I recently learned about an awesome find for New York City moms (and dads too) - ikidny.  ikidny is an iphone app that lists the information a NYC parent needs to navigate our busy city including parks, playgrounds, changing tables, indoor playspaces, museums, libraries, subway stations with elevators, kid-friendly restaurants, and more. Just tell ikidny what you are looking for and it gives you suggestions and maps.

ikidny was created by NYC born and bred Lara Serebrier Paul.  Her’s is a classic entrepreneur story – her son was born and she identified a market need that wasn’t being filled…so she did it herself!  Lara found navigating NYC with a baby a challenge so she sketched out her app, found a developer and “gave birth” to her second baby – ikidny!

I’m embarrased to say that I don’t have an iphone (yet) so I downloaded the app to Benjamin’s ipod touch and now use it all the time. It is really awesome – and very smart.  When I first downloaded it, I was downtown at a restaurant. I figured I would have to enter my location so it would “know” where I was.  I was thrilled that ikidny knew exactly where I was and told me that my closest subway was across the street and a playground was only a couple of blocks away.

Lisa and I had lunch with Lara and discovered that she and her team source and enter all of the data into ikidny to ensure it is up-to-date and accurate. This is what differentiates them from other tools in the market – they take responsibility for the integrity of the data.

If you are or know a NYC mom, you really should check out ikidny. With summer coming up, you really need need this indispensible tool – how else will you find the closest park with sprinklers for your toddler? Download it here from the itunes store.

I am not playground Mom.  I never enjoyed taking Benjamin to the playground and chasing him around making sure he was safe.  I found it very boring.  Thankfully, for years, we had a wonderful nanny who loved to run and play and swing and slide and (yuckiest of all) play in the sandbox.

That said, I just read an article called 10 Unusual Playgrounds From Around the World and want to get out there and play!  These playgrounds are incredible.  One is actually for adults only – it’s in Berlin and you must be 16 or older, preferably a senior citizen, to play there.  Three of the playgrounds are in the US — Clemyjontri Park in Fairfax County, Virginia, Yerba Gardens in San Francisco, CA and Teardrop Park, in Battery Park City in lower Manhattan (pictured). 

I know people who plan to visit all the Major League Ballparks in the US or all the big amusement parks around the world.  I aspire to visit these 10 playgrounds…I’ll have to also visit Japan, Australia, Sweden, Germany, Dubai and Spain along the way!!!

We are having a wonderful vacation.  We are at our weekend house enjoying the weather, the beach, the pool, our friends and each other.  We are also trying to take advantage of local “culture.”

Last Wednesday, we went to a performance at Guild Hall in East Hampton (a wonderful theater and museum).  This August, Guild Hall offered several performances for children as part of their KidFest programming.  “Kidfest is a celebration of family programming offered by Guild Hall throughout the year. The mission is to present affordable, relevant and quality arts and cultural programming to a diverse audience of young children and their parents by providing live theater, music, puppetry, spoken word, film, dance, readings, art and educational events that engage, enlighten and educate throughout the year. The wide variety of performances and art projects provide many different art forms, perspectives, and themes that are educational as well as entertaining.” 

The performance we attended was called BAM! Percussion.  The simplest way to describe the show is that it’s like Stomp for kids.  This adorable French Canadian trio, who call themselves the BamBoys, play drums, sing, and make you laugh out loud…all in their own language, Bamspeach.  Benjamin was riveted and enthralled…laughing out loud for the entire hour.  He insisted we buy him a BAM! t-shirt (we happily obliged as the proceeds fully benefit this not for profit group…as they said, they need the money to drive the 9 hours back home to Canada).  He immediately took off the shirt he had on and joyfully wore the BAM! shirt the rest of the night.

BAM! performs all around the world.  Benjamin and I highly recommend you check them out!  Also, if you plan to be out on the East End of LI, I highly recommend you check out Guild Hall and KidFest (and their adult programming is incredible as well…lots of celebrity talent).

Every weekend we drive to and from the eastern end of Long Island.  The trip takes anywhere from 2:15 with no traffic to 4 hours of bumper to bumper, even with backroad detours.  It can be torture but, once we get there, I get amnesia and forget how annoying the drive was.

When I’m driving by myself, I often think of one of Benjamin’s favorite games
Rush Hour Jr. from Thinkfun.  In this single-player game, children steer their ice cream truck through a jumble of blocking cars, trucks and buses.  The objective is to slide the blocking cars and trucks out of the way to create a path of escape through the congestion.  The game has 40 age-appropriate challenges, for boys and girls ages 6 and up, to set-up and solve.  We love so many things about this gift…the challenges get more difficult as you go through them and really make a child feel like he’s mastering something, it is small and portable and is great for travel (or to play in the car in a real traffic jam), and it’s won tons of awards.  Thinkfun also makes Rush Hour for ages 8 and up.

