Many of New York City's outdoor ice skating rinks are already open for the season (although some may have sustained damage. We're still waiting to hear). We really hope the storm doesn't derail the debut of the Bronx's first outdoor ice skating rink. After a year-long delay, the Van Cortlandt Park Rink is scheduled to open sometime in November. Unfortunately, Brooklyn isn't so lucky. Both of the borough's outdoor rinks that were supposed to open this season—Prospect Park's Wollman Rink and the much-ballyhooed McCarren Park Rink—have been pushed off until fall 2013. If you want to ice skate in Brooklyn, you've got to do it at the two indoor rinks.

We recently found out that the Brooklyn Children's Museum quietly upped its admission price from $7.50 to $9. It's still two bucks cheaper than the Children's Museum of Manhattan and the Children's Museum of the Arts and definitely well worth the fee. However, you can visit BCM for free the third Thursday of every month 4-7pm and the first full weekend of every month 2-5pm.

Dumbo's powerHouse Arena, one of our favorite indie bookstores for kids in NYC, is opening a new location in Park Slope. Originally scheduled to open on November 2, the plans were derailed due to Hurricane Sandy. Stay tuned for updated info! The shop plans to cater to the stroller-filled nabe by selling toys and trinkets for tots on the second floor. Here's hoping the new outpost also hosts great children's author events like the original.

We were sad to hear that popular Upper West Side photo studio PortraitBug has shuttered, but we discovered that the great staff has all moved over to Big Apple Portraits about 20 blocks south. Best of all, just like PortraitBug, Big Apple Portrait doesn't charge a sitting fee.

Talk about a magic trick! The exploits of legendary magician and escape artist Harry Houdini continue to fascinate 86 years after his death, which is why the owner of the Fantasma Magic Shop in Midtown West opened the Houdini Museum of New York last week. Magic-obsessed kids can check out hundreds of artifacts, including trucks and straightjackets, all for FREE.

Calling all young models: Children's boutique Bit'z Kids is looking for tykes ages 1 to 6 for a photo shoot happening at its Upper West Side store next Tuesday, November 7. Consider this opportunity more of a portfolio builder than a big payday: The kids selected get a 10% store coupon and bragging rights. To apply, send a current color photo of your child, available hours and your contact info to info@bitzkidsnyc.com.