I found Little Shop of Crafts while searching for a fun spot for my niece's sixth birthday, and it…read morewas a total hit! What really sealed the deal for me was the ability to paint and leave with your masterpiece on the very same day. It was super important for the kids to take home what they worked on; waiting a whole week for a pot to cure and dry is something we can save for a future birthday. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed. There were other kids happily making soap, and the woman who greeted us kindly explained that we could pick whatever we wanted to paint. Once we selected our items, we paid and were set up at a table with paints, brushes, and an apron. I'm so glad she made sure we knew the paint didn't wash out of clothes. Pro-tip: Even if you're not painting, wear the apron. Trust me, your shirt will thank you for this advice! The kids had an absolute blast. It was so interactive, and once they finished, they had blow dryer stations so we could dry the paint. The best part? They took the painted items to the back and made them all shiny! This place is a definite hit. And I hear it's fun even for adults with no kids in tow. Girls' night, anyone? Sign me up!

I visited with my mom twice now, and I'm going to average the number of stars based on the two…read moreexperiences that I had. Fortunately, the number of stars that I had for each experience was five. The first time around I painted the Cinderella figure and my mother painted the pumpkin figure. The second time around we painted mugs. The two projects required two different types of paint. Unfortunately, the prices are kind of insane. The Cinderella figure was $49.99 plus tax, the pumpkin was $29.99 plus tax, and both mugs were $29.99 plus tax. Even though it was expensive I still had so much fun and everything I made came out looking great. Everything my mom made came out looking great. I can see myself coming back, and I can't wait to see what my pieces look like once they're out of the kiln.

This is one of those places you really need to get the membership. For a one off, it doesn't make…read moresense as a family of 4 is almost $80. For $125 you can get a 3 month membership (which we usually do), or I think it's $350 for a year. Good for kids probably 6 and under, I think they'd be bored if much older. There's 4 floors (5 areas if you include the H20 exhibit during the warmer months), we usually ever go to 3 (we skip floor 2 - Dora). H20 when its open is always a hit. The 3rd floor has many different areas (sand, balls, pretend, grocery store, fireman area). The 1st floor has magnatiles, large structures and an area which is open for projects (I forget hours) Basements is a smaller area with super heroes, trains, and a fun thing where scarves get shot up in a tube.

We were visiting from out of town and spent about 3 hours here and had a blast. My kids are 3 and…read more5 and can recommend for that age.

This reminds me so much of the Floor Is Lava game and is such a fun place for kids and adults…read morealike! They have 3 rooms to choose from depending on the difficulty level and the number of people in each group. We opted for Blue's Arena, which is best suited for 2-4 first-time players. There's a small locker area where you can store your belongings during the game. The hour we booked for was divided into 2 sessions. Each session features a different game with about 10-12 levels each. If you fail a level, no worries because you can always repeat it. You can also take a short break in between the sessions, which we definitely did because it was quite a good workout session.

We loved it! It's in a weird location, but once you get inside it's all good and it's a lot of fun…read more They should tell you to come in short sleeves or tanks because we were definitely way too hot wearing sweaters and jumping around the way we did

Dr. Frost from Crazy Science is amazing. I really like all the projects he did with me. For…read moreexample, when he was playing with liquid nitrogen, and putting a flower in liquid nitrogen, he really surprised me. He also gave us popsicles frozen from liquid nitrogen and cotton candy. I wish I could have another birthday party with Dr. Frost. The above was written by my 8 year old son who had a wondering birthday party with Dr. Frost two weeks ago. He was very professional and good at managing the kids, and most importantly he was really fun. Dr. Frost came earlier to our place to set up everything in a very organized way. The whole show was packed with many different science tricks, and the kids loved the special popsicles and cotton candy he made. There were 20+ boys and he was able to engage and managing them all the time. We have so many photos showing all the marvelous tricks Dr. Frost performed, but I can only share the ones without my son's classmates' faces. My husband always has very high expectation on everything, but he was really impressed by the show as well. I rarely write any review, but I feel I obligated to share how superb the show was. Thanks Dr. Frost for giving such a memorable birthday to my son and his friends.

