Archive for May, 2010

This Memorial Day weekend: beach, barbecue and blockbuster-to-be Sex and the City 2. Need more options? The city’s got some real toy stories before the Disney-Pixar movie hits the big screen next month. Plus lions, and tigers and bears … minus the lions and bears.

Go
Toys: The Inside Story/
Raising Citizens: Memorial Day
@ CMOM
Explore the inner workings of a jack-in-the-box, Etch a Sketch and the classic game Operation. This Saturday, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan opens its newest exhibit, Toys: The Inside Story. On Monday, CMOM is hosting Raising Citizens: Memorial Day, a special day-long series of events, including workshops where kids can make a collage or card for military personnel and a sing-along/meet-and-greet session with members of our nation’s armed forces. All next week, CMOM is collecting old cell phones to donate to Cell Phones for Soldiers.
When: Toys: The Inside Story opens Sat. 5/29. Free with museum admission. (All ages) Raising Citizens: Memorial Day - Mon. 5/31. Museum admission is free for military personnel, veterans and active reserve members and their families. (All ages) Museum hours: Tue.- Sun. 10am-5pm. Special Memorial Day hours on Monday - 10am-4pm. Check cmom.org for specific event times.
Where: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Tisch Bldg., 212 W. 83rd St., 212-721-1223.

Do
Ice Cream: What’s the Real Scoop?
It may not be the Ben & Jerry’s factory tour, but at least you’ll get a history lesson. Check out the new interactive ice cream exhibit at the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden. See how ice cream was prepared in the 18th and 19th centuries - the pre-Tasti-D-lite/Pinkberry days - and test your knowledge of ice cream history.
When: Exhibit runs through June 20th. Museum hrs.: Tue.-Sun., 11am-4pm.
(Free with museum admission.)
Where: Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden, 421 E. 61st. St., 212-838-6878. mvmh.org.

Check out
Tigers the Exhibition: Tracking a Legend
High-tech, highly interactive exhibits allow you to experience what it feels like - we’re talking sights, smells and sounds - to be a tiger in the Indian jungle. Photographer, filmmaker and author Carol Amore’s goal is to introduce people to the secret lives of Bengal tigers in order to ramp up the efforts to save this endangered species, their habitat and prey. Exhibit elements include: an electronic Digi-Track Climbing Wall with interactive games, a tiger’s cave, documentary screening and tiger tracking activity. Parents of tots, be aware that some of the footage in the exhibition shows graphic hunting scenes.
When: Now through January 2011. Tickets, $17 for adults on weekends and $15 for kids on weekends, are available at tigersnyc.com. (Ages 4 and up)
Exhibition hrs.: Fri-Sat., 10am-9pm. Sun.-Thurs. 10am-8pm. Last entry is an hour before closing time.
Where: South Street Seaport, Pier 17, Atrium 89.

Join
The Scholastic Store’s Memorial Day Celebration
Head down to Soho to The Scholastic Store for patriotic “Fun Stations” with face painting, music, dancing and a storytime with some of Scholastic’s best-selling Memorial Day books.
When: Sat. 5/29 at 3pm. (All ages)
Where: The Scholastic Store, 557 B’way, bet. Prince and Spring Sts. Stroller entrance is at 130 Mercer St.

Whenever our friends uproot and head for the suburbs, they always seem to point out the benefits of having a backyard. To which we respond, “We’ve got Central Park.” (What we wish we could say, “The house backyard is overrated.”

With its 21 playgrounds, Central Park is sure to please even those with the shortest of attention spans. But like many of us, those playgrounds are quite high-maintenance. Central Park Playground Partners, part of the Central Park Conservancy, is a group of families dedicated to keeping CP’s playgrounds clean, safe and well-maintained. They’re hosting their Annual Playground Party at Heckscher Playground tomorrow, Wednesday, May 26th, from 3:30-6:30pm. The event is a family-friendly benefit featuring live music, a marionette puppet show, life-sized chess and checker boards, a mini carousel, face painting plus a buffet, lemonade and cotton candy.

Because someone has to make sure our “backyard” still trumps any of its suburban “counterparts. ”

Heckscher Playground, mid-park near 7th Ave. and Central Park South, from 61st to 63rd Sts. Pre-purchase tickets, $50 for kids, $100 for adults, at centralparknyc.org until 5pm today. Prices will be slightly higher “at the door” the day of the event.

