There are some great exhibits at the "real" art museums that are fun enough that you shouldn't have to drag your kids to, or through. This is the first in a series of posts about some of current art exhibits recommended for kids in New York City.  

You've probably already heard about the Calder Exhibit at the Whitney. It's been promoted a lot. People love Calder's Circus, which is a miniature reproduction of an actual circus, made from wire, cork, wood, cloth and other household objects. Calder would perform the circus for people as his "day job" and the exhibit has videos showing how he performed it, bringing it to life for kids.

One of the things that I love about the Alexander Calder story is something I learned about him on a PBS American Masters program. Apparently, when he was a child, all Calder wanted to do was play with wire. He loved to make little toys and things with scraps of wire and his mother completely indulged this. I love this story because as a parent, we all know that child who refuses to do what they are supposed to do and is obsessed with one seemingly useless endeavor. How aggravating it is to try to bend children to our will and get them to conform to the requirements of society. I love the idea that there is value in the play of children and their obsessions and that, let to flower and grow, we may all be surprised by what comes out of them.

Why kids will like Calder: The Paris Years

Have you always wanted to learn to knit or imagined yourself being crafty and knitting for, or with, your little ones? Local yarn shops around the city often offer knitting classes for people of all ages. Usually kids can start to learn to knit or crochet as young as 5 years old, depending on the child.

Reader, Sharon, submitted this tip about a great yarn store that offers Duet Knitting Classes for an adult and child to learn to knit together:

There are so many opportunities to make New Year’s Resolutions, and you have one now. If you’ve already blown your fresh start you made on January 1^st, why not take advantage of the Chinese New Year to start over?  After the jump, considerations for change.  First: be honest, what do you lie about – and why?  Second: do you swear in front of your children? Third: can you admit that you secretly want that hat Aretha was wearing?  Fourth: Still wondering when your children are going to grasp the idea of good manners? Fifth and sixth?  Curious?  Go get ‘em.

What a week! The winter snow has been sparkling and shining a little brighter, the sun seems to be sending more warmth (and not in a bad Global Warming way, but a nice winter cool way). But even as the world seems to be humming at a more positive frequency, there are still major issues.  Things like trying to get your kids to school on time, finding a nice place to eat with the kids, and obviously the bane of the NY mother’s existence, the stroller vs. staircase showdown.  Figure it all out with me after the jump!

Just had a baby? About to have a baby? Thinking about having a baby? Thinking about thinking about having a baby? If you answered yes to any of the above you should come to the New Parents Expo and Family Fun Day this weekend being hosted by NY Family and Big City Moms.

At the Expo you'll find out about children's clothes, Mommy & Me classes, nursery furniture & accessories, stroller and car seats, family photographers, baby announcements, day care and nanny services, baby supplies, Birthday venues, School experts, more...and guess what? It's all free! And guess what else? I'll be there at my little Mommy Poppins table doling out irreverent advice and talking people down. Come say hi!

I'm also going to be doing a great giveaway of items from Giggle:

What an amazing week so far.  With a day of service followed by a day of change, do you feel any different?  No doubt if you’re on the East Coast, you still are feeling the cold (C’mon West Coast ladies, don’t taunt us with your 80-degree weather.  That’s just not fair.)  Today, there are still great ideas you may not have explored for indoor activities, perhaps including painting your son’s room pink?  Or how about a Reading Party?  Also, we can’t help but include some inaugural coverage including President Obama’s letter to his daughters.  The sweetness is after the jump.  Do it!

Choosing a summer camp is always a complicated algorithm of deciding between myriad choices: day or sleep away camps, staying in the city or sending the kids to the country, all-around or specialized sports, arts or science camps...but this year there is another factor that is weighing heavily into family summer planning and that is finances.

One thing that can help making a decision about summer camp easier is going to a camp fair. There are four Camp Fairs coming up. At the upcoming New York Family Camp Fairs you'll find over 40 day and sleep-away camps represented for kids from preschools to teens. You can meet camp directors, ask them your questions and get a feeling of the camp's personality, plus get information and applications all in one place. Believe me, that's a lot easier than calling each camp individually to request their cheesy video brochure (you'll plenty of those at the camp fair too).

Raise your hand if you learned to read from The Electric Company...So many of us did. Now Sesame Workshop is bringing The Electric Company back with a whole new updated and revamped show complete with some of our favorite bits, like phonetic silhouettes and celebrity guest stars. I have to confess that I watched the preview segments myself and thought ,well, let's say that they didn't live up to my youtube enhanced memories of the classic Electric Company. But what do I know? I'm old. So I didn't dismiss it without letting my kids weighing in...