From the owner: Kids Science Party! For over 5 years Crazy Science has…read moreprovided top-quality education and fun science programs for kids. Their 100% interactive parties are performed by Broadway Backgrounded Actors who bring all nessesery equipment to location of your chose. Hush Fry Ice and Liquid nitrogen explosions, (U) ice cream making. Also available Are-School, Boys and Girls Scout, Summer Camp Programs. Appruved by Department of Education

Color Me Mine is a great place to unwind and tap into your creative side. The concept is…read morestraightforward: you pick a piece of pottery, paint it however you wish, and after it's fired in the kiln, you take it home. I came here for their Holiday paint-your-own ceramic ornament. For this particular workshop you can choose between quick-dry acrylics or glaze and fire option. The staff is friendly and helpful, and they regularly check in to offer suggestions and guidance. You do not need to have any experience at all. Overall, 5 stars for a fun activity.

I recently went to Color Me Mine and overall it was fine, but I did have one uncomfortable…read moreinteraction. It was very crowded and all the staff seemed busy, so I reached for some paint on my own. A staff member then abruptly took it out of my hand and told me I should ask someone next time. I understand the policy, but the way it was communicated felt rude and a bit condescending. It could have been handled more politely, especially given how busy it was. After this interaction I felt pretty uncomfortable there.

Safari Playground Central Park is one of my very favorite playgrounds. My biggest complaint is…read morethere's no restroom! It's at Central Park West and 91st Street. This is a really unique playground where children can climb over, under, and around sculptures of hippopotamuses in the pretend river that's the playground floor. Children can climb into a canoe sculpture, cool off in summer in the water spray feature, and climb mounds. It's a way to enjoy a Safari without ever leaving New York City. Safari Playground is on the top of a hill with views down toward the Reservoir. It's the only playground in Central Park that doesn't include traditional playground equipment like slides, swings, or a sandbox. I love it!!

No bathroom here so don't you even think about peeing in the fake water the hippos are in!…read more So different than most city playgrounds as there are no jungle gyms, sandbox, or swings. What you have here are plenty of hippos, rowboats, rope bridges and hills to play pretend safari on. The kids have a lot of fun and use their imaginations in this type of environment. Saw many parents having a good time with their kids here on a nice day.

Pretty big park with sprinklers, playgrounds, basketball park swings, and rest rooms. This…read moreparticular park reminded me of the Oregon trail. It seemed to be very much inspired by that era. My little enjoyed the park.

More like 3.5 stars…read more Decent size playground with plenty of climbing options. It looks a bit dated (you can tell from the fading mural), but still does the job. There's even a Wild West wagon, although it's not much of an entertainment. The area is packed with good places for a bite (including Tacombi and Levain Bakery), so it's a nice option for your kid to burn calories. The adjacent area to play sports (well kept) is available only when the school is not in session. Restrooms are available on site.

My 2x 5 year olds loved this place. They woke up early every morning begging to go. The teachers…read morewere lovely. The front desk staff was helpful and accommodating. It was easy to schedule last minute. We loved it and will be back.

Such a fascinating and creative place for young minds...it is packed with color, and a ton of…read morecreative tools and outlets for kids to explore and express their ideas. For parents it is equally interesting to see how quickly and enthusiastically kids take to creating toys they like, games they enjoy, and art. Highly recommended!

This playground reminds me of Egyptian ruins which were discovered and unearthed…read more Some very different structures which offer the kids a unique vessel to play, and have their own adventures. Pyramid with slides coming down each side, block structures to climb on, water sprinkler area to cool down in, fort to climb up into, and some benches around the outside for the parents to sit on. It's not a large playground but the layout makes it look big.

This is a really fun playground located in Central Park with its entrance accessible from Central…read morePark West and either W 67th or W 69th. It's located right next to the Tots Playground. This playground features some really cool climbing structures. One of them is a brick pyramid that kids and adults can climb up. It features a really large slide or a ladder that puts you down in the middle of the structure. If you're small enough there is a tunnel one can use to get in/out. There are some other structures like another pyramid with two slides. When the weather is warm there is a fountain. I love the soft material on the ground that surrounds most of the playground. It helps soften any falls that young ones may experience.