NY CITY EXPLORERS: Raising Kids in the City!

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

2011-12-25T06:57:00.000-08:00

Explorers Academy Preschool Potluck 2011 from NY City Explorers on Vimeo.

But it sure doesn't look like that will be happening this year, does it? Having resigned ourselves earlier in the month to calling to mind the white Halloween of two months past, we've rested in all that is holly, jolly, merry and delicious about this holiday season rather than dwell on the less-than-seasonally-appropriate landscape outside of our windows. With a visit from Santa, our Explorers Academy Preschool Holiday Potluck, the final We SIT, You SHOP event of the year at the Union Square Gap, and an intimate staff dinner in Bed-Stuy all under our belts in the past month alone, there's more than enough to be merry about even without the opportunity for sledding and snow-shoeing (Although we can't wait to do those in the new year as at well!)

December 10th saw a break in toy production in the North Pole, letting Santa spend the morning at The Learning Garden at 186 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights! Neighborhood tots, preschool students and visiting family alike made their way to NY City Explorers' cozy playspace to spend a morning enjoying a bagel breakfast, OJ and coffee with sitters, crafts, treats and toys on hand for one and all. Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitter extraordinaire Sam Pinkleton spent time engaging sweeties in festive fun, while 3-years-old Shelton, daughter of NY City Explorers' co-owner Kisha Gandsy, kept Santa company for much of the morning. Perhaps the lovably mischievous Shelton had in mind to make up through cheerful conversation any marks that might be next to her name on the "Naughty List" this year. Hmmm...

On the last full weekend before Christmas, with Santa packed and headed back to the North Pole, and crowds of eager shoppers fanning out all through Manhattan, Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitters Elisa, Ka Yiu and Shani set up shop on the sales floor of the babies' section of the Union Square Gap, equipped with toys, books and holiday crafts to keep the youngest tots of holiday shoppers engaged and entertained while parents shopped with free hands on the busiest shopping weekend of the retail year. With googly eyes, glue sticks, crayons and sequins, Elisa and the rest of the crew ensured safe, thriving fun for all in their care, from 10am-1pm last Saturday. With corporate and in-store sitting booking quickly for the New Year, contact Amy Yurcan to set up an event at your favorite store, office or school or community event. Amy can be reached via email at ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com or by phone at 718-809-6486.

1 Birthday Party

2011-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

Don't let the celebration season end when the ball drops! Book your sweetie's next birthday party now and put a promise of fun to come under the tree with an NY City Explorers birthday party package. Customizable crafts, activities and fun are yours for the taking. Best part? Your personal party facilitator will do the clean-up for you, so you can save your energy for home entertaining of the more sophisticated variety. Check out the details at www.nycityexplorers.com/parties or call 718-809-6486 to speak with your party planner. Another plus? With grandparents everywhere seeking out the perfect gift, a day of memories for a precious grandchild makes holiday shopping suggestions easier than ever!

2 Seasonal Sing-Alongs Worth Sharing with Company

2011-12-23T09:35:00.000-08:00

Love playing honorary Auntie or Uncle to your bestie's brood, but have had it as much as the next parents with hearing that precious 20-month-old "nephew" prove that "Your Baby Can Read" while your babies are still working on colors? Ensure your own tot's top spot on the holiday party child performance circuit when you teach him or her to sing (Or, hey, even lip-sync!) to these off-the-beaten-path holiday tunes. Bonus? You'll save yourself endless repetitions of "Jingle Bells" on car rides to come! Both can be found here, along with several other NPR picks:

*Shiloh

*Patapan

3 Movie Date Nights (The Perfect Gift Package for Every Parent in Your Life)

2011-12-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

Gift the kids a night out while you enjoy your own! Book 3 upcoming evenings for the kids and guarantee yourself some holly-jolly respite from parent-duty. Reserve Friday Dinner and a Movie Date Night at NY City Explorers' Learning Garden and enjoy 4 hours of time dining without the whining somewhere that's not stocked with a changing table. Your youngsters will enjoy pizza and a flick in the cozy comfort of The Learning Garden at 186 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights under the confident and competent care of our

Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitting staff. Bring them in jammies for an easy pick-up and seamless transition to bedtime at the end of the evening. Our recommendations for how to spend your time off? Check out these three local restaurants, all within easy walking, subway or can distance from The Learning Garden:

* Chavela's

* Amorina

* Cheryl's Global Soul

4 Winter Sports to Try as a Family While Gym Class is Out of Session: Give the gift of quality time to your family this season!

2011-12-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Wall Climbing

All of the adventure and strength training of hiking minus the trail mix and chapped lips. Check out one of these spots with older kids for a one-of-a-kind indoor adventure.

Sledding

We love Central Park for classic sled-friendly hills without the exhilaration (and danger!) that comes with worrying about passing cars where the hill meets the roadside. When you can't get to Grandma's house in Westchester, this urban oasis is the next best thing.

Indoor Swimming

This no-impact aerobic summer staple for the whole family need not disappear with Labor Day sales each year. Instead, check out one of the many public or private indoor city pools for an unorthodox way to spend a winter afternoon.

Cross-Country Skiing

The closest groomed trails may be in Putnam County, but when snowfall is sufficient to allow it, cross-country skis can be rented in NYC's Central Park as well. With the danger of falls nearly eliminated, the appeal of this intro to winter sporting goes beyond perceived safety to include a great work-out with an amazing view to boot!

Holiday Gift Ideas from Our Family to Yours: 5 Days of Camp

2011-12-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

From school break camps to daily summer fun, a week of relaxation for mom and dad means a week of fun for the little ones! NY City Explorers' award-winning Summer Adventure Camp is second to none, travelling to a different kid-friendly "edutaining" location within the 5 Boroughs each day! Give the gift of childhood memories! For our full itinerary and details on all camps, visit www.nycityexplorers.com/camp.

8 Holiday Crafts, 7 Math Lessons, and 6 NYC Winter Break Staycation Destinations

2011-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

8 Holiday Crafts Cute Enough to Gift and Easy Enough to Make as a Family:

* Candy Cane Mice

No sewing required and a pittance to purchase supplies for this adorable craft. Transform dollar store candy canes into colorful cuddly critters sweet enough to hand out to teachers and classmates alike. Stash the extras in a basket for Holiday visitors equipped with unexpected gifts or hang them on the tree to fill in for ornaments broken in years gone by.

* Shimmering Stacked Christmas Trees

This eco-friendly craft requires some skill, so set your middle schooler to the task when the younger ones are in bed. Put old newspaper to use and make just one tree or a whole glittering forest; Then set your creations out as a centerpiece for pre-holiday parties or gift them to that green-minded neighbor who always invites the kids to help tend the community garden.

* Wine Bag Abandon the sewing in favor of fabric glue or make it a family affair and get your FIT hopeful involved and supervising the youngest of your clan. Then break out the potatoes, foam stamps or sponges and decorate this burlap bag to make any pick from Trader Joe's Union Square wine shop gift-worthy.

* Baby Food Jar Menorah With the advent of Ella's Kitchen and HappyBaby you may not have as many baby food jars to recycle as you used to. Gather the few still hanging around and make the family menorah more personal this year with gliiter, sequins and whatever other flourishes you have on hand.
* Hannukkah Dreidel Craft You already have everything you need on hand to make this light-weight customizeable dreidel. Kids getting antsy at dinner with the in-laws? Look like you have a plan; Put the oldest cousin in charge of this activity and even the nosiest buttinski will have nothing but nice to say about your children's behavior!

* Cinnamon Applesauce Dough Ornaments

Get that holiday baking smell without the temptation to over indulge with these homemade ornaments. Once they're dried paint and decorate to look like your fave holiday cookies. Best part? They'll still be around long after Grandpa has made swift work of the edible treats.

* M & M Candy Wrapper Gift Bag We've all made paperbag wrapping paper; Try the next generation of homemade gift wrap. Finally a reason to unwrap the last of the Halloween candy!

7 Math Lessons Holiday Baking Can Teach:
Measure weight with recipes from Alton Brown at Foodnetwork.com. Add more fun by gifting your little one a digital kitchen scale to encourage longterm kitchen help. Finally a gadget that might make your child want to spend more time with the family!
Measure height/depth or rolled doughs, like sugar cookie or gingerbread. Gift idea: Rolling pin rings to get a precise measurement. Try these from King Arthur Flour:

Measure temperatures of melted candy fillings and other holiday baked goods in Fahrenheit or Celsius with older children, while reviewing the concepts of hot and cold and number identification with younger family members. Older helpers can be challenged with a recipe requiring temperatures to measures in Celsius and then work out the conversions to Fahrenheit while the oven preheats. Get some help with a cool digital thermometer like this one that serves as a cool gift for the young gourmand as well.

Measure the time in seconds, minutes or hours that it takes for bread to rise, cookies to bake or cake to cool using a digital timer or old-fashioned wall clock. We like this wall-clock for its super-cute kid-appeal:

Review shapes while cutting cookies from rolled dough with classic cutters like these.

Fractions have never been as fun as when butter and sugar are involved! Choose a recipe with several dry ingredients to measure to give your offspring multiple opportunities to reinforce the concept of parts of a whole. Dry measuring cups provide a perfectly clear visual demo of 2/3 > 1/4. Extra credit? Use the finished product for even more problem-solving when 8 slices of pie disappear one by one... Our fave dry measuring cups take up almost no space, making them ideal for city chefs of all ages, and their bright colors make them appealing to petite pastry chefs everywhere.

Calculating cost: A lesson for life! With eyes bigger than bellies, most of our children would bake Martha Stewart's entire cookie catalogue left untethered to our bank accounts. Teach the littlest shoppers in your home the benefits of watching the wallet: Let the kids choose the number of recipes you're comfortable shopping for, and then make a day of coupon clipping, circular browsing and aisle strolling before allowing those old enough to grasp paper the opportunity to pay the cashier. Use paper money and real coins just this once to drill the message home, and encourage number identification on the cash register screen and receipt. Then go home a reap the rewards of your hard work in the form of gooey fresh-from-the-oven goodness!

6 NYC Winter Break Staycation Destinations:

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: Forget the crowds of tweens sick with Bieber-fever and pack up the fam post-tree lighting for a chance to actually see the tree! Rockefeller Center is located in the center of the complex of buildings between 47th and 50th Streets and 5th and 7th Avenues. B/D/F/V to 47-50 Sts/Rockefeller Center or the 6 to 51st/Lexington.

Take in the Holiday Window Displays: Start at Bloomie's on Lex and 59th Street and make your way to Macy's on 34th and Broadway, passing Barney's, Bergdorf, Saks and Lord and Taylor on your way. Indulge your inner Holly Golightly hand-in-hand with your sweetheart or make it a family scavenger hunt and put the little 'uns in charge of pointing out favorite characters, shapes, colors landmarks along the way!

Ice Skating in Bryant Park: Take a casual loop around The Pond to share the charm of childhood with your minis or engage your better half in a competitive run around the rink after cashing in for on-site skate-sharpening.

Broadway or bust, baby! And Broadway has plenty of offerings for babies indeed, with Mary Poppins, The Lion King and more available at TKTS on a regular basis. Queue up early for the best picks at the best prices, or send Dad to the line and snag some stocking stuffers at the M & M store while he waits!
Brush Elbows with Butterflies: Light displays at City zoos add magic to any family's winter in New York, but for an up close look at some of the most colorful creatures in the sky, there's no need to wait until the spring's thaw reopens animal houses everywhere. Satisfy your children's cravings for a creative afternoon out of the house and gift him a lifelong memory at the American Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Conservatory.

Exercise your freedom from below zero temps while the whole family gets some sillies out at Chelsea Piers. The batting cages on the west side will provide an hour of fun for about the same price as a trip to the movies once popcorn is said and done. For a more reasonably priced afternoon enlist a neighboring fam to join yours and split the cost. Once the kids are tuckered out, book a sitter to see them snuggled up for the night and check out a more adult playground. We suggest the pop up park in SoHo for eats, treats and indoor heat.

9 Awesome American-Made Toys:

2011-12-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

May your Holidays be merry and bright with easy gifts and fun ideas in sight! Twelve Days of Gifts and Fun from our family to yours!

The slide at Carroll Park can't fit in your two bedroom walk-up? Nor ours! Save your tot from a winterlong stretch of boredom with these Parent-approved toys that made it onto our radar. They're fab, fun and functional. Bonus? Since they're made in the US of A you'll be giving the economy a boost and easing your mind of lead-paint worries. Ch-ch-check 'em out:
9.Wooden Holgate Express Train
Ever met a city baby who didn't love trains? Neither have we! Give the Transit Museum gift shop a break and give this wooden pull-toy a whirl. It's larger size and bright colors make it an ideal choice for toddlers and it's durability means it will last into kindergarten and beyond.
8. Table-Top Puppet Theatre
Initiate your sweetie into the life of a New York City artist with a stage all his/her own. This one folds to fit in closets or under beds, making it practical for a smaller living space, and puppet play naturally encourages cooperative learning. More than one tot in your home? This is the choice for you!
7. Mountain Boy Sledworks Silverton Kicksled
Finally one for the big kids! You may not have had it in time for the first (October!?) snowfall of the year, but there's no reason you can't be ready for the next one. Head to Central Park, where you may want to take a ride yourself on this adult-friendly classic. Just don't leave it unattended; The price tag won't make it easy to replace.
6. Hollow Woodworks USA Map Puzzle
This puzzle is one to grow with. Toddlers will practice colors, preschoolers will learn piece-it-together problem-solving skills and school-aged children will love learning the states of the Union and their geographical locations
5. Culinary Herb Garden Dome Terrarium
Help your child contribute to increasing America's standing in worldwide Math and Science scores with a hands-on experiment and lesson in botany. Need another reason to invest? The fruits of your family's labor will yield herbalicious results fit for sprinkling, stuffing and accenting your family's way through the holiday eating season! Instill a lifelong love of healthful eating and safe food prep practices to boot.
4. Super Wikki Stix
Artsy, craftsy, but not messy? Wikki Stix are the craft of choice for car trips, plane rides or those days when you just don't feel like wiping painty handprints off of the wall. Bright colors and easy manipulation make them ideal for even the youngest artists in your home,
3. Chinese Checkers
Everyone can play this one! Grab an old school wooden board and marble set and enjoy family game night that non-readers and grad students alike can play over the long chilly stretch of winter evenings ahead of us.
2. No-Ends Giant Building Set
Keep your Jacks and Jills away from the scaffolding that seems to be getting erected all of our city, and indulge their inner construction workers with this amazing set of joints and columns. Challenge your tots to build replicas of familiar items or set their imaginations loose and be amazed by what they come up with!
1. Magnetic Dolls
These aren't the paperdolls of yore; They're better! The magnetic clothes won't rip in clumsy little hands, nor will papercuts discourage longterm play with these 2D fashion dolls. Think Colorforms for the next generation.

He lost his poor meatball :(

2011-12-06T05:40:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of December is under our belts and with it we finally ushered in temperatures worthy of the season. While it's hard to take mittens and hat weather after the unseasonably but delightfully warm November we enjoyed on the East Coast, with the Holiday season upon us, it is about time we're able to start seeing our breath in the chilly morning air!
   We're so glad that despite the early winter chill, some of our Explorers Academy Preschool family members were able to make it to The Learning Garden at 186 Underhill Ave in Prospect Heights on Saturday. We always enjoy the time that we're able to spend in fellowship with the preschool families outside of school hours, and Saturday was no exception, with NY City Explorers' Creative Director Amy Yurcan in attendance with her family and Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitter (www.nycityexplorers.com/sitting) Sam Pinkleton on hand with a slew of colored Popsicle sticks and plans for holiday tree craft in his noggin. Company co-owner Kisha Gandsy, a usual fixture at EAP Parents Playgroups on first Saturdays, was missed, but as her childhood BFF was making a visit from South Cackalacka, she was excused from the festivities for the first time, with all in attendance looking forward to seeing her fam, all three little ones included, in January!
     Kisha's and husband Chris' Haven, Shelton and Isa were surely missed by the attending tots, but Olive, Kai and Jules enjoyed playing, snacking, crafting and even an impromptu song circle just the same, with the intimate crowd allowing for personal conversation that the dads in attendance seemed particularly appreciative of. Amy's hubby Bryan missed his usual chitchat with Kisha's Chris, but the convo about all things classic rock-related that he enjoyed with Jules' papa Andrew and Kai's dad Rory filled the gap nicely, and then some!
   Sam and Amy loved bringing the little ones' song requests to fruition, shakers, drums and all. Kai impressed the whole group by keeping nearly perfect rhythm on a hand drum throughout the session, while Jules' mama Melanie warmed the hearts of Amy and Sam both with the revelation that one of the tunes suggested for the sing-along, "On Top of Spaghetti", would be a poor choice. Jules, Melanie revealed, finds the premise of the song, the journey of a wayward meatball, to be saddening. Is there a cuter tale to be told? We think not!

Fill the Gap in your family's weekend plans!

2011-11-16T12:40:00.001-08:00

This Saturday's temperature is projected to reach 51 degrees with sun in the sky and no sight of rain or snow. How do we feel about that? GREAT! We surely made do at out Prospect Heights Pumpkin Painting Patch, hosted in conjunction with Blue Marble Ice Cream on Halloween weekend (Apple Cider and cookies helped warm tummies all around!), but we can not tell a lie: It sure would have been nice to buck the snow and head outside for some real painting, without the concerns that hanging indoors held for the families who participated. Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitting pros Sam Pinkleton and Rae Stimson left no doubt that fun would be had by all, with Rae's custom pumpkin creations giving a nudge to tots who needed some inspiration for their own and Sam's quick-thinking making a way for even the goopiest pumpkins to be displayed (Paper plates did the trick!) without sacrificing any of their color, but we're hoping that the weather won't be a factor this weekend, when one and all are invited to join us at Union Square Gap while We SIT, You SHOP!
We loved seeing everyone's creative costumes at our makeshift pumpkin patch, with a special shout out to the family that arrived as Dorothy, the Scarecrow and the Yellow Brick Road (Way to go, Dad!), but this weekend provides a low-drama opp for you to dress yourselves, and your family, sans the "helping" hands you're accustomed to shopping with.
Gap and Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitting hope that we'll see you there! Pop by anytime from 10am-1pm, sign in your sweeties with our sitters, and roam the bi-level store worry-free while the youngest members of your family craft cute turkey magnets sure to be the hit at Grandma's Thanksgiving! No need to RSVP, but for updates on upcoming We SIT, You SHOP partnerships with your fave retail spots, "Like" us on Facebook (NY City Explorers) and follow us on Twitter (NYCityExplorers).

The Monster Mash: It was a Preschool Smash!

2011-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

It may feel like early Summer outside of the walls of our playspace, preschool and offices, but with Thanksgiving fast-approaching and the trees outside our windows long-since having been stripped of leaves, NY City Explorers already has a plethora of fun Fall events under our belt for the year! From our Explorers Academy Preschool Halloween party and monthly EAP Parents Playgroup to the FREE Prospect Heights Pumpkin Painting Patch sponsored in conjunction with Blue Marble Ice Cream and We SIT, You SHOP, sponsored in conjunction with Gap at their Union Square store at 122 5th Ave, our seasonal calendar has seen enough action to tide us over until the New Year! The best part? The mid-November date that's highlighted on our Google calendars mean that we still have over 6 weeks of fun ahead of us before we ring in the New Year!
Pre-Halloween snow may have made trick-or-treating next to impossible for much of the Northeast, as cute costumes had to be forsaken for warm sweatshirts and flashlights over the weekend, but the kids at Explorers Academy Preschool were thrilled to have the chance to celebrate all things spooky and silly on Monday, October 31st, with parents and younger siblings onhand to partake in the fun right along with them! With Miss Elisa sporting the wartiest witch costume this side of the Brooklyn Bridge and Miss Dina channeling The Wizard of Oz as the sweetest scarecrow we've ever seen, the students' world was positively transformed into a charming childlike fantasyland, complete with a scary story room, perfectly pumpkiny cupcakes and a magician who worked his magic on the parents, even convincing Louis' usually impeccably tucked-in mama Julia to take part in the show! We're thrilled that she was such a great sport!
Snacks are super and the magic show stupendous, but everything took a backseat when the costume train rolled into town, making the way for Sadie the Strawberry, Freddie the Bat and a trio of Spiderman look-alikes as interpreted by Rio, Kai and Flor! The very cutest costumes were made complete by EAP teaching assistant and Bag-of-Tricks-Babysitter Rae Stimson, who drew, dotted and sketched facepaint creations fit for the stars!
Anytime parents are participating it's a special occasion; The hard work can come when their tiny tots would rather snuggle securely in their arms than get involved in the goings-on at hand. Luckily for us, the teaching staff at EAP made sure that that wasn't a problem, as Elisa, Dina and Miss Christine tangoed through the room, scooping up children and encouraging their participation in the costume parade as they went.
And because no analysis of a costume party would be complete with out it: The award for best costume, as decided unanimously by out panel of teachers was Freddie's dad, Mr. Bryan Mechutan, popular as the Pope for the afternoon! We confess: Fun was had by all!

