When life hands you lemons...

share them with friends!
NY City Explorers' best-dressed teacher, Brittany, loves all children, especially those she cares for each and every day, but none so much as her own niece, Madison. It was with little Madison in mind that Brittany booked a trip to visit family in South Carolina for this long weekend, leaving Thursday morning's regularly scheduled classes at NY City Explorers in Amy's competent hands.
It may have been too early in the season for the city's sprinklers and pools to provide respite during Wednesday's heat wave, but there was plenty of waterplay during Thursday morning's Savvy Scientists class. After a brainstorming session about the many uses of water, including correct guesses of transportation, cooking, washing and more, Dean, Lucas, Shayna and the rest of the bunch had a chance to test the density of different household objects the fun way---by tossing them into a bowl of water! With Ka Yiu's help, Brooklyn's Brightest Babies even charted their guesses about each object as well as the experiment's results. Toy car? Sink! But a piece of paper? Floated like a balloon! The pre-Memorial-day splashing sure was fun, but an even sweeter summertime treat followed. Homemade lemonade, fresh-squeezed by twelve tiny tots during Amy's heat-free cooking class. Squeezing, mixing and stirring proved quite a workout for all parties involved, but the tasty results rendered the effort worthwhile. Smelling and tasting the fresh fruit brought Liliana's mind back to her family's recent trip to Israel, where the four-years-old cutie spoke of gobbling "lots and lots of watermelon" during the two week visit to her grandfather's home. May all of our Explorers and families enjoy a wonderful holiday weekend full of lots and lots of watermelon over the next couple of days, and, more importantly, may the families of our nation's fallen heroes know how thankful we all are for the sacrifices that those men and women have made as we remember them on Monday.

It was a walk in the park!

Saturday, May 15th marked Underhill Playground's annual "It's My Park Day." The event, which was organized by the Friends of Underhill Playground, provided an opportunity for neighborhood volunteers to beautify Brooklyn by painting trash cans, weeding plant beds and cleaning up stray trash and broken toys.
Located in Prospect Heights, just a few blocks away form NY City Explorers' playspace at 186 Underhill Ave, the Underhill Playground is well-loved and treated by many as home-base during the warm months of late Spring, Summer and early Autumn. The park's great sense of community stems not only from its central location but also from the many different play area and secure fencing that make it a safe and accessible spot for children of all ages. The pre-loved toys that are left behind by neighborhood children who have outgrown them mean that there's always something new to ride, climb or play with. What a great way to model the importance not only of sharing and caring for one's neighbors, but of reusing and recycling as well!
With our Prospect Heights location's focus on neighborhood involvement, thanks in large part to manager, photographer and Bulgarian-transplant Lyouba Assadourova, it was only fitting that NY City Explorers play a part in celebrating the playground that provides so much fun to our Explorers. Edwin and Keyanna were on hand bright and early to collect supplies and set up shop within the playground's gates, with Vino following close behind to teach Brooklyn's best music class for tots of all stripes, Hip to the Hop! A parachute, shakers and Vino's infectious laugh sure did fit in well with the day's sunshine and giggles! With so many friends stopping by to enjoy Hip to the Hop and Kid Fitness classes, including Explorers' regulars Haven, Shelton and Reza, Keyanna and Edwin had made sure to come prepared. Not only were buckets of sidewalk chalk and bubbles on hand; Keyanna's big grin and wooden spoon-puppet craft stations were at the ready to occupy and entertain little one as they waited for classes to begin.
If last Saturday wasn't a walk in the park, we don't know what is!

It's as easy as ABC!

It's no secret that NY City Explorers co-owner and resident Mama Hen, Kisha Gandsy is a talented writer. We wouldn't expect any less from a graduate of Tisch! Now we also know that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Kisha's oldest daughter, Haven, may not be penning plays like her mother just yet, but after perfecting the writing of her very own name, she's off to a great start! Congratulations, Haven, on mastering such a significant milestone! Our other preschool-aged Explorers, Liliana and Simone amongst them, are doing just as well, although at the moment the two cuties are having more of a World Culture lesson than a literacy class. The tiny twins are currently exploring from afar on a family trip to Israel with mom Joy and dad Alex.
For those Explorers not currently overseas, we are so excited to announce the availability of daily drop-off babysitting at our Prospect Heights playspace at 186 Underhill Ave! In addition to regularly scheduled weekend drop-off sitting, the dates and times for which can always be found on the front page of our website, nycityexplorers.com, mamas, papas and other guardians can now schedule drop-off babysitting Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 12 noon and 6:00pm. Rates are set at $15/hour, and should be booked at least one day in advance when possible by calling or emailing Amy Yurcan at (718)399-6923 or ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com.
The mild weather city dwellers enjoyed in early May was the perfect backdrop for our Explorers' trips to parks, the Pratt Sculpture Garden and the NY Aquarium, but it left our playspaces lonely when classes and programming weren't in session. Last week's wind, rain and cool temperatures, however, meant that our staff at both playspace locations had plenty of company. Last Wednesday afternoon's on and off rain showers gave Amy the chance to meet two new one-year-olds: the adorable George, who played with his mom, and Francesca, a long-lashed cutie whose proud mama and papa were on hand to watch her every adorable move! The weather outside may have been frightful, but the company in our playspaces is always delightful! Delightfully cute, that is!

Three cheers for Three-year-olds!

