Scholastic Store, Soho, NYC on Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day most couples are making plans for dates and romantic outings. Those without children are meeting with friends or lovers to spend some time celebrating their affection for each other.

But for most people with young kids, the opportunity of a romantic rendezvous is rarely spontaneous, and on a holiday when everyone else is doing the same, it is hardly possible.  But thankfully, NYCity Mama and her family live in a city that always has something going on, and today activities for families with children were numerous.  All in celebration of Valentine’s Day.

There were concerts at the park, and movies in museums, arts and crafts, and even brunches galore for anyone who wanted to keep their little ones busy for the day. But the one place that caught Mama’s attention was the Scholastic Store in Soho, not only because they were promising a fun time of reading time and arts and crafts, but they also expected to have Clifford, The Big Red Dog stop by to greet the kids and take pictures with them.

Mama’s boys have always loved the stories of Clifford and Emily Elizabeth, and the mention of their names got them excited.

So they took the train downtown, getting off the R at the Prince Street stop which left them right on the busy corner just a half block away.  They arrived a little early, so all three boys walked around the colorful store, inspecting every toy, book, and game they found.

Mama and her husband sat down with the younger boys and read books to them to kill some time, while her 11 year browsed through books for himself.  Mama’s 11 year old isn’t much of a reader, and is rarely interested in any book Mama has ever gotten for him.  So, though she didn’t expect he would really be interested in anything there, she was happy to see he was at least keeping himself busy.

The store has an activity loft, for arts and crafts and birthday gatherings and a wonderful selection of books for all levels and interests, including a teaching resources area. Though today was a great day to venture out for something fun to celebrate the Valentine’s Day with Clifford, which also happens to be his birthday, the Scholastic Store frequently hosts Free Interactive Saturdays, which include character visits, author readings, and story times.

Walking through the store is tons of fun, because aside from the already mentioned book selection, there are tons of displays depicting characters from the boys favorite books, from the Jane Yolen series (How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?) to the Magic School Bus collection.

Because they had arrived so early before Clifford was schedule to be there, Mama and her husband decided to take the boys out for a bit of a walk.  Mama doesn’t think that the immediate area surrounding the store is very kid friendly.  Soho is best known for it’s trendy shops and cafes, catering to a younger, more hip crowd. They were often pushed along while the crowds tried to pass them, with several people stepping over the stroller her younger child was sitting in in order to get ahead.

After about 40 minutes of this, they hurried back into the family friendly refuge of the Scholastic Store, and happily waited, even chatting it up with other parents who had also arrived a bit early.  But as time approached, they realized that arriving earlier then the scheduled event wasn’t all that bad of an idea.  Because the store became really crowded, and their having been there earlier really allowed them to enjoy the space without too much of a hassle.

It seemed like only seconds before the empty floor alloted for story time was filled with kids and parents waiting to be read to.  The reading was of one of Clifford The Red Dog books, and the staff member reading the book really got the kids involved and interacted with them well.

Soon after, Clifford came out to greet the kids, and hung around for photographs (that the parents were able to take themselves for free!) and the kids were provided with materials to make Valentine’s Day cards.

Mama’s boys participated in all the aspects of the event, and by the time they had finished coloring their last piece of craft paper, the sign of sleepiness was glazing over their eyes.

Mama can’t think of a better way to have spent a Family Valentine’s Day and as if all the time together, all the laughter, and fun hours spent at the store wasn’t enough, Mama was pleasantly surprised at one moment when she looked into the Magic School Bus, and there, on a quiet corner, was her oldest son, intently focused on a book he had found while he walked through the store.  He later purchased the book and is reading it even now. Happy Valentine’s Day indeed.

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Tags: Holidays, shops
Posted in Performances/Events/Charities | 6 Comments »