When an actress wears a dress from a designer’s archives (okay, it’s an old dress), it’s called “vintage.” Well, this weekend in the city, we have vintage claymation, as in Gumby, Art Clokey’s creation that debuted in the 1950s. How can you compete with that? Well, there’s also lots of action at Madison Square Park with Spring Kids Fest 2010 and a farm on 14th Street (so much better than that wild coyote running around). Plus, tennis anyone?

Go
Saturclay Fun: A Day with Gumby
Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club
The red carpet has been rolled up. The 2010 Tribeca Film Festival has closed. But it’s junior version lives on. The Tribeca Cinemas Kids Club is presenting an episode of The Gumby Show for the three-and-under crowd. The screening will be followed by “Clay Station” - where kids can sculpt their own Gumby and Pokey. In the afternoon, there’s a screening of Gumby: The Movie for older kids (7+).
When: Sat. 5/22, 10:30am - The Gumby Show plus Clay Station. (Ages 3 and up)
Sat. 5/22, 1:30pm - Gumby: The Movie followed by a workshop on producing a stop-action claymation video. (Ages 7 and up)
$7 for kids, $10 for adults. Tickets available at tribecafilm.com.
Where: Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St. @ Laight St., one block below Canal St.

Do
Spring Kids Fest 2010
Madison Sq. Kids Series
Head downtown to the land of the Shake Shack for the Spring Kids Fest 2010 with performances by the Fuzzy Lemons, TADA! Youth Theater, and apple seeds’ song for seeds band plus storytime with Karma Kids Yoga, a special reading of the new Lyle, Lyle Crocodile: Lyle Walks the Dog, arts ‘n’ crafts, face painting and more.
When: Sat. 5/22, 10:30am-1:30pm. Free.
Where: Madison Square Pk., 25th St. and Madison Ave. madisonsquarepark.org.

Check out
Farm in the City Fair
The 14th St. Y
A little taste of country life right on 14th Street. The 14th Street Y and Babo Botanicals are hosting the fair, featuring rooftop carnival games, face painting, a bouncy castle, hoe down, potato sack races and farm stand. Come dressed for the occasion. What better way to honor the comeback of plaid.
When: Sun. 5/23, 10am-2pm. $15 per family in advance, $20 at the door. (Ages 0-6)
Where: The 14th St. Y, 344 E. 14th St., (bet. 1st and 2nd Aves.) 14streety.org.

Swing
FREE Tennis Carnivals
BumbleBee Tennis
Okay, Andy Roddick won’t be there. But you can get your child’s tennis level assessed. BumbleBee Tennis is hosting free tennis carnivals starting this weekend and running through June. On tap: kid-friendly instruction, activities and prizes. Check bumblebeetennis.com for a full schedule of carnivals.
When: Sat. 5/22, 2-5pm and Sun. 5/23, 2-5pm. Parents can reserve a 20-minute time slot at bumblebeetennis.com. (Ages 4 and older)
Where: Sat. 5/22 @ PS 41 in Greenwich Village, 116 W. 11th St., entrance on Greenwich Ave.
Sun. 5/23 @ Peter’s Field in Gramercy, across the street from PS40, which is located at 320 E. 20th St.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Jersey Shore. The Sopranos. These are some of our favorite guilty pleasures. And yet they don’t always portray Italians, or more specifically Italians from Jersey, in the best light. Not true for the book The Pasta Family.

Written by a mother/son team, Marguerite and Michael Ciccolini, from the Garden State, The Pasta Family book (for ages 2-8) is a story about how family love exists even if it isn’t always visible on the outside. The characters are each named after a different type of pasta: Daddy RigaTony, Mr. Al Dente, Officer Copaletti (cappelletti), Grandma Deetalini, sister Penne. You get the idea. The protagonist, Annaleenie (anolini pasta), feels sad because her parents don’t seem to have time to play with her as they go about their busy, daily lives. Annaleenie gets some of the attention she’s been craving from her grandparents but then runs away when she discovers her parents forgot to lock the gate to the yard. All’s well that ends well in this high-carb, cozy tale. Illustrator Michael Ciccolini created the vibrantly-colored pictures of the adorable pasta posse. Mom Marguerite, mother of five, grandmother of two, Italian cook extraordinaire, wrote the story.

