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Best Summer Festivals for NYC Kids This August

Submitted by Rosalind Muggeridge on Fri, 07/27/2018 - 12:00pm

Many families flee the city in August for end-of-summer vacations, but it's actually one of my favorite months to be in NYC. With summer staples like swimming, play fountains, and Governors Island, plus hundreds of free summer activities and only-in-August favorites like Summer Streets and Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, there's plenty to do if you stick around.

So we've rounded up a dozen FREE family-friendly festivals happening throughout the Big Apple in August to help you get the most out of NYC with kids during the last month of summer.

Summer Streets Returns This August: Explore Car-Free NYC with Kids

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 07/22/2018 - 9:00am

Summer Streets, easily one of our favorite NYC seasonal festivals, returns for its 11th season of car-free Saturdays on August 4.

The annual Summer Streets event gives New Yorkers three consecutive August Saturdays of car-free summer fun, with a seven-mile stretch of city streets from the Upper East Side to the Brooklyn Bridge closed to cars and open exclusively to pedestrians and bicycles. Sadly, one major change in 2018 is the absence of the giant slide—a big hit of the past few years. But while the slide may not be returning, there is still plenty of fun in store, all aligned with this year's Summer Streets theme, "Finding Joy in Unexpected Moments."

Most of the interactive stations are 100% FREE but some require advance registration. Read on for all the details for this ultimate summer street fest.

Macy's July 4th Fireworks 2018: Where to See Them in NYC

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Sun, 06/10/2018 - 4:24pm

Every year, Macy's annual July 4th fireworks show in New York City is an unforgettable highlight of the summer. On Wednesday, July 4, 2018, fireworks will light up the sky over the East River near Midtown, and this year's show promises to be bigger than ever as it celebrates its 42nd anniversary. In fact, the 2018 show marks the largest display since the Millennial Celebration in 2000.

Spectators should be able to see the fireworks from many neighborhoods in Midtown Manhattan as well as parts of Brooklyn and Queens, but if you're hoping to watch Macy's 4th of July Fireworks live, it's never too early to start planning your viewing strategy. Tickets for paid viewing options like Fourth of July Fireworks cruises are already on sale and going fast.

Of course, you don't need to spend a penny to see the sparklers, but there are some important things to know before you go. We've got the scoop on how to find the best places to watch, when to go, and what to bring.

And don't forget, there are frequent fireworks shows in NYC during the summer, from Coney Island to Central Park. Read our roundup of where else to see cool displays this summer.

MoMath: The NYC Museum That'll Make Kids Fall in Love with Math

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Thu, 01/18/2018 - 11:29am

Housed in a 19,000-square-foot space across from Madison Square Park in the Flatiron neighborhood of Manhattan, the Museum of Mathematics is the only cultural institution devoted to math in all of North America. At the museum's creative hands-on attractions, kids (and parents!) can see how math factors into our daily lives.

While Jersey City has the Liberty Science Center and Queens has the New York Hall of Science, there really is nothing else like MoMath in Manhattan. It gets kids genuinely excited about math—not always an easy thing to do—through hands-on, nerdy fun.

Read on for what you need to know about checking out this interactive museum, including what age is the sweet spot for a visit. Looking for more STEM fun? Check out our STEM Guide for NYC Kids, with maker spaces and coding classes.

Best Hot Chocolate Spots Around Manhattan

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 11:00am

A cup of molten chocolaty goodness is one of the best ways to thaw out and warm up—in fact, it's one of the best things about winter and the holiday season.

We took on the heinous job of running around Manhattan taste-testing hot chocolate (don't say we've never done anything for you) and narrowed it down to nearly two dozen of our favorites. These spots are definitely worth the brief trip out into the cold, so read on for our recommendations for cafes and restaurants that have turned drinking hot cocoa into an experience not to be missed.

By the way, we've also rounded up our favorite Brooklyn hot cocoa cafes and those in Queens. Find more great eats in our NYC Restaurant Guide for Families.

