Best Toy Stores In The Hamptons & North Fork

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When celebrating a child's birthday, or in need of a craft project for a rainy afternoon, a visit to the local, independently-owned toy store is an enjoyable outing. We searched for the best toy stores that carry major brands, as well as classic and wooden toys, unique gifts, and specialty items like kites and miniatures. Read on for our top picks on where to shop for toys in the Hamptons and North Fork. For more shopping fun, check out Top Ten Candy Stores In The Hamptons & North Fork.

Top Ballet Classes And Lessons For Kids On Long Island

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Many families move to Long Island for its wonderful amenities, such as ample backyards, beautiful parks, and great schools. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that many cultural resources for kids exist here too. Looking to enroll a budding dancer in a great ballet class? Long Island is home to several schools, which are founded by professional dancers. These schools offer a variety of excellent programs for children of all ages. Here is a list of the most notable schools. And for more classes on Long Island, check out our After-School Programs, Classes and Activities Guide.

Screen-time Strategies for Kids: 9 Easy Ways to Cut Down on iPad, iPhone and TV Time

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Here we are halfway through summer break and I'm finding that my eight-year-old son is getting a little too much screen time. Long rides in the car (or on the subway or bus) to reach far-flung destinations, waiting on lines for various activities and even playdates all inspire him to beg for my iPhone or iPad. And of course when we're at home, the TV, the laptop and the Wii all beckon.

Of course the issue of limiting screen time for kids isn't unique to summer. I'm a stickler about it year-round (even though I admit I check my own email every ten minutes). While the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests school-age children spend no more than two hours a day engaged with "entertainment media"—TV, computers, smartphones and other electronic devices—I try to keep his screen consumption to 30 minutes a day. And usually, I manage to do it without my son devolving into fits. Here are 9 easy-to-implement ideas that will help get your kids—and you!—to turn off all those screens.

Staten Island with Kids: Top 50 Things to Do for Families

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When you ask most New Yorkers what they know about Staten Island, they name-check the Staten Island Ferry and then just stare blankly. But as a mom raising her two sons in NYC's "forgotten borough," I know firsthand how enriching and fun Staten Island can be for families, both residents and visitors.

St. George, where you disembark from the ferry, is probably the neighborhood that feels most like the rest of NYC, in large part because it offers awesome views of the downtown Manhattan skyline to remind you of where you are. Many borough attractions are located here, including the Minor League Staten Island Yankees stadium, the stunning St. George Theatre, the sobering Staten Island September 11 Memorial, the Staten Island Museum, plus lots of restaurants, quaint Victorian townhouses and the in-development world's largest Ferris wheel.

But go further inland and it's not just all malls and suburban sprawl. With almost 12,300 acres of protected parkland, Staten Island is rightly known as the greenest borough and boasts some of the most beautiful parks in the city like the Greenbelt, which is home to living history museum Historic Richmond Town and the Carousel for All Children. We also have a lot of drop-in indoor play spaces, including one of NYC's few remaining roller rinks. And there are lots of culture spots, too, like the Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden and small, esoteric museums located in lovely historic homes like the Alice Austen House. While a car is helpful in terms of getting around, we actually do have public transportation.

Throughout August, we'll be taking an in-depth look at our favorite places to experience, eat and play on Staten Island. We begin with our list of the top 50 things to do in the borough with kids.

Batting Cages for LA and Orange County's Baseball Families

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Take me out to the ball game! Or at least take me to a batting cage. Pre-kids, my husband and I frequented batting cages for fun (romantic, I know). But now that we have kids who can swing a bat, it's even more rewarding to hit up (pun intended) the area cages. We suggest you give it a try, too. Choose from slow to fast pitch, softball or baseball. Smack your troubles away, and watch the kids jump with delight when they make contact. From the Valley to the OC, it's a great place for beginners to figure it all out, and for the more advanced to finesse their swinging skills. Batter up!

Must-See Exhibit: Party Wall at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City

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There are lots of fun ways to get wet in the city during the summer. But the seasonal outdoor installation at MoMA PS1 in Long Island City is always one of the coolest—in both senses of the word.

For the 14th year in a row, the museum has installed a one-of-a-kind exhibit in its courtyard that offers shade, seating and water play. This year's work is the invitingly named Party Wall and it's an interactive piece that overheated visitors of all ages can explore and enjoy.

Kid Lit Destinations in Western Mass: A Themed Family Getaway

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Have you ever noticed how kids love themes? Themed birthday parties, weekly camp themes, bedroom themes – you get the idea. We have been taking themed trips since my kids were very young, and it seems to make our short getaways more special somehow. 

We recently went on a themed getaway, but I didn’t realize it until the second day, when I noticed a definite thread running through our trip: Everything was related to children's books (otherwise known as kid lit). If you love children’s literature (and really, what’s not to love?), Western Massachusetts is the place to go. Springfield, Northampton and Amherst hold the secrets of favorite writers and illustrators like Dr. Seuss, Eric Carle, and Emily Dickinson. Here's an itinerary to discover those secrets and hidden gems. If you enjoy this children's literature getaway and want to try another book-lover's vacation, take a look at this itinerary with literary stops from Hartford to Boston (and just reverse it). 

This Week: Best August Events for NYC Kids, Tix Still Available for Sunday's Mommy Poppins Family Cruise, Late August Camps

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This morning my daughter ripped the July page off her calendar with a mix of excitement and sadness. She was giddy because she turns eight this month but she was bummed because she realized that summer break is halfway done. That's why we plan to make the most of the next five weeks by crossing off items on our summer bucket list like hitting Rockaway Beach, going on rides at Coney Island and getting out on New York Harbor for a sight-filled sail.

We're actually doing that last one this Sunday at Stories & Songs of the Sea, the first in a series of Mommy Poppins Family Cruises we're hosting with Manhattan by Sail. My daughter can't wait to hit the water on the Clipper City Tall Ship for close-up views of the Statue of Liberty, tunes and tales by Bill Gordh, face painting and other family fun. Tickets are still available so book yours now.

While my family has been enjoying our NYC summer staycation, other Mommy Poppins bloggers have been traveling both near and far. Anna and her family got to test drive the 2014 Subaru Forester on their adventures in New England and the Maine. Our Boston peeps shared their picks for offbeat fun on Nantucket and our friends in New Jersey hopped a NY Waterway ferry for the first time.

Since it's a new month, all of our sites shared their respective Go Lists, highlighting the best things to do throughout August in each region. There's lots of FREE fun on tap for NYC this month but it's worth checking our Go Lists in Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut and even Boston since a really special event might inspire a day or weekend getaway.

This week's giveaway is a bilingual birthday bash by Bilingual Birdies and you still have time to enter. And forgive us if we brag for a second, but Mommy Poppins got a nice shout out in the Huffington Post this week. One day you'll get to say you knew us when.

Here's everything else we covered on the NYC site this week:

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