The Pasta Family is self-published, and it’s got a sort of homemade feel to it. But even in a crowded market with zillions of children’s books from heavy-hitter publishers, it still stands out. Hey, you wouldn’t turn down homemade lasagne, would you?

Available for $15.95 (including shipping and handling) at thepastafamily.com.

This weekend in New York, some high culture for Junior - opera, ballet and poetry plus more. The only disappointment? Betty White won’t be hosting SNL again.

Go
La Cenerentola
Dicapo Opera Theatre: Opera for Kids
The Dicapo Opera Theatre is one of the undiscovered jewels of the UES. It’s got the fabulosity of the heavy-hitter productions across town - sets, costumes, talent - but in the intimate setting of a cozy opera house nestled below St Jean Baptiste Church. This weekend, the Dicapo is performing a one-hour version of Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Cinderella, a fully-staged production with piano accompaniment. General Director Michael Capasso serves as a guide throughout the show. Note to self: This version of Cinderella has an evil stepfather, and a kindly philosopher assumes the fairy godmother role.
When: Sat. 5/15 and Sun. 5/16 at 11am. $20 for adults and $10 for kids. Tickets available at dicapo.com.
(Ages 3-10)
Where: Dicapo Opera Theatre, lower level of St. Jean Baptiste Church, 184 E. 76th St. (at Lex. Ave.)

Do
A Kid Grows in Brooklyn
PS132 Kite Festival
Go fly a kite (couldn’t resist that line). Saturday the PS132 PTA is hosting the sixth annual Kite Festival in McCarren Park, which straddles Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Entitled “A Kid Grows in Brooklyn,” the festival has a green theme this year. On the itinerary: arts ‘n’ crafts, a performance by AudraRox, kite-making with recycled materials, seed planting and a crash course in sustainability plus food samples from the local Greenmarket.
When: Sat. 5/15, noon-4pm. Free.
Where: McCarren Park, N. 12th St. bet. Bedford and Driggs Aves.

See
Sleeping Beauty
New York Theatre Ballet
NYTB presents a one-hour version of Sleeping Beauty. This storybook ballet features costumes by Metropolitan Opera costume designer Sylvia Taalsohn Nolan. A five-minute behind-the-scenes talk precedes the show.
When: Sat. 5/15 at 11am & 1pm. Sun. 5/16 at 11am, 1pm and 3:30pm. $35 for adults, $30 for kids. Tickets available at nytb.org.
Where: Florence Gould Hall, 55 E. 59th St. (bet. Park and Mad. Aves.)

Hear
My Life as a Blue Elephant with Calef Brown
Poetry for Children @ Poets House
An author and illustrator of award-winning children’s books, Calef Brown reads from his most popular works and talks about the creative process behind his illustrations and whimsical poems. Brown has had work featured in or on the cover of The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Spin and Fortune.
When: Sat. 5/15 at 11am. Free. (Ages 4-10)
Where: Poets House, 10 River Terrace (at Murray St.), 212-431-7920, poetshouse.org.

Shop
Bonpoint Sample Sale
Save big today and tomorrow on tops, bottoms, sleepwear, outerwear, shoes and accessories from the French children’s couture house. Items are up to 60% off.
When: Thur. 5/13, 8am-7pm and Fri. 5/14, 8am-3pm. Accepted forms of payment - American Express, Visa and MasterCard. No cash or checks. All sales are final. No exchanges or returns.
Where: The Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 W. 18th St., 5th flr. (bet. 5th and 6th Aves.) Strollers are not allowed on the premises. 

The iconic, Italian-born fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli, of shoulder pads and “shocking pink” fame, once said, “In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous.” So it’s not much of a surprise that this recession we’ve seen neon nail polish, overly-blinged-out apparel and MoMA-worthy sculpted shoes.

Maybe that’s why the new UES boutique Pachute is such a breath of fresh air on the retail scene. Pachute, which means “simple” in Hebrew, was just opened by Israeli-born Sharone Komoroff. The store exudes a clean, crisp and streamlined feel and is dotted by pieces that don’t stray from a gray, beige, black and white palette. Pachute carries a little of everything, offering a well-edited collection of infant, toddler and women’s clothing, jewelery, pottery, lotions, toys and giftware.