Woman, Wife and Mom on Ditmars Ave: A Review of the Best Bakery for Families in My Borough!

2011-11-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

By Amy Yurcan

Am I in defense of Queens because I live there? You betcha! Would I trumpet the glories of Ditmar's Boulevard's finest bakery even if it wasn't around the corner from the fab one-bedroom I share with my hubby and child? Maybe not, but since it is, I will, and in this era of Park Slope's transition into the new UES, as my generation's singletons begin to become families and the real estate just across the bridge from either of the more desirable boroughs, in Astoria and Long Island City, looks more enticing with every yearly rent increase, Martha's Bakery is one of the many reasons that this mama will hold on to that one-bedroom for dear life! For those of you considering a move to the most culturally diverse of boroughs for your own family as well as for those of you already snuggled into my Old World Old New York nabe who have yet to appreciate its full sweetness, I invite you to peek into my world for a moment, a sip, and a nibble.

Sitting securely, but not too proudly on the corner of Ditmars Ave near Steinway Street is my favorite excuse to take a detour from whence I'm going: Martha's Country Bakery! A walk to the playground, trip to the laundromat or dash to the market for a last-minute dinner ingredient rarely ends without a walk through the doors, a perch on the patio or a peek in the window at all things good and delicious. I'll admit that hubby and I have planned date nights more than once with the exclusive plan to have a reason to sip cappuccino (him) and eat gelato (ME!) under the cozy comfort of Martha's outdoor awning. I rarely bring cash when I pop in, as the $15 credit card minimum insists that I grab not only the odd treat, but more, more and more for later! (At a super-reasonable NYC price of $4 for a slice of the best peanut butter mousse cake I've ever had, $15 buys more indeed!) With the days of rock 'n roll dives behind me and coffee bars that moonlight as wine "bars" in my now, the best possible "round-the-corner haunt is one where date night, school birthday cupcakes and Sunday afternoon company pie purchases roll into one, and Martha's is just that place.

Rows of feel-good Fall pies, tiered trays of treats and a freezer of authentic gelato (Hazelnut please!) are almost as much reason to sit for a spell as the staff. If you don't speak Greek, be prepared to point your desired order out on the menu board or in the display case, but the warm smiles and free samples (my 13-month-old Olive rarely leaves without a taste of gelato or complimentary cookie in paw) are worth the chance that you may have to repeat your order a time or two until you get the swing of things. While you shouldn't expect to hear contemporary folk music over your cup of tea, nor would you want to. For all intents and purposes other than yummy treats and frothy cappuccino, Starbucks is a few blocks away. It's not an accident that the menu at Martha's insists that your tush on one of their chairs is only welcome for 30 minutes after your order is filled. And wi-fi? No way.

My critiques? There aren't high chairs available, and while my husband heralds the merits of their specialty coffee drinks my plain ol' black cuppa leaves something to be desired in the taste department. As for gluten-free or vegan options? Not a chance! The outdoor seating, perfect baked goods and smile on Olive's face as she gobbles one of Martha's cookies more than make up for that. Besides, as I said, Starbucks is around the corner if you really need your mud. Now pardon me please, as I wash the plate that shows the last signs of of the peanut butter mousse cake that was my lunch...

Fruit Loops at the Playgroup!

2011-10-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! Our first Explorers Academy Preschool Parent Playgroup event of the new school year was a great success! With the families of Teddy, Norah, Miette, Jules, new student Naomi and, of course Kisha's daughter Shelton in attendance among others, the Explorers enjoyed crafting colorful pictures out of Fruit Loop sand, glue, construction paper and crayons with teaching assistant and very talented resident artist Rae Stimson while parents and staff, including EAP Director Kisha Gandsy and Creative Director Amy Yurcan passed the time chatting about all things grown-up including food mags (Amy recommended her new fave Clean Eating to Naomi's dad Stephen) and sleep training. Kisha thought the grass might be greener indeed when she heard that Miette and her baby sister Elenore sleep until 9am most mornings!
We're incredibly proud of the program at Explorers Academy Preschool, but since only 26 full-time spots are available each year, many of them taken by incumbent families, we're thrilled to be able to offer a taste of what the students experience at our Friday morning enrichment classes at The Learning Garden at 186 Underhill Ave. In addition to the same teachers that the EAP crown see each week for our caregiver-and-me ballet class (Little Swan) course offerings this semester also include Yoga for Youngsters and Karate Kid. With movement classes new to The Learning Garden as the primary offerings, we've invited current EAP families, to attend complimentary sessions of each class to see what all of the hype is about. With instructors experienced with the toddler set who are experts in each field, we think Brooklyn may just have found it's answer to cabin fever for the cutest among its inhabitants! Check out the schedule at The Learning Garden to sign up for a trial class, gratis!
While Rae shared her artistic vision through the medium of breakfast cereal with the EAP students on hand at The Learning Garden on Saturday, Teddy and his mama were especially happy to meet Sam Pinkleton, babysitter extraordinaire, who lends his knack for song, dance and all things fun to NY City Explorers as both a party facilitator and sitter when he's not busy with his own crafts: directing, choreographing and performing. With Teddy's energy, amazing verbal skills and flair for movement, Sam might be the perfect choice the next time mom Meg needs a sitter for her little boy, and Amy was more than happy to introduce the group.

Preschool has never been so cool!

2011-09-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

Whew! We've officially made it through one of every day of the week for the new school year at Explorers Academy Preschool! Boy are we glad to be back in session and grateful to have made it thus far unscathed by any of the natural disasters that plagued our final weeks of camp (Hurricanes, earthquakes and toddlers! Oh my!) After a Labor Day weekend that we all spent in ways as diverse as the Labor from which we rested for the day, with company co-owner and fellow parent Kisha Gandsy enjoying a BBQ on the stoop of her Bed-Stuy building and EAP family Rory, Noriko and little one Kai attending the West Indian Day Parade, last week was spent hearing tales many and varied as the students opened the year with an "All About Me" unit designed and implemented by our new Teaching Director Elisa DePalma.

As a company, NY City Explorers aims to fill any and every childcare need that city parents find thrown their way, and many of our Explorers Acaemy Preschool parents saw evidence of that last week as the first week of EAP coincided with the final week of our Summer Adventure Camp. Our award-winning camp, led by director Edwin Guzman, a familiar face to anyone in the EAP family, meets each day during the summer at our preschool before heading out on the days city-based adventure via public transportation. With an itinerary designed by Creative Director Amy Yurcan guaranteed to excite even the most jaded or experienced city-dweller, NY City Explorers Summer Adventure Camp sees the 5 through 10-years-old campers under our care to the Bronx Zoo, Sony Wonder Technology Labs, the Queens County Farm and beyond with our 5 Days/5 Boroughs edict. Yesterday's trip, led by sitter (www.nycityexplorers.com/sitting) and counselor extraordinaire Sam Pinkleton led on final camper, 7-years-old Charlie into Manhattan for a day at the Children's Museum and a storytime at Barnes and Noble before the two wished a bittersweet goodbye to summer camp for the year! Summer camp is over, but when school is out we are still in, with single-day and week-long camps planned for each and every school break. Check out the deets at www.nycityexplorers.com/camp.

"Tails" from the Reptile Room

2011-03-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Despite the rainy start, Edwin and his Spring Break A campers had a creepy good time at the Staten Island Zoo on Monday. After a misty trip to the forgotten Borough via ferry, a first for every one of this week's campers, Edwin and assistant counselor Prisca led the crew on a critter-packed jaunt through the wildlife sanctuary. Campers and counselors alike agreed that the zoo's reptile section was second to none, with huge anacondas and even a leopard rounding out the jungle-esque scene. Though the little ones were excited to be less than one foot away from the exotic creatures, they were more than happy about the glass barrier that stood between the snakes and themselves. Here's to hoping that the missing snake at the Bronx Zoo is found in time to make a visit to the reptile room there a possibility as well during an upcoming Adventure Camp week!
While there weren't any exhibits of the slithering variety, the children attending NY City Explorers' Spring Break Adventure Camp were much happier to have hands-on interaction with the those at the Museum of Moving Image on Tuesday afternoon. In Astoria, Queens, the heart of New York City's television and film industry, museum staff led the group on a tour that included crafting personalized flipbooks of each camper, created from 30-40 frames snapped in front of a green screen in the museum. The stills were printed and flipped to show campers what it was like to view a movie long before the days of Pixar. May we suggest a home viewing of Disney's Snow White to illustrate the point at home?
The grade school campers always have a great time with camp director Edwin at the helm. Careful to be sure that the littlest Explorers, our Explorers Academy Preschoolers, had their share of the fun too, Miss Brittany and her assistants cooked up some rainy day fun especially for the 2s and 3s. With a little of this and a pinch of that, afternoon cooking class turned some powders and eggs into a delish batch of brownies. Noon was especially excited to bake and gobble the treats, one of his favorite activities to do at home with his mama!

'Tis the season when all things become new!

2011-03-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

That will be especially true for new baby Isa when he or she finally arrives within the next few days! As Kisha and her hubby Chris, along with big sisters Haven and Shelton await the arrival of their newest family member, NY City Explorers' camp director Edwin and his assistant counselors have been braving one of Spring's less desirable arrivals: bucketsful of rain, and, as may be the case for tomorrow, perhaps even an early Spring wintry mix! How's that for irony? While yesterday's Spring Break Camp A trip to the Staten Island Zoo went off without a hitch, gloomy skies and all, and today's campers enjoyed a private indoor tour of Queens' Museum of the Moving Image thanks to the museum's educational director Maggie Glass, tomorrow's planned adventure, to the Bronx's beautiful and picturesque Wavehill may have to make way for rainy-day standby Sony Wonder Technology Labs instead! Thank goodness for all-weather Hunter boots or New Yorkers wouldn't have a leg to stand on when it comes to predicting March weather! Who could have guessed what tomorrow holds in store after a weekend that very nearly warranted a trip to the sprinklers?
We wish Bag of Tricks Babysitter Melissa's little sister a speedy recovery, as a tummy bug sent her rushing to the ER with big sis Melissa in tow. Thank goodness to sitter Prisca who saved the day by stepping in as a last-minute replacement to be Edwin's right hand, er, lady, for the day, keeping all seven campers smiling and entertained on the treks to and from Queens. With several weeks of camp now under her belt, Prisca has become a bit of a regular around these parts, and is fast becoming a camper fave, teaching the 5-10-years-olds songs, dances and games after the long camp day has made way for aftercamp fun!

Out of sight, out of mind?

2011-02-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Not quite! Bag of Tricks babysitter Rowan Magee may take sabbaticals from sitting from time to time to focus on his work in theatre, but he makes sure that when he is in the fray, the contributions that he makes to NY City Explorers mean that he is an indispensable member of the sitting roster! After last year's care of 2-years-old Hugo could have won him the technical award for Manny of the Year, Rowan took leave for work with BAM, from which he has now returned to sitting with a fervor. Lest one think that it's only our clients who are happy to have him back, fellow sitter, party facilitator and teacher extraordinaire Alvino Johnson was especially pleased to have another Y chromosome join him at last Wednesday's Meet the Sitters event at 186 Underhill Ave. During the sitter meeting that Amy held leading up to the meet and greet with area families, Vino and Rowan could be seen doing handstands, teaching each other strength-training exercises and exchanging tips about muscle-building diets.

While the peacocks displayed their plumes, Amy introduced the group to our newest sitters. Melissa Mclean, a nursing student at St. Francis College, has already made a sizable dent in our list of regular clients, fast becoming a parent favorite in the short month that she has been with the company. With a friendly disposition, a smile that lights ups the room and plans for medical school on the horizon, it's no surprise that our newest sitter has already become one of our most requested!

Didn't make it to our Meet the Sitters event? Plan early and mark your calendar for the next one on April 13th from 6pm-7pm at 186 Underhill Ave. Jonesing to check our crew out but no immediate childcare needs? Catch Rowan at his next performance. Throw a rose onstage if you must! http://www.phantomlimbcompany.com/projects/shackleton/

Your wish is our command!

2011-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday's Annual Valentine's Day Family Party was a great success, thanks in no small part to the fact that Vino and Rachel, a who's who of NY City Explorers all-stars, were on hand to crank up the fun with crafts, singalongs and stories! This year's contests, a drawing for a 2-hour drop-off sitting session at NY City Explorers' 186 Underhill Ave location, and a yummy guessing game that sent its winner home with a jar full of chocolate Kisses, were met with enthusiastic participation. Next year's sure fire add-on? An all out contest for Best Dressed! From Kiera's rocking red frock to Shelton's Sunday best Mary Janes, the ladies and gents in attendance didn't miss the chance to dress to impress. Even Amy's 5-month-old daughter Olive was decked out with a pretty pink heart patch on the pants that covered her itty bitty booty!
While the drawings were a hit with the adults, little ones like Danika and Tai put in serious time at the craft tables set up throughout the playspace. Olive may not have the hand-eye coordination to craft her mama a homemade Valentine like Shelton and Kori did, but Amy and husband Bryan still didn't leave empty-handed. Four-years-old Haven and pal Danika each made sure that the new family went home with something special: ;ots of glitter and lace from Haven, and, in an act of strangelove, a paper heart with a picture of an intestine glued onto it from Danika!
We've had so many of our own wishes fulfilled since last Valentine's Day: Our first Breakfast with Santa was a great success; Explorers Academy Preschool is growing and thriving; and Kisha found out that her own family will be expanding very soon! We feel so much love from the families whose patronage has helped our dreams come true that we feel inspired to grant some wishes ourselves...
In the spirit of love, fun and whimsy we are excited to invite you to Explore the possibilities with NY City Explorers' Weekly Wish! School closed for the week? Then your wish may be a week's worth of arts and crafts will appear at your door to keep your little one entertained. Young-at-heart wife have a birthday coming up? We may grant your wish of 2 dozen balloons to pick up on your way home from work! If you can dream it and we can do it, we just might grant it! Like us on facebook (Visit www.nycityexplorers.com to do so!) or follow us on twitter @NYCityExplorers where you can post your own Weekly Wish each week. Check back Mondays at Noon each week to find out whose Weekly Wish has been granted! Post wishes on the wall of this fan page or twitter @NYCityExplorers from this day forward and let the granting begin!

We hope cuteness is your cup of tea!

2011-02-08T16:08:00.001-08:00

While most of the country was preparing for the Super Bowl last Friday (Except Cristina Aguilera, evidently!), Marketing Director Lyouba Assadourova was looking forward to an afternoon visit at NY City Explorers' Prospect Heights playspace from Cairo, the 3-years-old son of her good friend, Blue Marble Ice Cream regular and fellow photographer Ian. As she waited for her pint-sized pal, Lyouba leafed through the details of her new health insurance policy; With so many Americans living sans benefits, this Bulgarian transplant and her coworkers are lucky to be employed by a company that concerns itself with the care and well-being of its employees as well as of the neighborhood Explorers in its care!
When her young visitor Cairo finally did join Lyouba for some fun, it was to the delight of another playspace visitor as well. Our soon-to=be next door neighbor at the space, Megan, of 188 Underhill Ave, transplanted from the Upper West Side, was surprised and excited by the brief history of her new building as told by Cairo's dad Ian, longtime Prospect Heights resident.
She does a fantastic job maintaining and designing www.nycityexplorers.com, but now those of you who have not yet had the pleasure of checking out Lyouba's real bread and butter, her photography, will get the chance! Lyouba will be the on-site photographer at our upcoming Explorers Academy Preschool Tea Party Picture Day. The annual party, for which our preschoolers dress up in their dapperest duds and prettiest petticoats, invites parents and other family members to join the little ones for a party of iced tea and cookies. The day is remembered on film as portraits of the peanuts are taken and shared for all who wish to participate. The fun is on April 1st, and you'd be a Fool to miss it!

Preschool is like a box of chocolates

2011-02-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

The goal of our preschoolers' Lango Mandarin teacher is that all of the tots develop basic Chinese verbal skills., but hey, when they're 2 years old we'll take basic English skills too! In that spirit, teachers Miss Brittany and Miss Katia congratulated 2-years-old Hugo last week when he pointed to his Mandarin class name tag and easily identified the letters H and O in his name. Way to go Hugo! With parents who speak French as well as English, and such a comprehensive language exposure curriculum at Explorers Academy Preschool, it's only a matter of time before Hugo will be identifying letters and characters in words form all around the globe!
We are so proud of the fact that the diversity of the neighborhood in which our preschool is housed is so well-reflected in our teaching and support staff as well as amongst our students. Rio voiced his appreciation as well, recently, when he joyfully informed Miss Brittany during cooking class that she looks like vanilla and that Miss Franceline looks like chocolate! It's such a true delight to hear our little ones' pure unfiltered thoughts each day, before they reach the age of self-censorship! Cooking class is Rio's favorite class of the week, so it's only natural that he had sweets on the brain.
Perhaps the little ones' next cooking class should be preceded by a lesson about food groups. Better yet, maybe a visit to the Queens County farm is overdue. Long-time Explorer Shayna, smarty pants though we all know her to be, showed some room for growth when she proclaimed chicken to be a vegetable! After "cooking" up some pretend chicken for miss Devan during Imagination Station time, Shayne was told by Miss Devan that as a vegetarian she does not eat chicken. Shayna responded by asking, "Why not? Chicken is a vegetable."

What's sweeter than a bowl full of Jelly Bellys?

2011-02-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

A day of snuggling with Shelly-belly! That's just what Shelton's mama Kisha got yesterday when she took the day off to stay home with her little lady who was feeling under the weather. Since the Explorers Academy Preschool rules for sickies apply to everyone (even co-owner Kisha Gandsy!) Shelton's slight bug meant a much-needed day of rest for a very pregnant mama and her little girl! Thank goodness NY City Explorers' jack of all trades Edwin Guzman stepped in to save the day later in the afternoon, picking up Kisha's oldest tot from pre-K to save her and Shelton the cold-weather subway-trek. Thanks Edwin!

Our newest Bag of Tricks Babysitter is already a staff and parent favorite. Andrea Lubrano, who spent the afternoon sitting for adorable neighborhood tot Joshua at our Prospect Heights playspace, did so with joy to give front desk fave Vino much-needed time off to jet to a television show audition yesterday. Good luck Vino! We know "Break a leg!" is the wish preferred by performers, but given the icy state of the city's sidewalks this week, that's not a wish we're eager to pass along. Creative Director Amy Yurcan nearly did just that, her little Olive in tow, slipping while en route to the office on Tuesday morning. Be careful with your Explorers out there!

Andrea, good friends with fellow NYCE sitters Melissa Bayer and Cassidy Petrazzi, recently moved to the city from Westchester County, and now shares an apartment with Cassidy, living the dream of every woman who went to college during Sarah Jessica Parker's reign on HBO!

After an slippery start to the week, Amy finished it wonderfully, with a chance meeting of neighborhood mom of two Georgia, and her little ones Harry and Winnie at our playspace at 399 Atlantic Avenue yesterday afternoon. With a job that gives her the pleasure of being a resource to many of Brooklyn's moms and dads, Amy was appreciative of her side on the receiving end of more info on city daycares, elementary schools and language immersion programs than she knows what to do with, as her own little lady is only 5 months old!

We guess it's never to early to start preparing! For those of you who don't know yet, our Explorers Academy Preschool at 110 Schermerhorn Street offers language exposure classes in french, Spanish and Mandarin, in addition to private lessons in karate, yoga and ballet. Check it out by registering on a tour at http://www.nycityexplorers.com/!

We hit a lucky stricke with our preschoolers!

2011-02-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

Explorers Academy Preschooler Noon may have received the Awesome Athlete Award at our holiday party last December, but it looks like this year's award may be for good sportsmanship. Not only did he invite best friend Ethan to join him and Miss Devan in a game of bowling in the common area last week; He also cheered him on, encouraging his friend to try his best and clapping with each turn Ethan took.It's a good thing our preschoolers work so hard during playtime, because they sure do gobble up a good amount of snack during the rest of the day. Cutie pie Olivia, with wild hair and bright eyes, knows that there are no seconds given out before everyone has finished a first serving. Eager to help speed things along, when she saw Yamileth walking by with the box of animal crackers, Olivia shoveled her entire helping into her mouth in hopes that everyone else would follow suit and help pave the road towards receiving a second helping!Not one to be outdone, Cole also displayed great knowledge of one of the rules of mealtime: Finish everything on your plate! That was no problem for Cole, who, upon deciding that the carrots served during lunch weren't for him, immediately dumped them onto the floor so as not to have to worry about eating them. They were no longer on his plate, after all!There's no telling how many snacks it will take during his preschool career to power Hugo's big tall toddler body, but we do know tat a nap a day helps ensure that he doesn't get cranky! Unlike most of his peers, Hugo is always happy to be tucked in and sent off to the land of zzzzzzzs. Still in a great mood after his bowling game with Noon, Ethan decided to pay it forward and kindly took the initiative to tuck Hugo in himself!

