess that makes me an enabler.

Keep reading for some great tips from our tweeps, including workshops for people trying to start their own businesses, a free foraging expedition in Prospect Park, the new/retro "anniversary edition" Little People house, the breastfeeding brawl going down with some daddy bloggers, emergency bathroom finder iPhone app and more.

Monday Quick Hits: Toxic Kid Shampoos, Studio Living, Big Love and Mad Mormons, More

Submitted by Jodi on

If you think you are the only "worst parent ever," take heart. I think we all get verbally abused by our little dictators. One dad has decided to document his tiny tyrant's critiques on his art work on a blog. It's hilarious...and reassuring. Also, bad product ideas, what's making Mormons mad, the scent of Brooklyn, toxic baby shampoos, and the virtues of living in a studio with kids.

Baking My Way Through the Recession: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

Anna Fader's picture Submitted by Anna Fader on

Everyone is feeling the strain of the economy, whether they have been directly affected or tangentially. And, I suppose, we are all dealing with it in our own ways. Me, I'm baking my way through the economic crisis.

You might think that makes sense. Cooking at home and baking save money. But I think the real reason I've taken solace at my stove is that it reassures me. If I can bake, then everything is OK. If I can bake, then how can my life not be great? If I've made homemade granola bars for healthy after-school snacks, then how can I not be doing a good job as a mom? Plus, there's nothing to reduce stress like the smell of warm baked goods in your home. How could anything be wrong when your house smells like melting chocolate?

Today I'm sharing a recipe for my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins. These are delicious. Plus they are low fat and have lots of healthy protein and vitamins. Or as my friend, Katia says, "they're basically delicious muffin-shaped power bars." The recipe makes a whopping 36 muffins. Freeze some for later.

Easy, Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe

New York Botanical Garden

Submitted by Erin on

The New York Botanical has not one, but two gardens designed especially for kids. Both the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden and the Ruth Rea Howell Family Garden provide supervised, hands-on activities to introduce children to the science of horticulture. Perhaps the best part about a trip to NYBG is that it’s a truly perfect family outing any time of the year. For those long, cold winter weekends, the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden provides a warm, cozy indoor space for kids’ activities, and the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is always a balmy, tropical temperature. During the summer, the acres and acres of lush, green grass provides the perfect setting for kids to run around and explore. A must-see exhibition for all families is the Holiday Train Show, which takes place each December/January and features tons of NYC landmarks recreated entirely out of plants and natural materials. If you’re looking to visit NYBG on a budget, plan on going on any Wednesday of the year when a “grounds only” pass is free. Please note, NYBG is closed each Monday throughout the year, except holidays. Click here to check out our past coverage of the Train Show.

St Patrick's Day Parade, Events and Activities for NYC Kids 2009

Anna Fader's picture Submitted by Anna Fader on

Even though the St Patrick's Day Parade is NYC's biggest and most popular parade, it's never appealed to me much. Maybe it was the years of working in Mid-Town and seeing the streets littered with plastic beer cups at lunchtime that turned me off. Or the blaring bag pipes and drunken college students might have soured me on it as a kid-friendly event.

But St Patrick's Day is still a great excuse to celebrate Irish culture with some cool events and activities where kids can earn Irish dance steps and music, learn the Irish mother tongue and hunt for leprechauns. Check out some cool St Patrick's Day events and learn about an alternative St. Patrick's Day Parade.

FREE NYC Kids Events and Activities for this Weekend

Anna Fader's picture Submitted by Anna Fader on

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The forecast for this weekend? Sunny, not too cold and a 100% chance of cool events for kids in NYC. Be on the lookout for an amazing performing arts festival, a craft market and Jim Henson-inspired retro show for kids (and their nostalgic parents), 2 great excuses to head to the Bronx, and a hike where kids will search for leprechauns (if that won't get your kids to go hiking I don't know what will).

Here's the best of the weekend activities for each of the five boroughs:

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