Up? Down? Left? Right? Snow? Rain? Tomorrow? Tonight?

With so many conflicting weather reports over the last two or three days, it's no wonder many of us were thrown for a loop when we looked outside of our windows yesterday morning and too many inches of the white stuff stared back at us form the streets of the five boroughs. While our Explorers Academy Preschool closed, as per Mayor Michael Bloomberg's dictum for the city's public schools, which the EAP mimics, our Prospect Heights playspace on 186 Underhill Ave was open and full of hustle and bustle, as NY City Explorers' most loved toddler teacher, Alvino Johnson, led his usual Thursday morning classes, and even entertained a tot or two for drop-off babysitting. What a relief it was for neighborhood moms, pops and other caretakers to know that there was somewhere safe, warm and fun to stow their little ones away while they got down to the not-so-fun business of snow day shoveling, salting, and, in some cases, trying to get some work done from home! Find yourself in a similar pickle? Next time visit www.nycityexplorers.com, click Book a Sitter, and if you're lucky (and early enough!) watch the magic happen, as Amy Yurcan, our Creative Director and Childcare Coordinator does her best to match you with a fab in-home or drop-off sitter of your own.
Not familiar with Vino? Sign up for a class to see what all of the fuss is about. Last week's Hip to the Hop music class heard Theo requesting that Vino begin with parachute play. While we can understand his excitement, as everyone was 4-years-old and playing with the colorblock parachute at one point in time, many of us grown-up ladies and gents would rather save the best for last to keep us ticking through the day. Seems that Theo is more of a dessert-first kind of guy!
Even though Vino had the little ones attending last Thursday's class running, jumping, singing and laughing for 45 minutes of full-on fun, it seems that Todd had enough energy left over to stir up some mischief post-class. While other youngsters were refueling with snacks or enjoying story time with moms, dad and sitters, Todd found occasion to throw plastic balls at his peers instead. Perhaps in a few years Amy's husband, ever the devoted sports of all sorts fan, will be watching Todd play college basketball during the cold Winter months! Here's to hoping! We understand Todd; Even the adults in NYC are ready to throw some balls around in the park or backyard again after the past month's seemingly non-stop assault of wintry weather!

Potty Training is a Gas!

Miss Brittany does all she can to support the potty-training efforts of the parents of her Butterflies, so it was nothing unusual for the Explorers Academy Preschool's Educational Director and 3's classroom teacher to line up her tots and head to the boys' and girls' rooms for some potty-practice this morning. When little Lev sidled up to the tot-sized urinal, however, the group got more than just the pee-pee they bargained for when a particularly loud whoopee cushion-esque sound made its way from his general vicinity to the ears of his fellow preschoolers. Cole found the noise particularly funny, and erupted into giggle of the sort that made it difficult for his teacher's assistant to keep him still enough for a diaper change. We know that Lev's comedian dad Gary has been hoping to pass on his sense of humor to his twins; We just didn't know that bathroom humor was in his repertoire!
Robbie didn't share a chuckle over Lev's bathroom mishap, but that doesn't mean his sense of humor is any more mature than Cole's. While his classmates were enjoying Morning Circle Time, Robbie was enjoying testing K-Yiu's patience, and getting a big kick and quite a few giggles out of her efforts to keep his little hands from mussing her pretty hair!! Luckily our longtime teacher's aide has a lot to go around, because it took three separate warnings from Miss Brittany before the cutie pie stopped his attempts to tug on Ka-Yiu's beautiful black locks and began paying attention!
Perhaps Miss Brittany should incorporate some treat-tasting into her Butterflies' morning routine, as nothing seems to help the tots focus as much as the promise of gobbling goodies to come does during cooking class. Rio in particular has a tummy so intent on tasting the kids' creations that no amount of distractions can knock him off task where measring flour and sugar is concerned! Perhaps a weekend field trip with Mom, Dad and lil' sis Flor to The Common's Sunday farmer's market is in order. http://thecommonsbrooklyn.org/

They're Bananas for Miss Katia's Cooking Class!

