Rainy Day

Hear
Dan Zanes and Friends
Celebrate Mother’s Day with rockin’ kiddie tunes at the Met. Grammy winner Dan Zanes is joined by his spirited band, singing songs in both English and Spanish.
When: Sat. 5/7, 3pm.
Where: Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, 212-570-3949, metmuseum.org.

Go
Manners for Mother’s Day
Socialsklz hosts a special etiquette event for moms and kids. The hour-long interactive class shows the proper use of place settings, how to play the perfect host or guest, and mealtime manners.
When: Sat. 5/7, 12:30pm (register in advance).
Where: 24-32 Union Square East, 4th floor, (bet. 15th & 16th St.), 212-579-5300, socialsklz.com.

Do
Infant Massage Weekend Workshop
Learn the why, when and how of infant massage, to better bond with your baby.
When: Sat. 5/7, 2pm; $40 (register in advance).
Where: Prenatal Yoga Center, 251 West 72nd St. #2F, prenatalyogacenter.com.

Visit
Blooming Babies: I Love My Mommy!
Little ones can celebrate Mother’s Day by crafting a necklace for someone special.
When: Fri. & Sat., 5/6 & 5/7, 11:30am; Ages 18 months to 2.5 years; Free with museum admission.
Where: Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave., 718-735-4400, brooklynkids.org.

Shop
The Affordable Art Fair
Moms with a child in tow gain free admission (otherwise $20) to the contemporary art exhibition. Stop by the 12pm seminar, Get Your Kids Excited About Contemporary Art, to hear expert tips on how to get Junior stoked about that new painting.
When: Sun. 5/8, 11am-5pm; $20.
Where: 7 West 34th St., aafnyc.com.

The weather is turning chilly, which means it’s time to start moving from the outdoor playground to an indoor space.

Just in time for those cold days, Klub4Kidz has just opened in Williamsburg. As the hipster neighborhood becomes more family-friendly (condos, strollers and coffee shops galore), you’ll want to check out this new 5,000-square foot indoor play emporium and party space. This week through November 12th, called “You Can Do It,” the play space is offering free kiddie classes (and some for parents, too!) in fun subjects like art, music, ballet, science and theater for ages 4 months to 15 years — check out the schedule online and reserve your spot in advance. Plus you’ll want to check out the cool four-story play structure, rock-climbing wall and cafe. Stay tuned for a packed roster of classes, plus special events like Friday movie and pizza nights and musical Sunday brunches. Membership is available at different levels on a daily, monthly or yearly basis, making it at least one city club that’s flexible to join.

Klub4Kidz, 159 N. 4th St. bet. Bedford & Driggs, Brooklyn, 877-KIDZKLUB, klub4kidz.com. 

This spring in the city, in addition to street fairs, Curious George, King Tut and a fresh financial scandal courtesy of Goldman Sachs, we’ve got an urban baby retail soul mate, giggles and a “write” of passage.

Silly Souls

Sass it up at the Silly Souls store in the just-opened Limelight Marketplace’s “festival of shops.” This will be Silly Souls’ first stand-alone store. The company is known for emblazoning irreverent, humorous messages on bibs, booties, bodysuits (onesies), socks and big sister and brother presents. Some of our faves: “The Bald & The Beautiful” and “Big Sister - Princess of Friggen Everything.” The Limelight Marketplace sits in the landmark building that housed the historic Episcopal Church, which was later converted into the infamous Limelight nightclub. (Remember Peter Gatien?) Silly Souls opens May 7th.

Silly Souls, Limelight Marketplace, corner of Sixth Ave. and 20th St. in the Flatiron District

Giggle
Giggle has landed on the Upper West Side. The UWS location is the third Giggle in the city. (The others are on the UES and in Soho.) This soup-to-nuts baby store carries the hippest modern lines of baby gear, feeding accessories, bedding, clothes and toys. This weekend, the store is hosting a slew of free grand opening activities. Sunday is Expectant Day with workshops on prenatal tips and pampering and newborn sleeping. Sunday is Family Day; there’s a singalong with Eastside Westside Music Together, photo shoots with Classic Kids Photography, Moey’s Music Party with Big City Moms and mommy & baby yoga with Pure Yoga. Visit giggle.com for a list of events and times and information about a Dan Zanes concert on May 20th.

Giggle, 352 Amsterdam Ave. (bet. 76th 77th Sts.), 212-362-8680

Scribble Press
It’s about time New York, the nation’s publishing capital, got something like this. Members of the budding literary set can now head to Scribble Press on the Upper East Side, where they can write, illustrate and publish their own books (paperback or board books). They can also design custom placemats, notebooks and other gift items.We first told you about Scribble Press back in January. The store, which opened in the old A-ha! space on First Avenue between 84th and 85th Streets (call it a writers’ block), offers not only walk-in book-making, but also classes and birthday parties - a welcome addition on the party circuit. A place where Junior will always have the write stuff.

