Tag Archives: family activities
The Topps Co. & Madame Tussaud’s Celebrate The Spirit of New York
The Topps Company, known best for its collectible stickers and sports cards, recently launched the My City New York – a new memory making sticker book with tons of fun tips and riddles that highlight the best NYC has to offer. From landscapes to local heroes, this book is informative and fun to read.
To help celebrate the launch, The Topps Company invited us to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum, one of the venues highlighted in their book, to enjoy one of the museum’s new exhibit The Spirit of New York.
Like the My City New York Book, Madame Tussaud’s exhibit celebrates New York, it’s history, icons, and sights. We had a lot of fun walking through the exhibit and viewing all the things that make my city so wonderful and unique.
You can visit Madame Tussaud’s website for more information on this and other exhibits. For more information on The My City New York and any other The Topps Company products, visit their site here.
More photos on the exhibit from Flickr:
The Delicious Taste of Tribeca 2011
Who doesn’t love a good food festival? Especially one that features the top chefs and culinary master minds featured in the trendy neighborhood of Tribeca.
I previously announced that the Taste of Tribeca was happening on May 21, and when the day came around it brought with it sunshine, something which NYC had been lacking for 5 days straight!
Needless to say we, along with what seemed the rest of the city, ventured out and took in the rays. We headed over with the kiddos to all the festivities and indulged in all it had to offer. For $45 we got a total of 6 generous tastings at any booth of our choice.
Endless Fun at Aviator Sports & Events Center, Brooklyn
Sometimes, my family and I love taking our NY Adventures out of Manhattan. So, when Aviator Sports and Events Center invited us to spend a day touring and enjoying their location, we jumped at the chance.
Aviator Sports and Events Center is located in Floyd Bennett Field at 3159 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn. This 800-acre facility is a decommissioned airport and is inside a former airplane hanger. The feel and look of this is pretty cool and exciting for kids especially.
We arrived around 11:30 on a Saturday morning and already the place was full of activity. Ice-skating, basketball, soccer, gymnastic – you name it, kids and their coaches were busy at work while parents sat on the sidelines talking to one another, reading or drinking coffee.
Being from Manhattan, I of course immediately thought of Chelsea Piers, it’s larger, more expensive counter part in the city. I love Chelsea Piers, don’t get me wrong, but I can rarely afford to sign my kids up for the classes there, and with it being larger, it lacks that more intimate feel I got at Aviator Sports.
In addition to the aforementioned sports, Aviator also has cheer leading, volleyball, flag football, ice hockey, lacrosse, and rock climbing up the “Aviator Rock”, a 35-feet tall indoor wall, one of the tallest in NYC. They also have two pools, which we didn’t see but hear are pretty great.
Depending on your children’s passion and focus, Aviator Sports offers different Summer Camp activities that help keep them active and entertained. Groups are divided into that of 3 and 5 year olds, then 5-15 year olds. The prices are reasonable, and discounts are offered to siblings as well as to returning customers.
The center also hosts various families events. During the time of our visit the kids got to enjoy a performance by the children’s musical group The Silly Dilly Band.
Another event which started today and will go till May 30th is the Kings County Fair, which offers visitors rides, games, treats and live performances.
While we were there we were treated to lunch in one of their birthday rooms. Parents can choose different packages to customize the experience for their child and Aviator Sports even takes care of the food.
We did a lot during our visit. The kids got to have a fun hour of gymnastics, which they absolutely loved. The coaches were great will all the kids there and really made the kids get a work out, while having a blast.
My husband and teen loved trying to conquer the wall. It seems that it is a lot harder then it looks, but if you can get to the top it’s a huge rush. I loved taking the pics with both feet on the ground.
We also gave ice skating a try. I am not the best ice skater, and my little ones were a bit too scared to try it for too long, but it’s a nice size rink (one of two), and it was great to have the kids try it out. My family and I really enjoyed our day at Aviator Sports. There are a lot of things we would love to come back and do if it weren’t so far for us.
Truth is, if you have a car, it’s a short drive from Manhattan. However, we don’t and thus took the train in. It was an hour train ride for us (from Upper Manhattan), and then a bus, which we didn’t take cause it took so long, so we took a cab ($15). The cab ride back was more challenging for us. Aviator Sports provided us with a list of car services, but because we are a family of 5, the car company insisted we hire to cabs (at $12 each). Luckily we had a friend take one of our kids in her car while we took a cab back to the train station.
