We were supposed to head out of town this weekend,
but our friend dislocated her knee. So instead of a long drive to Hunter Mountain, we headed over to
Brooklyn with flowers and a get well card. Before stopping over in Park Slope, however, we made a
visit to the fabulous Brooklyn Children's Museum
www.brooklynkids.org.
After visits over the holidays to several crowded museums (not to mention any-day-of-the-week in Manhattan's packed kid spaces) this museum was a delight. It has undergone a major renovation and felt spacious. The Totally Tots exhibit (pictured above) was big hit, with lots of things to bang and build, climb and discover -- not to mention a wonderful, big water table that tiny kids could play in but which also delighted the 5 year olds there. Even the cafe wasn't too crowded. The museum has a lot to see and do, with thoughtful spaces for really, really little babies and a terrific library where we looked at books and played (half a game) of checkers with over-sized pieces.
An upcoming exhibit on the Gullah people (slaves brought from West Africa who lived on the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia and are known for preserving a lot of their African culture and distinct linguistics) looks like it will be great. The museum also had some great literature available about teaching children to read.
After that it was a quick drive to see our friend in Park Slope. There are plenty of great places to shop and dine here, although we stayed in and had a leisurely dinner together.
The day before our trip over the East River to Brooklyn, we took advantange of the nice weather and headed down to Hoboken for a walk on our side of the Hudson. We got there early enough to swing by the Grand Opening of the new Kidville Annex in Hoboken. (www.kidville.com/Hoboken/home/default.asp)
It's a great space, inside the old video store at 1202 Shipyard Lane, just a few doors down from the entrance to the King's on the river side entrance. (There is no cafe here, but there is a Starbuck's around the corner). The place was mobbed with parents and kids. There were crafts, a live music performance and lots of lots of sweaty kids bouncing on the fun, padded gym equipment. You can check out their class listings online. They will also offer a camp program and, of course, another space for birthday party gatherings.
Photo credit: Brooklyn Children's Museum
Kidville is certainly one of my happy places to bring your kids. Food, games, classes and programs, birthday parties - fun and learning at its best!
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