Where to Donate Kids' Clothes, Toys, and Gear Across NYC

Submitted by Alina Adams on Tue, 12/05/2017 - 10:00am

With two adults and three kids in my family's typically small NYC apartment, the holiday season stresses me out. Not because of all the things I need to do, but because of all the extra "stuff" that I know is about to flood our home. That's why this is my favorite time of year to donate my kids' gently (or sometimes never!) used clothes, toys, books, and other items so we can free up some space, support worthy charities, and get the whole family in a giving mindset.

We've gathered details on several organizations where you can donate quality used items during the holidays and beyond. Be sure to contact the charities directly to confirm what they accept and how best to drop off. In Brooklyn? We recently rounded up charities in the borough that accept children's items.

Best High Tea Spots in NYC to Enjoy a Cup with Kids

Submitted by Anna Fader on Tue, 11/07/2017 - 3:10pm

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or just looking for a memorable experience, afternoon tea—sometimes called high tea in New York City—can be a fun outing with kids. It's an especially great winter outing and particularly fitting during the holidays.

Several places serve high tea in New York City, with varying degrees of appropriateness for children. From the fancy Eloise Tea at the Plaza Hotel to the less frilly Russian Tea Room, there are teas—and the goodies that come along with them—for children of all ages and parents of all budgets. Here's our take on some of the best spots for an afternoon outing in NYC.

Coding Classes and Camps for NYC Kids

Submitted by Alina Adams on Sat, 07/15/2017 - 4:00pm

In our increasingly tech-driven world, knowing how to code is an invaluable skill. But kids who code don't really look at it that way—they just think it's lots of fun to design video games, create websites, and make robots move. Take my 10-year-old: He first caught the coding bug in second grade after attending a demo led by RoboFun where he learned about the wonders of Scratch, an easy-to-use programming language specifically aimed at children ages 8 to 16. Ever since, he's continued to learn how to code at home thanks to FREE educational websites like Scratch's official site at MIT and CodeAcademy.

Even though he can work on his own, I'm a big believer in kids learning from other kids (not to mention the benefits of socializing with peers and getting him out of my hair for a few hours). So I recently researched coding classes for children in New York City to locate a program or two that would work for him. What I found were 11 high-quality classes and camps for kids who have an itch to try Scratch or another computer programming language. You can find even more tech fun for kids in our Geek Guide and more NYC classes in our Classes Guide and Directory Listings.

13 Dual-Language and Immersion Preschools in Manhattan

Submitted by Sarah G on Mon, 05/16/2016 - 2:00pm

Whether your toddler already speaks a second (or third) language at home, or if you’re simply hoping to give your monolingual child the gift of another language, there are plenty of great preschools where NYC kids may begin, or continue, learning another language.

As with mastering any new skill, regular (and fun) practice makes a big difference in how quickly a child becomes comfortable speaking another language. We previously rounded up great Spanish language learning centers for school-aged kids, as well as Spanish sing-alongs for toddlers. Now, we're turning our attention to the preschool set, pulling together a sampling of immersion and dual-language preschool programs available in Manhattan. All our picks accept a mix of children at different levels of language proficiency, including absolute beginners.

Read on to find out where your tot can learn German, French, Mandarin and Spanish, and be sure to look through our NYC Preschool Listings and Directory for even more options, including dual-language playgroups and preschool alternatives.

10 Cool New Party Places for NYC Kids

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Sun, 01/03/2016 - 7:00pm

If you're looking for a new celebratory experience, we've found 10 fresh party packages at venues new and old, all of which are sure to be a hit at your child's next birthday (or heck, even their un-birthday.) With party packages this cool, its a shame to celebrate but once a year. You'll be able to please even the pickiest tween with unique fetes like zombie laser tag and jewelry making with semi-precious stones. Find more awesome kids' birthday ideas in our jam-packed Party Guide.