How do people in NYC keep kids home in the summer?

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gp2.0

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 10:12 pm

seeker wrote:

Girls can do a long-sleeve rashguard with a knee-length slinky skirt - they dry really quickly. Or, they definitely do sell dresses made of bathing-suit material and this must be the ideal use for them.

I think you will probably find things more crowded on Sundays, but that doesn't mean you should just not bother. Many things in this big city are just big enough to handle crowds. The Bronx Zoo I hear is a mob scene on Wednesdays when it's free, but should be tolerable on a Sunday because even if half the world is there it is just really big so it shouldn't feel too packed (expect to wait on line any day for the train thing which is the only way to see certain animals. It's one of the extra-charge things unless you're a member, but probably the only way in New York to see really big animals in saddish little habitats...) I have done the Aquarium on Sunday and it was crowded but still enjoyable. Probably best if you get anywhere in the morning since they will fill up over the course of the day. Been to AMNH on Sunday and it was fine, again lots of people but big enough not to feel crowded - go in through the planetarium, it tends to have a shorter line than the main entrance but you can enter to the whole museum from there. Public playgrounds near me definitely fill up, sometimes unpleasantly, on weekends but paid attractions seem less so. If you know people who live near or frequent nice parks you can ask about specific ones. Many will still be doable. I've heard Governor's Island is fine even though more popular on Sundays. My guess is that generally the bigger the place is, the less likely it is to feel crowded even on a Sunday.

Seeing huge animals in tiny habitats always makes me sad. Especially orcas. Crying

On that note, the Bronx zoo will not get new elephants once their current elephants die. They decided this back in 2006 when they realized that elephants were too intelligent and their matriarchal order too complicated to simply be able to push a few elephants into an enclosure and hope they get along. They have one elephant kept in solitary confinement now, a cruel sentence for an intelligent animal* that would normally spend her entire life with her mother, sisters, aunts, nieces, and female children.

*Happy, the elephant they have in solitary confinement, passed the intelligence test that proves she has a sense of self - they painted a mark on her head where she couldn't see it, placed a mirror into her enclosure and she touched the mark on her head with the tip of her trunk. (Other animals that pass the test are great apes, dolphins, and human toddlers.)

seeker

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 10:20 pm

Yes, I don't always find zoos sad (I know people with much more sensitivity than me...) but I do think the large animal enclosures in the Bronx zoo looked especially depressing. However, while I don't agree with doing it in the first place, once they're there I do like to go see them at least once in a lifetime. I am so extremely unlikely to see any of these in the wild and I find living creatures so marvelous that if there is one in my city, I want to see it and I want my kids to see it - before it dies and doesn't get replaced. But now that I did see it, my main impression was that it was so lonely and boring. I hope they provide it with more enrichment at other times.

seeker

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 10:26 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks!
I guess I'm just nervous about doing it alone with 4 kids. We go to some really packed places on Chol hamoed but I have dh with me so it's not so bad. I can't really even imagine how to go around a museum or large park with just myself and all kids all different ages being happy at the same place same time.
How does it work for you people?
Also, in general I get very overwhelmed over everything, so I guess the idea alone is making my head spin.

A random summer Sunday is not nearly as bad as Chol Hamoed. There is something about Chol Hamoed making people think they must go out and seek entertainment, which they aren't programmed to do en masse on random days. It won't be THAT bad.
How many kids do you have of how many ages? You say "all kids all different ages" so it sounds like you might just have more to worry about! And if you are easily overwhelmed, then maybe just don't do big trips on your own. It's OK.
See if you can find a friend with kids to team up with. I only succeeded in doing this maybe a couple of times the whole last summer but those were definitely some of our best days and our best trips. And yes, we were able to divide and conquer when different kids wanted to go different ways. Including the bathrooms. And it was such a mechaya for me to have another adult along on the trip. It was really great.

