iKidNY » Cool kids stuff

Five Days To New Parents Expo (100 Tickets To Giveaway Right Now From iKidNY)!

Lara — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:47:04 +0000

In five days, the New Parents Expo is coming to NYC (October 15 and 16). Because of our special relationship with New York Family magazine, iKidNY has 100 vouchers to give away to expectant and new parents from the NY Metro area. That’s two adults per voucher for the most extraordinary New Parent Event of the Year (value $40)!

Sign Up Right Now: It’s first come, first serve. The first 100 people write in and mention iKidNY will receive a special voucher for 2 adults to be used either Saturday or Sunday. (Children are free)

Send your email to NewParentsExpo@manhattanmedia.com

Required Info: Name, address, and email address, and how you heard about the offer. Just say “iKidNY.”

Most importantly, ENJOY THE EXPO.

You can read all about the event at NewParentsExpo.com, but if you want to cut to chase here are the highlights:

* Happy Infants & Toddlers: The beloved Dr. Harvey Karp (author of “The Happiest Baby on the Block”) will be giving the keynote address each day, elaborating on his methods for raising happy babies (and getting them to sleep) and happy toddlers (and getting them to listen to you)!

* Incredible Speakers: Beyond Dr. Karp, Dr. Bob Sears, Liz Lange, Ali Wing (of giggle), Rosie Pope, Cool Mom Picks and other parenting and pregnancy luminaries will be speaking on everything from having a healthy child and a healthy home, to stylish but practical family shopping, to getting along as a new family.

* The Goods: Over 100 Exhibitors and the best brands and services and stores and experts for pregnancy, baby and toddler.

* The Attractions: Stroller Test Track (if you don’t have one) & Stroller Tune-up (if you do) * Special Lectures for New Dads (invaluable) * Child Play Area

* The Prizes: Big Prizes: $1,500 Nursery Gift from giggle! World Class Spa Getaway! * Full Package From Classic Kids Photography! Plus, strollers, high-chairs… the works……

* The Answers: Sleep! Feeding! Child Gear & Furnishings! Early Enrichment! Preschool! There’s a special area devoted just for your questions.

Sounds great, right? But don’t forget to REGISTER NOW for your free vouchers. Email NewParentsExpo@manhattanmedia.com, and mention iKidNY. And note: if you’re one of the families who happens not to be in time for the voucher, write in anyway and they’ll send you a special discount code for the event.

Enjoy and please say hello – I’ll be at the Expo too, of course!

Lara

The Whitney partners with Desert Island to present Comic Book Fair

Lara — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:08:39 +0000

Desert Island Comic Zine Party
Saturday October 15th, 1 to 4pm
Recommended for families with kids 8 to 14
Location: Whitney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave

Whitney Family Programs and Desert Island present a comic book fair featuring some of the most up and coming independent illustrators in New York City. In conjunction with the exhibition Lyonel Feininger: At the Edge of the World, featuring Lyonel Feininger’s pioneering comic strips in the Chicago Sunday Tribune, contemporary comic artists will be displaying and selling their work – prints, zines, buttons, and more! Kids and families can explore Feininger’s comics through drawing activities in the galleries, and each participant will receive limited edition prints by each artist to compile their own comic book.

This event will feature work by Partyka Collective (Shawn Cheng, Matt Weigle, John Mejias, and Sean McCarthy), Estrella Vega, Jen Tong, Tom Toye, Chris Patch, Jungyeon Roh, Sto, Chris Uphues and Noah Lyon.

No registration required; just drop in!

See (insert your child’s name here) Run

Lara — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:10:52 +0000

I know that I am probably the last one to find out on this, but I seriously wish someone had filled me in! After a long and arduous search for a decent pair of shoes for my 2.5 boy, I have finally found the most amazing brand of kids shoes. They’re called see kai run and they are exactly what they claim: Perfect first shoes.

see kai run shoes are so stylish and made of beautiful soft leather which makes them super comfortable. It’s like a nice/fashionable pair of shoes that you can actually wear in the playground. The company was started by a mom (so you know I am a big fan) that searched for shoes that would allow her son to play at home and in the park. She searched and searched for shoes that would be healthy for his growing feet but would also be stylish and functional. When she couldn’t find them, she started see kai run. Did I mention that they are affordable? Most of the shoes are around $40 but they often run sales and some are available for as little as $24. Oh, and extra bonus, they donate 5% of profits to charities serving children. see kai run makes shoes for kids from 0-8 years of age. Now why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?

