Stephanie Abrahams

If you’re looking for a bit of retro with your family fun, you’ll want to check out the best NYC rinks that offer roller skating for kids. Put on your skates or roller blades (don't forget a helmet!) and zoom around these indoor and outdoor skating rinks for guests of all ages. And don't worry—if you don't have the right gear for the occasion, many spots will rent you some. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to outdoor activities for kids in NYC After exploring all the roller skating NYC has to offer, cool off at yummy ice cream shops, NYC splash parks or the best spots for indoor and outdoor play.

Arts Cetera Arfie's Art and Play classes use movement, books and music activities to help kids get the creative juices flowing as they make masterpieces each week. Both collaborative group projects and "take home" solo ones figure into each session. Arts Cetera, 212 Smith St between Baltic and Butler Sts, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (718-643-6817, artscetera.com). Call for schedule and pricing. Ages 20 months to 4 years.   Dionne Kamara Dance Kamara, a former member of the Urban Bush Women performance company, leads little ones in movement classes based on the philosophy that body development leads to brain development. Tots roll, creep and dance to a wide variety of music on hardwood floors for the best possible sensory experience. Chelsea Studios/Theatreworks USA, 151 W 26th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves (646-784-2643, dionnekamaradance.com). Classes start Sept 6. $180 for ten classes. Ages 8 weeks to 3 years.   Eastside Westside Music Together With the mantra that even the littlest ones can benefit from early exposure to music and movement, this uptown branch of the global program (now in 29 countries) welcomes kids from birth through age four. Mixed-age classes enable the older kids to lead wee ones in singing, moving, chanting and exploring musical instruments. Every family receives a songbook and two CDs to continue the learning at home or in the car. Eastside Westside Music Together, various venues (212-496-1242, eswsmusictogether.com). Sept 17--Dec 17. $343--$515. Ages

FetchLittle ones love checking out the walls of this Upper East Side eatery, which are covered in framed photos of the patron's pooches, but it's the spacious dining room, free dog bone--themed bibs and famous raisin-bread French toast that keep parents smiling. 1649 Third Ave between 92nd and 93rd Sts (212-289-2700, fetchbarandgrill.com). Bonobo's VegetarianHealth-conscious moms and dads have been known to eschew Shake Shack in favor of this nearby natural foods restaurant. Here they can pick from raw and organic offerings like gingerade and nut pt, then head to the skylit back room to find ample high-chair space. 18 E 23rd St between Broadway and Park Ave S (212-505-1200, bonobosrestaurant.com). Tribeca GrillRobert DeNiro may have founded his downtown joint with his famous friends in mind, but parents flock here for the huge, stroller-friendly dining room and 1,800-bottle wine list. 375 Greenwich St at Franklin St (212-941-3900, myriadrestaurantgroup.com/tribecagrill). Tea LoungeThe thriving stroller scene at this coffee shop has long been favored by new parents looking for a quiet place to breastfeed or a caffeine surge after a sleep-deprived night. There's also live music most evenings for those with a babysitter. 837 Union St between Sixth and Seventh Aves, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-789-2762, tealoungeny.com).

Curious George has been getting into trouble—and captivating children—for more than 70 years. Now fans of the mischievous monkey can explore the neighborhood where he lives with the Man in the Yellow Hat in , a new exhibit opening on June 11 at the Children's Museum of Manhattan. Moms and dads will love introducing their kids to the interactive math, science and engineering-based adventures—and kids will be having too much fun to notice that their parents are sneaking in some summer learning. Here's what not to miss before the traveling exhibit moves on at the end of September: Case of Curious ObjectsGet your curious juices flowing by identifying some rather unusual items. Parents will revel in nostalgia explaining what a record player, rotary telephone and Polaroid camera used to do, while kids answer riddles scattered throughout the case. Apartment BuildingOperate wheels to move George from window to window on pulleys; climb the fire escape and play with color, light and shadow; and meet all the characters in George's world. In the pretend building's lobby, kids can also find out what's hidden in the mailboxes. FarmTake a vacation to the country, where kids can use wind machines to activate whirligigs, windsocks and wind chimes. Young visitors construct pinwheels and other crafts at the art tables inside. Mini GolfChildren maneuver their ball over a water hazard, a moving bridge and turntables in search of a hole-in-one in this physics experiment cleverly disguised as a thr