Now, wouldn’t it be great if I could play a real-live game of Rush Hour and slide the trucks, SUVs, vans and other cars out of my way on the LIE or Rte 27 to make my own escape!

My cousin Rebecca broke her arm the other day – not a fun way for a girl to turn 6 years old. Her birthday is later this month, so we decided to send her an early birthday present from GIFT HERO to try and cheer her up.

What do you send to a 6 year old with a broken arm? It had to be something she could play with one hand. So we chose Hoppers Jr., a great single player game that Rebecca can play all by herself with one hand. The object is to help Red Frog Freddy win the leaping contest by being the last one on the pond. Players choose a challenge and place the frogs on the playing board to match the picture shown. To win, players hop all of their frogs around the pond until only the Red Frog remains. There are different levels of cards so kids will not easily get bored as they get better at the game.

We also sell lots of other fun single player games for all age ranges. For the 5-8 set we offer Rush Hour Jr., River Crossing Jr. and Clever Castle. For ages 8 and up we have the regular versions of Rush Hour and River Crossing, as well as Chocolate Fix.

These games are also great for travel as they are small, light and some even come with a drawstring storage bag.

Don’t worry Rebecca, GIFT HERO is on the way!

Maya and I love to play this game together. I suspect that she loves it primarily because it involves pretty clothes, but I love it because it is a great strategy game in the guise of fashion. Clothespins! makes a great birthday gift for a 5-7 year old girl.

The object of the game is to be the first to fill three “clotheslines.” To do this, you have to fill each clothesline with matching items – a match is either the same design/pattern or three of one kind of clothes. For example, you can have three shorts with different designs or you can have shorts, shirt and dress from the same design. The game is a little tricky at the start, and it’s definitely not for under age 5. But Maya quickly got the hang of the game and soon began beating me!

The game is great for 2-4 players. It comes in a small, sturdy cardboard box and is great for travel.

Last weekend Benjamin and I went on a tour of the Pollock Krasner property. It is located in Springs, NY right on the Acabonac Harbor which is the northeast section of East Hampton. It is where Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner lived and where Jackson Pollock did most of his work. It is a gorgeous setting and the best part is you get to go into his actual studio where the restored floor is like one of his incredible drip paintings and in it you can see elements of his major works (and his footprint in the paint).

The highlight of the visit was making an actual drip painting. The kids got a small canvas, lots of colors of tempera paint plus sticks, twigs, and turkey basters to make their own works of art. It was a blast. Benjamin, who isn’t usually interested in art projects, was one of the last kids to leave. His masterpiece is now in our den.

If you plan to be out in the Hamptons, this visit is a must-do. There are workshops available on Friday and Saturday mornings. For more information call 631.324.4929 or visit their website. The Pollock Krasner house is located at 830 Springs Fireplace Road.

This weekend is America’s 233rd birthday! Kind of old for a gift from GIFT HERO…but, we want to celebrate so we are offering 20% off our great selection of USA-themed gifts through Monday July 6th.

United States Bingo from Eeboo is a patriotic adapation of the classic game for boys and girls ages 5 and up. Children will have fun, while they learn United States regions, states, landmarks and industries. It’s great for family game night and it comes with 12 game cards so it is ideal for a group to play at a 4th of July Picnic. It includes a draw-string bag so it is also good for travel. Like all Eeboo gifts, United States Bingo is beautifully illustrated and made of durable high quality cardboard.

We’ve got lots of other USA-themed gifts, everything from board games to puzzles to playsets so visit our America’s Birthday page at GIFT HERO today to save 20% through July 6.

My daughter Maya received this Dalmation Vet kit as a birthday present when she turned three years old. It was her favorite present she received that year. Not only did she play “Doggie Doctor,” but the dalmation quickly became her best buddy. She slept with the dog, brought her to the table for meals, and even brought her to school on a daily basis (although she had to stay in the backpack).

I think this makes a great children’s birthday gift for a three or four year old. Kids can play with it alone or with a friend, and it comes with 16 different tools and accessories so kids won’t get bored with it. Everything fits in the carrying case so it also makes a great portable toy for trips or playdates.

If you are looking for a great gift for a 3 or 4 year old, the Art Book to Go is a great pick! Many kids will be doing a lot of traveling and visiting this summer, and they can take this wherever they go. It comes with 6 dry erase markers, an eraser and an 8 page wipe-off coloring and activity book. I love this better than paper because the kids can use it over and over and there is no waste. The case zips shut so there is no chance of stuff falling out, either.