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

2011-01-28T04:22:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-25T12:54:00.000-08:00

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!

2011-01-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

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'

2011-01-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

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.

Abra-Cadabra! The magic of the season is upon us!

2010-12-02T16:43:00.000-08:00

For many children, the holiday season is the most beloved time of the year, filled with the magic of classic claymation movies, baking with Grandma, visits from friends and colorful sparkly decorations.
At New York City Explorers, there is nothing we love more than seeing your little Explorers' faces light up with smiles and wonder. It is a natural fit, then, for our Winter calendar to overflow with events planned with capturing the magic of the season in mind. Take a look at the full selection of NY City Explorers' December events, and then visit our website to reserve your tot's spot at the Winter celebration of your choosing!
December 10th & 17th, 6pm-10pm, 186 Underhill Ave: Dinner and a Movie Date Night:Want an evening of fun for your children while you enjoy a night on the town? Send them to the movies and dinner with New York City Explorers. They will enjoy a fun and healthy dinner with a group of their peers and see a cool movie in our comfortable space while you enjoy a night out in Brooklyn. You can drop off your child with a sleeping bag and then have a great dinner at one of our partnering restaurants in walking distance. What could be better?
From our Underhill location, you are doors away from Cheryl's Global Soul and famous Tom's Restaurant. You could also choose to walk down Vanderbilt or Flatbush Avenue for a great mix of other dining options. $40/child
December 11th, 3pm-5pm, 186 Underhill Ave: Summer Adventure Camp Holiday Reunion Party: Don't wait until next summer to see old friends!
Join Adventure Camp Counselors Edwin and Keyanna along with your fellow NYCE Summer Adventure Campers for some Holiday fun, NYCE style!
Munch on some festive treats, decorate a homemade apple-cinnamon holiday ornament, enjoy seasonal storytime and tunes, and leave with a gift sure to spread year-end cheer! RSVP by December 4th to guarantee your Explorer's spot! $10 per family
December 18th, 10am-Noon, 186 Underhill Ave: Breakfast with Santa: Join us for a continental breakfast, holiday music, and a special gift for all attending Explorers! Bring your smiles and a camera to snap of photo of your little Explorer with the jolly guy in the red suit! $10 per family. Reserve your family's spot by no later than December 11th.
December 31st, 6pm-2am, 186 Underhill Ave: New Year's Eve Drop-off Babysitting: $75 per Child, $25 per each additional sibling
Enjoy an adults' night out while your little ones ring in the New Year at NY City Explorers' 186 Underhill Avenue playspace!
Bring a blanket or sleeping bag along with your little Explorer in his/her pajamas and let our fantastic Bag of Tricks Babysitters do the rest. Price includes 8 hours of sitting, a pizza and juice dinner, a New Year's Eve Glittering Ball and New Year's Resolution Craft, a winter-themed song circle and story-time before your tot will settle a sleeping bag, the lights will dim, and the group will enjoy a viewing of the very kid-friendly "Despicable Me"! Pick up anytime until 2:00am.

Edwin takes Poland!

2010-12-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

A Holiday visit to his in-laws will send Edwin through the skies to Poland late this week, leaving Brittany's Butterfiles and Katiya's Caterpillars at Explorers Academy Preschool with Creative Director Amy Yurcan as space manager during Edwin's absence. First thing on Amy's to-do list for the kids? Class photos to add a personal touch to our upcoming EAP Holiday Party!
Cutie-pie Jakob, who happily shares his mom and dad with a new baby sister at home, was happy to enjoy some one-on-one time with resident "big brother" Edwin as they prepped breakfast together, buttering bagels and stirring oatmeal for all of the early arrivals. We know Edwin can't be replaced, but while he's away, for Julian, Edwin's honorary little bro' with whom he has a standing Friday afternoon sitting date, a playdate with Bag of Tricks Baby Sitter Alvino Johnson will be the next best thing. If you see the two battling it out with light sabers in the park, be sure to stop and say, "Howdy!"
The Holiday season also means a Holiday from some of our preschoolers' regularly scheduled Lango Mandarin classes. While the Explorers agree that their hardworking Mandarin teachers deserve a hard-earned vacay, they were also sad to hear that they would have to see several weeks pass without learning a new Mandarin vocab word. Thanks to our outstanding Mandarin-speaking teacher's aide Ka-Yiu, they won't have to! Ka-Yiu has agreed to join the other teacher's aides, Spanish-speaking Yamileth and French-speaking Franceline, in enriching the children's language curriculum with her own weekly language exposure enrichment class! The tots' reaction? They love learning from the adored teacher's aide so much that adorable Caterpillar Niko interrupted class more than once yesterday to bombard Ka-Yiu with kisses and hugs! Kudos to Ka-Yiu for stepping up, and kudos to NY City Explorers' Co-Owners Kisha and Keyanna for maintaining such a diverse and talented workforce!

The "Art" of Child Care

2010-11-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

Vino was delighted this afternoon to be able to provide last minute drop-off sitting to Joshua, one of our youngest and newest tots in the NY City Explorers family. For Joshua's musician parents whose hectic schedules demand a need for flexible and often last-minute child care, NY City Explorers' drop-off sitting is a perfect fit! Our sitters are particularly sensitive to the flexible scheduling that an artists career demands as many of the Bag or Tricks Babysitters are artists of one form or another themselves. Today's drop-off sitter, family fave Vino, is himself a working screen actor who filmed a Golden Corral commercial just this month! Keep your eyes peeled for his winning smile and athletic frame in upcoming ads!
Our Bag of Tricks Babysitters all love the work that they do caring for your little Explorers, but as is the case with all artists, we know that they're happiest when practicing their crafts. That's why even though she will be sorely missed by clients and staff alike, we congratulate Sitter Rachel Black on her upcoming Holiday singing engagements, set to occur at churches and other venues throughout the East Coast.
One of Rachel's last sitting gigs before her 3 week departure from NY City Explorers? Caring for the daughters of NY City Explorers' Co-Owner, Kisha Edwards-Gandsy. After collecting 4-years-old Haven from pre-K, the pair headed to NY City Explorers' 399 Atlantic Avenue playspace to get in some one-on-one big girl fun before strolling to the Explorers Academy Preschool to pick up lil' sis Shelton. Haven was delighted to find Amy hard at work at the space, while 3-month-old baby Olive was wide awake and ready to be held and snuggled by her older friend! Little Olive doesn't give her smiles to just anyone, but it didn't take long before adorable Haven joined the short list (Other members including Olive's daddy and NY City Explorers' Co-Owner Keyanna Murrill!) Perhaps we have a Sitter-in-training on our hands!

We are Thankful for our little ones and yours!

2010-11-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday to Brooklyn's cutest! We hope everyone had as wonderful a Thanksgiving weekend as our staff, most of whom enjoyed four days of fun and food with family and friends. While Kisha and her girls noshed on Southern-style stoop-smoked duck at home in Bed-Stuy, Keyanna hosted Mama Murrill at a restaurant catered dinner Thursday night, and Amy took new baby Olive Ginger home to New Jersey for some roasted turnips and apple stuffing. After nursing their tryptophan hangovers, our sitters were on-duty the following morning, playing with New York City's tiniest as mams, papas and grandparents hit the pavement early on Black Friday in search of the best deals on holiday gifts. We're excited that so many of you took advantage of our Thanksgiving sale to scoop up Drop-off Babysitting Bundles, Class Packs and Play Passes along with your other weekend steals!
The early holiday gift we're most thankful for this season? Our amazing students at Explorers Academy Preschool and the men and women who have raised them so well! Kudos to Explorers Academy Preschooler Jakob's parents for raising such a little gentleman! When little Lila dropped her favorite pink bunny during playtime, our superhero ran quick as a wink and faster than a speeding bullet to scoop up Little Bunny Foo Foo and deliver her safely back to Lila. Who says chivalry is dead?
Our superheros expend tons of energy being so cute and kind to each other all day, so Miss Katiya understands when her Caterpillars need a snack break to refuel. Niko must have been playing extra hard on Friday, though, since he quickly gobbled up not only his own pita chips and hummus,but tried to swipe the leftovers from the plates of his friends as well! Good thing Miss Katiya has eyes in the back of her head---and an extra pair of eyes as well, thanks to our experienced teacher's assistant Yamileth.

Milking Our Good Fortune for All it's Worth!

2010-11-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

Once the boredom with turkey and stuffing sandwiches has set in (We know, we know, but it will happen eventually!) pop by 186 Underhill Avenue to play in the cozy playspace and catch Vino in the act of fun, mixing flour, food coloring and a handful of other kitchen cabinet staples into homemade play dough for the birthday party he'll facilitate with Bag of Tricks Babysitter Rachel Black on Sunday. While we've always been proud of the personalized children's birthday parties that carry the NY City Explorers name, we're especially excited to unveil our brand new series of mix-and-match parties, designed to make planning a party perfectly suited to your tot a breeze! Be on the look-out in the coming weeks for our Plan-a-Party menu which will present add-on options including a pinata, water balloons and karaoke!
Babysitter Rachel Black may not have held her grown-up birthday party at our playspace, but it was filled with style and flair nonetheless. Joined by friends, including NYCE staff members Sam Pinkleton and Amy Yurcan, Rachel ushered in another year on Earth during a cowgirl-themed celebration at Manhattan's Rodeo Bar, a venue perfectly suited for a Southern belle like Rachel!
The long weekend ahead has most Explorers delighted at the prospect of extra time with mom, dad and the rest of the family, but those tots who have been pummeled by the yucky stomach bug that's been making its way through the borough won't be able to enjoy tomorrow's feast quite as much as their healthy friends. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to all affected little ones, including Kisha's youngest, Shelton. A baby who loves to eat that much missing out on Thanksgiving dinner would be bad news bears indeed!
During this upcoming Holiday season, as you reflect on all of the many things you are thankful for, consider that not all babies are born as lucky as those who share your home. Volunteering time and resources at soup kitchens, shelters and Goodwill are great ways to help those less fortunate than ourselves. New moms, however, often have another precious gift that they can share with the most vulnerable among us. Huge numbers of infants are born underweight, premature, drug-addicted or orphaned every day with no access to the myriad feeding options that many of our own newborns have. To that end, check out www.milkbanking.net and consider donating breast milk to little ones in need!

'Tis the Season...

2010-11-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

...to visit family! Last week marked the last week of NY City Explorers' enrichment classes until the winter session commences on December 6th, 2010. While our class instructors and the rest of the NYCE staff are enjoying homecooking on Thursday and Friday, we'll be back at your service on Saturday morning, ready to open the playspace doors at both 186 Underhill Ave and 399 Atlantic Avenue. We know you'll be enjoying this unseasonable gorgeous late Autumn weather as long as possible, but once a chill hits the air, we hope you'll stop in to see us, visiting grandparents in tow!
The leaves seem only to have begun to turn, but behind the scenes we're already gearing up to make Summer 2011 the best Adventure Camp season yet! If you simply can't wait until June to see your old friends, or if you're thinking of sending your Explorer along for the fun for the first time and would like more info, come hang out at our Summer Adventure Camp Holiday Reunion Party. RSVP online at www.nycityexplorers.com, and then meet the gang at 186 Underhill Avenue from 3pm-5pm on December 12th for songs, crafts and wintery treats! Want to enjoy the Holiday fun, but rowdy campers may be too much for your little Explorer? Nosh on an awesome spread and listen to some wintertime tunes at our 1st Annual Breakfast with Santa! At only $10 per family, don't pass up some quality time with the jolly guy in the red suit sans crazy mall lines! Log on to www.nycityexplorers.com top RSVP to any of our upcoming events.
We've been delighted to care for your Explorers in Brooklyn for the past few years, and now we're excited to announce the expansion of Bag of Tricks Babysitting into Manhattan and Queens! Now our roster of CPR-certified, tons-of-fun Sitters are available to travel into whichever borough the need may arise. The same simple online form you've been using to book here in Brooklyn can be used by mamas and papas the whole Metro area through!

We have so much to be thankful for!

2010-11-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

Our Explorers Academy Preschool Thanksgiving Potluck yesterday was a huge success! We are so grateful to all of the members of the EAP family who, through their attendance, conversation and delicious baked goods, gave all of us an evening to be truly thankful for.
With so many amazing desserts to choose from, including pumpkin pie, cheesecake, brownies, chocolate chip muffins and cookies, courtesy of our little Explorers' families, it's impossible to say what was best. One thing is for certain: the giant cupcake, big enough to feed ten hungry men, certainly wouldn't take home last place, and some might gift it the blue ribbon! Adorable preschooler Lev might not agree, though, as he ate piece after piece of the homemade "corn cake" (read corn bread) that his parents contributed to the feast.
Thanksgiving is always a busy and crowded affair, and our especially so, as not only did even Kisha's husband Chris and Amy's husband Bryan join in the gobbling, but parent conferences and a preschool tour were also scheduled for the evening. While showing the tour's attendees around the EAP, Amy was especially delighted to recognize little Joshua, touring with Mama Sandra. Joshua was one of the very first students at our Explorer's Club enrichment drop-off program at our first location at 388 Atlantic Avenue. Although he is no longer the toddling 10-month-old that he was when we saw him last, clutching on to former teaching assistant Gayla's shirtsleeve while she gave him reassuring hugs, he's just as cute!
While this year's celebration was filled with new friends and members of the NYCE family, missing from the festivities and sorely missed by our staff were Liliana, Simone and their parents, Alex and Joy. Lili and Simone were our very first toddlers when the Explorers Club enrichment program, which evolved into the EAP, first began over 2 years ago. The twins, now almost 5 years old, are spending a gap year in India with their wonderful parents before beginning kindergarten next fall. We wish them all of the best on this most amazing of Explorations yet!

Gobble Gobble!

2010-11-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

The Explorers Academy Preschool was filled with the scent of Autumn this morning, as Miss Brittany's Butterflies fluttered into the kitchen to make homemade cranberry sauce as their contribution to tomorrow's Thanksgiving Potluck. With Kisha's husband hard at work smoking up a Southern style Thanksgiving turkey and desserts promised from so many of our EAP parents, not a single belly will leave our party empty!
While Brittany's class stirred pots and licked lips, Miss Katiya's Caterpillars crawled down Schermerhorn Street to their weekly pre-ballet class at Brooklyn Ballet. No one was more excited to show off his moves than Hugo, now 2 years old and ready for preschool! Hugo's friends were already so happy to learn of his arrival that they ran to the door to greet him this morning, but once they saw the pumpkin cupcakes his mom, Elisa, had brought to celebrate his first day, an army couldn't have held back their enthusiasm! We're sure Hugo is happy to be with his friends and while we're delighted to have him we know that his old friend Rowan Magee, the NY City Explorers Bag of Tricks Babysitter who has been caring for Hugo for the past few months, is sad to see him go. Don't worry Rowan; We'll take great care of him! For now Hugo leaves his friends behind each night to snuggle with Mom and Dad at home, but in a few short weeks he'll have a playmate at home too! Hugo's mom, Elisa, and Dad, Julian, are expecting a new addition to the family any day now,and we can't wait to welcome another addition to the NYCE family!
With cupcakes, new babies, gorgeous Autumn weather and Thanksgiving on the brain, our Explorers and staff have so much to smile about most of the time, so everyone was sad to see kid-favorite staff member Edwin arrive this morning with a scratch on his face! Poor Edwin walked right into a tree this morning while walking his dog; We hope our Explorers learned an important lesson about always watching where you're going!

First comes love...

2010-11-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

Our blog posts may not have increased in number over the last few months, but our New York City Explorers family sure has! On September 16th, 2010, Creative Director and Child Care Coordinator Amy Yurcan and her husband Bryan welcomed a beautiful little girl to the world. Olive Ginger Yurcan, born 6 lbs. 15 oz., already has a head full of hair and a face full of smiles! While Olive is our youngest Explorer for the moment, once March rolls around all that will change, as City Explorers' co-owner, Kisha Gandsy welcomes her new addition to a family that already includes 4-years-old Haven and 2-years-old Shelton, two of the cutest little girls this side of the Brooklyn Bridge. In our last bit of baby news, we are delighted to congratulate former Explorers Academy Preschool student Luca on the arrival of his new baby brother Gabriel!
While we sure have missed Luca at EAP in the weeks since he moved with mom, Nicole, and dad, Joseph, to Fairfield County, Connecticut, they could not have picked a better time of the year to begin exploring their New England digs. This past week has brought temperatures so mild, air so crisp and leaves so saturated with color that we can almost understand why they left life in the big city behind. Almost!
We're hoping that this lovely weather continues into the rest of the week, as Thursday we're looking forward to seeing the families of every one of our EAP students at our Thanksgiving Potluck. If you have a little Explorer enrolled at EAP and haven't RSVP'd yet, be sure to do so by emailing Office Manager Melissa Bayer at mbayer@nycityexplorers.com or calling (718)797-3707.
Our Thanksgiving Potluck may be for Explorers Academy Preschool families exclusively, but there are plenty of annual events that we'd love to see each and every one of you at, little Explorers in tow! December 18th will see the arrival of the big guy in the red suit to Underhill Avenue for our first annual Breakfast with Santa! Visit our website at www.nycityexplorers.com for more information and to reserve your family's spot. We "Ho!"-"ho!"-hope to see you there!

The city of love, meet the borough of pizza!

2010-08-03T12:51:00.000-07:00

It's said that toddlerhood is the best time to learn a second, or even a third language, when little brains have a good grasp on their first language but are still developing and receptive to being wired for a new language as well. With babysitters and teachers fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, German, Spanish, Russian, French, Ashanti and even American Sign Language, NY City Explorers is steeped in a strong foundation of multiculturalism and multilingualism. To that end, we were delighted when one of our regular Bag of Tricks Babysitting clients asked us to provide sitting services for a mommy meeting of the minds to discuss establishing an English-French dual language program at one of Brooklyn's local schools.
The interest meeting, which took place at Court Street's Enoteca, was well-attended by 15 adults with 8 children amongst them. While the adults planned the tots gobbled Brooklyn's yummiest pizza. Also at the children's table? Bag of Tricks Babysitters Alvino Johnson and Melissa Bayer along with teaching assistant Ka Yiu Kong, fresh from her day as a chaperon at our Summer Camp, Jr.
Nestled into a cozy private room and armed with sketch paper, crayons and story books, Vino took the lead entertaining the tiny troops, even bursting into spontaneous song when necessary to keep little minds interested and out of busy parents' hair for the 2 hours that the meeting lasted. While Melissa drew pictures of Thomas the Tank Engine, Elmo and even several monkeys, Vino led the group in song and Ka Yiu handed out slices of pizza and refills of juice and milk.
Not only were our sitters delighted to spend time with young friends new and old (including 2-years-old Zooey who excitedly ran right up to Vino upon first sight of the most-requested sitter), NY City Explorers is grateful to Brooke Toomey for organizing the event and allowing us to be a part of it. While meeting new families in Brooklyn is always a great business opportunity, the chance to hear the cutest little voices speaking French to their parents was truly the icing on the cake! Or, should I say, the creme in the eclair?

The cutest cupcake!

2010-07-14T15:51:00.001-07:00

Monday morning held a special treat for Amy and the tots at 2: Cool for School when halfway through the morning Explorers Club old pro Cole stopped by with her mom and new baby sister! At three and a half years old Cole is an active healthy toddler with not a roll to spare, but at 9 months she was a chubster indeed. It came as no surprise that little sis Adelaide, who she last saw as a newborn, now has one roll in each leg for every one of her 9 months of life! Mama Mercedes, who had brought the girls to Brooklyn to hang with old friends for a day away from their second home upstate, lovingly refers to her younger daughter as a human cupcake, and as pink and sweet as she is, there couldn't be a truer comparison. While upstate Cole and her family have been enjoying the great outdoors and all that nature has to offer, but she still mentions her old Explorers club teachers from time to time, calling Kayla, her new teacher, "not Gayla," which will be sure to warm the heart of former Explorers Club teacher Gayla when she hears about it.
After days of rainy forecasts yesterday's lunchtime downpour was much-needed and even welcomed by city-dwellers whose air conditioners, fans and scant clothing have provided only the smallest amount of comfort during the oppressive heatwave of the last two weeks. Nonetheless, we're glad that Cole's visit to her old Prospect Heights stomping grounds took place on a day dry enough to allow her to enjoy all of her fave outdoor haunts.
Unfortunately yesterday's Summer Camp Senior Explorers weren't as lucky as were Tuesday's. After a moderately-warm day at the Queens Zoo on Tuesday, which counselor Sam claimed puts the Prospect Park Zoo to shame (Full disclosure: Sam does live in Queens himself and so may be a bit biased toward his home borough!, yesterday's planned trip to the Bronx to visit the Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum was put on ice as sheets of rain and crashes of thunder sent the crew of cuties to Manhattan's Sony Wonder Technology Lab for some indoor techie fun at the foul-weather standby.