You can purchase them on the see kai run website or on add them to an order of diapers on diapers.com and get free shipping if you place an order of $49 or more. Easy peasy.

thredUP – Kids Clothing Exchange

Lara — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 02:44:49 +0000

I learned about this awesome company while attending BlogHer in NYC in August – It’s called thredUP and it’s a clothing exchange for kids! Just put your child’s outgrown clothes in a box and then receive a box with clothes that fit from someone else. Genius!

Forget spending zillions of dollars on back to school clothes AND recycle! thredUP helps parents exchange boxes of outgrown kids clothing for great gear that fits, at $13 per box! Search their online stock by gender, size, type of clothes (tops/bottoms) and season. thredUP manages quality control, but you must follow the golden thredUP rule: send only what you’re willing to receive.

How it works:
1. PICK – Browse boxes of kids clothing by size, season and gender & pick one you’d like to receive – all you pay is shipping
2. LIST – Prepare a box of gently loved outgrown kids clothes (free USPS boxes are sent to you at registration) and list it
3. SEND – When your box is picked, send it on request – we even schedule the home pick-up & delivery!

Easy peasy! Now get those kids some clothes that fit!
www.thredup.com

GIVEAWAY! Kiddie Cruise NYC!

Lara — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:32:58 +0000

I am so excited to giveaway a family four-pack of tickets to Kiddie Cruise, a cruise around NYC for the small set and their parents! I literally can’t think of anything better to do on a hot summer Sunday in New York City. Kiddie Cruise takes care of feeding your kids (and you!) a healthy lunch and entertains them with face painters, magicians, storytelling, live music, raffles, games and more. And as for you, well you get to enjoy spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline aboard the Queen of Hearts, a Louisiana-style paddlewheel boat. The boat departs from Pier 40 at West Houston Street on select Sunday throughout the summer. Boarding is from 12pm-12:30pm and sailing 12:30pm- 2:30pm. Tickets are $35 for adults (13 & up) and $30 for kids (12 months – 12 yrs) – under 12 months ride free. Click here to buy tickets.

In order to enter the contest to WIN a family four pack of tickets on a Kiddie Cruise of your choice (pending availability) post a comment on this blog post telling us what fun things you are doing this summer in the city with your kids. Contest ends July 6th at midnight.

Remaining cruise dates this summer are:

July 11th – Princess & Pirate
July 25th – Super Hero & Fairy Princess
August 8th – Princess & Pirate
August 22nd – Super Hero & Fairy Princess
September 12th – Back to School Safari
September 26th- Rock Star
October 17th - Princess & Pirate
October 31st – Halloween

Disclaimer: Tickets for giveaway were provided by Kiddie Cruise.

I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!

Lara — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:10:26 +0000

SCORE! The Cooking Channel is hitting the road this summer in an Ice Cream truck and giving YOU free Ice Cream! As if that wasn’t cool enough they are bringing some of the network’s biggest stars along for the ride, and coming to a city near you. You and your kids will be treated to a scoop or two of your favorite Ice Cream flavor and will be able to meet the stars of Chuck’s Day Off, Everyday Exotic, FoodCrafters and more!

The kick-off will be THIS weekend in New York City! Here are the details:

Friday, June 25
12 noon- 4pm
Chelsea Market
75 9th Ave. (between 15th and 16th Streets)
Special appearance by Chuck Hughes from 1pm – 3pm

Saturday, June 26
12:00 pm- 10:00 pm
NYC FoodFilm Festival’s “The World’s First Food Truck Drive-In Movie”
Under the Brooklyn Bridge, DUMBO
Special appearance by Chuck Hughes from 1pm – 3pm

If you are not in NYC and would like to catch the Food Network’s Ice Cream Truck in your city here is the NATIONAL TOUR SCHEDULE:
(Dates and locations subject to change)

June 25-26 New York
July 1 Boston
July 4 Washington D.C.
July 17 Atlanta
July 19 Knoxville
July 20 Nashville
July 23 Cincinnati
July 28 Philadelphia
July 31- August 1 Atlantic City
September 4-5 Los Angeles
September 7 San Francisco
September 11 San Diego
September 19 Dallas
September 21 New Orleans
September 25 Chicago
October 7- 10 New York

Check out www.CookingChanneltv.com, Cooking Channel ‘s Facebook page and Twitter.com/CookingChannel to see the most up to date tour schedule.