amother

Magenta

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 10:46 pm

amother wrote:

op here (again!)
thanks again for the great posts and advice!
so to the most previous poster who wrote this is a learning experience, wow can you say that again!! This is my first time doing it, and I'm going to stick it through, I just don't know if this will be an annual thing Very Happy

I posted Friday was a great day, we laid low, I also didn't have to cook for shabbos so that was a massive help, but oh boy! shabbos and today! shock

My kids are not used to being with each other non-stop, all day every day, and well lets just say.. its getting old lol. today it was raining in the morning, so we started off playing nicely, but I had to pull out the dvd's by 12... embarrassed

I just need to take it day by day. some days will be awesome, and some days I probably will be pulling my hair out.
Tonight, I am really forcing myself to make a menu and timed schedules for what and when to make for all lunches and supper for next week.
thanks again! this thread has been so enlightening!

remember your children will learn to cooperate with each other this summer. They will learn how to have fun together, share and sort out their differences. Its ALL healthy! Smile

( I spent countless summers with my younger brother and we are still close!)
Dont forget that you need your down time as well. Let them play on the computer or read while you catch several breaks during the day. Also, I really like what mummie dearest had to share! I am learning alot here too!
Have fun! And believe it or not your children are having fun being home with you! This is a great bonding opportunity for everyone.

gp2.0

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 11:15 pm

seeker wrote:

Oh yeah, that was my (long-winded) point, it's worth going to see the elephants if you like that sort of thing because in another decade or two they won't be there anymore.

zigi

Sun, Jun 28 2015, 11:32 pm

target has long sleeve shirts like rashgaurds. my kids all have waterproof shoes. so if they see a sprinkler or puddle they can go in and not ruin their shoes.

the museum of mathematics is a lot of fun for 6 and up. my 4 year old liked parts of it. there is a playground across the street with a sprinkler. its also around the corner from the lego flagship store

amother

Oak

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 12:05 am

Lets post our daily schedules...
Monday... we had busy outing day today so tomorrow is a bit quieter
-Daven
-Breakfast
9:00 Homemade juicing activity in juicer (kids peel and juice and drink in large glasses with ice and straws)
- 10:00 (leave) Bike riding /local sprinkler park
-12:30 lunch In the park picnic style
- 1:30 gardening
-2:00 - 3:00 down time while mommy makes supper (choice of reading or drawing)
-3:00 board games with mommy (family favorite!)
4:00 clean up toys and set table
- play with kids on block until 5:30
5:30 supper/baths and bedtime

seeker

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 12:40 am

Museum of Mathematics is GREAT but mostly for school age or above. A smaller child *probably* wouldn't be too bored because the exhibits are interesting to look at and play with, but they won't appreciate it enough to bother making the trip unless they are tagging along with older kids. It is not a cheap trip, it's the kind that I paid for because it was worth it.

Mummiedearest, you might be a bigger fan of staying out all day if you lived in my apartment! No porch for all these activities, too, if you want out it has to be OUT. No space to run around without going OUT out either. Fortunately there are several "outs" just within the couple of blocks around our home, of the playground-and-sprinkler variety, with good bathrooms 8)

I like the idea of sharing our Mommy Camp schedules, but I wonder if that will see a spike in inspired imamother members in key locations LOL

