Children's Toy and Clothing Exchange My long-time readers know how much I love a good toy and clothing exchange. Well, this weekend is a neighborhood exchange in Hell's Kitchen. Buy used children's clothes and toys or sell your own. I think these events are great. They promote the original green ideal of reduce, reuse, recycle, save people money, generate lots of donations for charity and are a great way to build community. To learn how to sell your items at this exchange email childrensclothingexchange@gmail.com or call Lynn Cohen at 212-388- 8194 and leave a message. Spring 2008 Childrens' Clothing & Toy Exchange Sunday, March 30th 1:00 ??” 4:00 PM 400 W. 43rd, Ellington Room, Manhattan Plaza, 9th Avenue Building Name the Riverside Park Hawks If you read our previous post about the Riverside Park hawks, you already know about NYC's new favorite hawk couple. Now you and your kids can have the chance to name them. The Riverside Park Fund is hosting a contest to give names to the hawks, just like NYC's most famous hawk pair, Pale Male and Lola. To see the hawks, who are living in a honey locust tree on the on-ramp to the West Side Highway at 79th Street, watch from inside the Park at about 80th Street. To enter the hawk-naming contest, e-mail your name, address, telephone number and hawk names to hawks@riversideparkfund.org by March 31st! Mo Willems Reading and Signing Mo Willems has been keeping his latest book title a big secret, but on Tuesday, April 1 he will announce what Pigeon wants as well as read from and sign copies of his latest book, The Pigeon Wants ________. Hmm, I can't help notice that this event is being held on April Fools Day. Mo Willems Reading and Signing Tuesday, April 1, 4pm-6pm Bryant Park Reading Room FREE Gadgets and Gizmos:Planes The Children's Museum of Manhattan will be setting up shop in the Hamilton Fish Park Branch Library to teach kids aged 6-11 about aerodynamics through paper airplane designs. You must preregister for this event: (212) 673-2290 Gadgets and Gizmos Workshop Thursday, April 3rd, 4 PM Hamilton Fish Park 415 East Houston Street (212) 673-2290 FREE Here's a couple of activities this weekend for NYC kids worth paying for: Tiny Ninja's Treasure Island Tiny Ninja Theater Company is a one-man show where the talented Dov Weinstein performs classical theater using two-inch high plastic ninjas and other small toys. On Sunday, March 30th at 1:30 he will perform Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island at the Bowery Poetry Club. The show is recommended for ages 6 and up, but I went with my 4 year old son and we both loved it. Tiny Ninja's Treasure Island doesn't actually use ninjas, instead Weinstein acts out all the parts himself(besides two that he coaxes young audience members into performing) using random props he might have found on the way to theater to help him illustrate the tale. He makes the whole thing feel like improv and does a great job of involving the audience in a way that is especially great for kids. Perhaps the fact that you have to use your imagination so much to fill in the blanks is what even had my four year old so rapt through the whole performance, or maybe it's just Weinstein working so hard to make a long story short...and funny. Either way, Tiny Ninja brings a classic tale to life. It's like having a really funny, exotic uncle pop in from his travels and regale you with his high adventures. You're left not quite knowing if he was joking or not, but throughly charmed. If you're feeling energetic arrive at noon for the Mr. Ray concert. Both of these events are part of the Bowery Kids series, interesting children's events every Sunday afternoon. Tiny Ninja's Treasure Island Sunday, March 30th, 1:30pm Bowery Poetry Club 308 Bowery, foot of First Street, between Houston & Bleecker in Manhattan (F train to Second Ave, or 6 train to Bleecker) All tickets $10, available for sale at the door. AudraRox and Toxic Muffin Benefit Concert AudraRox and tween band Toxic Muffin will be performing together in a benefit concert for Brooklyn Free Space, the Park Slope co-op preschool on Sunday, March 30th at Southpaw. For more information visit BrooklynFreeSpace.org.