2: Cool for School went on its first outing of the Spring season this morning. It may have been cool in the shade, but the sunny haven of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was the perfect place to soak up some vitamin D and burn up some pre-nap energy! As the garden's stewards made way for the crowds at 10:00 this morning, half of Brooklyn's schools seemed just as inspired by the weather as our Explorers were, as tot after tot lined up to see that a tree really does grow in Brooklyn after all!
Mia, Thelonius, Kiera, Jackson, Tommy, Anderson, Noon and Gaia provide entertainment and friendship enough for their own group, but as luck would have it, they bumped into yet another friend at the first fountain of the morning. Little Phillip, who frequent sour playspace in Prospect Heights, with mom Jill, was running around the fountain himself, and has grown so tall in the past few months that Amy almost didn't recognize him when he approached the group to join in their fun! Out of the biting stage, but still very much in the too-cute-for-words stage, a visit with Phillip was a welcome distraction from trying to dip little hands and feet in the fountain. Welcomed by Yamileth and Amy, in any case!
After peering at the giant goldfish in the garden's many ponds, walking through the rose garden and taking a voyeuristic peek at the building going on at the work-in-progress that is the new herb garden, it was time for a trip to the Visitors' Center. Amy may not have allowed the crew to splash in the garden's fountains and ponds, but she kept an open mind when it came tie for messy slurping from the center's water fountain. After all, following two hours of walking amongst the blooms the need for slurping was high indeed!
Spring is a time for growth, and although the plants of our wonderful city do indeed seem to be sprouting all around us, an even more exciting growth milestone has hit one of our very own Explorers: On Wednesday, while his peers were spending tie with play-dough and freeze dance, Tommy was ushering in 3! While we missed celebrating with him on Wednesday, many of the Explorers will be on hand for his home birthday party tomorrow afternoon. Happy Birthday, Little T! We wish you all of the happiness that comes with being three!

It was a "Bee"-autiful Night!

New York City Explorers has always prided itself on being purveyors of weekend fun for kids, with birthday parties, an indoor playspace and new adventures on the horizon at every turn, but as of last weekend we can officially declare "Mission Accomplished" as purveyors of fun for moms and dads as well, thanks to the continued success of our weekend drop-off babysitting events!
Last Friday's Dinner and a Movie Date Night was well-attended, with Haven, Phillip and Shelton joined by old friend and former Explorer's Club member Christopher for the evening. The stylish tot arrived decked out in a salmon-colored polo shirt and crisp new Yankees cap perfectly matched to dad Kelly's own twin ensemble. A perfect uniform for pizza and ice cream with friends? Perhaps not... But little C.J. sure did impress! Even resident Mama and NY City Explorers co-owner Kisha Gandsy gave him her blessing as one of very few little tots permitted to ask her daughters to a more grown-up dinner and a movie in the faraway future! Gone are Christopher's tiny tot days of playful swatting at and chasing his peers. In their place? A perfect gentlemen who sat in rapt attention watching the evening's movie, "Bee Movie" after eating two slices of pizza with nary a stain to show for it! The best surprise of all? The little peanut was newly potty-trained.
While the kids enjoyed dinner and a movie under the close supervision of New York City Explorers' Bag of Tricks Babysitter and Childcare Coordinator Amy Yurcan, their parents enjoyed more adult dinners nearby. Amy's date for the evening? Her husband Bryan, who showed his love and dedication by sitting hand-in-hand with her as she watched the Jerry Seinfeld-voiced movie right along with the tots. Now that's amore!
When the adults returned, the little ones were already snuggled on mats and in sleeping bags, ready to head home. A better parents' parting gift at the end of the night we can not imagine. No need to feel left out if you didn't book your little Explorer last weekend. Upcoming weekend drop-off sitting events are posted regularly on our website at nycityexplorers.com

Hi-Yah!

Friday saw the second weekly class at WMA Karate for Explorers Club members. While last week's class introduced the Explorers to owner and teacher, Howard Letting, and allowed some practice of basic kicks and chopping, the action really heated up yesterday morning. After some warm up exercises, including left, right, front, back and upper kicks, the tiny tots were amazed and delighted when their quiet and patient instructor broke a board right in front of the Explorers' little eyes with one smooth chopping motion! After a moment of shock, giggles and squeals filled the room, and the kids were more motivated than ever to learn some moves of their own. One illustrated story book and several demonstrations later, the Explorers were practicing five tae kwon do positions under Howard's patient instruction. Shayna has proved to be a particularly attentive student, with her masterful left kicks left the rest of the group in admiration, while both Rio and Shelton seemed to have other plans for themselves during class: namely, picking up their exercise mats and moving them around the room as the rest of the group worked!
While her Explorers were busy kicking and chopping in downtown Brooklyn, head teacher Brittany was on diaper duty in downtown Chicago! The Explorers Club's best-dressed teacher headed out the door early on Thursday afternoon to spend a long weekend with her brother, sister-in-law and one-year-old niece, Madison. She may have missed Friday afternoon's post-karate lunch of pizza at Bedouin Tent, something tells us that a Chicago-style deep dish pie may have been a perfectly acceptable substitute! Luckily Kisha and office manager Nichole Washington were on hand to lend some extra lunchtime help to the Explorers Club team. Rio in particular needed a watchful eye focused only on him as he rushed to gobble a slice so quickly that he almost didn't give the hot cheese time to cool off!