Destination Playground: Pier 84 in Hudson River Park

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Unfortunately, the circle of sprinklers is not currently operational due to a faulty part. We will update this post once it's up and running again. Calling the water play area at Pier 84 a playground is a bit of a misnomer; it's more like a play space or even a play-scape. Regardless of how you label it, Hudson River Park's 44th Street pier is a cool summer destination, both literally and figuratively.

Nestled between the Circle Line and the hulking Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the water area is one of many attractions at the pier, which also boasts amenities like bathrooms, a restaurant and shady picnic tables.

Here's how my son and I spent our day on Pier 84.

The Ikea Ferry: A Free and Fun Ride to Red Hook for NYC Kids

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The Staten Island Ferry isn't the only free boat ride in town. The Ikea ferry also offers a (usually) no-cost tour of New York City's magnificent waterfront.

The Ikea Water Taxi departs from Slip A at Pier 11, right near South Street Seaport, and sails you to Red Hook, Brooklyn, land of funky post-industrial architecture, and trendy restaurants and shops. In addition to shuttling you right to the Swedish megastore, it's a great way to visit this cool neighborhood, which is quite a long walk from the subway.

My family and I had never taken this trip before, so this summer we decided to cross it off our bucket list. Here's how we fared during our maiden voyage.

Wild Safari at Six Flags: Drive-Through Animal Fun for Families Near NYC

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My six-year-old son's been big on animals practically since birth, so I've been meaning to take him to Six Flags Wild Safari in New Jersey for a while now. The only reason I hesitated was because he can't stand amusement parks, so combining it with a trip to Great Adventure or Hurricane Harbor was out of the question. (He claims the rides at Victorian Gardens are too intense!)

Was Wild Safari worth the 90-minute drive and $22 admission price on its own? Short answer: Absolutely. I took my son and his equally animal-obsessed classmate on the drive-through adventure to celebrate the end of the school year, and it really kicked off their summer with a mighty roar. Here's why Wild Safari is the King of the Jungle.

Shine & the Moonbeams: Catch this Brilliant New Kids' Band for Free in NYC

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There are lots of free outdoor summer concerts for kids where you can check out all kinds of big (and lesser known) bands on the children's music scene.

Although I enjoy seeing established stars like Dan Zanes, I love being totally blown away by a new group. And that's exactly how I felt when I caught Shine & the Moonbeams at the Kindiefest music conference this past spring.

The NYC-based quartet is playing three free concerts this month as part of SummerStage Kids. Read on for details about the gigs, and why this soulful band should be on your radar—and once the CD comes out, on your iPod!

Weekly Wrap Up: Readers' Summer Outings, NYBG, Jim Henson's Muppets

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It's hot in the city, hot in the city tonight! And we're not even talking about the weather. There's a ton of amazing things happening in NYC, and we've been running around like madwomen (more than usual) trying to cover everything.

This week we went to the Bronx to see what was growing on at the New York Botanical Garden, hit Queens for a preview of the Museum of the Moving Image's new exhibit Jim Henson's Fantastic World, caught a performance of the Berenstain Bears musical on the Upper West Side, and even chatted with Grammy winning children's music god Dan Zanes, who's playing a free concert this Saturday in Brooklyn.

Plus, we launched our amazing Hot List deal. For $4.95, you can download our ebook which features more than $1,000 in savings on the best things to do in NYC this summer.

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.

Dan Zanes Interview: The Children's Music Star Chats with One of His First Fans

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Exactly a decade ago this month, a friend told my family about a new band for kids that was playing at Chelsea restaurant The Park on Sundays. We went the following weekend with our then two-year-old Emma, and instantly became fans of Dan Zanes & Friends, which soon became a children’s music juggernaut.

The Grammy winning group plays many different genres of music (rock, folk, world, blues, even show tunes) and the songs espouse positive values like having fun, making music and caring about others. The fact that Zanes—who played in the adult rock outfit The Del Fuegos in the '80s—and his collaborators are as popular as ever after releasing 10 albums over the past 10 years speaks (sings?) volumes about their talent, tenacity and creativity.

Emma was too young to remember those early concerts (that's a photo of her at age two with Zanes!), but she grew up listening to all of the band's CDs. So she was thrilled to get the opportunity to chat with him about his career, his favorite things to do in NYC with kids and how he plans to get ready for his big free Celebrate Brooklyn concert this Saturday, July 16 in Prospect Park, where he'll play tunes from his upcoming album Little Nut Tree.

What does a 12-year-old want to know from her first musical favorite? Read on to find out.—Sara, mom to Emma the interviewer.

Your NJ Weekend July 16-17: Bastille Day, Bratwurst, Bands, Boats, Basketweaving and More–Mostly FREE!


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Music lovers and gourmands, ready yourselves for a weekend filled with more treats and tunes than you can take!  Foodies take their pick from an ice cream festival ‘down the shore; brats’n’brews in the Poconos and French fare in Frenchtown.  Music-minded folk’ll get their fix at fests featuring bluegrass-like “mountain music”; polka bands; jazz and more. There’s also outdoor love this weekend, including a City of Water Day Festival at Liberty State Park, a drop-off naturalist program, and an 1800's village to explore.  With all that’s going on, you’ll be longing for a weekend to recover from your weekend!



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