For the camps, Aviator Sports and Events Center does offer bus services for an additional fee. Contact the center to find out where they currently pick up and drop off.
I would visit again, if I had a car. It was tons of fun and affordable.
To see more pictures of our fun day at Aviator Sports and Events Center, please check out our Flickr page:
Disclosure: Admission, meal, concert and activities were complimentary of Aviator Sports and Events. No monetary compensation was received. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Atlantis Resort’s 2011 Fantasy Camps
Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas continues to re-define the concept of Summer Camp taking the resort’s 2011 Fantasy Camp Roster to new levels of educational entertainment (“edutainment”) and fun for the entire family.
From July 11 through August 4, 2011, the four-night/five-day 2011 Atlantis Fantasy Camps invite campers between the ages of 6 and 22 to pursue their dreams with a variety of different “edutainment” camp programs suited to specific age groups and interests. Campers will access the state-of-the-art 8,000 square foot kids club AKA (Atlantis Kids Adventures), the new $11-million teen club CRUSH and the world’s largest open-air marine habitat featuring more than 50,000 marine animals at Atlantis for a summer camp experience that is simply unparalleled.
One of the many new camps to the 2011 roster is the first-ever Seventeen Magazine Fantasy Camp. Girls ages 15-22 will learn from Seventeen stylists, hair and makeup pros and fitness experts July 25-28, 2011. From morning yoga to relationship and empowerment seminars, Seventeen camp counselors and ambassadors will teach campers what it means to be a Seventeen cover girl complete with their own cover shoot with a real Seventeen photographer!
Aspiring comedians are invited to learn the ins and outs and the basics of improvisation and sketch comedy at the Second City Fantasy Camp August 1-4, 2011. Hosted by the famed Chicago comedy theatre Second City, credited with launching some of the most influential names today – Mike Myers, Tina Fey and Steve Carell– the camp aims to teach basic improvisational and sketch skills, inspire creativity and develop an ensemble through simple performance style games.
Back by popular demand from young LEGO fans, the nearly 4-day LEGO Atlantis Fantasy Camp offers kids the opportunity to work with LEGO Master Builders for tips on perfecting their building skills with epic LEGO masterpieces. The LEGO Atlantis Fantasy Camp is July 11-14, 2011.
For those campers with hopes of becoming an aquarist in the future, the celebrated Marine Adventure Fantasy Camp is back for another year with three sessions: July 11-14, July 18-21 and August 1-4, 2011. Campers will gain behind the scenes access with our Seakeeper and Marine Mammal team to learn how to prep food, feed and care for the marine life. Junior aquarists will also a guided Blue Adventure snorkel trip and Shark walk with Stuarts Cove to observe and learn how to protect these natural habitats.
The third annual Miss Teen USA Fantasy Camp at Atlantis is a pageant preparation program endorsed by the Miss Universe Organization® which will take place the week leading up to the2011 MISS Teen USA® pageant, July 12-17, 2011. This camp provides prospective pageant competitors with an unparalleled, behind-the-scenes look at the preparation required to become a national titleholder or even Miss Teen USA!
The 6 day/5 night Miss Teen USA Fantasy Camp is $1,250 per camper, providing the campers with room accommodations, various activities, three meals a day, a special chic cocktail dress and more. As an alternative, campers can opt to participate in the camp for $750 and stay in their family’s room.
The Hannah Mermaid Fantasy Camp, invites young guests ages 6-12 to experience what it is to look, feel and live like a mermaid. A current resident of the Atlantis aquariums, Hannah is a professional Mermaid, ocean environmentalist and performance artist. Fascinated by the mermaid myth since she was a child, Hannah will share her mermaid expertise with campers from the secrets of creating your very first tail to mastering the art of interacting with the ocean’s majestic creatures including the dolphins at Dolphin Cay! The Hannah Mermaid Fantasy Camp is scheduled from July 18-July 21, 2011.
For more information and a full list of Atlantis Fantasy Camps or to make a reservation, please call 1-800-ATLANTIS or visit atlantis.com
World’s Largest Dinosaurs visit the American Museum of Natural History
One can always expect to see big things happening at the American Museum of Natural History, with the larger than life exhibits and wonderful educational and interactive programs. But from April 16 to January 2, 2012, the museum will host something even bigger, all around theories of what the life of some of The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, the sauropods, could have possibly been like. Everything from what they possibly ate, to where they lived, and even their biological composition is covered in this grand exhibit which manages to capture the interest of all, from the young to the much older.