Da, that's some yummy Borscht!

2010-06-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

As the last day of school for our Explorers that attend public school, it was also the last day of camp without said Explorers before the group expanded to its usual size and old friends were able to be reunited. Keyanna and Sam took advantage of the smaller group and headed off the beaten trail for the day to explore everything Russia on a day tour of Brighton Beach! Chosen by Eastern Europeans as Home away from Home due to its physical, geographical resemblance to the Ukraine, Brighton Beach is still home to a bustling Russian community with storefronts and restaurants specializing in Russian foods and treats. While everyone was more than happy to sample pierogies and a few campers even enjoyed the red borscht, only one intrepid senior camper braved the green borscht, relishing the slightly sweet, spinach-like flavor. Kudos to our campers (and counselors!) for being so open-minded. Their taste buds sure did appreciate it! Since no meal is complete without a little something sweet, lunch ended on a high (and yummy) note with bags-full of imported Russian candies for everyone to share. While the campers swear it was some of the best they've every tasted, counselors Sam and Keyanna begged to differ. Perhaps their pallets aren't as refined as our sophisticated campers'!

Little Audrey is made of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

2010-06-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Little Audrey, a staple at NY City Explorers' outward bound Summer "edventure" camp for the past few years is no cartoon, but she is just as animated! The Saturday before her final Monday of Kindergarten saw Audrey and Amy, NY City Explorers' Child Care Coordinator and Creative Director, spending the day together while Audrey's mom got some much-needed time to herself. Particularly tired and still not finished with her school year, Audrey unloaded her fears to Amy about the upcoming Monday. It seems that Audrey had heard through the grapevine that Monday is to be Classroom Cleaning Day at P.S. 29, and the clever Kindergartner was already plotting ways to escape a day full of chores normally reserved for Saturday mornings! Somehow we think that wiping down the chalkboard and clearing out her desk with friends will hold more appeal than matching socks and making the bed with Mom!
While the ladies who lunch lounge pool and beach side reading rags about Angelina and Brad, Audrey and Amy filled much of their day in the company of Angelina Ballerina. After Audrey rubbed the sleep from her eyes over an episode of Angelina Ballerina, the little lady and her sitter headed to the public library, where Audrey practiced reading out loud from an Angelina Ballerina book.
After cooling down on the comfy chairs of the library's children's area and gobbling a slice each of thin crust from Sal's, the two headed to Carroll Park where Amy was delighted to bump into Vaughn, the tallest recently-turned-four-years-old she knows. While Vaughn has moved on from NY City Explorers' 2: Cool for School program once was, well, no longer 2, he is still a frequent guest for drop-off babysitting and other NY City Explorers events, and with a face that cute and a disposition that sweet, and a mom that friendly we hope he will continue to be a part of the Explorer family for a long time to come!

Summer Streets is a Weekend Treat!

2010-06-22T13:44:00.001-07:00

The month of June ushered in the 2nd annual Summer Streets on Vanderbilt, a month-long weekends-only event that turns the normally bustling, noisy expanse of Brooklyn's up-and-coming Vanderbilt Avenue into a bustling noisy expanse of a more pleasant nature. Modeled after a similar festival on Manhattan's Park Avenue, each day of the festival will feature live music and arts entertainment, large areas of outdoor seating for neighborhood's many bars and restaurants, classes and impromptu shows and entertainment for Brooklyn-dwellers of all ages and inflatable mazes, tents and Foosball tables for the young and young at heart. With NY City Explorers' Prospect Heights location at 186 Underhill Ave now a mainstay among the community's children and their parents and caregivers, there was no doubt that Summer Streets was the perfect spot for us to set up some summer weekend fun for the month of June!
The morning of June 12th saw NY City Explorers' co-owner Keyanna Murrill and babysitter extraordinaire Sam, hauling tables, tents and fun from our playspace at 186 Underhill Ave to Vanderbilt Avenue to set up shop. With sidewalk chalk, a walk-in bubble castle and, of course, the bubbly personalities and creative minds of Keyanna and Sam on hand, the afternoon was off to a great start. It's always remarkable to see creativity in bloom, and by the end of the day there was no doubt that Brooklyn's babies have no lack or imagination, as the pavement in front of the NY City Explorers tent was positively drowning in colored chalk drawings of fish, flowers, people and names.
While kids focused on putting pen to paper, in a manner of speaking, it was all Sam and Keyanna could do to keep their tent and the colorful parachute that covered its top from being swept away by the afternoon's wind! With colorful tents, a sky full of bubbles and children on bicycles zooming in and out of the crowd, the vibe was more circus than piazza, and we wouldn't have had it any other way! Stop by our table this Sunday for some chalky fun, a balloon, ask about our newest programs, babysitting services and classes, or just to say "Hi!" to Amy, NY City Explorers' Creative Director and Childcare Coordinator.

Celebrate good times!

2010-06-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon the staff at 186 Underhill Ave had the pleasure of hosting Jackson and Vaughn during drop-off babysitting hours. After Jackson had polished off and afternoon snack of raising and homemade cookies, and Vaughn had gobbled up his bagel and cream cheese (Shhh! Don't tell the girls at neighboring Blue Marble that he brought it from home!) it was on to the toys! First blocks, where tiny tot Jackson and Big Slice Vaughn (according to his adorable t-shirt, and his size!) built towers almost as tall as themselves and then, just as quickly, knocked them down. All of their construction work seemed to leave the boys ready for a nap, but it's no surprise that Jackson was exhausted, as he spent the morning in cahoots with Tommy, trying run away from the group at the Underhill Playground! What better way to unwind from a tiring morning of playing than to settle down with a good puzzle? Vaughn helped his pal piece together NY City Explorers' giant floor pirate puzzle, his favorite toy at the space due in large part to the fact that he has the same one at home and can therefore piece it together more quickly than any other tot in Prospect Heights. Of course, the puzzle at the playspace does present the added challenge of being one piece short due to the missing piece having been gnawed upon by a baby!
With Jackson, Thelonius and Tommy transitioning out of 2:Cool for School and into pre-school this week, the last week for the three big boys was off to a celebratory start, with Anderson's mommy, Nina, bringing in cupcakes from the Blue Sky Bakery to help the apple of her eye celebrate 3-years-old in tasty style! His actual birthday may not have been until the next day, but everyone, especially Amy's baby bump, was more than happy to help him celebrate one day early.
The Explorers on the other side of town, at our Schermerhorn location, had something to celebrate as well: the first day of summer camp for 2010, and for some of our youngest campers, the first day of camp ever!

An apple a day

2010-06-06T17:39:00.000-07:00

While grocery shopping is often an errand that our Explorers' parents leave tots in the care of our Bag of Tricks Babysitters in order to tackle, on Friday morning it was the kids who browsed the aisles.
Accompanied by Amy and Yamileth, the tots in attendance for Friday morning's session of 2: Cool for School headed out on their most colorful and tastebud-tempting excursion yet! After trekking to Prospect Heights' Vanderbilt Ave, Anderson, Kiera, Thelonius, Jackson, Tommy, Mia, Noon and Gaia walked single file through their neighborhood grocery store in search of items pictured on their lists. What a fun lesson in shapes, colors and sizes! Apples? Check! Carrots? Check! Cookies, milk and grapes? Check, check and check! As found items were crossed off of lists, the cuties drew more than a few glances from fellow shoppers more senior than themselves as well as compliments on both their fantastic behavior and cuteness!
The air-conditioned comfort of the market must have lulled the group into a false sense of temperature moderation, because by the time Amy led her little Explorers out the door, visions of swings and other playground wonders filled little heads.
A short stroll to Underhill Playground was hollowed by over an hour of outdoor fun. While there Thelonius and Tommy demonstrated that all of the time they have spent together has left them as close as brothers: bickering and all! Any toy that one boy chose to play with the other immediately wanted for himself. While the heat seemed to be making the two oldest boys in the group cranky, Gaia was relaxed into a slumber that looked so sweet she would have put Sleeping Beauty to shame.
The breeze blowing onto the group from the direction of the sprinkler was just enough to make the temperature bearable and to help make up Amy's mind about where the group's next excursion would take them: back to the playground, but this time in bathing suits for a run through the sprinkler of their own!

When life hands you lemons...

2010-05-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-07T12:14:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-05-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

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!

Little Miss Clumsy

2010-04-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

April 16th marked our first Friday Movie Date Night at our Prospect Heights playspace. While Amy was prevented from attending due to a visit from her in-laws, the five tots who attended were in great hands nonetheless, with Melissa on hand as the head sitter for the evening and Yamileth standing by to assist her with some especially fussy little ones during drop-off. No doubt Melissa has fallen for the allure of the cozy living-room feel and bright airy space at Underhill, since she paid another visit to the space the following Wednesday morning to substitute for 2: Cool for School teacher Amy.
While Lyouba was on hand to greet and sign-in Explorers and their parents as they arrived for the Friday evening fun, and then again on Wednesday to lend Melissa a hand with the 2-year-old crew, when Amy returned on Friday it was to a Lyouba-less space. It seems that in the course of several days our favorite Bulgarian transplant had managed not only to poke herself in the eye with a mascara wand (ouch!) but to follow up one injury with another---this time stepping on a nail as she tried to capture the perfect shot for her photostream! Hopefully she got some good photos of the emergency room as she waited to receive her tetanus shot following the unfortunate incident...
Last week was filled with milestones for our Explorers as Haven celebrated her fourth birthday, Amaya shared her last day with her fellow Explorers at 2:Cool for School before a several months stretch in LA, and Explorers Club teacher Gayla marked her last day with the bunch before heading off into the world to pursue her painting career with greater fervor. While the Explorers will miss Gayla, there was too much excitement in the air to dwell on her departure for long---after all, who had time time to be upset with Haven's Saturday afternoon birthday party on the horizon!

Must be the season of the trip

2010-04-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Field trip, that is! Last Thursday marked the first in the Explorers Club tots' new series of weekly outward-bound adventures, as Gayla and the older half of the crew headed to the Pratt Institute's Sculpture Garden. While the Rudorens had tried their best to pump up Lev and Shayna for the anticipated ride on the G train all morning long, it was hard to miss the nervous look on little Lev's face as he boarded the train and sat with a very straight back, hands folded in his lap, next to his friends and twin sister. When Gayla asked the cutie pie if all was well, he did his 2 1/2-years-old best to force a smile. What a big milestone for a little boy!
While the kids may be too young to have spent much time enjoying the sculptures themselves, the beauty of Spring came into full bloom after a butterfly entered the scene and all seven kids immediately gave chase! Maybe a trip to the Bronx Zoo's butterfly garden should be added to this summer's itinerary.
After a delicious picnic lunch and wobbly walk back to the G train, with Lev's and Shayna's backpacks measuring almost as large as the peanuts themselves, the group was back to the play space just in time for a quick wash-up and nap time, and after a day in the sun, the rest was well-deserved!
The next day the younger Explorers got their own taste of adventure, with an outing to the Carroll Gardens library. While the amazing Brittany would have had no trouble handling the smaller group on her own, the kids sure didn't complain when Explorer favorite Edwin came along for the fun! With so many native Spanish speakers in the group, Brittany was happy to have Edwin on hand to do some quick translating here and there. The library's official story hour was cancelled, but that didn't stop the tots from holding an impromptu story hour of their own, all snuggled up on the chairs set aside just for tiny readers.

Girls just want to have fun!

2010-04-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

And they finally can, now that they are no longer grossly outnumbered by the boys at 2: Cool for School! But if Amy, Yamileth and Lyouba thought that more girls would mean tea parties and dress up, then they severely misjudged the young ladies of Brooklyn. When Amy discovered a crew of slippery, slimey worms hiding out in the backyard after an early Spring rain several weeks ago, it was Kansas City native Amaya who ran ove rin excitement to check out the critters, while Jackson and Thelonius backed up before Amy could suggest getting a closer look. Amaya, whose parents moved her to Brooklyn this year where her dad can be closer to the world of the stage, is a natural leader who strolls the playspace at Underhill with a self-assurance few grown adults have! Amaya has already had playdates with long-time 2: Cool for Schoolers Thelonius and Tommy. Perhaps it comes in part from having her good pal Bob, stuffed dog extraordinaire, close by her side most of the time!
While she's a bit more shy than Amaya, Mia, who just completed her third week with the tots and is the daughter of new Brooklynite Yelena, a yoga teacher from Serbia, has already adjusted remarkably well, especially considering English isn't her family's first language! Yesterday's morning circle time caught Mia clapping her hands, singing songs, and even cracking a smile or two!
Thelonius may not be a new Explorers, but he is learning a new skill---bike riding! The three-years-old is so determined to perfect the art of cycling that he rode, accompanied by Mom, of course, all the way form his Bed-Stuy home to our playspace in Prospect Heights! Kisha was lucky enough to see the cute pursuit for herself on her own way to work, and gave Amy and Lyouba a call with the heads up that the tyke might be a bit late to class. The exercise did body and mind good, as Thelonius has recently been mourning the loss of the family cat, which happened a few weeks ago. Our thoughts and hearts go out the Thelonius and his family for the loss of their much-loved pet.

Brooklyn in LOVE

2010-04-08T18:05:00.000-07:00

Families who frequent our Prospect Heights playspace may have noticed that the artwork on the walls is constantly changing. From children's birthday cakes and expectant tummies to Brazilian beaches and African school children, each and every image displayed on the walls of 186 Underhill was captured by local photographers. As a business whose success relies on being strongly rooted in the community, whose client base is largely comprised or writers, visual artists, photographers and stylists, and whose two owners met in art school themselves, New York City Explorers is dedicated to supporting local artists and businesses whenever possible. Despite that fact, it may still come as a surprise to find out that the manager of our Prospect Heights location, Lyouba Assadorova, is a talented photographer herself. Lyouba, who goes by the photographer's tag, LOVE 44, has made an art of capturing the beauty in some of Brooklyn's least appealing cityscapes, in a way that only someone with a true love for the borough could do. Lyouba, a transplant from Bulgaria living in the Bed-Stuy section of Brooklyn, has recently gotten some love back from the city she has given her heart to. "For the Love of Brooklyn", a photoblog focusing on the county of hipsters, selected our resident photographer as its Feature Fridays photographer in March 12, 2010. To check out her photos, and to read about some of Lyouba's incredible life story, go to http://fortheloveofbrooklyn.com/archives/2010/03/feature-fridays-lyouba-assadourova.html.
Not to be outdone, Bag of Tricks Babysitter and actor Sam Pinkleton has been recognized and rewarded for his artistic excellence as well---with a role in the musical comedy, "She Loves Me", playing at the Westport Country Playhouse from April 20th through May 8th. Sam has an ensemble part in the play, which tells the story of two feuding store clerks in 1930s Budapest who fall in love via anonymous love letter. Sound familiar? The play served as the inspiration for 1990s romantic comedy, "You've got Mail." Sam may not have hit it as big as Tom Hanks just yet, but that only means we're luck enough to have him as one of our most requested babysitters in the meantime! To book Sam or any of our other dynamic Bag of Tricks Babysitters, contact Amy Yurcan at ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com or at (718)809-6486.

There goes Peter Cottontail hopping down the bunny trail...

2010-04-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

...but we'll see him again next year! Happy Easter to all Explorers and families who celebrated over the weekend. It was such a beautiful weekend, with temperatures in the mid-70s, that many of our Explorers hunted for eggs outdoors this year, including little Thomas Maresca, who, after a Saturday afternoon well-spent exploring all things vroom-vroom at the Jacob Javitz center's auto show, fell into a deep sleep with visions of marshmallow Peeps dancing in his head.
While Kisha and the rest of the Gandsy clan have spent many a weekend visiting family in South Carolina over the past few months, this holiday weekend was spent in the comfort of home-sweet-Brooklyn, which meant that Kisha was on-hand to facilitate the 2nd Annual Explorers' Club Jazzy Tea Party last Friday. While teachers Brittany and Amy were already en route to points south for the weekend, Kisha's energy and plans for fun were enough to fill the void and then some!
An afternoon of dancing, egg hunting, tea sandwiches and Easter bunny cake? The cute factor would be hard to believe if the ladies at 110 Schermerhorn hadn't immortalized the moment with a group picture!
Like everyone else in the city, we're excited about Spring's arrival and are eagerly making preparations for the warmer months ahead when our focus will be on our award-winning summer camp, headed by Senior Counselor Edwin Guzman and his staff of energetic Junior Counselors.
Despite the sunshine, there are still a few activities in the works that will be worth stepping indoors for. Next on the horizon? Breakdancing for Babies! Drop off your little one on May 1st, from 6pm-8pm for an evening that includes a pizza dinner followed by a breakdancing demo and lesson geared especially toward little ones headed by a local breakdancing pro. Bag of Tricks Babysitters will be on-hand so you don't have to! $25/child covers 2 hours of childcare, lesson and dinner! As always, siblings receive a 25% on this evening and all of our services and events. For more info or to book your tot's spot, contact Amy Yurcan at ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com pr at (718)809-6486.

I took her out. It was a Friday night.

2010-03-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Amy has been inundated with requests for babysitters as our business grows, and she's only to happy too oblige. As long as a sitter is available, that is! Weekends have become our busiest times yet, with Friday evenings and Saturday mornings leading the pack of our most-requested days and times. Nothing turns our smiles upside down more than turning down a parent in need, especially when the little Explorers we sit for are so darn cute to boot. To that end, beginning in April we are instituting regular weekend drop-off babysitting at our playspace in Prospect Height sat 186 Underhill Ave. On two Friday nights, April 16th or April 30th, make reservations for your little one(s) for one of our Movie Date Nights. Go out for dinner and a movie while you tot stays in with us for the same! The $40 fee per child includes a pizza and juice dinner, supervised play in our playspace, and a G-rated, family-friendly movie viewing, all in the comfort of our Prospect Heights space, and under the watchful supervision of our Bag of Tricks Babysitters from 6pm-10pm. Bring your peanut in pajamas and pack a sleeping bag for an especially drowsy tot! Then stop by on your way home from your date to pick your child up from his! Saturday morning options include April 10th and 24th, and run from 8am-1pm. The $40 per child fee for Saturday mornings includes a bagel breakfast, Saturday morning cartoons, and admission to our playspace, again under the close supervision of our wonderful sitters! Siblings are always %25 off of all of our programs. Unfamiliar with our sitters? For a chance to meet them prior to scheduling your weekend drop-off sitting, attend our Meet the Sitters event this Thursday, April 1st at 7pm. Stop by 186 Underhill for a chance to get to know some of the ladies and gents who care for Brooklyn's cutest, and to book a sitter of your own. Contact Amy Yurcan at (718)809-6486 or ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com for details!

They are the dancing queens, young and sweet, only...

2010-03-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

... 2 or 3! You haven't seen cute until you've seen our Tuesday afternoon Explorer's Club tots don tutus and pirouette into the bright and spacious studio of Brooklyn Ballet. Last Tuesday's class, which began with each child being gifted a container of bubbles, reviewed the basic dance positions and taught the little ones to arabesque in a way that would put Martha Graham to shame! The tiny tots skipped, twirled and leaped their way through the dance moves as they pretended to pop bubbles in the air, grow bubbles bigger with their arms and gallop like a Pegasus. Little Reza, who is such an involved participant in Explorer's Club that no one would recognize him as the baby who cried his way through his first month with the crew, gets a little shaky when confronted with the noise of the trains running underneath the studio. While he did twinkle his little toes to the music here and there, he spent the majority of class listening to the engines running underneath him and keeping an eye on the action from the sidelines, leaving little Lev to be the lone danseur for the bulk of the session. Judging by the tutu around his waist and the smile on his cute little face, Lev didn't seem to mind one bit!
It's never a surprise for Brooklyn kids to be natural performers, and considering how many of our Explorers' parents are artists themselves, it's no wonder these little babies are especially talented! Looking for your culture fix this weekend? Keep it in the NY City Explorers family and show your support for Lili's and Simone's dad, Alexander Gorlizki, as he celebrates the opening of his new show, "The First Time I Heard You Blink" at the Greenberg Van Doren Gallery. For details, see: http://www.artnet.com/Galleries/Exhibitions.asp?gid=79&cid=189353.

And the award goes to...

