The New York Ninja Academy is expanding, opening a brand new Brooklyn location for budding ninja warriors to train and get fit. Here, kids can experience the parkour obstacles made famous by the hit American Ninja Warrior television show. The Brooklyn Ninja Academy coaches kids (and adults) in skills and techniques to improve balance, agility, and strength to master its various obstacles.

I recently checked out the new ninja warrior facility with my 11-year-old daughter and her friend, who experienced first-hand what it's like to be trained by ninja champions. Read on for the full review and find more cool places to train in our guide to Sports Centers, Gyms, and Fun Zones in NYC.

There’s a new circus in town, and it’s premiering now at the Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey. Flip Circus is a brand-new circus experience conceived by the Vazquez brothers of the touring Circus TT Vazquez, features an international cast of entertainers celebrating the great American circus tradition—what's more, the show is heading to Staten Island, Yonkers, Nanuet, Smith Haven on Long Island, and Edison, New Jersey, over the next few months, giving local families plenty of time to catch up to its daring acts. Read on for our full review of this new spectacle.

Whether you moved here as a 20-something, or are a lifelong New Yorker, you might think you've got this city figured out. After all, you know the ins and outs of roommate searches, you can score theater tickets on the cheap, or find the nearest happy hour or trendy bite to eat with the blink of an eye, but once you become a parent, New York City is a foreign land.

I've been in your shoes, going from a carefree young professional to a diaper-bag-toting mom seemingly overnight. Really, it was nine months of staring down my "new" New York while fighting off morning sickness and simultaneously searching for birthing spots, pediatricians, daycares, and baby gear. That was (ahem) 16 years and three kids ago...so I've picked up a few tricks and tools of the trade.

Here are 25 nuggets of NYC new parent advice. Find more baby and new parent hacks in our NYC Pregnancy and Baby Guide.

There are countless books that use NYC as their setting—and with good reason. It’s a marvelous, one-of-a-kind city. So, we’ve put together some outings inspired by six of our favorite kid-lit characters and storylines. From picture books to chapter books, we’ve rounded up fun-filled destinations for all ages.

Find more storybook inspiration on our list of 100 kids' books every child should read before they grow up and find more outing inspiration in our Family Activity Calendar.

For parents, living in a tiny New York City apartment can feel like a constant escape game. The clutter is closing in on you and you've got to locate two toddler shoes, a missing must-have accessory for your tween, and your own MIA cell phone before you can unlock the door to take on the mean city streets. If your clever kids don't see the game in that routine, they might be up for a different kind of challenge. Consider splurging on an afternoon in one of these kid-friendly escape rooms, where their puzzle skills (and yours!) will be put to the test.

These escape rooms are all great for birthday parties or even just "I'm bored" days. For more outings that are perfect for birthdays or family fun days, check out our Guide to the Best Indoor Play Spaces and Fun Zones in NYC.