Pending appointment availability, my plan for tomorrow is both kids' well visits so they can have updated forms for camp and some vaccinations they missed while busy with one bug after another all winter.
Pediatrician is usually a same-day affair but because we'll be out in the same direction anyway and I was too overloaded during the school year to arrange in advance, I am going to at least call and find out whether we can take care of a couple of other appointments as well. I'm thinking unlikely but you never know. Maybe they're open because lots of people are in the country. Or maybe they're in the country too. We'll see in the morning.
Then once we're out in the car will probably do some grocery shopping.
The weather is finally supposed to be nice so maybe we can find a special park in the doctor's direction; if not then we'll hit one of the local parks which we're not bored of yet because it's been raining so much lately.
Because it's a doctor's appointment and errand type of day, it may involve ice cream if the place we get groceries sells individual portions (no way we'll get home before the leftovers melt if I have to buy a family pack!) I don't like to spoil us with ice cream too often but I also don't want the kids to feel like they never get any because it's something they always want. So if I make it a treat for doing well at the doctor and helping with errands, that works out.
Then at home typically Mondays we have Shabbos leftovers for supper so that's easy.
So overall, a tame kind of day but with something to do, and productive too. If for whatever reason the appointments don't work out then we'll move this whole schedule to a different day and I have no idea what we'll do tomorrow! Maybe the shopping anyway because it seems I'm down to tuna or grilled cheese as my menu options for any given meal. Except I hate going shopping if I don't have another errand to lump it with, because I don't like my local stores and without something else to do I don't really have an excuse to shlep the whole family in the car to someplace I like better. Doctor works. Tongue Out

Mommy82

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 3:51 am

while I don't live in NY, I've been doing Camp Mommy for yrs. Last year, it was during the war (I live in E"Y) so we didn't go on trips and we still had fun (and tried to keep some normalcy, knowing that a siren can go off any moment) I guess NYers can use the ideas we did for rainy days (Which we don't have here in the summer) Themes make camp much more fun. It can be ABCs for little ones or senses or a/t really. Even simple, free outings or activities are more fun when it ties into the theme. (Library trip on "eye" day or eating apples for a snack when it's "A" day) Make a short song for your family. We use the same one each yr- more of a jingle that we sing s/t- especially when I see kids are starting to act bored.

Think what ur kids like doing- baking/projects/activities/hunts and incorporate a lot of it. My kids like crafts so we did s/t each day. S/t out of free stuff s/t more exciting. We puffy-painted camp bags, or decorate pillow cases. you can use air dry clay, Model Magic (fun and not messy). Also, don't load them up on treats and expect them to be sane! And when u do give treats, instead of giving them ice cream, have them make ice cream sundaes so it doubles as an activity/snack and takes up more time. Or make cupcakes and have them decorate their own.

2 simple scavenger hunts that's doable for young kids: 1- take pictures around your house zoomed up really close and try to have them look around finding what it's a picture of. 2- (need 2 kids that read for this and better done in a park) divide kids in 2 groups w/ a list of things to find. "Something green" "something shiny" "something yummy" whatever. Then they need to make a project out of the stuff collected.

So many ppl wrote to keep to a schedule. I try to make sure bedtime is on time so that e/o's not cranky, but other than that, I think it's healthy for the family to have relaxed bonding time. I guess know ur own kids and yourself Smile

mummiedearest

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 9:12 am

seeker wrote:

seeker, I totally get what you're saying about apartment living. I admit that my previous homes (apartments) had either a porch or a fire escape. so I would likely continue some kind of arts and crafts outdoors, but baking would be indoors. my kids don't run around in the house much. they read books, play board games, etc. a half day outdoors is enough time to run around, and they walk quite a lot to get where we're going. it's different if you have a car, you don't have to schlep all your things with you at all times. I'm very grateful to have a huge jogging stroller with lots of storage space, but I'd still go nuts having to take all the stuff we need for the day. were I in an apartment with no porch, I'd likely schedule breaks to go home and rest/pick up whatever we need for the rest of the day. right now, I usually carry drinks, snacks, lunch, and whatever we need for a particular activity. when it's library day, that's a huge load of books. that in addition to my purse, sunscreen, baseball caps for the kids, a change of clothing for the three year old if I anticipate a need to change her, etc. adds up to a lot.

Ruchel

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 11:41 am

Yeah.
It's like this here, add no yard (city living) and no a/c (even in many places like shops, indoor playgrounds...).

