Art and Fun Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, Battery Park, NYC

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It’s been starting to feel more and more like summer is upon us. New York City in the months of May and June takes on a new life. Concerts are being held every where you turn, eateries are more confident on re-establishing their outside eating seating, fountains are on, though sprinklers are not till after Memorial Day weekend, and the streets are full with people.

Today was one of those days: hot, sunny, noisy, alive. I got up early, showered, and even managed to get the kids dressed and out the door at a decent time, all before 9:00AM – a miracle, those who know us.

The boys were in an amazing mood, happy and talkative, eager to be outside and play. We took the train down to Chambers St. and got out of the subway. I that the city hasn’t figured out to put an elevator on the A, C train line entrance/exit (the 1,2, and 3 lines have one). It’s a huge challenge. It’s always so busy and noisy down there, in the zone of endless construction, but it also has these really pretty spots where one can try to seek solace and hide from the insanity of it all.

I hadn’t had my coffee yet that morning, so we got a little disoriented at first. But this was not an awful thing, as no one was in a terrible hurry and it gave us the opportunity to walk through some of my favorite areas, like City Hall Park and past the amazingly resilient St. Paul’s Chapel. Entering the park especially was a peaceful escape from the craziness surrounding it.

I grabbed a coffee and we continued on our way.

Eventually we reached their destination. Nelson A. Rockefeller Park, a park within the larger Battery Park hosts a series of activities in the area of sports and arts, just to name a couple, several times a week, free of charge.

Today, I brought the kids to partake in the activities organized by the park. Kids between the ages of 2 and 5 were invited to work on to projects with paper, clay, wood, paint, etc., all materials and games provided.

It wasn’t difficult to find the crowd of kids sitting down on drop cloths with paint brushes, water paint, and paper, focusing on what ever magical piece of art they were working on. My little one did not waste time and grabbed his materials and started to work. At one point a volunteer even sat down to chat with the kids and work with them.

After some time painting, the boys decided to head over to the playground located right next door. The playground is great, tons to do, great play areas, but on this day very, very crowded it was challenging with two toddlers.

And as if that wasn’t enough, after the boys started getting tired, thirsty, and in need for a stop at the nearby potty, we exited the playground but saw some games out on the grassy field. It was as if they were recharged all over again and found new excitement to play!

We eventually made our way out of the park, to the potty, and then the train. My boys remained in a good mood for the most part despite being really tired. Overall the day was a success added to another fun day in NYC with kids.

For a list of free and fun events in the parks across the city, check out the NYC Parks and Recreation website.

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