2010-03-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

...Keyanna Murrill, for excellence in business ownership! Well, not exactly. While Keyanna does an amazing job as co-owner of New York City Explorers, along with her old college roommate, Kisha Gandsy, the real prize came late last week when she was the recipient of the Congressman Elijah E. Cummings Congressional Achievement Award!
Keyanna, who participated in the Elijah Cummings Youth Program as a high school student, was presented with the award by the Congressman himself for being a "Legend Among Us" amongst her peers in the program. As a member of the program, which is designed to cultivate leadership, Keyanna participated in workshops in leadership development, donated countless hours to various community service projects in her Baltimore community and participated in a trip to Israel. In Israel, Keyanna's leadership training continued with lessons in group dynamics, appreciation of cultural diversity, and team-building, even as she and the other future leaders enjoyed tours of such sights as the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.
As a successful business owner in New York City, Keyanna epitomizes the program's values. Congrats to the lovely and talented Keyanna on her accomplishments and on receiving this honor!
Our Explorers may not be as accomplished as Keyanna yet, but we have no doubt that they will be soon! What they already are is bright, cute and artistic, and at the end of any given day of the week we still adore each and every one as much as when they arrived in the morning. That level of adorable deserves just as much of an award as any of Keyanna's accomplishments do! To that end, on April 2nd we will honor our Explorer's Club tykes with a Jazzy Tea Party, complete with our very own awards ceremony. Grab your tot, pack him or her a fancy-pants outfit, and join in the fun. Festivities begin at 4:00 pm for all Explorer's Club members and families.

Here's the sunshine!

2010-03-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

A generous dose of beautiful weather energized Brooklynites last week, making up for some of the time change-induced exhaustion that seemed to have taken a toll on Sunday and Monday. As kids piled out of the apartments they had been nestled into all winter long and streamed into the city's playgrounds, it was also time for all of our Explorers to head into some fresh air.
The 2: Cool for School Crew arrived on Wednesday morning in plenty of time to embark on the morning's trip. Even Tommy arrived bright and early, if only to gobble some of Blue Marble's delicious chocolate chip banana bread, which he had been promised by his father in exchange for heading out the door with a quickness. Amy, with the help of Yamileth and Anderson's chaperon, Lisa, lightly bundled the tots and led them out the door for a walk to the Brooklyn Museum. Since Amaya, Thelonius, Tommy, Anderson and Jackson arrived with their teachers before the doors were even unlocked, they had plenty of time to explore the exhibits before snack time, including Egyptian jewelry, African funeral rites costumes and a display of children's artwork in the education wing.
While the 2s were ensconced in the ancient world, Gayla, with the help of Bag if Tricks Babysiter Melissa Bayer as a chaperon, treated the cutie pies at Explorer's Club to a more modern morning at the Transit Museum. The museum, which was closed for renovations over the winter, has finally reopened in time for the warm weather that brings crowds of little ones with it. Their fellow New Yorkers from Upstate may enjoy monster truck rallies and hay rides, but the city slicker tots in Explorer's Club can't get enough of the underground transit system!
The boys and girls in each of our enrichment programs love going on neighborhood trips, but soon they won't have to go far from home base to get a taste of the outdoors: our backyard at 186 Underhill Ave will be spruced up for the season and open to all of our visiting Explorers any day now, so check our website at www.nycityexplorers.com for details, grab a Stevia-sweetened iced tea from Blue Marble and head out to the ( safely fenced-in) great outdoors. A tree does grow in Brooklyn after all!

Presenting the amazing Isaac!

2010-03-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening found Amy sitting for Isaac Westlake for the first time since the barely 2-year-old climbed out of his crib for the first time last week. In an amazing feat of baby-gymnastics, Isaac slung his leg over the rail of the crib and was out of his bedroom faster that most tots can say, "Got milk?" While no babies were harmed during the telling of this tale, Amy was still glad to hear that Isaac has been bed-trained! Congrats to his parents on such a speedy transition! In fact, the only drama that evening was Amy's alone, as she was almost blown over by over-zealous winds on her way to Isaac's home.
For those parents, like Isaac's, who also want to enjoy some weekend fun sans children, our Bag of Tricks Babysitting service is only one of several fantastic options. Not only will April be filled with showers (and baby showers for two of our friends at Blue Marble!) but it will also be filled with weekend babysitting alternatives for neighborhood mamas and papas.
Need some time for Saturday morning errands, an extra hour of sleep or a brunch free of the children's menu? Drop off your Explorer at our Prospect Heights playspace at 186 Underhill Ave from 8am until 1pm for a bagel breakfast, Saturday morning cartoons, a playspace full of toys and friends and a belly full of lunch in the afternoon! Space is available on April 10 and April 24, for only $60/child. Sibling discounts are available at a rate of %25 off of the full price for all of our programs. Not a morning person? Let your tyke enjoy dinner and a movie as you so the same! Book your Explorer's spot at one of our Movie Date Night events, currently scheduled for 4/16 and 4/30 from 6pm-10pm. $60 fee includes a yummy dinner and kid-friendly movie viewing at our Prospect Heights playspace.
Both Sleep-In Saturdays and Movie Date Nights are led by one of our fantastic CPR/First Aid-certified, back-ground-checked, fun and experienced Bag of Tricks Babysitters. For more information or to book your little one's adventure, see our website or contact Amy Yurcan at ayurcan@nycityexplorers.com or (718)809-6486.

"Class"y Babies!

2010-03-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

It's a new season full on new beginnings for the tots at NY City Explorers' full-time enrichment program, Explorer's Club. In addition to the new Savvy Scientists, Mathletes and World Culture Club classes being taught by resident teacher Amy on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Brooklyn's Cutest began two new outward bound classes this week. Tuesday afternoon saw the group walking down Schermerhorn to Brooklyn Ballet, and yesterday morning the kids headed to the studio of local artist, Nephrii Amenii. In addition to being an author and local artist who works with clay, mask-making and puppetry, Amenii teaches in New York City public schools and in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Foundation's Arts in Education department. Amenii's teaching and art draws inspiration from ancient African philosophy and spirituality. On the Explorers' first visit to her studio, the group enjoyed hearing a reading of a book authored by the artist, Memories of a Little Elephant followed by an elephant-inspired movement exercise session and a craft where glitter, paper, plastic and imagination were used to build an elephant's memory!
Most of the little ones were ready for a visit from Mr. Sandman after such an active morning,which also included Hip to the Hop class with Vino, but Laudan spent only a few minutes tossing and turning before deciding that nap time was just not in the cards for her that afternoon. What was in the cards? Lunch with Gayla, which the 3-year-old cutie spent sitting at a table asking about the ingredients of Gayla's veggi-ful soup! Laudan was particularly curious about the seasonings Gayla added to her soup. Not a big surprise considering the amount of time she spends in the kitchen cooking with Grandpa, whose Persian-inspired menu often includes more vegetables in one dish than most of us eat in a week!

Spring has sprung!

2010-03-08T11:42:00.000-08:00

2: Cool for School was off to a tearful start this morning, as the adorable Jackson had some uncharacteristic separation anxiety form his mama and baby brother Cade! The always adorable Jackson has been adjusting to life in a new house over the past two weeks, though, and while any move has its challenges, a mid-Winter move in New York City can take on a life of its own, so Amy, Yamileth and Lyouba were happy to cut the usually jolly tot some slack.
While Tommy and Jackson were engaging in their daily ritual of trading toy car for toy car (or in this morning's case toy tow truck for toy Hummer), the twos, threes and fours at Schermerhorn's Explorer's Club were involved in a more academic pursuit. Keyanna, along with the help of our rock star interns, gave the group a lesson in finances---Or at least coin recognition!
After a stimulating lesson that included shopping in a faux food store and ended with coin-recognition bingo, the older kids were more than happy to join the rest of the group for some time outdoors. More than an hour of climbing, yelling and jumping that included a foot race between Laudan and Liliana to test out each girl's new sneakers. What's that? Running outside without fear of slipping on ice? Dare we say it?..."Hello Spring!" It was impossible not to be in great spirits as the sun shone on the group. Spring is known as a time for growth, and Shelton was outshining the budding trees outside as she grew from baby to teacher's assistant this morning, trying with all of her might to push baby Teddy on the swings as Gayla and Brittany looked on in delight!
Spring flowers aren't the only new arrivals we're waiting on during the next few weeks. The Underhill location of Blue Marble Ice Cream, with which we share our Prospect Heights location, has two new Mini Marbles on the way. Jenny's little boy is due to arrive any day now with Dominique's new daughter hot on his trail. Good luck to both new mommies as they make final preparations for the new arrivals!

A festival of lights!

2010-03-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

Wednesday morning the members of Schermerhorn's Explorer's Club belatedly celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival. Recognized for over 2,000 years, the Lantern Festival is thought to be the birthday of the Heaven Officer, who, according to Chinese tradition, blesses human luck. Sharon, from Lango, the fantastic company that partners with NY City Explorers to teach our Explorer's Club tots Mandarin, arrived with stories and craft supplies in tow. A discussion about Chinese New Year, followed by the making of paper lanterns, had the kids alight with excitement through lunch time!
While riding their imaginations to China is the farthest form the country that most of the Explorers have been since the winter holiday season, Marlow returned just over one week ago from a jaunt in Mexico. While a multitude of Brooklynites chose to staycation over New York City schools' February break, with many exploring New York while attending our fabulous winter break day camp, Marlow joined her parents and older brother, Will, with big plans that included finally being able to wear her pink sunglasses in the middle of the winter. Much to the movie star's disappointment, however, foul weather kept her and her sunglasses indoors for much of the vacation! It's a good thing Marlow looks as fab in a rain jacket as she does in a bikini!
Today's weather may not beat that of a beach in Mexico during the summer, but it sure beats New York City in January! Spring is in the air, and if the crowds in our neighborhoods' play grounds today are any indication, the tots of the city have been suffering from cabin fever just as intensely as the adults have been! Our favorite intern Ka Yiu has felt so cooped up this winter that she's threatening to fly the coop entirely, all the way to Hong Kong! Our amazing Explorer's Club assistant has big plans for big shopping when she visits her home country next, which purchases including a new lap top and a new wardrobe!

Go for the Gold!

2010-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Vino hopped his way into our Underhill play space this morning to teach our Explorers' favorite music and fitness classes. Vino has been teaching the class since Kisha left for her South Carolina family vacation last month, and his energy and enthusiasm have been such a hit that he just may steal the spot light from Kisha next class session and teach the class all on his own!
It may be a toddler enrichment class, but that doesn't mean that the adult chaperones in Vino's class get to take a break! When it's time for the parachute to come out, it's all hands on deck, as the adults move the colorful parachute up and down and around and around while the children play underneath, around and even on top of the fabric. Especially appreciated is the effort displayed by Carly, Luca's nanny, who gets so involved in class that we're beginning to suspect she's using it to save money o a gym membership!
Any of our neighborhood Explorers can sign up for one of our classes, but our resident tots at Explorers Club enjoy benefits even beyond our in-house classes. Beginning in March, Brittany and Gayla will lead the 1-4 years-old children down the road to Brooklyn Ballet, where they'll be enjoying once weekly ballet class on Tuesday afternoons. For a fully well-rounded arts educations, the group will also being taking art classes at a local artist's studio. At their weekly art camp, they'll begin by learning the art of storytelling through puppetry.
The Olympics have drawn to a close, and with the Americans winning a record number of medals, let's take a moment to recognize our Explorers Club tykes, who all performed wonderfully in their own athletic games, including the egg and spoon race; the feather between the toes race; and the balloon between the knees race. Congratulations to the cutest athletes in the borough!

New Classes, New Sitters, New Camp Trips, Oh My!

2010-02-17T16:30:00.000-08:00

Amy spent her last afternoon with the adorable Lola today, as she introduced the clever and cute toddler to Melissa, who will be taking over the ongoing sitting job next week. While Lola and her mom loved Amy, Melissa is already well on her way to endearing herself to the wonderful Brooklyn family. With her degree in child psychology and years of experience working in her campus nursery and at summer camps, there could be no better choice for Amy's replacement.
While Melissa will be busy getting to know Lola next week, New York City Explorers as a whole has a busy week ahead. When Explorers Liliana and Simone begin their first week at Explorers Club as 4-year-olds, it will also be a week of new classes! Beginning next week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays will see feature 2 new classes for Explorers Club members: Little Historians and Savvy Scientists! We think the Explorers will find the first Savvy Scientists lesson about the Universe to be far out!
While the new classes will be for Explorers Club tots only, there are classes galore for other neighborhood little ones to sign up for. With class bundles available starting at $25/class, sign up for one today! Better yet, families who use a New York City Explorers nanny enjoy the added perk of attending one free class per week! With our nanny share program taking off this month, there's no better time than now to secure quality child care for your own little one.
Last week's snow storm may have closed our play spaces early, but Tuesday's all-day flakes didn't even phase Keyanna, Edwin and their winter campers, as the crew braved the elements to visit the Weeksville Heritage Center(www.weeksvillesociety.org). After a tour of one of the first free black settlements in the country, it was with brighter minds and tired feet that the campers headed back to the play space at 110 Schermerhorn to await the sweetest end of day reward: a snack and a ride home from mom!
.

XOXOXO!

2010-02-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

New York may not be the city of love, but it sure is a city to love! With more restaurants than some cities have people, there was surely a prixe fixe meal for each and every New Yorker to enjoy yesterday, as Explorers in every corner of Brooklyn welcomed sitters into their homes so that parents could enjoy some oft much-needed time alone! We hope everyone enjoyed a lovely Valentine's Day weekend!
The Explorers Club tots were full of love of fellow man themselves today, as they shared the Underhill play space with the kids from 2: Cool for School. Our Schermerhorn play space was closed for the holiday today, so it was with much delight that the children from 110 Schermerhorn gathered in Prospect Heights to play with new toys and new friends. They've all met Tommy and Jackson before, but new to the crew since last week is Amaya, a cute-as-can-be 2-year-old with curl hair, big brown eyes, and a personality that shines! Amaya wasted no time getting to know the new kids, taking charge of the room and introducing everyone to her good friend Bob, the stuffed dog that joins her everywhere she goes.
While new friends were aplenty this morning, the kids were missing some of their old buddies. With Haven and Shelton enjoying the last week of their South Carolina vacation, it was almost too much to bear that Gayla was away too! We hope our most artistic Explorers Club teacher had fun tapping into her athletic side this weekend, as she enjoyed a long weekend away skiing with her beau. We know she's enjoying snuggling by the fire, hot chocolate in hand, but by the time she returns to the crew on Wednesday, she'll be all the more excited to snuggle up to some hugs from her favorite Brooklyn Explorers!

They say it's your birthday!

2010-02-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our oldest Explorers Club member, Hana, who turns 4-years-young today! Hana and her friends at the Schermerhorn play space, including fellow seniors, Lili and Simone, celebrated her special day with cupcakes from One Girl Cookies (onegirlcookies.com) that were almost as sweet as the birthday girl herself. Hana isn't the only Explorers having a birthday this month. Laudan, Lili and Simone, Max and Emmett, and even Teacher Gayla are hot on her trail, all with birthdays occurring within the next few weeks. While Lili and Simone won't be turning 4 until the 21st of this month, they've been talking about the special day for almost six months, inviting and uninviting friends and teachers alike to their "4 Birthday" as the mood demanded. The situation became so unnerving to their parents that at one point the twin cuties were forbidden to discuss birthday plans at all! Laudan may not be giving reminders of her upcoming birthday as frequently as Liliana and Simone have been, but then again, who could forget a Valentine's Day baby?! The little ball of love will celebrate not only her birthday, but Valentine's Day as well at the play space on Friday, as the afternoon will be met with a cookie decorating session with Amy! The only thing that could make the birthday season more fun is if Haven and Shelton were here to celebrate with us. I'm not sure the sentiment is being echoes by the Gandsy girls themselves, though. After all, they're in the midst of a vacation in South Carolina that has them visiting Grandma and enjoying warm weather. Rush back to New York in February? I think not!
With cupcakes gracing the snack table this afternoon, how will Brittany keep anyone's attention in the early evening? With homemade volcanoes, of course! The letter of the day is V, and the mood is set to fun, as the group prepares to fashion their own natural disasters out of paper cups, foil, vinegar and baking soda!

2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? Philip, it's Phiilip,! Gooooo Philip!

2010-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Talk about a mathlete! Thursday afternoon's Explorers Club looked more like a kindergarten class than a group of toddlers. As Gayla looked on, holding Baby Shelton, who has been dealing with the trials of teething this week, Brittany held the room in rapt engagement with a lesson on patterns. Using the kids' socks and shoes (P.U.!) the tykes' creative teacher led the group in discovering patterns she made using a row of footwear. Sock, shoe, sock, shoe... What's that, Philip? Yes, sock!
While Philip was the most enthusiastic participant, Liliana and Haven joined him in shouting out guesses too. Too bad Simone missed out on the fun; she was home sick while her sister Lili enjoyed the company of friends at Schermerhorn. We're sure that spending the whole day with her dad sweetened to deal, though!
While this past week was filled with new friends, next week our Explorers will be missing some of their old friends. With Haven and Shelton heading to South Carolina with their mama for a three week vacation to visit with family and friends, and Amy out for the second half of the week to celebrate her wedding, classes will be just a little bit, well, quieter!
Twelve days ago today, Haiti was rocked by the most devastating earthquake the island of Hispaniola has seen in over 200 years. The need for medical care, food, water and shelter is huge and immediate. If you are able to contribute, bring the receipt from your donation to yele.org to either NY City Explorers location to receive one free day of play and a gift certificate worth 25% of your total donation, up to $100.
Good luck today to the symbolic heroes of another disaster-ravaged city, the New Orleans Saints, who are poised to earn a spot in the Super Bowl if they defeat the Minnesota Vikings. The Saints will play in the Louisiana Superdome, which only five years ago served as the last point of refuge for survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and have vowed to be as strong today as their fans were five years ago!

Come together...

2010-01-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

Monday's holiday celebrated not only the life of a great Civil Rights leader, but also for the kids in Explorers Club, a vacation from the norm. Rather than spend the day at our Schermerhorn play space, which was closed for the holiday, seven little Explorers and their teachers spent the day in Prospect Heights at our Underhill location.
In addition to the smells of fresh-brewed coffee and locally baked muffins wafting in from our roommate, Blue Marble's, side of the building, Underhill had the added benefit of new toys! Giant Duplo blocks, brightly colored play dough and farm animal figures entertained the excited tiny tots for the early part of the morning, before Gayla and Brittany directed the crew out the door and to the beautiful and spacious Underhill play ground.
While not crawling with the Explorers' neighborhood friends like the play grounds in BoCoCa, the Underhill play ground has a charm all its own. With separate areas for swinging, playing in the grass and running around, by far the best feature of this Brooklyn treasure is the multitude of communal toys that have been left in the park over the years!
The only thing better than new toys? New friends! Brooklyn's cutest had plenty of both as they were joined by Amy, Yamileth and the crew from 2: Cool for school for the morning. Amy's tots were delighted to have the extra company, especially our newest Explorer, Anderson, whose happiness of spirit has been radiating through the play space since he joined in the morning fun two weeks ago, and we couldn't be more glad to have him!

If you give a mouse a cookie...

2010-01-13T09:26:00.000-08:00

Luckily the kitchen at Schermerhorn is spic 'n' span and critter-free, so we didn't have to find out what happens in that event. If you give a Vino a cookie, however, you're sure to be treated to a big smile and a southern gentleman's thank you! The Explorers Club crew had the kind of morning yesterday that makes adults and older students alike yearn for the days of nursery school gone by. After a spirited round of "ABCs" and "If all the Raindrops were Lemon Drops and Gum Drops," out came the finger paints!
In a rare moment of quiet, Brooklyn's cutest rolled up their sleeves, donned their smocks and let the creative juices flow, painting houses, faces, or just leaving colorful fingerprints on the paper. Even our youngest tot of the day, Reza, joined in the creative process, dipping his fingers from paint to paper in quiet concentration.
Little fingers could just barely be washed in time for Vino's Kid Fitness class. It's a good thing aerobics were on the agenda for the Explorers, because the rest of the morning before nap time was spent gobbling---first homemade cookies measured and mixed by Haven, Shayna, Simone and Liliana, and then a lunch of roasted cauliflower, salmon and whole wheat pasta. Yum!

2 Cool Kids!

2010-01-11T18:40:00.000-08:00

There were two cool new faces at 2: Cool for School this morning: 2-year-old Anderson and 18-month-old Alexi, whose mommy is due to give him a little brother or sister in a couple of months! Tommy, Thelonius and the rest of the group will be sure to give him a taste of life with other tots!
In this age group, we have Explorers with verbal skills at every level. With the adorable Alexi exposed to four languages at his young age, that holds truer than ever before. How to bridge the communication gap? With music, the universal language! From the moment the morning song circle started until the last musical chair held its victor, Kiera, Anderson, Jackson, Tommy and Alexi were grooving to the music. If Yamileth and Amy have been neglectful of their workouts in this chilly weather, they certainly made up for it today, finishing the morning with a round of freeze dance to the Cupid Shuffle.
As crafty as our tots at Schermerhorn are, it an be easy to forget that the most artistic member of Explorers Club isn't a toddler at all! The always energetic Gayla, who has been a New York City Exploprers employee for nearly two years, takes loving care of Laudan, Anton and the rest of the crew by day, but her off-duty passion is art. Congratulations to the lovely and talented painter, who recently secured a part-time internship with a Manhattan-based professional artist.
Whose artwork has been missed lately? Lev's and Shayna's! The twin tykes have spent the last week fighting a bug that we hope resolves itself soon. Those giggles are irreplaceable!

