The school year is upon us.  Are you ready?  Have you managed to get all your kid’s books and all the supplies they need already? Well, if you have, you are officially a better, more organized parent than me.  I have yet to buy my kid a pen, a folder, a notebook. This is my life…and unfortunately, my kids’ as well. But this weekend, I will make it up to them.  Because while I go pick up some items that they need for school, they will be spending time browsing through colorful books, and educational toys, and taking part in some fun, kid-friendly activities in one of my favorite bookstores in NYC, The Scholastic Store.

If you haven’t been to the Scholastic Store in Soho, even if you haven’t been to the Scholastic Store in awhile, I suggest you take a ride downtown and visit them.

My kids love this store.  It is welcoming, cheerful, and has toys and other fun and educational materials not only for kids of all ages, but also for those who have made it their mission to teach them.  The staff is always smiling, super helpful, and tolerant of my energetic kids and their need to touch every toy and book in the store. Another thing I really enjoy, especially as a bilingual family, is that I can find our favorite books, whether for simple reading or educational, in Spanish.  In an effort to teach my kids Spanish, I like to buy the same fun books in both English and Spanish, and I can easily do this here.

And even when we don’t really need anything, though we rarely ever leave empty handed, we like to go for their Saturday events. Some times the events consist of story time, other times it could be a visit from Clifford The Big Red Dog or another beloved book character, or it could be arts and crafts.  There’s always something fun happening on weekends.

I haven’t done this yet, but am considering doing it for my youngest son’s 2nd birthday. And that is to have a birthday party there. There is a second level, overlooking the store, where you can arrange to have a party for your child.  The Scholastic Store offers different themes with features for every budget and really, all you have to do is show up.  I have seen the parties up there and the kids are always busy and happy.  I can’t wait to give my own child that experience!

In the meantime, I plan on taking advantage of the various back to school items they have available for my middle- and elementary-schooler and even my still at home toddler, while in the process, getting closer to being ready for the exciting school year ahead.  

When we first moved to Brooklyn and were invited to a birthday party at the Prospect Park Carousel, I didn’t realize that the party would have the carousel all to itself.  The site of the kids riding the horses over and over for two hours brought back a flood of memories from my own childhood – I would ride the carousel at our local amusement park as many times as my mother and grandmother could stand.

The Prospect Park Carousel is very popular for birthday parties, and for years we forgot to book it early enough.  This year we finally managed to have our daughter’s birthday party there, and it was everything I had hoped it would be.  Birthday renters get the space for two hours, including set-up and clean-up.  A couple of six-foot tables are provided by the park; everything else you need to bring yourself.  When I wasn’t busy passing out cupcakes or making sure there were enough bagels, I got a chance to check out the carousel up-close.

According to the Prospect Park Alliance, which re-opened the renovated carousel in 1990 (it had been shuttered for seven years due to mechanical problems), it’s one of only twelve surviving carousels made by Charles Carmel, a master carver who set the standard for carousels in the early 20th century, working out of his shop in Coney Island.  It was brought to Prospect Park in 1952 to replace a carousel that had burned down.  By the time the Prospect Park Alliance undertook the carousel’s renovation in the late 80s, extensive repairs were necessary and 20 layers of paint had to be removed from the horses.

The greatest charm of the Prospect Park Carousel is the music.  It’s not the recorded crap that plays on most carousels, it’s an actual Wurlitzer Band Organ, one of those old-fashioned machines that plays several instruments.  The music gives the carousel a feel completely different from a typical mall carousel.  It transports you back in time.

The carousel’s price of $1.50 per ride doesn’t cover its operating expenses – private donations make up the difference.  Patrons can “adopt” a horse for a season, or even permanently.  The carousel runs from early April until late October, weather permitting.