Scribble Press, 1624 First Ave. (bet. 84th  and 85th Sts.), 212-288-2928, scribblepress.com.

An inverse relationship appears to exist between the prices of children’s classes around the city and the state of the economy. It seems as if many of the programs are getting pricier just as your financials are getting dicier. But as New Yorkers - natives and transplants alike - we’re nothing if not resourceful. There are plenty of good-quality, free activities to keep you and Junior entertained. Seek and you shall find.

Chic downtown newcomer Bundle is hosting free monthly children’s book readings and signings. Former Wall Streeter and Bundle boutique owner Allison MacCullough is working with the Society of Illustrators to bring in well-known and talented New Yorkers to share their work. Here’s the line-up, starting with an event this Thursday:

Betsy Lewin - Thu. 9/24 at 4pm. Lewin has been on the New York Times Best-Seller List. She’s a Caldecott Honoree (for Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type) and recipient of numerous awards. Lewin will be reading from her book Thump, Quack, Moo, the latest in the Click, Clack, Moo series.

Edel Rodriguez - Thu. 10/15 at 4pm. Rodriguez will share Sergio Makes a Splash and Sergio Saves the Game. Then he’ll conduct a drawing workshop where he’ll show kids how to draw Sergio. Hey, it’s a chance for your bundle of joy to learn to draw from a guy whose work is held by the Smithsonian.

Randall and Peter de Seve - Thu. 11/12 at 4pm. Artist Peter de Seve has created covers for the New Yorker and been published in nearly every major American magazine. He has also designed characters for animated feature films, including A Bug’s Life and Ice Age. Randall de Seve is the author of the best-selling Toy Boat. The de Seves will read from The Duchess of Whimsy, which will be released later this fall. Stay tuned to see if the husband-wife team behind this book will have the Duchess of Whimsy and the Earl of Norm become an item.

A bonus - attendees will receive a 15% discount at Bundle on reading days. The clothing store carries stylish lines such as Splendid, the vintage-inspired Acoustic as well as Velvet & Tweet at recession-friendly prices.

Bundle, 128 Thompson St., bet. Prince and W. Houston Sts., 212-982-9465, bundlenyc.com.

Welcome to story time season. Lately several city venues have added free book readings for kids to the calendar, including Housing Works Bookstore, FAO Schwarz and Battery Park’s Action Center.

The Strand Book Store, a New York landmark, now joins the bunch with a weekly family hour where staff members read from their favorite children’s books. In addition to the Thursday get-togethers, stay tuned for special events with local writers (next month welcomes Harry Bliss, author of Luke on the Loose).

Those miles and miles of books are sounding better and better.

When: Thursdays, 3:30pm; All ages; Free.
Where: Strand Book Store, 828 Broadway at 12th St. (second floor children’s department), 212-473-1452, strandbooks.com.

The whimsical mural you painted in the nursery sure is pretty, but you’re certainly not the first. Fairies, princes and precious animals have made for great children’s decor since the 1870s.

Take a walk down memory lane at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum’s new exhibition, “Wall Stories: Children’s Wallpaper and Books.” The exhibit explores the world where wallpaper and children’s books meet. Papers, primers and pop-up books starring Peter Rabbit, Cinderella, Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Pan demonstrate how literature and popular culture have impacted design. Plus kids will love the show’s hands-on elements, including a reading room and short film screenings.

Maybe it’s time to redo the den.

When: Through 4/5/09, Mon.-Fri. 10am-5pm, Sat. 10am-6pm, Sun. 12-6pm; $15/Adults, Kids under 12 free.
Where: 2 East 91st St. at Fifth Ave., 212-849-8400, cooperhewitt.org.

It’s raining cats and dogs! Will April showers bring May flowers? For this week at least, it’s time to cover up. Classic kiddie raingear from Hatley is always a safe bet.

Oolong or Darjeeling, this is a city that takes its tea seriously (well, maybe not as seriously as London).

Discover all the hidden haunts to snack on scones and spicy blends in New York’s 50 Best Places to Take Tea. Author Bo Niles gives the rundown on teahouses in cafes, department stores and museums, whether lavish (Madeline kiddie tea parties at Bemelmans) or low-key (Podunk’s tea and tarts).

Sip accordingly.

Available at Rizzoli Bookstore, 31 West 57th St. (bet. 5th & 6th Ave.), 212-759-2424.