Activities Advice Articles
Staying home for school break? No matter the season, there are lots of wonderful ways to fill your time right here in Brooklyn and its environs!
NYC.Gov’s Snow Response Page (you can track the snow plows!)
Ready.Gov’s Winter Weather Resources
Your Family:
Shop early and shop smart.Definitely pick up hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows, but also make sure you have easy-to-eat foods on hand in case the power goes out.
Buy some “hot hands” or other hand and feet warmers.
Keep your cell phones and other devices chargedin case of a power outage.
Check in on family membersoutside your
Basics:
Swimsuit – depending on the age, either a float suit with adjustable buoyancy or “puddle-jumper” floaties
Rashguard – longer-sleeved suits that protect best from sun
Sun Hat – with tie and long back
Beach Towels (2/child) – reserve one for an end-of-the-beach-day-scrub
Sunscreen (check the use-by date and get a baby-friendly one)**
Swim diapers (even if kids don’t go in the water these are good)
Wipes
Water bottle/cup – Yeti or
What to watch with your little ones on family movie night!
Also check out our page with Marvelous Movies for 3s and 4s.
If you’re not yet a member of PSP, join us today and connect with a community of parents who will watch movies with you and so much more!
Off-Broadway WeekNew to the city? Been here for years and now moving away? Read on for the quintessential Brooklyn and New York activities that received glowing reviews from Park Slope Parents members.
Your family can enjoy summer in New York without running a money faucet! Here are PSP’s top picks for cheap and free events, classes, parks, and other adventures-in-waiting for your kids this summer.
Be sure to also check out PSP’s Summer of Independence Resource Package for tips on supporting your kids’ summer explorations and helping them become more capable, confident and resilient along the way.
If you're not already a member, join PSP
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Home is the safest place right now, but as the weather continues to warm up and cabin fever hits in full force, venturing into the great outdoors is growing more and more appealing. NYC is already struggling with overcrowding in our much-loved parks, so if you want to maintain social distancing while enjoying the fresh air, hitting the trails can be a wonderful option. We hope this advice sourced from PSP members will help you stay safe while
...Looking for activities for your kids, tween or teen? From afterschool programs to sports classes, ideas for fun in the winter/ fall/ summer, this page points you in the right direction of where you can get ideas & suggestions from fellow PSP members!
Wondering where to take a kindergartener or elementary schooler for a memorable outing in New York City and its environs? Look no further—Park Slope Parents members who have been there, done that have suggestions to fit every preference.
If you’re not yet a member of PSP, join us to find a community who can answer your questions at all stages of the parenting journey, from the expectant months to the college years!
We asked Park Slope Parents members for the greatest and grandest grandparent/grandchild activities in NYC, and they delivered. Check out the recs below, from cruises to kid-led tours!
The PSP Grandparents Group keeps in grand touch through online chats, Zooms, and in-person meet-ups. If you’re a PSP member and the grandparents of your family want to get in on the fun, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need
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This page includes tips and recommendations of where to hike close to NYC from members of the PSP Hiking and Camping Group, plus resources around the web they recommend.
Want to join the PSP Hiking and Camping Group? Head HERE. Not yet a member of PSP? Join HERE!
Lake Minnewaska is a favorite hiking destination for PSP members. Photo via here.
Looking for fun ideas on things to do with your toddlers and kids this summer? Here are some tips & suggestions that PSP members have shared. If you have more awesome ideas, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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PSP members share the cultural experiences their family has enjoyed!
Here are a few tours ideas and NYC activites suggested by PSP Members on how to get to learn more about Brooklyn.
A Park Slope parents shares her tips for playing in the snow in Prospect Park.
Indoor Activity Ideas for those bad weather days in Park Slope!
Head HERE for the updated full list of Snowy Fun Tips!
A book review of Subway, by Christop Niemann
Tips for playing in the sandbox, from the expert nannies in the Slope!
We've got 22 top tips for making snow days in Brooklyn manageable!
Recommendations from the PSP community on iPhone apps their kids love.
Want to go Apple Picking but you don't have a car? Here are a few options:
NOTE: The actual apple picking only takes less than an hour-- so consider another activity (many farms have harvest days and corn mazes) so you don't travel 4 hours for a very short visit.
We've got a new and improved list for cheap (or free!) to do with kids of all ages in NYC in the summer.
Also, check out our NYC Family Bucket List for year round activities!
Words of wisdom about choosing music classes from PSP member who is a music teacher, a former violinist and opera singer.
Explore playgrounds with water features and other awesomeness, from Washington Heights to the Rockaways!
Looking for ways to keep cool this summer? Also check out the PSP Best and Easy Meet-Up Map, where the BLUE icons denote playgrounds with water features!
Want to connect with a community who will splash and play with you? Join Park Slope Parents!
Park Slope Parents is known around town for bringing our giant bubbles and face stamps to events, and a few people have asked us for more information about how to make bubbles and rainbow paints happen on their own. We have info to help make you a super pro in no time!
We're giving you our secrets—so make it official by joining Park Slope Parents! As a PSP member, you'll be the first to know about events, members-only meet-ups, and so much more.
