The East 72nd Street playground in Central Park reopened this month, welcoming kids with slides, swings, a redesigned sandbox and climbing structures after an eight-month rehab. The Central Park Conservancy has undertaken a massive playground renovation project with a lofty goal of upgrading all 21 of the park's perimeter playgrounds. 

The playground debuted in 1936! It underwent renovations in 1969 and again in 2000. The current project was more of a facelift than a total overhaul, with improvements focused on increasing accessibility and updating safety standards. We couldn't wait to have a look—and the many happy, romping kids seem to have given their seal of approval.

The New York Mets are headed to the World Series for the first time in 15 years, and much of the city is getting ready to cheer for these often NYC underdogs, sports fan or not. Even if the kids can't stay up for the first pitch (8pm, Tuesday, October 27), there are plenty of ways they can get into baseball spirit and paint the town orange and blue in anticipation of these Queens players bringing back a championship for the first time since 1986.

To mark the occasion, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz will host a pep rally for the public on Monday, October 26—the day before the team squares off with Kansas City in Game 1 of the World Series.

The MTA is pulling out its "Train of Many Colors" to provide special World Series service. Fans (or train buffs!) can catch the train from the Hudson Yards Station at 6:30pm Saturday and Sunday nights. The 11 cars on the train were all built between 1948 and 1964.

Read on for more information on the rally and other fun ways to celebrate the World Series with kids in tow.

Leagues of kids playing Minecraft in movie theaters all over the country? We're thrilled to share our cool new sponsor's unique program! Inspiring kids in STEM subjects is a topic on lots of parental minds (you may even have a tab open to the free coding apps you've been meaning to download), but much of this learning seems to be a solo affair. Super League Gaming takes Minecraft enrichment to a whole new level, bringing kids together to play the mega-popular computer game on big screens at movie theaters nationwide.

New York City just gained a brand-new children's museum. Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling opens to the public on Saturday, October 3 with a FREE kickoff party that includes music, face painting and of course stories and art-making. The museum aims to serve the youngest New Yorkers with a target audience of 3 to 8 years old.

As a Harlem resident, I was especially excited about this new space and, after getting a sneak peek, I'm delighted to welcome it to the nabe.

Good news for budding Makers everywhere: A nationwide series of Mini Maker Faires will arrive in NYC this fall. A partnership between Barnes & Noble and Make: Magazine will bring mini workshops that encourage kids to experiment with technology like robotics and 3D printing to city stores November 6-8.

Of course, don't forget that the massive World Maker Faire kicks off on Saturday, September 26, in Queens at the New York Hall of Science. (It's a Mommy Poppins September GoList and top weekend event pick.) 

A weekend workshop is one thing, but Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to make sure NYC kids have access to computer science every day with a new city school initiative. Read on for the scoop on this and other parenting news this week, including Midtown's new food hall and the best ways to navigate city streets during the pope's visit.

Calling all the little literary lovers: Brooklyn Heights is the place to be this weekend as the Brooklyn Book Festival debuts its very first Children's Day, an all-day, FREE reading festival with top children's book authors and illustrators. The outdoor event kicks off on Saturday, September 19, in downtown Brooklyn the day before the adult version of the lit fest takes place.

Expect two stages of non-stop storytimes, a fast-paced illustration face-off, music and workshops, and with readings from pop-up books to Mad Libs and chapter books, there's something here for the toddlers on up to the teens. No wonder this event made our September GoList and Weekend Event picks!

This week marked back-to-school for the 1.1 million children in NYC public schools, as well as many private-school counterparts, and the 2015-2016 academic year brings with it no shortage of new systems to master and even new holidays! For example, the DOE's new parent portal we told you about last spring—NYC Schools Account—is now up and running!

Parents will find students' test scores, attendance records and report cards (in 10 languages) in the new portal, which is accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone—a major improvement over its predecessor. You'll need an activation code handed out by your child's school to access the personalized, free account page. All the instructions and required documents can be found on the schools account page.

Read on for more school news and updates throughout NYC.

New York City kids are privy to some of the best museums in the world, and this week, the city's cultural institutions seemed to be trying to outdo one another with great family programming.

The New York Hall of Science launched a suite of apps poised to bring STEM-inspired fun straight to your iPad, while the Staten Island Museum's new location at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center prepares for a grand-opening, Lincoln Center expanded free family programming to the outer boroughs and the Metropolitan Opera kicked off its late Summer Festival lineup.

In other news, don't pack away your sunblock just yet. For the first time in decades, NYC beaches will remain open past Labor Day! With additional funding for lifeguards and other beach workers, New Yorkers can now enjoy the city beaches through Sunday, September 13. NYC public pools, however, still close on Labor Day.

Read on for more news throughout the five boroughs.