Enjoying The National Tartan Day Parade, NYC
New York was gorgeous today. Especially so because it followed a few days of April showers. The cool air and sunny skies were delightful.
My crew and I made our way to the Scholastic Store’s Greenhouse for my cooking event with Chef Jehangir Mehta sponsored by Parent and Child Magazine which, if I may say so myself, was a huge success!
We followed up this wonderful event, with one even more fabulous: The National Tartan Day Parade. The parade comes at the heels of the Scottish Week Celebration. The celebrations are capped by the Scotland Run, a 10K race which will take place on Sunday, April 10, 2011 in Central Park at 9:00AM.
The beauty of our multicultural, biracial family is that we get to celebrate many things, and today was the celebration of my Scottish/Irish husband’s heritage. But the beauty of New York, is that you don’t have to be any one thing to celebrate or be welcomed in the festivities. Another reason I love New York so much!
Greeting Spring at the 2012 Macy’s Flower Show
Believe it or not, it’s Spring. Oh sure there’s been snow and freezing, icy weather, it’s Spring, at least that’s what I’ve heard. But, should there be any doubt, all you have to do is check out the beautiful celebration of the season at the 2012 Macy’s Flower Show. Here in NYC, it is being showcased in Macy’s Herald Square.
I took my boys with me and we admired the various displays of flowers and the gardens, such as the Japanese Garden, Tropical Garden, and Desert Garden just to name a few. When you first enter, through the main entrance on Herald Square, you are surrounded by flowers, and windows displaying cake creations from some of the best pastry chefs around.
Get there early in the morning and avoid most of the crowds, plus get a quick flush of flower scented air as you first walk in. Capturing a nice clear shot of your favorite arrangement is a little hard, as this yearly event draws huge crowds. I mean, it’s a pretty big deal. Such a big deal that recently a couple who met at a previous Macy’s Flower Show are celebrating their wedding at this year’s event (news coverage here), right by the Tower of Flowers.
Pick up an official guide at the store for a list of events being held till April 8th, open to the public and free of charge. Also free of charge are the tours around the store where the show is on display, giving you all sorts of details on the arrangements and the creative forces behind them.
If you are visiting NYC from out of town, Macy’s is offering those guests 10% off items throughout the store. Make sure to head over to the Visitor’s Center on the balcony level to receive your Macy’s Visitor’s Savings Pass.
I had a great time visiting the Flower Show as I’ve done many times before. It’s one of my favorite events at the store this time of year, and it reminds me that despite the gloomy, cold weather outside, Spring is in fact here!
The Macy’s Flower show is on now till April 10, 2012.
Hope you enjoy our images of the Macy’s Flower Show on our Flickr page!
This is not a sponsored post.
Late Winter in Lake Placid, NY
Oh, how we love Lake Placid. Last time we ventured out there was in June, when we stayed at Whiteface Lodge, and I believe my husband and I decided we were going to leave city life forever and move to a room there.
Well, real life has this way of sucking you back in and making you forget the dreams you have set for yourself, which is why we thought it a perfect time to go back to this favorite family destination. Only a 5-hour drive from the city it is the perfect escape with the kids.
Perfect Day with Go City Card: The Cloisters Museum
This week started a bit on the rough side, as if loosing an hour to daylight savings wasn’t enough, my family and I got hit with a 24-hour virus that left me feeling a tad out of sorts till only a day ago.
It was time to get out of the apartment. Breathe some fresh air. Take in some sunshine and start over.
Lucky for me, I was invited by Go City Cards to experience the city, and offered me three entries to any of the many attractions and venues they provide access to. I jumped at the opportunity, because no one likes to play tourist in her own city more than me.
The Inn at Keystone, CO
While visiting Keystone, CO for their Winter Culinary Festival (more on that soon), I had a chance to check out one of the many different lodging experiences on the resort.
What I appreciate about Keystone Resorts is that guests can choose the lodging that best fits their needs and their budgets without sacrificing the amenities and services.
Last time I visited the resort, I went with my family. Because there were more of us, we stayed in one of the condos at the Dakota Lodge. The condos are great in that they are within walking distance to the slopes. The location is also ideal for walking to shops, restaurants, the ski school, rentals, and pretty much all you would need for your snow fun needs. You can’t walk to the the gym or spa, however, and The Village, located on the Keystone Lodge property as well, requires a car or shuttle.
