This past Thursday, October 4, the third floor of Azure (333 East 91st St.) was completely transformed into a kids’ wonderland.
At Azure’s children’s amenity space (which includes a play room, game room, and TV and library lounge), Scooter brought together 92Y, The Little Orchestra, New Victory Theater, magician Seth Dale, and balloon twister Brian of Balloonscapes, delighting both children and parents. Once kids had their fill of fun performances, intricate balloon twisting, time in the ball pit, snacks from Baked by Melissa and Plum Organics, and drinks from Hint, they were off on a bus to Madison Avenue to shop at their favorite stores.
Participating stores included Bonpoint, Brooks Brothers, Crew Cuts, Eleni’s, Jacadi, Pink Chicken, Rachel Riley and S. Feldman.
At S. Feldman, kids got to take home airplanes. While shopping at Bonpoint, families were able to snack on macaroons. Shoppers at Rachel Riley got gift bags filled with coloring pages, bubbles, paper dolls, and balloons, and parents got a 10% discount. Over at Pink Chicken, families were treated to balloons, temporary tattoos, goodie bags filled with pink gumballs, candy mustaches, and candy wax lips, and even got to take home a Polaroid of themselves making silly faces. Eleni’s took the cake—or in this case, cookie—when they gave out free chocolate chip cookies to kids.
“Shop N’ Bop showed a family friendly side of New York City that most people don’t get to see,” says magician Seth Dale.
In addition to all the shopping and playing around, Shop N’ Bop also provided a platform for kids to learn in a fun environment.
“Shop N’ Bop was especially amazing for the kids,” said balloon twister Brian of Balloonscapes. “With professional instructors, the many crafts and projects were designed to inspire creativity and positive interaction while learning valuable skills.”
The Little Orchestra created an impromptu orchestra, led by Buzz, one of the characters from their show “The Lollipops.” The Little Orchestra also helped kids to make their own shakers using rice and plastic eggs—something two-and-a-half year old Rebecca Wallenstein really enjoyed.
“I made one for my dolly, and one for me,” she says.
Rebecca’s mom Stacey first heard about Shop N’ Bop through a friend, and then saw it on an email from Big City Moms.
“I was curious about what it was all about,” she says. “Pretty much anything Big City Moms does is phenomenal.”
Risa Goldberg, one of the founders of Big City Moms, says she enjoyed the event as both a sponsor and a mom.
“Shop N’ Bop was a fun after school activity for both my kids and myself to hang out with friends, enjoy entertainment, treats, and shop!” she says. “We had a ton of fun. The energy at The Azure was incredible! The kids had so much fun with the balloons, and performances. The jewelry making with 92nd Street Y was a hit — my niece won’t take her necklace off! When I asked the kids what their favorite part was, [they said,] ‘The Bus!’”