Astoria Moms Meetup GroupThe Queens collective hosts local activities such as storytimes at the Astoria branch of the Queens Library, and coffee dates and shows at the Waltz-Astoria caf and performance space, but they've also branched out to fund-raising and community outreach. They've recently organized events to raise money for the Food Bank for New York City. meetup.com/asahmgroupBabybitesStarted on the Upper East Side with a sleep-training lunch seminar in 2006, Babybites has expanded its midday soirees throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. New moms meet new friends every month while learning the ins and outs of raising an infant (talks include baby proofing and the lowdown on nannies). The group also offers mommy-and-me classes and free monthly webinars that cover topics like potty training and nursery school admission. Each week, Babybites hosts 18 support groups throughout the city for new moms, moms of older babies, working moms, second time moms and expectant moms. babybites.com Big City MomsFounded by sisters—and NYC moms—Risa Goldberg and Leslie Venokur, Big City Moms boasts events for moms, moms-to-be and the entire family every day of the week. Their network of more than 75,000 mothers can choose from seminars (Nanny Safety, Sleep), mommy and me classes (Rockin with Andy) and family fun days. The group's signature bi-annual Biggest Baby Shower brings together a well-edited list of the best baby products and educators. Insiders say the goody bags and giveaways are to

The Space Shuttle program has officially ended, but starting this month kids can discover what may come next at "Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration." The new American Museum of Natural History exhibit, which predicts NASA's next projects, features a full-size re-creation of a lunar habitat for earthlings (think a large, tough balloon that serves as both home and laboratory) and a walk-through diorama of the Martian surface. Kids will love the interactive activities: One asks would-be-scientists to transform Mars from a desert-like world where the temperature hovers at 100 below into one that is habitable by humans (choices include sending a comet into its polar ice caps or using microwaves to thicken its atmosphere). Astronauts-in-training discover what it might be like to return to the moon, or to land on and deflect a potentially deadly asteroid. Homage is also paid to the past 50 years of space exploration. Visitors will see a replica of the Soviet's Vostok, the first manned space capsule, and watch a video of robots that have made it to Saturn's moon Titan. The exhibit concludes with an awe-inspiring, 64-square-foot 3-D hologram that surrounds visitors with thousands of exoplanets. "We'll discover life in our solar system and probably in other solar systems in the future," says Michael Shara, AMNH's astrophysics curator responsible for the exhibit. "We want kids to know that if they study their science, engineering and math, they can be part of the next

Citing enormous growth in the demand for their programs, the folks at CMA have decided to expand. Their new, 10,000-square-foot home at 103 Charlton Street is more than three times the size of their old Soho location, and has plenty of room for extra gallery shows, on-site instruction and special programming for the city's youngest artists. "We want kids to have a place to make a mess where no one complains," says David Kaplan, CMA's executive director. "Now we'll be able to serve children as young as one and as old as 15 simultaneously." Families looking for a full-immersion art experience at the new facility won't be disappointed. Celebrate the kickoff CMA is hosting a on opening weekend (Oct 1, 2). Head to Charlton Street between Greenwich and Hudson Streets from 10am to 5pm for live music, magicians, workshops and public art displays. Check out the permanent collection Children's artwork from the 1930s to the present will hang throughout the new facility—it'll also be projected on a wall near the entrance. Make sure to point out the colorful drawings made in 1963 by Harlem public school students. See the opening exhibit "Make Art (In) Public," displayed in the museum's enormous 2,000-square-foot gallery ("Our entire old building could fit in it," says Kaplan), features artists who worked outside conventional studios. Don't miss Keith Haring's large canvases, Christo and Jeanne-Claude's sketches, or street artist Remed's colorful geometric mural. Paint next to acclaimed a

We couldn't be more excited that roller-skating is having a resurgence in the city. Kids get to discover there's another reason to lace up besides ice-skating, while parents can wax nostalgic for the glory days of all-skate.  High Line Cosponsored by Japanese clothing chain Uniqlo, which has a pop-up shop nearby, the 8,000-square-foot roller rink is situated under the former freight train tracks on the West Side. Kids can learn skating basics with family and friends or, if they're already pros, roll on to the head of the pack. Afterward, take a stroll on the High Line; we suggest making a pit stop at one of the many vendors along the way—People's Pops, La Newyorkina, L'Arte del Gelato and more Through Sept 26. The Lot, Tenth Ave at 30th St. $12, children under 13 $10. Prices include skate rental. Riverbank State Park Before converting to an ice-skating venue in late October or early November, the covered rink at the 28-acre green space hosts in-line and quad skaters of all ages. The uptown park—rising 69 feet above the Hudson River—also offers a sweet view of the Little Red Lighthouse, plus rides on the charming Totally Kid Carousel ($1 per ride), whose offbeat animals were designed by local children. Riverbank State Park, Riverside Dr at 145th St (212-694-3600, nysparks.state.ny.us). Rink admission: $1.50; skate rental: $6. Roller Jam USA This Staten Island rink hosts several open skate and family skate sessions throughout the week (Friday nights even include free pizza). On