Pachute has newborn kimono dresses and onesies by Atsuyo et Akiko; Loup Charmant tissue-thin, organic cotton dresses; fab semi-precious statement necklaces from Israeli designer Lior Ben-Beset; dominoes, chalk eggs and crayons from French line Mark Vidal; basic must-haves from Egg by Susan Lazar (a maternity line that just as easily works for the non-pregnant) plus Zid Zid’s Moroccan “Babuches” (slippers) for kids. And the prices are fairly tame for this UES nabe.

Hello, understated. It’s been a while.

Pachute, 1582 First Ave., between 82nd and 83rd Sts., 212-794-1260. Store hrs.: M-Sat., 10am-7pm; Sun., 11am-4pm. Coming soon www.pachute72.com.

This Mother’s Day weekend in New York - a fling, a golden boy, a musical “slice,” four babies and 100 artists.

See
Babies
Babies hits the big screen this Mother’s Day weekend. The documentary from French director Thomas Balmes follows four babies - from Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo and San Francisco - from birth to their first steps. So cute. So universal. Even without subtitles and narration. Check your local listings for theaters and showtimes.
PHOTO CREDIT: Focus Features

Hear
Divalysscious Moms Presents
Laughing Pizza at the Highline Ballroom Divalysscious Moms is hosting a Laughing Pizza concert that’s a family affair all the way around. Laughing Pizza is made up of real-life mom (Lisa), dad (Billy) and daughter (Emily). They write and perform original, educational pop songs for kids. Their “Pizza Breaks” videos are seen daily on PBS, and they performed for three consecutive years at the White House. (So they must be doing something right.)
When: Sat. 5/8, noon. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, and are available at ticketweb.com. Enter DIVAMOM for a special discount price of $15.
Where: Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St. (bet. 9th and 10th Aves.)

Do
Spring Fling in Brooklyn Bridge Park
The newly-opened Pier 1 will be the site of the 5th annual Spring Fling celebration. This Mother’s Day event features musical guest AudraRox, a book reading and drawing demo with Click, Clack, Moo illustrator Betsy Lewin, arts ‘n’ crafts with the Transit Museum and the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Karma Kids yoga workshops and Mother’s Day card making.
When: Sun. 5/9, 10:30am-1pm. Free. (All ages)
Where: Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, brooklynbridgepark.org.

Go
Crafts in Chelsea
A hundred local artisans will line 21st Street to sell jewelry, glassware, wood crafts, ceramics and fine art. Online crafts powerhouse Etsy and The {New, New} (NY metro area Etsy artists) will co-sponsor this event benefitting PS 11.
When: Sat. 5/8, 10am-5pm.
Where: 21st St. bet. 8th and 9th Aves.

Look
King Tut Family Day
Check out the big King Tut exhibit in Times Square. Hey, we waited 30 years for the golden boy to come back to the city. This show contains 130 artifacts, 50 of which are from the young pharaoh’s tomb. Only a handful were part of the 1979 exhibition at the Met. Family Day includes Egyptian-themed face painting, mummy wrapping and special family tours.
When: Sun. 5/9. Family tours take place between 9:30am and 5pm. Admission tickets are available at kingtutnyc.com. $27.50 for adults, $17.50 for kids ages 4-12 and free for kids under 4. A Family Pack (two adults and two kids ages 4-12) is $79. No additional charge for Family Day, but you must RSVP to emailing rsvp@tsxnyc.com
Where: Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, Discovery Times Square Exposition, 226 W. 44th St. (bet. B’way and 8th Aves.)

Happy Mother’s Day!

Joseph Pilates, the guy who invented, you guessed it, Pilates, during World War I probably never envisioned this - Movin’ Mamas, a combo stroller workout/Pilates class in the heart of Central Park.

Created by two well-known instructors on the New York Pilates circuit, Alana Reed and Randi Stone, Movin’ Mamas is a six-week series. The 55-minute classes (limited to eight mamas per class!) incorporate both cardio and Pilates. They’re designed to strengthen and tone your abs, thighs, arms, back and butt as well as improve your cardiovascular health. The purpose of this new post-natal class is also to rehabilitate your core and relieve the typical new mom aches and pains after the marathon of childbirth.

Just make sure your OB/GYN has given you the green light to exercise before enrolling.

Move it, Mama!

Classes start May 6th. Privates and semi-privates are available. Visit movinmamas.com.