Craving some oinks, moos, and baaaa’s on your next family outing? Read on for PSP members’ advice on the best city-accessible spots to commune with some barnyard buddies.
Considering a day trip to the shore, but not interested in being jostled by hordes of maskless sunbathers? Before you make your getaway, read on for member reports and recommendations on the most and least crowded beaches.
After a dismally empty three months, NYC’s beloved playgrounds are once again up and running—but in the Covid era, even typically carefree activities like swinging from the monkey bars require an extra level of caution. These top tips can help keep your kids safe and keep you sane.
As the warm weather continues, our local area presents plenty of possibilities for Covid-conscious fun. Check out tips for planning, play, and safety below!
For a crash course on planning an awesome distanced meetup, download the Marvelous Meet-Up Tip Sheet; and for top hang-out spots, head to our interactive map of Best and Easy Meet-Up Spots!
"I got a great responses to my question about good foods for a hot weather food strike," shares a PSP member. "Some won't work for my pasta-hating, cheese-rejecting vegetarians, but I got several requests to post to list and I've included all responses below, from Mom to Two who subsist on breakfast and air..."
Our outdoorsy members share what they like best and least about camping with babies—and share a few tips about making a camping trip a success. We've also added PSP member ideas about how to hike with little ones, what to cook, and how to simplify a camping routine!
Sabrina and Samantha Van Putten had a recent adventure to Coney Island...
a PSP member shared that the NYC Guide is now available to download! "This indispensable guide is a collaborative effort between New York City
Agencies, museums, youth groups, libraries, arts organizations and cultural institutions. Many of these events are free or low cost.
And for some more PSP member suggestions of summer activities for kids, tweens and teens, go HERE.
NYC's outdoor public swimming pools open the Friday after NYC public schools start their summer vacation. Here is important information of what to bring, where to go, and more.
PSP member, blog writer and photographer Amber Ceffalio visited the aquarium & Coney Island last weekend, and post Sandy, is still an ideal outing for young ones.
Calling all ghouls and ghosties—PSP's Halloween roundup has arrived! We'll continue updating this page as new events cross our desk, so check back for the best and spookiest happenings all around Brooklyn and beyond.
Are you a parent in Brooklyn who's not yet a Park Slope Parents member?JOIN US today to chat with fellow families about trick-or-treating best practices, share intel on the best pumpkin patches, and get advice on everything from
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It's FALL and the leaves are beautiful right now. Take some time to use the backdrop of the fall to get some great photos of your family.
image made available here via a Creative Commons license
Park Slope Parents has an extensive list of apple and fruit picking destinations HERE with tips & suggestions from fellow parents. Make sure to call these places before you trek out (we got to one place and they were out of apples in one field and not opening another one for a few hours!).
Tips for toddlers who prefer to dress like they’re on their way to a tropical vacation even when it’s 0 degrees outside.
Need help finding the best winter gear for kids? Check out our article on Dressing Kids for Outdoor School & Play.
Want to connect with a community that will keep you warm all winter? Join PSP today.
There are lots of ways to get out of the house and enjoy Brooklyn even during the chilliest months. Here are the best of the best ideas for enjoy what NYC has to offer in the winter!
Need help bundling up before heading outdoors? Check out our article on Dressing Kids for Outdoor School & Play, featuring product and brand recs from members.
Not yet a member of Park Slope Parents? Join a community that will help keep you warm all year round.
NOTE:
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The following quesiton was asked to the Park Slope Parents group: "My rising 6th grader has summer homework to “visit a science museum and write a journal entry describing what you saw and what you learned from it”. What’s your favorite Science Museum?"
Here are their votes!
Go here for an updated and expanded version:
Family Movie Night: Tween/Teen Edition
Park Slope Parents was invited to take part in a roundtable discussion about whether young children should attend concerts.
If you’ve never taken the kids to the Chinese New Year Parade, put it on your bucket list of family excursions in New York City!
Need to switch up your cinematic rotation? Park Slope Parents members have ideas for movies that are sure to be a hit with the three-to-four-year old set—including a few that might just be equally loved by parents.
If you’re not yet a member of PSP, join us today and connect with a community of parents who will watch movies with you and so much more!
Go here for an updated and expanded version:
Family Movie Night: Tween/Teen Edition
Park Slope Parents share the favorite boardgames they like to play with their kids.
So you have a teenager (or tween) coming to visit or you are looking for something fun to do with your own energetic young adult. What are some fun, slightly more grown up and erm, "cooler" things you can do with them? Here are some suggestions from local parents.
The PSP Best and Easy Meet-Up Map is an interactive, crowd-sourced resource featuring the best spots all over Brooklyn to meet up with your pregnancy, baby, toddler, or kid group.
If you're a parent in Brooklyn who's not yet a member of PSP, head HERE to get connected to your new community.
Planning a staycation this winter? Here, PSP members share ideas of what to do with kids in New York City during the December school break and beyond.
Sledding can be a LOT of fun, but it can also cause a LOT of injuries. Each winter, thousands of children and teens end up in the emergency room because of a sledding accident. Park Slope Parents has pulled together some tips to help you sled SAFELY.