Coley's party was on fire!

2010-01-10T14:23:00.001-08:00

Saturday morning at Underhill saw the celebration of Cole's 3rd birthday, for which our cuter-than-pie Explorer requested a dance party! Who better to assist Amy with the festivities than Natalie, Explorers Club's Lordess of the Dance? With Michael Jackson and Beyonce pumping out of the speakers and the disco ball spinning, Cole and her cousins danced their way around the play space with friends Ella, Lucy, Haven and Shelton along for the fun. With friends and family coming from as far away as Boston, Cole's party saw guests arriving until the very end.
When the tots had tired themselves out, and washed the glue from the disco ball craft off of their hands, it was time to move on to the one things Cole enjoys more than dancing---eating! This little piggy went to market and back, gobbling salad, grilled cheese on sour dough, fresh berries and fresh brownies! The cherry on top? Homemade spiced cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. There's no yummier way than cupcakes to refuel after a morning of dancing and playing, but no party goer earned the treat more than Haven, who learned the hard way not to let her hair get too close to the birthday candles! Luckily momma Kisha's hands were quick enough to prevent the flames from doing anymore damage than a superficial singe to Haven's hair. Lesson of the day? If you play with fire...
When it was time for all of the Explorers to head home for naps, Mercedes sent them off in style with a few of Cole's favorite things. Cole's friends were able to take the groove home with them, with perosnalized CDs and disco ball ornaments. The topper? giant-sized packets of Tic Tacs, Cole's must-have breath-freshener, and, if she had her way, breakfast of choice ;)

...with a buzz buzz here, and a buzz buzz there!

2010-01-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

Jackson is more than half way through his first week back at 2: Cool for School after his two week break during which he spent the holidays with relatives in Florida. He rejoined his fellow Explorers very refreshed, with a big smile on his face and rosy cheeks to match his jolly spirit! It's always wonderful to see family and friends over the holidays, and even more wonderful still to seve some of those visits for after the New Year, spreading the holiday cheer out a little bit longer. In one of the best post-Christmas gifts ever, Theonius' dad, JC, gifted to the Underhill play space a copy of his album, Underneath a Brooklyn Moon. Check him out at www.jchopkins.com!
Some new toys have brought renewed spirits to the tots at Underhill. Jackson was delighted to discover that if he straddles the new car-shaped cushions and stretches out his legs just so, he can inch his way around the play space with his feet, Fred Flintstone-style! He may not move as quickly as his favorite red race car, but he's far cuter! Tommy, meanwhile, has found delight in the new toy dinosaurs and barnyard animals that Amy set out for the group. He is particularly enamoured of the cows, spending as long as his teachers will allow setting them up in size order and then knocking them down. Tommy is one smart cookie to adore cows so much. He has the scoop on where milk comes from, and without milk Tommy wouldn't be able to enjoy his favorite treat, day or night---ice cream!
Kiera, Thelonius and their friends were having such fun with the animal toys on Wednesday that Amy thought it would be a shame if the had to leave them all behind. What better animal craft to make than can flight right home with our tiny tots? It may not be the most beloved of creatures on the farm, but the paper tube bumble bees that our explorers made had them all buzzing with delight! To make your own, visit: http://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/mbee.html

Happy 2010, Brooklyn!

2010-01-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

After closing early at our play spaces on Thursday afternoon, most of us enjoyed the evening with friends and loved ones, but our Bag of Tricks Babysitters are available come rain, sleet, or, well, New Year's Eve! Claytie spent the evening sitting for 2: Cool for School's Tommy at his cousin's New Jersey home, and while Amy rang in 2010 with a more adult crowd, she completed the first sitting job of the new year yesterday evening for 7-month-old Emil!
A late night on Thursday followed by a lazy Friday indoors for most city dwellers meant more than a few cases of cabin fever by the time the Underhill play space turned on its lights this morning. Familiar faces and new Explorers alike flocked to the warmth and delight of our cozy space in Prospect Heights. From morning 'til eve, the sounds of little voices and little feet jumping, singing and playing, filled the ears of Amy and the girls working at Blue Marble. The time for Christmas carols may have passed, but the sound of giggling tots is a tune that's in season all year long!

Tuesday afternoon fever!

2009-12-29T18:13:00.000-08:00

Our Explorers Club tots are back at the play space after a long weekend, but many of our school-aged Explorers are still on winter break this week. With moms and dads back at work or planning for New Year's celebrations, what's a kid to do? Tour the city with Edwin at our Winter Break Discovery Camp, of course! Yesterday's adventure took the group to FAO Schwarz, where the kids took turns stomping out tunes on the "Big" floor piano before visiting Legoland to admire models of Batman and Chewbacca. After lunch (Grilled chicken and mac and cheese! Mmmm!) a trip to Rockefeller Center was in order to view the nation's most visited Christmas tree.
While Explorers Club is in session, many of our tots are absent nonetheless. With Lili and Simone visiting their grandma in England, Tessa and Rose celebrating with relatives stateside and Haven opting to spend the day with Edwin, Julian and Audrey as an unofficial Winter Break Discovery Camp member, it was a smaller group than Gayla and Amy are used to at our Schermerhorn play space today. Amongst the Explorers who did make it in today were Reza, Hana and Shelton, a crew known for loving to dance and having the pint-sized moves to back it up. What better way to prep for a dance party than a disco ball craft? Glittery paint, sequins and ribbon made for one groovy art project!

Gaga for vroom vroom!

2009-12-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

Most of our little Explorers love toy cars and trains, and 22-month-old Isaac is no exception. When Amy arrived to babysit Isaac on Saturday night, it was all she could do to tear him away from the new Melissa and Doug car garage he just received as a Christmas gift in time for bed. While his mom and dad spent an evening out with friends from overseas, Isaac and Amy spent the evening parking cars, moving them up and down in the garage's freight lift, and towing the smaller cars in the back of a toy dump truck.
Isaac was filling up his toy cars with gas at his new toy garage, but last weekend Amy spent some time exploring a more environmentally friendly form of transportation. Sunday saw Amy and three-year-old Phillip spending a chilly afternoon at the Transit Museum where the two enjoyed a group tour of exhibits upstairs before Phillip enjoyed some time darting in and out of old subway cars and replicas of city buses. The trip was so fun that the the two couldn't resist a trip to the gift shop on their way out, where Amy snapped up an N train t-shirt!
As Phillip and his sitter walked from the museum to the train, passing our play space at 110 Schermerhorn on their way, Amy noticed the bright tyke stopping every few seconds to touch the mounds of fluffy white snow with his mittened hands. Under his breath, Phillip could be heard saying, "...seventeen, eighteen, nineteen..." When finally asked by his curious sitter what he was doing, the cutie pie replied, "I'm counting the snow." There's another one for Bill Cosby's retired show...

All aboard the birthday train!

2009-12-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

New York City Explorers hopes that everyone enjoyed a Merry Christmas day yesterday, and that the long weekend is being enjoyed and spent with loved ones.
While both of our play space locations are closed this weekend to allow all of our Explorers and staff to enjoy the holiday, the scence at our Underhill location was far from quiet last weekend, as giggles and music filled the play space last Saturday. Luca, the son of Kisha's good friend, celebrated his 3rd birthday last Saturday with Audra and Amy on hand to facilitate his train-themed birthday party.
Luca's mom, who's expecting a little sibling for him any day now, enjoyed socializing with her friends and family over fruit, punch, ice cream and gluten-free chocolate cake---a treat even guest Kisha could eat! Prior to gobbling birthday cake and other treats, Luca and his friends enjoyed making train puppets and singing at a train-themed song circle, which included favorites such as "I've been working on the railroad and a creative rendition not of "The Wheels on the Bus", but "The Wheels on the Train"! Have your own little conductor at home? Try Amy and Audra's song on your own during your little one's next long car ride or bubble bath! Alternate verses to "The Wheels on the Bus" are as follows:
"The Wheels on the Train"
The Wheels on the train go round and round!
The whistle on the train goes toot toot toot!
The doors on the train go open and shut!
The conductor on the train says, "Tickets please!"
The tracks beneath the train go clackety clack!

...But the fire is so delightful!

2009-12-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

As of Saturday evening, the weather outside matches the city's festive winter mood. It seems to be that if you build it---a merry holiday atmosphere, that is---the snow will come! Huge fluffy flakes began to fall early in the evening as holiday shoppers rushed home to beat the windy blizzard. While most of our Explorers had to wait until Sunday morning to scamper through the snow, both Brittany and Amy enjoyed the wintry city while it was still untouched by little feet, as both girls headed home from late night babysitting jobs in the wee hours of Sunday morning! After a weekend of celebration, Saturday's storm was the perfect Winter Wonderland finale.
On Friday evening, the Explorer's Club children and teachers packed up their crafts and alphabet blocks early to get ready for our holiday party at 110 Schermerhorn. In the usual rush of drop-off and pick-up, it's rare that the parents of our tykes have a chance to socialize with each other; Friday's gathering provided just such an opportunity, as parents, teachers and Explorers alike ate, drank and were merry! Our staff is so thankful to everyone who attended, and for the very thoughtful gifts that our Explorers' parents shared with us. Vino especially loved the candid photo of the too-cute-for-words twins, Lev and Shayna, that Gary attached to his gift.
After the play space was closed for the evening, Kisha, Edwin, Brittany and the rest of the crew met for dinner in Manhattan at Qi Thai, where the food was so fantastic that Ka Yiu was inspired to take pictures of each entree it arrived!

Cloudy with a chance of cute!

2009-12-15T16:09:00.000-08:00

It may be the season of peace and joy, but Tommy arrived at 2: Cool for School on Monday with a war story to tell! Over the weekend, our squirmiest Explorer fell into a table while rough-housing with his cousin during a visit to New Jersey. Seventeen stitches later, our little Tommy is doing just fine, but Amy still kept a close eye on him all morning, limiting the day's activities to those that didn't require helmets!
With Jackson away visiting his grandparents, and a chill in the air, the mood was set for a low-key morning spent crafting and reading by the glow of our faux-fire. Lyouba was home recovering from an early winter cold, leaving Thelonius, Kiera and Tommy free to make as much noise as they pleased as they cheered each other on playing The Lady Bug Game, a board game Amy had been saving for just such a day. The little ones had so much fun gobbling aphids and escaping the praying mantis, the game's lone villain, that they didn't realize Amy and Yamileth were sneaking a math lesson into the fun!
Despite a chilly few days last week, the city has yet to see a snowflake, but that didn't stop the Explorers at Underhill from building snowmen---out of paper plates, craft sticks and glitter, that is! The kids' snowman masks were a big hit, with abstract placement of buttons and noses that would have made Picasso do a double-take!
It may have been a calm morning at Underhill, but once the afternoon rolled around, the energy level was kicked into high gear as Vino and Amy helped 4-year-old Cyrus and his friends celebrate his birthday. The tots had a dino-riffic time digging for dinosaur bones in a fun color-matching game, searching for t-rex and friends in a scavenger hunt and making fossils out of dough. The festivities were capped off with a make-your-own sundae station from Blue Marble. Yum!

Party Like a Rock Star!

2009-12-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is truly upon us! Friday evening marked the beginning of Hanukkah, and the tots at 2: Cool for School ushered in the Festival of Light with the story, The Magic Dreidels, by, Eric A. Kimmel.
While Rose left Explorers Club early in the evening on Friday to begin the holiday weekend with her family, Tessa, Haven and the rest of the crew indulged their artistic sides baking and then decorating sugar cookies. New interns Regine and Taquesha mixed up batches of brightly colored royal icing for the Explorers to paint onto the cookies shaped like stars, candy canes, gingerbread houses and hearts! When the painting was done, Simone, Shelton and the rest of the bunch dusted the tops of the treats with colored sprinkles for good measure. When the decorating was done, the Explorers couldn't get home fast enough to show off the creations to proud parents. Shelton, Kisha's youngest daughter, was the exception, pitching such a fuss when Kisha picked her up on Friday night that her fellow Explorers must have been worried that Santa might add her name to his naughty list! That baby girl is so smart, cute and well-behaved every day, so I'm sure Kris Kringle made an allowance for one cranky afternoon!
The celebratory mood continued on Saturday morning at the Underhill play space, as 3-year-old Billy celebrated his birthday! He partied like a rock star to a guitarist/vocalist specializing in children's songs led him and his friends in a slew of favorites including "This Land is Your Land", "Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "ABCs", and "Happy Birthday". Can it be difficult to find child-friendly music that doesn't leave parents reaching for the ear buds? Natch. Did Billy's birthday performer pull it off? With flying colors!
With the final full week before Christmas ahead of us, and many of our Explorers' families busy baking, decorating and shopping, our Explorers will also be busy working on holiday crafts, learning winter songs and getting ready for this Friday's Explorers Club holiday party! With Cole, Tessa and Liliana and Simone all heading away for a couple of weeks this holiday season, Friday will be a last chance for all of our Explorers to spend time with each other before the New Year, and we can't wait for the fun to begin!

City sidewalks...

2009-12-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

Gayla, Brittany and Amy love the holidays, and the best part of this season for for these three girls is cooking all manner of seasonal treats! Luckily for our three teachers, our new Schermerhorn play space, home to Explorers Club, is equipped with a full kitchen, with lots of room for little hands to get involved in the mixing, measuring, and especially gobbling! Brittany's first cooking class in the new space ushered in the holidays in delicious style, with the crew making colorful wreath cookies yesterday afternoon. While half the Explorers were in the kitchen with Brittany, the other half spent some time crafting tools of the trade for future culinary endeavors: puffy new chef hats were decorated with crayons, fabric markers and fun-shaped foam appliques. After all, for every job, there is a proper uniform, and our little chefs are no exception!
2: Cool for School may not have the kitchen that Schermerhorn does, but that hasn't stopped Lyouba, Amy and Yamileth from getting into the holiday spirit! Lyouba has decked the halls in red and silver, and it was with Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra crooning Christmas tunes in the background that Thelonius, Jackson, Tommy, Lena and Kiera fashioned snowflake magnets out of craft sticks and glitter. Thelonius plans to gift his to his older sister, Tigerlilly. It sounds like he understands that the best gifts truly are homemade and from the heart!

Welcome back!

2009-12-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

After celebrating Thanksgiving with a long weekend with her parents, sister, brothers,and new sister-in-law, Gayla returned to Explorers Club this week refreshed and inspired. Luckily for our Explorers and staff at 110 Schermerhorn, Gayla channeled that energy into bringing to life our vision to transform the three classrooms downstairs into bright inspiring spaces in which to learn and grow. Colorful bulletin boards, alphabet borders on the wall, and life-sized human body charts greeted the Explorers as they entered the main classroom this week. When Liliana walked into the room, it was evident that she was excited not only by the new classroom, but by Amy's German lessons as well, as she pointed to the skeleton diagram and exclaimed, "Das Skelett!"
Our Explorers may have been sleepy-eyed on Monday morning, but by Tuesday, the tots at Schermerhorn were ready to work off the turkey and pumpkin pie in Vino's Kid Fitness class. An imaginary trip to Africa with Brenda the Butterfly and all of her animal friends had Simone, Hana and the rest of the gang searching for monkeys and swimming across rivers as they exercised brains and bodies!
Everyone was eager to greet friends after a long weekend away, but Reza's return to the group was extra-special: it had been over a week since the kids saw their friend after his long holiday vacation. Gayla and Amy were especially happy to see their little shadow! Tommy, Thelonius, Jackson and Kiera also welcomed back a friend after a week away. Lena returned to 2: Cool for School today after a week long visit to Grandma's house in Massachusetts. Always the mother hen of the group, Lena got right to work telling the boys what to eat and how to play! We'll all treasure every moment with the adorable Lena for the next few weeks, as at the end of the month she'll be leaving Brooklyn to embark on an exciting new journey: a move to Manhattan! While Yamileth, Amy and Lyouba will miss Lena's presence on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings more than words can tell, we wish Lena and her family all the best with their move.
Our staff couldn't be more delighted about finally beginning to feel at home in our new Schermerhorn space, and while it's bustling with neighborhood children, parents and caretakers during the week, on weekends our Prospect Heights location at 186 Underhill is the place to be! Escape the cold and join in the holiday spirit with Saturday and Sunday morning story hours at 11 AM and holiday craft workshops at 4 PM. Warm up with a bowl of soup from Blue Marble while your tykes warm up their imaginations with Amy! Crafts and stories are included in play space admission throughout December!

Gobble Gobble!

2009-11-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

Our week of pre-Thanksgiving activities culminated in yesterday's day off for everyone, as our Explorers and their families ate, drank, and were merry (despite a disappointing day in New York football!) The kids were well-primed and warmed up for the day of feasting after a Wednesday afternoon snack. Edwin roasted the squash that Lili, Simone and Haven picked out at the Borough Hall Green Market on Tuesday morning, and after he sprinkled it with some cinnamon, the tykes couldn't gobble it fast enough! Not only was the squash fresh and naturally sweet, but adding cinnamon gave it an extra health-boost, as cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar instead of raising it.
Our staff Thanksgiving potluck was also a success. Although Haven wanted to begin the meal with the turkey-shaped cookies Amy brought from Joyce bakery in Prospect Heights, once she got a whiff of Edwins rotisserie chicken straight from Washington Heights, she was happy to put thoughts of dessert on the back burner. We didn't think it was possible to beat Coco Roco's juicy chicken, but Edwin may have just upped the ante!
With many of the Explorers still away for the long holiday weekend, today's groups were smaller than usual. In an effort to consolidate the fun and encourage some new friendships, Explorers Club and 2: Cool for School both met at our Underhill play space. Simone and Liliana were so excited to have both the dress-up clothes and the doll stroller to themselves that they didn't even mind when the boys from 2: Cool for School took some time to themselves to finish putting the sails on the model pirate ships that they've been working on for the past week. Pirate ships, lunch from Cataldo's and well-rested energetic tots and teachers made this the most fun cross-over since "The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones"!

Mmm mmm good!

2009-11-24T15:40:00.000-08:00

For so many of our Explorers, the most exciting part of the holidays is the anticipation of yummy food and thoughtful gifts. In New York City, we are surrounded by Green Markets that offer the best of both worlds: all of the homemade breads, jams and wine anyone could desire to give or receive! With a chill in the air and fresh produce on the brain, Amy, Thelonius and Jackson rode the Q uptown to Union Square, where every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday the square clears out to host the mother of all Green Markets!
First stop after arrival at the market? The bake stand, of course, where Jackson chose a double chocolate chip cookie and Thelonius made a more worldly snack choice: a fresh almond croissant! While they munched the treats, the cutie pies browsed the market's stands, taking in the chili pepper wreaths, fresh cheeses and milticolored broccoli. Although Tommy got a late start on Monday, his father, Bob, was kind enough to not only meet the crew in Union Square, but to tag along for the morning as an impromptu extra chaperone. While the time comes in every child's life that he or she tries to break away from family and assert some independence, Tommy, Thelonius and Jackson are still years away from that stage, and all three boys were more than happy to have Bob's company as he and Amy led the boys through the market and into one of the most kid-friendly spots in Union Square--- Petco! After weaving their way through the many school groups that were also at the market on Monday morning, the crew stepped into the doors of Petco and down the stairs to enjoy the only thing these boys appreciate more than treats: critters! Tree frogs, water dragons, chinchillas and snakes filled the tanks in the store's small pet room, and while Thelonius and Jackson couldn't get enough of the slimy creatures, Tommy, ever the lover of power tools, couldn't take his eyes off of the staff member who was using a shop vac to clean out the gerbil cages. After stopping by the bird room, it was finally time to head out of the tropical environs of the store and back into reality---November in the Northeast... The weather has been moderate so far, but it won't be for long, so in anticipation of those long winter nights ahead, Amy detoured the boys toward the homemade soup stand en route to the train, where she picked up her very favorite comfort food: potato leek soup. Support the local economy and fill up a warm belly all at once? Check!

Did you see us?

2009-11-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

It's a Barter-friendly Economy...