I try to send to daycamp at least a week, not easy finding one in walking distance. I favour the cheap "heimish" ones. Also because some big ones have a pool and I'm paranoid about that. But the big ones have longer day... but the small ones have the frummest kids... lol

My kids get bored too, I'm not the crafty, kindergatren mora type AT ALL as I don't enjoy it and don't have the ideas. I suggest activities, they can do them or keep occupied (or you can give them chores if they're too bored :p), play together... I do have a balcony but too small for an inflatable pool, and I'm paranoid about balconies, c'v. Keep the small ones away!
When it's hot I cannot take the kids out because it gives me migraines, but then so do noises inside the house LOL.

I let them go to bed late, makes for a later morning Wink

What about saying you'll punish if you hear them fight?

The kids know I'm by definition not a camp... and for sure they watch tons of videos but I don't have a problem with it. This year I have the plan to make a map of what's in walking distance as I refuse to take the subway (stairs) with a stroller. The hot days are the real problem, both inside and outside. It does help that I'm that Euro parent with lots of free play, so they do not expect me so much to play with their toys or wtv. I was made for times you just let the kids play outside! lol

I do try to make sure they daven. The rest... lol I hope I can get the rainbow loom back into fashion!

The cleaning lady is always awaited with bated breath in this house Smile

seeker

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 9:26 pm

Today's weather was sooooo nice that we just spent most of the day in the playground on our block. Came home for meals and to exchange playthings. Spent a couple of hours home after lunch while LO napped and I did "summer homework" with Alpha Girl. If only we could get away with every day being so relaxing! I need more of this weather!

seeker

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 9:28 pm

Ruchel, you have a shorter vacation in Europe, right? We have about 10 weeks of this. Bleargh. I am sending to heimish less-expensive day camp for 6 of them but even less expensive is expensive.

momx6

Mon, Jun 29 2015, 10:54 pm

I've been following this thread since I have 4 kids home with me this summer.

I wanted to give my 2 cents.

If you're willing to spend a little bit you can find on Groupon, living social or Amazon local great deals. I bought for Bowling, mini golf and the shark - high speed boat ride from South St seaport to the statue of liberty.

I'm using the bowling for when its a scorcher of a day and the other trips will be the "major" trip of each week.

PinkFridge

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 9:06 am

momx6 wrote:

Is KidsBowlFree still available?
That's something else that was a G-dsend. Before KidsBowlFree there were a few summers of a local bowling alley with dirt cheap prices.

momx6

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 10:20 am

I don't know about the kidsbowlfree but I paid $35 for 5 ppl - 2 games each + shoe rental. This is at strike 10 lanes.
Great for a rainy day.

Ruchel

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 10:42 am

seeker wrote:

Ruchel, you have a shorter vacation in Europe, right? We have about 10 weeks of this. Bleargh. I am sending to heimish less-expensive day camp for 6 of them but even less expensive is expensive.

I hear Italy has 3 months (?!).
In our school vacay is from 3 July to beginning of September.

seeker

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 10:54 am

Ruchel wrote:

I hear Italy has 3 months (?!).
In our school vacay is from 3 July to beginning of September.

Oh, similar to us then. A couple of weeks shorter. We have from around June 20th (exact date depends on the school) until September, as far as I know it depends when September starts because there's this baloney called Labor Day on the first Monday that follows a Sunday in September (?!) so if September starts on Saturday or Sunday school can start on the 3rd, but this year it starts on the 9th. I don't pretend to understand this. But that's very close to 3 months of vacation and I don't understand how they expect kids to retain their learning like that. Not everyone is privileged to have a high quality vacation.

seeker

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 11:19 am

So, back to NYC, we have an appointment in the Williamsburg area today. Since we'll be out of our area anyway, are there any parks worth checking out around there? Or, if I decide to venture farther out towards Prospect Park, where in PP are good play areas for little kids? Worth a trip?

amother

Oak

Tue, Jun 30 2015, 11:21 am

PinkFridge wrote:

Is KidsBowlFree still available?
That's something else that was a G-dsend. Before KidsBowlFree there were a few summers of a local bowling alley with dirt cheap prices.

yes I signed up for kids bowl free

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