The 10-day forecast has an awful lot of rain in it, so we’re going to help you counter the gray, wet skies with a lot of good indoor inspiration. — %uFFFD
1.%uFFFDDo you know that the New York Public Library sponsors a free storytime every Monday afternoon in which children can read aloud to a therapy dog and its handler?%uFFFD They call it Read With Mudge, after the beloved Henry & Mudge books.%uFFFDWe see it as just one of many free story times and other great activities sponsored by our public libraries around the city every day! Visit the activities pages of The New York Public Library (which covers Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island), the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Queens Public Library for more info.%uFFFD
2.%uFFFDBeyond the libraries, the city is bursting with storytimes for children—and usually (but not always) they’re free.%uFFFDBooks Of Wonder, Bank Street Books, Barnes & Noble, and the Scholastic Store all have regular readings.%uFFFDBut did you know that the Met also has a story times on Wednesday and Fridays?%uFFFDOr that the Strand Books has really great family readings every Thursday afternoon?%uFFFDBut the award for the most unexpected spot (though not any more!) for kids readings and other wonderful programming goes to Mini Max Toys & Cuts.
3. Between their ongoing exhibits (the Wizard of Oz Children’s Educational Exhibition, for example), daily workshops, and their incredible central play space for young children—known as Playworks—there’s always so much going on at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan you don’t even need to check their daily calendar (if you don’t want to): just show up and explore, let serendipity be your guide. Ditto in every way for Brooklyn Children’s Museum!
4.%uFFFDThere are a thousand good reasons to visit the Museum of Natural History of course, including their new blockbuster exhibit, “The World’s Largest Dinosaurs.”%uFFFDBut if you have a child that really loves the museum, make sure to introduce them to the Discovery Room, which is open every day and offers “an interactive gateway to the wonders of the Museum and a hands-on, behind-the scenes look at its science.” Perfect for a budding zoologist or anthropologist.
5. Speaking of museums, almost every museum in the city has introduced programming for children as part of their mission, so if you if you’re interested in a museum for yourself, you might be pleasantly surprised with the activities and events they can offer your child.%uFFFDCheck the websites!%uFFFDYou’ll discover treasures like how the Whitney smartly divides its family programming into several age groups; how there are both family matinees and claymation workshops at–where else?–the Museum of the Moving Image; and how the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) has a new exhibit on Games for the Hands and Mind, which explores the Chinese’s rich tradition and fascination with puzzles. MOCA is even hosting Family Puzzle Days for kids of all ages.%uFFFD
6. Crafts!%uFFFDThere are a bunch of neighborhood activity centers around the city where you can just drop-in and do some painting, or beading, or other kinds of hands-on crafting with your child. Our favorites includes Craft Studio, Make Meaning, Color Me Mine, and Little Shop Of Crafts.%uFFFDMoomah, which is also part café, is a fantastic place to discover all kinds of wonderfully idiosyncratic craft projects—not to mention a wondrous hi-tech interactive installation known as the Funky Forrest. %uFFFD%uFFFD
7.%uFFFDLooming is a type of craft too, but it’s so unusual to find a place devoted to it in the city; a trip to the kid-friendly Loop of the Loom is a unique experience for most children.%uFFFDNot only will they be smitten by the astonishing number of gorgeous threads,%uFFFDthey really do learn how to loom and make something with their own two hands.
8. Scrapbooking may not be a craft per se, but children certainly do have fun making tributes to themselves, don’t they?%uFFFDPortrait Bug has the distinction of not only being a very affordable place to get some family portraits done, its owner loves to scrapbook—and she’s turned the place into the city’s oasis for scrapbooking.
9. Dave & Busters in Times Square. Chuck E. Cheese in Queens and in Harlem. Take your pick. If you go to Dave & Busters, top it off with a meal at Schnippers. %uFFFD
10. Don’t forget about Chelsea Piers! Golf range,%uFFFDbatting cage, bowling and ice-skating—all rain proof. Plus, they have drop-in programs for basketball, baseball, gymnastics, rock climbing and soccer. And a Toddler Adventure Center for little ones.
BONUS TIP: Of course some of the best rainy day adventures are had at home. For arts and crafts projects,%uFFFDperuse Family Fun’s helpful website, and Crayola’s, as well. If you like an idea, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have every single element needed. Improvise! For fun and games, our favorite source is “365 Unplugged Family Fun Activities: A Year’s Worth of Ideas for TV-Free, Video-Free, and Computer Game-Free Entertainment.” Alas, there is no dedicated website but this book is a gift that keeps on giving.%uFFFDAnother source is simply to google the phrase “fun and games for families” – we found lots of great ideas and inspiration.%uFFFDYou will too.
