Car Seat Safety

In the past, parents typically turned their child around to face forward in the car seat when he reached his first birthday or 20 pounds. But The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has officially revised its recommendations. According to a new policy published in the April 2011 issue of Pediatrics, children should now ride rear-facing up to age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for the seat.

%uFFFD”A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” explains Dr. Dennis Durbin, MD, FAAP, the lead author of the policy statement.—

%uFFFDAnd, parents of older children should take note of new guidelines as well: a belt-positioning booster seat should be used until children have reached 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between the ages of 8-12.%uFFFD To read more about the new guidelines, click here.

Confused about how to
select the best car seat for your child as she grows? Emily Levine, a
certified child passenger safety technician known as the newest “Car
Seat Lady,” offers some tips on what parents should look for when it comes to car seats and safety:%uFFFD For more information, visit carseatlady.com.

The Rear View: To keep little ones comfortable in the back seat, make sure you
keep the sun out of their eyes! We recommend Sunshine Kids Cool Shade for the Car Window%uFFFD or First Years 2 Adjust ‘n Lock Car Shades.

Chickenshed NYC

Chickenshed is an inclusive theatre company that began in the UK in 1974. Chickenshed NYC is a young organization bringing that same ethos and unique methodology to the USA. Chickenshed&rsquo;s mission is to create entertaining and outstanding theatre that celebrates diversity and inspires positive change. Chickenshed's model of Inclusive Theatre is based in the belief that everyone can flourish when everyone is included. At Chickenshed everyone is welcome, everyone is valued, and together we produce remarkable theatre. We want to break down barriers between people to create a world without labels and where differences no longer divide. At Chickenshed, support is given to those who need it, and given by those who can . We believe that creative activities, self-expression and performance should be available to anyone who has the desire, no matter their background or circumstances. We know that when everyone has the opportunity to shine, amazing things happen. Chickenshed NYC provides programming for little ones, children and youth through semester-long activities and performances.

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center

The School at the Mark Morris Dance Center offers year-round, community-based dance and music programming in a fully inclusive and nurturing environment, located in the heart of the Brooklyn Cultural District. The School&rsquo;s diverse and professional faculty provides progressive and non-competitive instruction with all of our classes accompanied by live music. Though we are a non-recital school, there are opportunities for students to perform and for parents to see their dancers in action.

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;