Summer Supplies

Skin Protector: Getting all the nooks and crannies of your infant’s skin covered with sunscreen can be a challenge. Baby Blanket’s Tender Scalp Sunblock Spray ($6.50) and SPF 45 Sunscreen Spray Lotion For Babies ($10) help make your job easier. Both products offer broad spectrum YVA/UVB protection, are hypoallergenic, non-stinging, water-resistant and are SPF 45. (Babyblanketsuncare.com)

Hat Heads: Finally, a kids’ sun protection hat that doesn’t make them look like tourists. Tuga Wear’s UV protective hats for kids come in cool styles for boys and girls that will leave them summering in style while protecting their skin. ($18; tugasunwear.com)

Beach Bake: The beachside answer to an Easy Bake oven is Melissa & Doug’s Seaside Sidekicks Sand Cookie Set. Budding mini-chefs will spend hours forming their own sand cookies while you kick back in your beach chair with a book. ($14.87; amazon.com)

Cool Treats: Nothing beats the heat like a cool treat. With the Zoku Quick Pop Maker you can make your own popsicles in as little as seven minutes. Choosing what flavor to make, however, might take you a bit longer. ($49.95; williams-sonoma.com)

Shady Days: Stay cool anytime, anywhere with the Portabrella portable folding beach umbrella. It weighs only six pounds, folds to just 24 inches, has a three-way tilting canopy and an SPF of 100. Equally as useful for the beach or an afternoon picnic in the park, it takes just a few minutes to set up and disassemble. (Starts at $29.95; shadeusa.com)

Little Feet: Even the tiniest family members can keep their toes cool in infant and toddler Havaianas. A miniaturized version of the popular Brazilian rubber thongs, kids’ Havaianas have the same cushioned rubber footbed as the adult ones but also have a removable soft elastic back strap to keep little feet in place. (Start at 16.95; us.havaianas.com)

Thirst Quencher: With BornFree’s new Twist’nPop toddler cup, your tot can stay hydrated without spills. The 14 oz. ergonomic design is easy to hold with a unique pop-up soft silicone straw that twists back into the cap when done. And like all BornFree products, the cup is BPA- and phthalate-free. ($8.99; toysrus.com)

Bag It: Skip Hop’s new Central Park Outdoor Blanket Cooler Bag makes everything from family picnics to beach outings convenient and stylish. It includes an insulated area to keep snacks and drinks cool. It also unfolds into a 5×5 water-resistant blanket (available in two designs). Or, detach the ice pack and it’s a compact messenger bag! ($45; skiphop.com)

Robin Saks Frankel is the founder of Crib Notes, a free monthly e-newsletter for parents of kids ages 0 to 3 and Facebook’s “The Greatest Friday Playgroup Ever!,” a weekly playgroup for uptown moms.

Play On! Studios

Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games! Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun! Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show! During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we&rsquo;ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us. &nbsp;

Explore MetroWest Boston

<h1>Turn Whining into Winning in MetroWest Boston</h1> From beer gardens to corn mazes, state parks to beautiful art, MetroWest Boston is a great destination for a weekend trip! Enjoy <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/get-outside/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-state-park-61a91acef30b531a665ab64d">Hopkinton State Park</a>&rsquo;s gorgeous foliage while kayaking on the lake or hiking, mountain biking, or snowshoeing on the amazing trails. In the evening, catch a play, musical, concert, art exhibition, dance performance, or immersive theatrical event at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-center-for-the-arts-63c03d7e0d792d753263b4d1">Hopkinton Center for the Arts</a>. Get a great night&rsquo;s sleep at one of the region&rsquo;s hotels, such as <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=the-verve-hotel-boston-natick-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-61aa4790f30b531a666119e4">The VERVE</a>, with its fun and funky pop art d&eacute;cor, or <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=aloft-framingham-6216279ccc891d1d0862c8c2">Aloft</a> with their pool tables and lobby games. In the morning, visit the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=danforth-art-school-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d90">Danforth Art Museum</a>, a jewel box housing 3,500+ artworks from three centuries, including groundbreaking sculptures depicting the African and African American experience by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. Cross the street to the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=framingham-history-center-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d92">Framingham History Center</a> to explore their new multilingual exhibit that traces the city&rsquo;s immigration story, from those fleeing the 1690s Salem Witch trials, to the Irish and Italian influx in the 1800-1900s, to the current migration of Brazilians. &ldquo;Framingham&rsquo;s Collective Journeys&rdquo; includes oral histories, interactives, and artifacts. No visit to Framingham is complete without stopping at legendary <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/eat/?imgoing-place=jacks-abby-craft-lagers-61a8e11cf30b531a66592da0">Jack&rsquo;s Abby Craft Lagers</a>, one of 17 breweries in MetroWest, where you can enjoy a flight with a schnitzel sandwich or their famous Framinghamburger. Afterwards, spend a few hours at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/activities/?imgoing-place=level99-64a8389c51f92a351a6a3f06">Level99</a> testing each other with 50+ mental and physical escape rooms and challenges. The next day, tour the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=longfellows-wayside-inn-61aa7aa3f30b531a66621f57">Wayside Inn</a>. The oldest inn in America&rsquo;s 100-acre property includes the Old Barn, now a farm stand with displays of antique farming tools, the historic Grist Mill, and beautiful grounds containing the Longfellow Memorial Garden, the Redstone Schoolhouse from the poem &ldquo;Mary Had a Little Lamb&rdquo;, the Martha-Mary Chapel, and Josephine's Pond for fishing. Stay for a delicious gourmet meal in their historic dining room. Spend the afternoon at the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=american-heritage-museum-61a92852f30b531a665b17bf">American Heritage Museum</a>. Start your tour in the depths of a WWI trench listening to a nurse&rsquo;s first-hand account from the Western Front while bombs explode above you and the floor begins to shake. This extraordinary museum features one-of-a-kind historic aircraft, tanks, cars and rare relics from the Revolutionary War to today, in immersive exhibits and living history events. Afterwards, wander the charming shops and boutiques of downtown Hudson. <h3>MetroWest Boston offers these and many other attractions, activities and events for the whole family!</h3>

Dance Workshop - NY

Nestled in the heart of the UES, Dance Workshop is a community-focused studio committed to dance education in a loving and safe environment. Dance Workshop offers Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Musical Theatre and Acro for ages 2+. They also offer a Pre-Professional Company track for dancers interested in taking their technique to the next level. Trial classes may be scheduled with the studio at the start of the season. Dance with Dance Workshop! MaryAnn Grasso founded Dance Workshop in 1979. Her daughter Nanci later joined her at the helm and in 2016 established Dance Workshop on the Upper East Side of NYC. MaryAnn and Nanci have devoted their lives to dance education, community and the development of children; raising dancers and sound human beings alike. Dance Workshop has seen thousands of dancers pass through the doors. They believe dance has the power to elevate and change lives!