We've all heard of the 5 Food Groups, but who among us isn't guilty of trying to count cheesecake as a fulfillment of the Dairy group or a fried jalapeño popper as part of a day's veggie servings? The 2-years-olds in Miss Katia's Caterpillar Room were up to just such tricks as they licked their chops in anticipation of gobbling the banana bread they had whipped up with the help of their teacher and her assistants. While banana bread may not satisfy a full fruit serving requirement, it sure did satisfy the little taste buds in the Caterpillar Room!
If the treat had been sweeter then perhaps Frederica's classmates could have blamed sugar for the fact that the tyke was in no mood for napping come 1:00pm. With so much fun under her belt during the morning session of Explorers Academy Preschool, it's hard to believe that Freddie had enough energy not only to keep herself awake, but to chitter chatter long enough to prevent the rest of the room from napping as well. We're willing to bet that Miss Katia made sure her own bedtime was earlier than usual that night!
With new students at EAP this month acting as a foil for those who have been in the Caterpillar room since September, Miss Katia has been marveling over her realization that the tiny tots she sees every day truly have come a long way towards her end-of-year goal of being able to stay on task for an entire school day! With such great friends to guide them along, it won't be long before the new Caterpillars are well on the way to honing said focusing skills as well!
Huge congratulations to all of Katia's Caterpillars is due as some serious strides have been of late in the potty training department as well! Keep up the good work parents!

Blissful Babymoon

We've all heard of a honeymoon, but how about a babymoon? That's just what City Explorers, Inc.'s co-owner Kisha Edwards-Gandsy enjoyed this past weekend, 7 months pregnant with baby number three and in desperate need of some downtime with the hubby who's known as Papa to her little girls, before her new bun arrives. Kisha, husband Chris, and her big belly made their way to Boston for the weekend, where they celebrated Chris' birthday and took in some city sights including a Christian McBride performance, where Chris admired the skills of the fellow bassist.
While she was happy to have a few days away, Kisha was delighted to come back to a freshly carpeted and painted playspace at 399 Atlantic Ave. No longer interested in playing the role of step-sister to our beautiful space in Prospect Heights, the shared office/playspace is now bathed in the glow of sunshine yellow walls, which elicited smiles and giggles from the very youngest of Explorers today, Creative Director Amy Yurcan's own four-month-old Olive Ginger. Olive was delighted to have the company on this dreary morning of the adorable Vivienne, whose mama braved the slush and rain to be sure her little one got some much-needed playtime sans the clean-up afterwards! Pop by to see the spruce-up for yourself any weekday from 9am-5pm with your own snuggly little one.
Need some downtime with your tot and some downtime your tot as well? Reserve a spot at our annual Valentine's Day Family Ball, help at 186 Underhill Ave on February 12th, from 3pm-5pm. There you'll be able to enjoy crafts, stories and treats with your mini-me as well as enter to win a free 2-hour Drop-off Babysitting session and finally make good on that resolution to take some time for yourself! Meet some neighbors, get out of the cold and eat a cookie! The best part? It's all gratis; All we ask in return is an RSVP and a smile. Visit www.nycityexplorers.com for details or call Amy Yurcan at (718)809-6486 with questions.

Jumpin' Jammin'

The New Year is in full swing, and with it comes the cold weather! For New York City Residents, this Winter season has already packed a punch of snow, ice, stranded cars, and, of course, cabin fever! It's no surprise to the NY City Explorers family, then, that our playspaces have been busier than usual, welcoming new Explorers and their families as they seek respite from the chill outside, hoping for somewhere new to unwind after the children's room at the library calls out for a neighborhood partner to relieve her of the burden of so many small feet and loud voices roaming her shelves.
We are especially happy to welcome our newest Explorer, Luka, and mom Tonya into the fray! When the front desk is manned by marketing and web-design guru Lyouba, no ordinary kid tunes can be heard coming from the speakers. Instead, Lyouba's, multi-city, multi-national, multi-cultural background does the picking, and on Friday that pick left the space bathed in swinging sounds and jammin' jazz. No ordinary kid music was no problem for Luka, who jumped and jammed to jazz with shakers in hand as Mom and Lyouba looked on.
Our suggestion to Luka and Tonya? Check out Vino's Thursday morning Hip to the Hop class, starting at 9:45am, for some inspiration and to meet fellow music-loving little ones! Interested for yourself? Visit www.nycityexplorers.com, click on LEARN and check out your options! Whether in one of our dynamic interactive classes or just listening to tunes on at your own home, your little ones are never too young to start appreciating the pleasures that music brings. Company Co-Owner Kisha Edwards-Gandsy and her upright bass-playing hubby Chris just gifted their 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 year-old daughters violins sized just right for tiny hands, and we can't wait to hear the scores they're sure to come up with.