| Page 1628 | Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids

Kids' Day at New York Comic Con: Geek Out With the Whole Family this Sunday

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 10/12/2011 - 9:00am

If you've got a pop-culture nerd in your household (in my apartment, there are three of us), then you probably already know about this weekend's four-day New York Comic Con (NYCC) at the Javits Center. Comics are just a part of this massive geek gathering. Movie studios and TV networks promote (and sometimes screen) their upcoming projects; celebrities meet and greet their fans (this year, Luke Skywalker himself will be in attendance); vendors sell all kinds of collectibles, and attendees hit seminars on everything from self-publishing to wizard wand dueling.

Sound overwhelming? Well, it can be—but it's also great fun for families, especially if you go on Sunday, October 16, which is Kids' Day. In addition to a bunch of activities aimed specifically at children, everyone under age 13 gets in free. Granted, adults still have to pay, and it's not cheap: $45 per person for the day. But if your kids (or you) are really into something, be it Harry Potter or Star Wars or Star Trek or Spider-Man or Archie (my daughter is nuts for that last one—it's how she learned to read), then NYCC is worth every penny.

We've got the scoop on all of the special Kids' Day programming as well as tips on how to survive the day. My husband, daughter and I have attended every single NYCC, and we've learned quite a few things.

“Treetop Adventure Course” at Turtle Back Zoo

Submitted by Shari Simpson on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 9:19pm

Not that we need another reason to love Turtle Back Zoo, but we were given one anyway. It’s called “The Treetop Adventure Course”, an awesomely challenging obstacle/ropes course set 35 feet above ground. This is serious exercise and serious fun for the whole family. You want to make a memory with your kids? Strap on a harness and climb through the trees together.

The Real Ghost Stories of Western Connecticut

Submitted by Mary Beth Lawlor on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 6:43pm

By Monica Nika

As the cool October winds chase withering leaves down our streets at night while the pale lights of Halloween jack-o-lanterns flicker on the porches neatly decorated with frost-bitten mums, let's remember the 'real' ghosts and tell the stories of the 'truly' haunted places of Western Connecticut. Read Connecticut's 'truest', spookiest and saddest haunted tales below.

Destination Playground: Hester Street Playground

Submitted by Katy on Tue, 10/11/2011 - 11:21am

As we mentioned in our weekly wrap up on Friday, we'll be spotlighting one NYC neighborhood a month in a series of posts. That way we can really explore an area, and let families know about all of its kid-friendly attractions. We decided to start with Chinatown because it's such a fascinating and vibrant place. Last week, one of our bloggers took her family on a walking tour of the nabe. Today, we're taking a closer look at the Hester Street Playground, which is the premier play spot in the area.

My husband grew up in Chinatown in the '80s, and he remembers when the spot was a rundown mess of a park. (In fact, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe once said that it "might have been the worst playground in the City of New York.") Thanks to last summer's $5 million renovation, it's now a state-of-the-art Destination Playground for local kids and visitors.

Flying Monsters in 3-D at the California Science Center IMAX Theater

Submitted by Roberta B on Mon, 10/10/2011 - 4:33pm

What self-respecting kid wouldn’t want to see a movie called Flying Monsters in 3-D?

The California Science Center reminds us once again how lucky we are to have the California Science Center, with the arrival of David Attenborough’s IMAXsterpiece, Flying Monsters. It was almost too easy answering my son’s “What are we doing today?” with the hero-making reply, “We’re going to see a 3-D movie called Flying Monsters.” I confess, though, I harbored a small doubt; what if he felt conned when he discovered that this impressive sounding title was in fact a cover for a documentary film narrated by some old English guy?

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs: A Hilarious Musical for Families

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 10/10/2011 - 8:00am

We really love the shows put on by Atlantic for Kids. That's because they tend to be as much fun for parents as they are for children. I saw lots of adults cracking up at the theater troupe's latest family musical, a stage adaptation of author Jon Scieszka and illustrator Lane Smith's twisted take on The Three Little Pigs. In their version of the old tale, the Big Bad Wolf just has a big bad cold that leads to the swines' untimely demise. To say more would give too much away.

Even though the The Three Little Pigs is usually thought of as a story for very young children, this show isn't for preschoolers. Officially aimed at kids ages 5 to 12, I actually think it's best for tweens and up. It's very campy, and you need a wide frame of reference to get most of the jokes. Even though my six-year-old really enjoyed the show—she insisted we buy the book afterward—I definitely laughed a lot more than she did.

“Math Midway” at Liberty Science Center

Submitted by Shari Simpson on Sat, 10/08/2011 - 6:04pm

I know that for some people, mathematics is the supreme beauty of the universe; let me just say that I am not one of these people. However, the new carnival-themed “Math Midway” exhibit at Liberty Science Center came very close to making me a believer. Colorful, marvelously interactive and just plain fun, Math Midway will appeal to all ages, with different levels of appreciation and comprehension.

Weekly Wrap Up: Bronx Zoo Boo at the Zoo Giveaway, Other Halloween Happenings, Chinatown

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 10/06/2011 - 4:00pm

We've crossed a few more Halloween updates off our to-do list. If you look at our Halloween Fun Guide, you'll see we now have info on this year's haunted happenings in Westchester, parties and events in Fairfield, Connecticut and a wonderful post about the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo, which includes a giveaway: four sets of family four-packs to the animal spot. You've got to hurry: We're picking the winners this Monday so enter right away.

Of course Halloween isn't the only game in town. We also updated our post about Columbus Day weekend getaways and staycations just in time for the three-day break, and we took a family walking tour of Chinatown. It's the first in series of posts we are doing on the neighborhood this month.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.