Bank Street Bookstore – An Oasis For Little NYC Readers

Lara — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:26:15 +0000

Bank Street Bookstore bills itself as “New York’s best bookstore for and about children”, and they are not kidding. Bank Street is heaven on earth for New York City kids that love books (and their parents too!). A little two-story space tucked away on Broadway and 112th Street, this charming shop reminds me of what bookstores USED to be like before they all became chains. Bank Street caters to kids of all ages and offers rows and rows of carefully selected and well-organized books, games, DVD’s, and countless learning tools for kids. Bank Street’s very best asset is its amazingly knowledgeable and helpful staff. The staff knows the inventory inside and out and are willing to make suggestions or help you find whatever you need.

Bank Street boasts more than 60,000 titles in 17 languages and offers events throughout each month.

Bank Street Bookstore
Corner of 112th & Broadway
(212) 678-1654
www.bankstreetbooks.com

WIN a FREE special event at New York Kids Club!

Lara — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 17:16:34 +0000

WIN a FREE special event at New York Kids Club! The New York Kids Club, now in its ninth season, is a children’s enrichment center renowned for creative and innovative kids classes, day camps and as a place for creative kids birthday party celebrations. Luckily, there are six locations throughout the city!

In order to enter this contest, please post a comment at the bottom of this blog on which event you would like to win and the location you prefer. The winners will be chosen May 7th. Good luck!

Special Event options:

FRIDAY FUN FOR EVERYONE is an exciting opportunity for families to come together for a fun, social and enriching experience. Held every other Friday from 3:30-5:30pm, Friday Fun for Everyone events feature beer, wine, and hors d’oeuvres for adults, and supervised Open Play, special entertainment, and a pizza dinner for children.

PJ PARTY is held every other Friday 6:00-8:00pm, pajama parties are a one-of-a-kind thematic “after hours” celebration for children 2.5 – 6 years and 7 – 12 years featuring gym exploration, art, story, cooking, games, relays, and more. All parties culminate in a disco dance party, and dinner is provided.

One FREE special event will be given away at each location. Here are the six New York Kids Club Locations:

169 Amsterdam Ave
601 Amsterdam Ave
219 E. 67th St.
38 E. 22nd St.
393 South End Ave
182 Henry St.

New York Kids Club
(347-706-4700)
www.nykidsclub.com

Riverbank State Park – A world of fun over the Hudson River

Lara — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:16:58 +0000

Riverbank State Park, located in the heart of West Harlem, is a little known gem to many New Yorkers. This unique 28 acre park sits atop a pier over the Hudson River. Although a bit of an eye-sore at first glance, this park offers many great resources and great views. It includes an Olympic-size indoor pool, an outdoor pool, a covered skating rink for roller skating in the summer and ice-skating in the winter, a large outdoor theater, an amazing athletic complex with basketball courts and a fitness room, outdoor tennis and basketball courts, a full football field with a running track, and a fancy restaurant with views of the George Washington Bridge (with indoor and outdoor seating and jazz some nights) called The River Room. There is also a beautiful carousel for kids but it was being renovated last summer so hopefully it will re-open this year. There are great grassy areas to run around and picnic tables available. Best of all it’s a bargain (most activities are free) – swimming costs $2 for adults and $1 for children 5-15 (4 and under are free), Ice Skating $5 for adults and $3 for children, and roller skating is $1.50 and $6 for skate rentals. No dogs or bikes allowed.

Riverbank State Park
137th-145th Streets on Riverside Drive

City Treehouse – Water and Exploratory Indoor Playspace For Kids!

Lara — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:44:07 +0000

If your family has not yet been to City Treehouse, your kids are missing out. City Treehouse is a treehouse-themed indoor playspace located in the heart of Chelsea where little tykes (18 months to 8 years) can run amuck and learn through interactive play. Kids LOVE the wet area where they can spash around in the sprinklers, nozzles, and jets in this great big lake-like water vortex. There are step stools for littler kids and smockes but most parents don’t bother and just let their kids get wet (I suggest bringing a change of clothes). Just make sure you call ahead because they do rent out the playspace for birthday parties, etc. Also, they never let in more than 20 kids at a time so it never gets too crowded.

I love how unique this place is and it is a great option for indoor fun any time of year. They also have a couple of playspaces for little ones (under 18 months) where they can crawl around and play with some great toys. They offer engaging and creative classes such as music, dance, crafts, yoga, and reading, for kids of all ages some of which are drop in! They also host events such as workshops and concerts so check out the events schedule to see what’s happening.

City Treehouse
129 A W. 20th Street, btw 6th and 7th Avenues
(212) 255-2050
Mon-Sun 10am-5pm

Also, check out our February Indoor Playspace of the month:

The Art Farm in the City