2009-11-18T09:50:00.000-08:00

...and the kids at 2: Cool for School are no exception. This morning began as most morning s at Underhill's twos program do: with a toy exchange between Tommy and Jackson. True to habit, Jackson greeted Tommy and his dad at the door this morning to hand over his toy steam roller in exchange for Tommy's offering: a tiny toy train car. These boys are so good at sharing, and thrifty too! What better way to make the most on one's toy collection without a trip to the store?
The goods had to be put aside soon after the boys' transaction was made, however, since Amy had plans for a trip to the library at Grand Army Plaza. Lena, Jackson, Tommy, Thelonius and Keira sang their morning songs and the bundled up for the walk. There was a chill in the air, and Amy was just about to second-guess the outing when Yamileth showed everyone a shortcut leading right to the children's section at the back of the library. Each tyke chose a book to read, and the whole crew gathered 'round a table to hear today's selections: The Puddle by, David McPhail; Another Monster at the End of this Book by, Jon Stone; Anansi the Spider by, Gerald McDermott; My Truck is Stuck! by, Kevin Lewis and Daniel Kirk; All for Pie Pie for All by, David Martin; and The Little Fire Engine by, Lois Lenski. Amy was delighted to find Another Monster at the End of this Book, a follow-up to one of her childhood favorites starring Sesame Street's Grover! The library in general was filled with all things Sesame Street, as they help the beloved children's show ring in its fortieth year!
After the stories had been read, the crew headed to the back of the library and climbed the stairs to Mount Prospect Park. After a snack of golden raisins and organic chocolate chip cookies (Thelonius loved the magical-sounding name of the golden raisins) the kids enjoyed playing on the slide, jungle gym and swings before heading out of the cold back toward the play space. The walk was lovely, even though Thelonius had be shielded from two over-friendly dogs and Tommy tried to escape the group to walk across the street himself. Luckily for the adorable Tommy, Amy was one step ahead of him, and scooped him up before he could make his getaway. Even after explaining to Tommy that it's dangerous to cross the street without an adult, Tommy insisted that he is an adult, and that he didn't need to hold hands like a baby! As it's impossible to be upset with such a cutie pie, Amy just carried him the rest of the way back to prevent any more close calls.
Once everyone was safely back at Underhill, the y gathered 'round the reading nook to hear On the Moon by, Anna Melbourne and Benji Davies in anticipation of Friday's rocket-building craft. The group plans to launch the baking soda-fueled rockets in the backyard on Friday morning, and they can't wait! Thelonius has spoken of little else for days!
The next few sessions of 2: Cool for School are being highly anticipated in general, with a trip to the Union Square Green Market planned for Monday morning followed by the group's first German language exposure class! The kid's at Schermerhorn's Explorers Club program began their new session of German lessons last week, along with sessions of Spanish and their regular Tuesday afternoon Mandarin classes. Mandarin is taught by Lango, and has been such a success that even Tessa, one of our youngest Explorers has been using her new words at home! We all know that the early years of language development are the best ones for teaching secondary languages as well, and Tessa's immediate embrace of Mandarin is just one more example of that. We a re so proud of our Explorers!
The staff of New York City Explorers works hard seven days a week to ensure that our dynamic programming is constantly improving and evolving to meet the needs of our Explorers and the families of Explorers, and there's no way we could do that without a team of people who are friends as well as colleagues. In that spirit, we look forward to celebrating an early Thanksgiving together on Saturday afternoon. Our Underhill location will close at 4:00 PM on Saturday so that Kisha, Keyanna and their staff can enjoy a potluck gathering. We can't wait to share our holidays with each other, and we hope that your holiday plans are just as wonderful!

Sugar Rush

2009-11-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

There was an empty place at the table today at 2: Cool for School. Our friend Nakai has moved to the Explorers Club program at 110 Schermerhorn. Nakai has only spent 3 weeks with Thelonius, Kiera and the gang, but already he has become an integral part of the group, with his silly comments during circle time and contagious smite. The girls at Underhill know Nakai will be in great hands with Gayla and Brittany, but they'll miss him just the same!
Saturday afternoon was almost warm enough to warrant a fan or air conditioner, and although today wasn't quite that unseasonable, it was nice enough to play outside, where a gentle breeze and brisk air was just enough to power the windmill craft that was in store for the kids when they came inside. Windmills, the outdoors, a cool breeze... The only thing that was separating this morning from a New England summer day: ice cream! Fortunately for Keira, Tommy, Jackson and Thelonius, Amy had some delicious tricks up her sleeve.
While we love our roommate Blue Marble, and think that there's no better ice cream in Brooklyn, a lesson in frugality as well as in science is always a welcome one, espeially in trying eceonomic times. It was with craft and thrift in mind that Amy and the tykes made homemade vanilla icecream, using milk, sugar, some zipper bags and a bath of ice and salt. To try this activity and other edutaining projects with your own tyke, be sure to attend one of our Savvy Scientist classes. The Winter session begins December 7th: for details or to register your child, call (718)399-6923 or visit our website at www.nycityexplorers.com.
Our Explorers at Underhill only tasted a few bites of ice cream each, but the sugar rush must have been a powerful one, because the scrreaming, chasing and running around that followed was enough to inspire Amy to cancel plans for storytime and lead the group into the back yard for the second time in one day. Tommy found some beautiful leaves, and the girls at Blue Marble found some respite from Tommy's indoor use of his outdoor voice!

When it's 60 degrees in November...

2009-11-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

...we can't complain about a few rain drops! Nor did the group at 2: Cool for School let today's rain get in the way of an absolutely fantastic Friday morning!
With a new baby sister at home with a still resting Mama, the adorable Cole was happy to spend a morning visiting her friends at Underhill with Amy before spending the afternoon at our new Schermerhorn location with the Explorers Club, and no one was happier to see her than Thelonius. He may have the vocabulary of an adult, but Thelonius still went "gaga" for Coley, leading her around the play space at Underhill as they built block castles, sang songs and listened to Yamileth and Amy read stories.
The day was spattered with lazy rain showers, but luckily for the tykes, the sun broke through long enough for them to enjoy some time in the back yard! The appearance of some rain clouds may have sent the group indoors, but there was still fun with water to be had. After taking off coats and hats and warming up near the faux-fire, the Underhill crew sat down to paint the most beautiful watercolor pictures Lyouba has ever seen. While Tommy was eager to take his painting home, Nakai, Cole, Lena and the rest of the bunch left artwork on display at our Prospect Heights location; Stop by anytime to view the masterpieces. For some more grown-up paintings, be sure to visit Christopher Gandsy's holiday pop-up store at 399 Atlantic Avenue (entrance downstairs on Bond Street) to purchase work by our own Explorers Club teacher, Gayla Martin, along with pieces by other local artists.
Creativity must be fed, and for Tommy, Jackson, Nakai and the crew, there was no better snack to have than a homemade snack. Fresh raspberries were paired today with bread and homemade butter! A little cream, a pinch of salt, and some vigorous shaking yielded delicious sweet cream butter that rivaled the farm stand wares at the city's many Green Markets. After proudly giving his mom a tasting of today's group endeavor, it was with a full belly that Thelonius headed to the Museum of Natural History for a picnic lunch and a special beaver exhibit this afternoon. We can't wait to hear all about it!

Tommy and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Day

2009-11-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Friday has long been known as the favorite weekday of adults nationwide. With most jobs coming to a weekend siesta on Friday evening, it's not wonder that spirits are often high all day long in offices everywhere. Today has been thoroughly enjoyed not just by Brooklyn's breadwinners, but by the Explorers at 2: Cool for School as well, with Thelonius announcing to Lyouba in between crafts, "I love my school!" The star of today's storytime was in a different mood altogether in the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day. While reading the story about a little boy who wakes up on the wrong side of bed to find a world in which nothing goes right for him, Amy prompted the Explorers to find out what constitutes a bad day for each of them. While Thelonius predictably said that a bad day for his older sister can often mean a bad day for him, and Lena said that she has a bad day when her mom is cranky, Tommy surprised everyone when he told his teachers and fellow Explorers that a bad day for him is when "dad gets really mad and throws food on the floor!" While we know that Robert loves to cook, we didn't know his passion for food had such a dark side! Tommy's imagination is truly a thing of wonder!
Parents of toddlers and lovers of Bill Cosby know too well that kids do indeed say the darndest things, and it is a major job perk for all of our teachers to have the pleasure of hearing many such statements firsthand. 2: Cool for School's Tommy is the source of so many hilarious utterances that it sometimes difficult not to laugh when Tommy is around. Before storytime today, after Amy asked the tots to "Open your ears and zip up your mouth" in order to hear the story, Tommy made a zipping motion, stopped in the middle of his mouth, pointed to the side of his mouth that he hadn't "zipped" and said, "This part is still open. If I close it I won't be able to talk." And indeed it was, as Tommy continued to chatter his way through the rest of the books that were read!
For most people, one of the pleasures of moving is the opportunity it affords one to explore a new neighborhood: the restaurants, the book stores, even the grocery stores in a new place can seem exciting and promising. The crew at Explorers Club, housed in our new location at 110 Schermerhorn spent today exploring their new neighborhood, and they loved what they found! Cobble Hill Playground was the site of some very active imaginations today, when Gayla, Brittany and Natalie took the Explorers to play in the sand box before lunch. As neighborhood regulars know, the playground is home to a giant dolphin statue, which Simone, lover of creatures real or pretend, was feeding "fish" made from sand. After enjoying the crisp fall air, it was time for the Explorers to enjoy some real fish of their own: delicious broiled salmon from Brooklyn Fare. Now that's a catch!
We are so excited to continue discovering treasured spots in our new neighborhood, and we are just as excited to share a new neighborhood treasure that will be emerging in our previous temporary location at 399 Atlantic Ave. Beginning next week, Kisha's loving and creative husband Chris, dad to Haven and Shelton, will be launching his new holiday pop-up store! The space will act as a store and showroom for independent designers, and the collection will be merchandized and curated by Christopher Gandsy. The showroom will feature apparel, jewelry, accessories, shoes, lighting, toys and more. A boutique holiday market without the trek to Union Square? Yes, please!

Vote or Cry!

2009-11-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

Most of our Explorers are still at least 12 years away from having to engage in the dirty business of politics, as almost half of them deal with the dirty business of diapers every day! Nonetheless, Election Day 2009 held some excitement for many of Brooklyn's tots, as schools across the city closed or operated under a shortened schedule in order to perform double-duty as polling places for mommies, grandpas, and other grown-ups.
As neighborhood parents have come to know (and love!), when school is out, we are in! A Discover New York Day Trip, planned by co-owner Keyanna Murrill, was headed by our Explorers' favorite jock and big kid, Edwin! With Audrey, Julian, Frankie and Ben all casting votes to spend the day off at Central Park and Sony Wonderlab with Edwin, and the weather holding up its end of the bargain with a comfortable brisk clear day, it was shaping up to be much more fun than spending the day debating about 3rd-term candidates and high taxes... until Tuesday morning rolled around and only one Explorer rolled in! Audrey, Frankie and Julian called out sick from fun, and we hope for speedy recoveries on all counts, the timing of said illnesses, just after Halloween, suggests a candy hangover is more likely than the flu! Could this be a case of the Monster Mash follwed by a sugar crash? While they would have loved the company, Edwin and Ben made the best of their circumstances and had fun on their own. Following a picnic in Central Park and a jaunt in the playground, the two walked off the picnic on a stroll to Sony Wonderlab, where Ben created a virtual identity that enable him to play video games, animate pictures and more!
Out with the old and in with the new! Well, maybe not for the New York City Mayor's office, but for New York City Explorers, this week has brought many exciting and long-awaited changes. Our new home at 110 Schermerhorn is finally a reality! With a beautiful, clean playspace on the main level for play and classes and three amazing classrooms downstair for our Explorers Club enrichment program, this is a space that can grown with us, with plenty of room to house new programming and usher back in our old favorite, like Mathletes, Kid Fitness, Savvy Scientists and Miles, Marley and Mozart, all slated to begin Winter 2009/2010 sessions on December 7th! Be sure to check our newly designed website at www.nycityexplorers.com for details and information on how to sign up the little Explorer in your life! While all of our Explorers are so happy with the new child-sized potties, quiet rooms for naptime and extra space to learn and grown in, Lili and Simone and Laudan are especially happy to welcome back their daddies from business trips this week. Laudan's dad and the twins' dad have both been in England for two weeks working, and while Liliana and Simone have been lucky enough to have their grandma visiting in the meantime, nothing beats the love of a dad for these little girls!
While our new space is exciting for everyone at Schermerhorn, the little ones at 2: Cool for School at our Underhill location were delighted this week to welcome two cool new additions to class: Nakai and Kira are joining the group, and while Tommy, Thelonius and Jackson are delighted that Nakai loves trains as much as they do, Lena and Ocean are even b=more delighted to welcome another little girl! Welcome to the Explorers family, Nakai and Kira!

'Tis the Season!

2009-11-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

While turkeys won't be stuffed nor trees trimmed for another month, for many Brooklyn families, the 2009 Holiday Season is already unofficially underway! As the Village Halloween Parade showcased the best adult costumes in New York City, the tiny cardboard box N trains, miniature princesses and pint-sized superheroes that flooded the streets of Brooklyn during the Park Slope Halloween Parade proved that for our city's tiny residents, the season of magic has begun.
Parents and other astute observers of children know that for several weeks beginning in mid-October, children become filled with an energy and playful spirit in anticipation of candy and costume parties, which makes it difficult to focus their attention anywhere else. For the Explorers in 2: Cool for School on Friday, that meant a fun day of games and crafts were in store for them, as Amy and Yamileth abandoned any hopes of flashcards in favor of bowling and board games (Chutes and Ladders, anyone? Thelonius will give you a run for your money!)
At the temporary home of Explorers Club on Atlantic Avenue, Gayla and Brittany opted for a full-blown celebration. After all, not only was Friday the day before Halloween, it was also the very last day that the most enriching pre-school program in Brooklyn spent at the location before moving to New York City Explorers' amazing new home on Schermerhorn! Black and orange balloons, ghosts and bats hung from the ceiling and walls, and goody bags waited to be placed in the eager hands of the Explorers, as games, dancing and singing made our pre-Halloween celebration one to remember. We didn't think Laudan, Lev or Shayna could get any more adorable, but dressed as a kitten, a fuzzy Elmo, and a super-huggable Cookie Monster, the three of them were too cute for words! The afternoon was made extra special by visits from Reza (as Handy Manny) and his dad; Philip (as a dinosaur) and his mom; Noe's parents; Coley's dad; and Lili and Simone's mom and grammy!
We hope everyone had a very Happy Halloween, and that Noe and his parents, who enjoyed the American custom for the first time since arriving from France, enjoyed seeing their neighborhood transformed into a wonderland of cute characters!
So far it's shapin up to be a "boo"-tiful season!

Let's root, root, root for the home team!

2009-10-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Our Explorers at 2: Cool for School were unable to attend the pep rally that Mayor Bloomberg held for the Yankees on Wednesday morning, but that meant that they were also lucky enough to stay out of the rain!
After Tommy, Lena and Jackson were spent of playing with Tommy's new toy train, Isabella, and everyone had sung through Lena's "Wheels on the Bus" book, Amy gathered the group into a cozy corner to enjoy her personal favorite rainy day activity: curling up with a good book! At two years old, these Explorers may be too young to enjoy a chapter book on their own, but with the help of Amy's expressive voice and a very few sketches throughout the book, Lena and the boys sat with rapt attention to hear Roald Dahl's story of "The Boy who Talked with Animals" from the book The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar. Even Carolyn, the manager of the very deliciously sugary Blue Marble, stuck around for a few minutes to enjoy the magical tale, set in the West Indies amidst giant turtles, coconuts, and a warm breeze. While New Yorkers in October can only dream of a warm breeze and refreshing ocean, Carolyn's former co-worker, Jen, began her journey as a new resident of Hawaii several weeks ago: we sure hope she's enjoying herself, and that she finds happiness and relaxation wherever her travels take her!
The Explorers weren't relaxing with turtles, but they were charming their teachers with snakes! A celebration of the letter S culminated in the fashioning of snake bracelets, colored in red, yellow and green. Tommy, who recently told his friends that as dear as they are to him, his dad is his best friend, gifted Lyouba his brand new snake bracelet! Lyouba barely had enough time to thank Tommy before Vino arrived to ferry everyone away to another warm locale: Spain! After helping Mr. Bull find his nose ring, the tykes had just enough time to take in the warm clime before jetting back to Brooklyn in time for 12:30 pick-up. Although Thelonius was home with a cold, we hope he feels well enough for trick-or-treating today. Happy Halloween, Explorers!

2: Cool for School got the royal treatment...

2009-10-26T20:04:00.000-07:00

...on Friday, as Thelonius, Lena and Tommy made queen's crowns to celebrate letter Q. Armed with sequins, felt, crayons and glue, a very messy bunch of tots made headpieces fit for, well, a Queen! Jackson stayed home with a bit of a bug, but from what we hear he doesn't have room for anymore headgear: his mom told us she still has a hard time getting him to take off the leopard hat he made weeks ago when he was introduced to the letter L! We wish Jackson a speedy recovery; Tommy especially misses Jackson and the great toys he brings to share with the rest of the group.
While fair-weather autumn Saturday mornings can sometimes feel quiet compared to the bustle of little feed and voices that fill the space during the week, last Saturday saw out Underhill play space filled with children celebrating the very first birthday of Anjeli, the niece of Keyanna's friend Hebert. Every party that Keyanna facilitates is packed with fun, but this one had an especially amazing set list: After watching Keyanna lead the group of mostly school-aged children in rounds of freeze dance, Jenga, bowling and even limbo, one has to wonder whether she's been missing the days of summer camp, when entertaining little ones was a 9 to 5 task for the co-owner of City Explorers. If Keyanna has been missing the satisfaction of days spent with little ones, then it's been a lucky few days for her. Amy's absence from 2: Cool for School today meant that Keyanna had a chance to take the reins, and with Yamileth's help, the day was an amazing success!
While Keyanna took Amy's place at 2: Cool for School this morning, Edwin stepped in for her at Explorers Club this afternoon. After a week's vacation in Miami, Lili, Hana, Cole and the gang welcomed Edwin back with open arms. Always a favorite with the tykes due to his willingness to play with the kids, like a kid, Edwin's arrival today was especially well-received since the Explorers haven't seen as much of him as they are used to since moving from the old Atlantic Avenue location. Luckily for everyone, that's about to change; in addition to all of the other amazing benefits of moving into our upcoming space in November, the children will be able to see more of all of the familiar faces they love so much!
We may be moving into a new, more permanent home, but the Explorers Club is going to enjoy its temporary space at 399 Atlantic Avenue 'till the very last minute. On Friday, Gayla, Brittany, Lev, Shayna and all of the other Explorers will celebrate the unofficial beginning of the holiday season, Halloween, with tricks, treats and crafts during a day-long Halloween celebration! We can't wait to see what cute costumes the Explorers come up with!
The best early Halloween treat so far: The arrival of Cole's brand new baby sister, Adelaide! At 6 lbs,. 13 oz., this healthy baby girl is a wonderful blessing for Cole and her parents, and just in time for the holidays! Congratulations to Bailey, Mercedes and Cole on their new addition!

It was a zoo...

2009-10-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

... in 2: Cool for School when Tommy returned after his trip to San Diego on Wednesday morning, brimming with impersonations of the animals he saw when he visited the city's famed zoo over the weekend. Although he didn't see any of his two favorite animals, dinosaurs and pumas, Tommy's excitement was contagious nonetheless, leaving Amy and Yamileth eager for the morning's Kid Fitness class, during which they hoped Vino would be able to channell some of the kids' animal frenzy into a healthy group workout!
Tommy didn't get a chance to see Thelonius in full knight regalia on Monday morning, but luckily for him Lyouba did what she does best and took myriad photos of Thelonius in battle with the mighty giant Edwin! While Tommy and Thelonius were delighted when Amy showed them Thelonius' picture on this very blog, no one was more pleased by the photographic evidence of Thelonius' cardboard sword fight than his dad, who expressed gratitude toward Lyouba for not only capturing the precious moment, but for sending him the photos as well. We're sure Edwin will be delighted to see himself on film too when he returns from a well-deserved vacation in Miami next week. Edwin expends more energy horsing around with our Explorers than most men have to expend, so we hope he's having a blast and getting some rest on his trip so that he'll be renewed for his return on Monday.
While the royal role play took place on Monday, the Explorers waited to celebrate the color of royalty, purple, until Wednesday morning, when P was the letter of the day and fun was the name of the game! After singing purple-themed songs during circle time (http://stepbystepcc.com/colors/purple.html), the alliterative craft of the day was to make purple play dough! After learning about primary colors and that red and blue mix to create the royal color, Lena, Jackson and the rest of the Explorers helped Yamileth mix blue and red food coloring into water to color the homemade dough. The fun with colors continued when Vino finally arrived, as a make-believe search for peacocks ended with a fun feather collage!
The Explorers Club tots also enjoyed fun making colorful collages this week, designing buildings out of colorful basic shapes cut out of construction paper and felt. After a morning song circle that gave one-year-old Reza an instant mood lift, the glue, paper and shapes were set out on the tables and the creativity began! As usual Simone took extra care crafting her project; as her father is a talented painter, there's no question where Simone gets her creative flair!
A busy morning of activities continued for the Explorers at Atlantic Avenue, with Haven, Liliana and Cole getting into an animated discussion about bedtime routines during a reading of Bedtime for Bun-Bun. Lili talked about the importance of brushing her teeth, and Haven said that she doesn't like to go to bed without a kiss from her mom and a hug from her dad. Bun-Bun wasn't the only rabbit to make his way into the classroom today; the letter of the week at Explorers Club is R, and to complete the rabbit theme Brittany, Amy and Ka Yiu led the tykes in a most delicious bunny-themed craft, creating the cuddly creatures out of marshmallows and cotton balls. It may have been a time for Arts and Crafts, but for some of our toddlers, it turned into eats and crafts as well!

Global Warming may be a sure thing...

2009-10-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

...but Local Warming sure isn't! A Saturday plagued by cold rain meant that Brooklyn's kids stayed out of the playgrounds, but that didn't stop them from playing anyway! Our Underhill location was the place to be all afternoon with moms and dads nursing cups of coffee and hot chocolate as the neighborhood tots played dress-up, built railroads and read books. In our multicultural Brooklyn neighborhood, New York City Explorers provides a place for our diverse group of neighbors to enjoy both their families and each other, and the chatter of Hebrew, Arabic, English and even Mandarin throughout the space on Saturday was a true testament to the ethos of Brooklyn.
Lunchtime saw the arrival of our neighborhood Explorers, but for a few hours in the morning our space welcomed a Mandarin language playgroup hosted by Sharon of Lango, the company that makes learning a second language (or 2!) more fun than work for children of all ages. Our very own Explorers Club students and junior campers have enjoyed Lango's Mandarin classes throughout the summer, and the Explorers Club continues to welcome Cosmo the dog puppet into their classroom once a week. http://www.langokids.com/
A very special birthday was celebrated last weekend; one of our favorite Explorers, William, who, along with his older brother Henri, is one of our favorite frequent babysitting charges, turned 3 on Sunday. While every birthday is magical, the gift of a remote control Thomas the Tank Engine made this year's celebration the best yet for William. Another birth day is coming up soon: 2-year-old Explorer Coley is expecting her new baby sister any day now! Best wishes to Coley and her parents Bailey and Mercedes for the upcoming arrival!

Sir Cutie Pie...

2009-10-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

...held court Friday morning at 2: Cool for School! While Thelonius arrived earlier in the week dressed in super cool cowboy boots, he took a trip further back in time to retrieve Friday morning's knight costume, complete with a shield and faux chainmail headgear! While his costume was already top notch, the homemade cardboard sword Edwin gifted Thelonius as he was leaving for the day took his imaginative outfit to the next level! The smile on our cute Explorer's face upon receiving his new treasure lit up the room; Thelonius sure would love our pirate or knight-themed birthday parties, complete with a sword-making craft and customized decorations.

Tommy was too distracted all morning to take notice of Thelonius' costume; he was too busy prepping for his upcoming trip to California's Sea World by looking at a pack of animal-themed trading cards that he had brought with him from home. Amy was delighted to help the Explorers learn the names of the unfamiliar animals on Tommy's cards; the by-request morning rendition of Old MacDonald that Tommy, Lena and the others sing usually involves a farm that houses a puma, a dinosaur and a lizard, so here's hoping that the trading cards inspire some diversity on the farm during the next sing-along!

The cuties at Atlantic Avenue for Explorers Club didn't have animals on the brain, but they didn't need to: our tots were wild enough all on their own! Lili and Simone's mom seems to think that Halloween sets of several weeks of kooky behavior in kids before it even arrives, and after witnessing the amount of energy that the Explorers were filled with on Friday, we tend to agree! Luckily, Amy, Gayla and Natalie had plenty of fun fall-themed crafts planned to help Max, Emmett, Laudan, Lev and the others use up some of that extra energy. After spending the afternoon making Halloween-night-themed collages with glittery stars and spooky jack-o-lanterns, it was time to craft orange and black bookmarks to take home. The perfect way to end the day on a calm note? Putting those bookmarks to use reading our three new Elmo books! Max and Emmett were particularly happy to end the week reading about their favorite Sesame Street character!

Our brightest stars...

2009-10-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

made beautiful night skies to bring home with them on Wednesday morning. The crew from 2: Cool for School, minus Tommy, who was home sleeping in after his flu shot the day before, continues its quest to master the alphabet. The letter N may the word night, but it was still late in the morning when Thelonius, Lena and Jackson painted beautiful black skies and then covered them with a smattering of glitter-covered card stock stars. It is hard to say whether those tykes get more excited about the prospect of paint or of glue, but luckily for them Amy did not make them choose this time around! After a very thorough hand washing, the Explorers were ready to celebrate the word of the day, night, further, as Amy read them Mama's Little Star, the story of a mama fox and her baby who try to imagine just where it is that the night sky ends!

The sky might not have a conceivable end, but these comfortable Autumn temperatures certainly will, and with that in mind, Yamileth, Amy and the cutest twos in Brooklyn made the most of the waning moderate weather and headed to Underhill Playground for the second half of the morning. Yamileth and Amy assumed that the children would recognize some friends among the jungle gym and toy trucks, but the girls did not count on running into an old friend of their own: former Explorer's Club member and forever friend of New York City Explorers, the unbelievably adorable Christopher was visiting the playground with some friends. While Christopher did not seem to know Thelonius, Lena or Jackson, he greeted the two teachers with a huge smile!

Extreme Makeover: Explorers Club Home Edition?

2009-10-08T17:56:00.000-07:00

Determined to beautify the new home of Explorers Club, Brittany has been hanging crafts and decorations around the Atlantic Avenue space all week. From number lines to tissue paper leaves, the artwork of our growing group of Explorers is bringing new warmth and color to our cozy space! The colorful hula hoops that have graced the walls since we moved in sure are fun, but nothing beats the proud looks on our tykes' faces when they see their own creations displayed around them. With Vino's help, Brittany was able to reach for the stars ---or at least the tiled ceiling---as she hung miniature pinatas in the likenesses of a witch, a ghost and a bat!

With Gayla away for a long weekend, we are without our resident visual artist, but Cole, Philip and the rest of the Explorers made her proud as they spent the morning creating their own works of art. With some help from Ka Yiu, Brittany and Amy, the group made pumpkin head bands using construction paper, glue, some googly eyes and a lot of imagination! They may not be the most cunning of costumes, but our pumpkin patch of toddlers was certainly the cutest disguise we've ever seen! Add to the mix the plastic pumpkin musical shakers that Haven, Simone and the rest of the gang made and the only ingredient missing from this pumpkin party was a delicious pumpkin pie! (We'd have settled for sweet potato as well!) The crafting continued well into the afternoon, completing with a celebration of the letter of the week (P!) and the color of the week (pink!) With glue, cloth, ribbon and paper bags in hand, our Explorers made pink puppets so wonderful Jim Henson would've come a-knockin' for this talent!

It seems that our weekend is already getting off to a grand start! Reza, Lili and Simone will each be enjoying some grandma time soon. Reza's grandma is in town for the next week, and is spending every second she can with him! We'll miss him while he's being doted over, but we have to admit, we understand! Nothing beats the hugs, love and yummy cooking of a grammy! When Liliana and Simone left the space today, they too had visions of Grandma dancing in front of them. After an early start in the car tomorrow morning, the twins and their parents will be off to spend a long weekend in Massachusetts, visiting their Grandma and enjoying the beauty of the turning leaves. We'll be thinking of them tomorrow while the Explorers Club makes fall collages in part using the leaves that Lili and Simone collected on this afternoon's walk with one of our favorite interns, Natalie.

Before the sweetest twin girls in Brooklyn left for the weekend, they gave Amy an early birthday present that's right up her alley: a gorgeous cookbook with photographs that left the Explorers Club teacher's mouth watering! Amy was especially touched as next week marks not only her birthday, but also the one-year anniversary of Explorers Club, and the day that she met her very first students in the Atlantic Avenue play space: Lili and Simone themselves! Happy Birthday Explorers Club!

With wheat allergies abound in Brooklyn and beyond, including for our very own Kish and Amy, it was an important lesson to learn today that no wheat doesn't mean no treats! Haven brought in delicious wheat-free choclate chip cookies that she made with her daddy, Kisha's husband Chris. Mmmm! Homemade isn't the only option for wheat-free snacks: Pamela's Products, which donated treats to our booth at Atlantic Antic, makes amazing wheat-free chocolate chip and ginger cookies. A special thanks to Pamela's Products http://www.pamelasproducts.com/ and Robert's Gourmet http://www.piratesbooty.com/ for their edible contributions to our Atlantic Antic booth last Sunday!

Explorers Fall into a Fun Leaf Craft!

2009-10-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

2: Cool for School's head teacher, Sarah Crow, recently started an exciting new venture as a graduate student! While Sarah's foray into professional publishing is wonderful news for her future, her Explorers will surely miss her, and wish her the best of luck! It looks like Tommy, Lena, Thelonius and Jackson had a turn of good luck as well, because rather than start anew with a teacher, we've plucked one from our very own New York City Explorers family: Amy, one of the teachers of Atlantic Avenue's Explorers Club has taken on the fun task of making Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings at Underhill the most fun they can be! While adjustments can be difficult for little ones, Amy has spent time babysitting some of her new Explorers over the past few weeks, helping to make the transition as smooth as possible!

Lyouba took a break from working her marketing magic this morning to join Thelonius as he built an architectural wonder out of blocks this morning. As an artist herself, Lyouba always appreciates promising young talent, and Thelonius' decision to build a block house with four roofs and slanted walls showed his ability to think outside of the box with the best of Brooklyn's grown-up artists! Amy had her work cut out for her leading the Explorers away from morning play and to the craft table, but with Vino headed over soon to teach Kid Fitness, she knew she had a very short window of opportunity for a quiet lesson before the running and jumping would begin anew! After learning about the letter L and making leopard-spotted headbands to celebrate one of the 26 starts of the alphabet, Tommy and crew were ready to fly to Germany with Vino and learn about the animals that live there. Who knew that two-year-olds could make pretending to be hedgehogs look so cute?!

While the tots at Underhill made leopard headbands, Lili, Shayna, Luca and the rest of the kids in the Explorers Club enjoyed crafting something that begins with the letter L as well: Leaves! Brittany's craft helped bring some seasonal decor to our home on Atlantic Avenue, as the tykes decoupaged foam leaves with Autumn-colored tissue paper to hang on the walls. The children are all so proud of the leaves as well as the number line that they decorated the class room with yesterday! Haven had to leave early to head to the doctor, but we're sure he made it worth her while with an Autumn-colored lollipop after her visit was over.

It's still only mid-week for most of us, but Gayla begins a long weekend this evening to head home to Massachusettes for the weddings of her good friend and her brother! Two weddings in one weekend: What a "love"ly thought!

It's Party Time!

2009-10-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

There was a forecast for clouds in the sky all day on Saturday, but the weather held up just long enough for two neighborhood Explorers to celebrate birthdays New York City Explorers' style: with fun, food, family and friends!

It can be difficult to fit in a party for a one-year-old amongst naps and feeding schedules, but Sammy's parents and older sister Evie found the perfect solution: a morning party with coffee, bagels and cream cheese catered by Blue Marble! With Brooklyn's most popular ice cream cafe' housed in the same store front as our Underhill Ave play space location, why go anywhere else to satisfy morning munchies?!

While Sammy's high energy level and young age prevented him from getting too involved at craft time, the song circle led by his party facilitator, Amy, was right up his alley! After singing Kisha's own Hip Hop Hello song, the group enjoyed shaking instruments while singing rounds of Five Little Ducks, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Sally the Camel, and other children's favorites before the older party guests played jumbo Jenga. With its giant blocks, the game was perfect for little hands to get involved in! The only thing better than games and songs? CAKE! Sammy's grandma and grandpa made the party full of sweeties a little bit sweeter with a sheet of custom-made cupcakes printed with a picture of the adorable tot himself!

After the party wound down and Sammy had headed home for his nap, Amy got to welcome beautiful five-year-old Lola, along with her parents and adorable little sister. While Amy had crafts and games aplenty prepared and at the ready for Lola and her guests, the children were most excited to get outside and enjoy our fenced-in back yard at the Underhill play space! The weather was so beautiful that after making birthday cards for Lola, her friends stayed in the sunshine as long as possible to have their faces painted by a creative friend of Lola's parents! We are lucky enough to live in a borough filled with artists, and the intricate and colorful designs that the children at the party sported home held testament to that fact.

Although the rain had begun to fall by the time Lola and her parents were making their way home, everyone was grateful for the amazing fall afternoon that they had the opportunity to enjoy before the sky opened up, and Amy and Edwin were especially grateful for the delicious slices of cake that Lola's mom handed them on her way out!

We've got the end of summer blues!

2009-09-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

After a summer of adventures including trips to museums, mornings under the sprinklers at Fort Greene Park, and tours of New York City neighborhood essentials like the grocery store and bank, summer camp wrapped up for both the junior and senior campers.

Determined to save the best for last, Brittany led her campers uptown on the red line to the Bronx zoo on her last full day with them, where the Madagascar exhibit has been a children's favorite since the animated African creatures first filled the big screen a few years ago.The interactive exhibits were perfectly suited to the youngest campers, including a faux log with fun hidden facts about the exhibit's animals to discover underneath each knot of wood.

While the junior campers had fun interacting with the children's exhibits, it proved to be even more exciting watching the baboons interact with each other. Undaunted by the presence of the several dozen zoo visitors who were looking on, two baboons who apparently had a score to settle chased each other around their zoo habitat, yelling and making noises, their arms waving in urgency the whole time!

By the time Tess, Luke, Ben and the other campers were listening to the lions roar a few minutes later, bellies were starting to roar and growl as well, so Brittany and the little ones enjoyed a picnic lunch before heading home---once they were safely out of range of the hungry lions, of course!

After recharging with some sandwiches and fruit, there was one more stop Brittany wanted to make before heading back from the BX to the BK. Always a romantic, the lead teacher wanted to pay a visit to baby Cupid! The little giraffe, aptly named for his February 14th birthday, was nonplussed by his visitors, continuing to gobble leaves and weave his long neck around his habitat while the campers oohed and aahed around him. After baby Cupid sidled up to his mom for some comfort, it was time to get the campers back to waiting moms, dads, grammies and nannies as well!

What better way to spend one of the last days of summer camp (and junior camp's teacher Brittany's last day with the kids) than enjoying some of the child-friendly splendors of our very own borough? After months of exploring the sites of Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and even Queens, camp came full circle as Edwin's senior campers spent the day at the Brooklyn Museum, while Brittany enjoyed her day with the younger tykes at Fort Greene Park.

The campers sure were excited to graduate from outings to the Brooklyn Children's Museum to a day at the more adult Brooklyn Museum! Finally they were being treated like the mature patrons of the arts that they are, right? Wrong! Little did Julian, Jolie, and the rest of the group know that there day was to be occupied by a kid-friendly scavenger hunt on the Egyptian floor of the Brooklyn Museum. With Edwin leading the way, campers had a chance to learn about ancient art as they sought out specific statues and paintings, drew pictures of exhibits, and learned about the meanings of the floor's sculptures.

While the senior campers headed to the Underhill play space to enjoy lunch and some playtime in the backyard, the juniors were having lunch in Fort Greene Park. Since Brittany had to leave after lunch to catch a flight to South Carolina to visit her family, Kisha came to meet her daughter Haven and the other campers at the park. We all know what fun Kisha's Miles, Marley and Mozart music class is, so no one was surprised by the fun she had in store for the campers that afternoon: a trip to Blue Marble for an afternoon treat! While Sebastian enjoyed a cone full of mint chip ice cream, Zack let much of his summer fun drip down the front of his shirt!

Summer is always a time of exciting growth and transition, and this year New York City Explorers was no exception! While we have made many memories at 388 Atlantic Avenue, with our family of Explorers growing every day, from the little ones who attend Explorers Club and drop-off babysitting to the parents and toddlers who join us each week for Miles, Marley and Mozart and Kid Fitness classes, it's time for our space to grow as well! An exciting new play space is in the works, and in the meantime, our Underhill location remains open during the times that 2: Cool for School is not in session. Be sure to check our newly revamped website at www.nycityexplorers.com for details about hours, special events and other updates.

With camp over for the summer, and a new play space on the way, Explorers Club has found a new home of its own at a cozy new location in the neighborhood, and a few weeks ago Gayla, Amy, Ka Yiu, Natalie and the cutest tykes Brooklyn has to offer welcomed Brittany back into the fold from her tenure as head junior camp teacher! After spending the summer with the campers and then spending an extra-long Labor Day weekend visiting family in South Carolina, Brittany's return as our third Explorers Club teacher was long-awaited and well-received! Also visiting from South Carolina that day was Haven and Shelton's grandma, their daddy's mama! Lili, Simone, Gayla and Amy were lucky enough to meet Mrs. Gandsy as she accompanied Kisha to view the new space in action and drop off Haven and Shelton with the other Explorers for the day. A visit from Grandma is always a welcome treat, and when it's a grammy who can cook Southern soul food as well as dish out milk and cookies that's even harder to beat!

Make new friends, keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold! Our Explorers may not be old enough to be Scouts yet, but they sure did appreciate welcoming back all of their old gold pals who returned to Explorers Club after a break for the summer. While Marlow and Laudan were greeted with excited glee by Lili, Simone, Tessa, Hana, Lev and Shayna upon return from summer hiatus, for our newest Explorers, including Reza, Philip and Rose, introductions were in order.

After the teachers had finished gushing over the beautiful mop of curls that had appeared on Laudan's head over the summer, everyone sat down to enjoy their first circle time as a full group since June! While Baby Shelton requested the Alphabet Song over and over again, shouting, "A!B! A! B!" Marlow, Shayna and Liliana had the majority of votes, and the final song that morning was Baa Baa Black Sheep by a landslide!

Kid Fitness and the other enrichment classes had yet to begin for the Fall, but Laudan and Marlow had the chance to meet one of their new teachers early! During an afternoon at the playground on Pacific Street, Haven's dad Chris stopped by, along with his cycling pal Vino, and Explorer favorite as the high energy teacher of last semester's Kid Fitness. The grown-ups were stopping by to say hello during a break from---what else?---exercising, a bike ride through Brooklyn!

Marlow certainly enjoyed meeting Vino. (Who could resist his infectious positivity and energy, which make him a natural fit for the New York City Explorers family?) The boy who really won Marlow's heart, however, was Lev, who spent ten minutes of his lunch time feeding Marlow grapes one by one! Talk about puppy love; Lev was positively smitten!

A few days after Lev met Marlow, he and his sister Shayna, the Explorers Club's youngest set of twins, rang in their second birthday! Though the terrific twins waited until the following weekend to celebrate with a family party at home, their mom brought some extra sweetness to the rest of the group with a tray of brownies! After lunch, Reza, Liliana, Tessa and the gang sang Happy Birthday before the twins took their first naps as two-year-olds.

Shayna must have been feeling the stress of getting older, because while Lev slept like, well, a baby, Shayna spent an hour tossing and turning before Amy invited her on a walk to Underhill to enjoy the play space and backyard while the weather still allowed it. Luckily for the two girls, one of our most requested Bag of Tricks babysitters, Yana, and her charge Marley, had the same idea, so while Amy enjoyed the quiet change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Explorers Club, Shayna and Marley enjoyed having the rocking horse, dollhouse and play kitchen all to themselves!

Birthday wishes from Cristina and Yana must have set Shayna on a path of thinking about the new responsibilities that are facing her as an older, wiser woman, because upon returning to Explorers Club after her outing with Amy, Shayna took it upon herself to check her brother's diaper and announce its contents to Gayla, Amy and Brittany, and later in the afternoon she told Lev to wash his hands after playing in the courtyard. It looks like Tessa, Shelton, Haven and the other Explorers have a mother hen on their hands.

With celebrations going on for many of us, including Lili and Simone, who spent the next weekend visiting their grandpa, we extended our condolences to our most artistic teacher, Gayla, who lost her Grandmother recently. Gayla's grammy lived a long happy life, and has left her family with a lifetime of wonderful memories to enjoy.

They're the people that you meet when you're walking down the street... Yes, a friend is a person in the neighborhood, and the crew at 2: Cool for School was so happy to welcome two new friends to the neighborhood this week! Two-year-olds Jackson got along so well on his first day with Tommy that Tommy came in asking for his new pal the next time he came into the play space.

The air was heavy with excitement on Jackson's second day, which also saw the first day of Exploration for 2 1/2-year-old Vikram and a trip to the library for the entire group! It's a good thing Cristina was on hand to help Sarah manage the outing, because when it was time to leave, Tommy discovered that his dad had taken his shoes home accidentally, leaving Cristina to tote him on her back the whole way! She would have gotten some respite on the way back, since Sarah had agreed to carry the tyke back, if it hadn't been for Ocean falling asleep during the library's story time, leaving her in need of Cristina's loving arms for the walk home.

Ocean must have had a late night indeed to have fallen asleep during story time; The excitement in the air was palpable for the rest of the tots, each one hoping to find the perfect book to check out as they poured over books in the children's room. When Tommy's shoeless feet were safely back at the play space, they hit the ground running,as Kisha and Keyanna had surprised the group by opening the play space to our regular members a few minutes early! It may have been unexpected, but Sarah's policy is the more the merrier when it comes to playmates for her Explorers!