By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 1/02 2:31pm

Movie Time

BAMkids Film Festival short directed by Jerry Lee.

15th BAMkids Film Festival Announced

Tickets for the popular the BAMkids Film Festival go on sale January 7; a BAM spokesperson has informed Scooter. The festival, which is celebrating 15 years of delivering cinematographic excellence to an often under-appreciated demographic, will showcase some 76 films from 24 countries, several of which will be world premieres. The 2013 festival will take place at BAM Rose Cinemas in Fort Greene, Brooklyn over the weekend of February 2 and 3 and targets an audience ages 2-10 and their families.

“Watching movies shouldn’t be a passive experience and at the BAMkids Film Festival, it isn’t,” explained festival curator Nicole Dreiske. “The whole lobby, four cinemas, and BAMcafé become a festival ‘fun zone’ with activities and discussions designed to make the experience memorable and interactive for even the littlest cinephiles.”

This year, organizers have confirmed the “Animation Extravaganza,” an all-animation program geared for ages 7-9 that will include six international features as well as two short film programs for toddlers. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 9/28/12 1:38pm

School Talk

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg talks with fifth graders during a tour of PS 262 with Cathleen Black. (GETTY)

Real Estate and Brooklyn Education Unite

Brooklyn is pretty much officially the borough of choice for bohemian families and competitive public (and private) schools. Combine that with fantastic realty options for nearly any lifestyle; the demand sizzles.

Noticing a need for more knowledge on how to navigate the daunting and complex process of selecting (or getting your kids into) the right Brooklyn school,  Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate is hosting a special seminar with New York City school search expert and founder of NYC School Help, Joyce Szuflita. At “Helping Families Understand the Brooklyn Elementary School System,” Ms. Szuflita will dish her expertise on better understanding Brooklyn Elementary Schools.

The event will take place at the Montauk Club on 8th Avenue in Brooklyn from 6p.m. to 9p.m., free of charge, but with limited seating. Refreshments will be provided by DE Capital Mortgage. Interested parents can contact Catherine Witherwax for more information. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 9/27/12 3:36pm

Scooter Weekend

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DUMBO Arts Festival Is Bigger and Better For 2012

Tomorrow begins the DUMBO Arts Festival, which this year, as we previously reported, is introducing a re-worked version of its Art Village at DUMBO’s Tobacco Warehouse (26 New Dock Street, Brooklyn). The festival runs three days: Friday September, 28 – Sunday September, 30.

The primary way organizers will attempt to do this is through a new partnership with the Children’s Museum of the Arts that will offer a wide-range of family art projects, free-form activities, media workshops, and exhibits themed around the DUMBO Waterfront.

Here is a list of a few added programs and events:

Cityscape Animation
A collaborative stop-motion animation project themed on the waterfront.

Theater by the Sea Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 8/22/12 2:30pm

At Home

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Diaper Duty Discovery

Diapers are dirty business. An unavoidable element of having babies and infants around, tending to our little ones’ messes often tops many parents’ list of most odious tasks. However there is light at the end of the No. 2 tunnel! Brooklyn company Ubbi is trying to make the diaper disposal process a bit less off-putting. Scooter investigated the latest Ubbi disposal system ($80) at the New York International Gift Fair yesterday, to see what all the buzz was about.

With its sleek, powder coated steel design and rubber seal, Ubbi prevents odor absorption, locks in the stank and is easy to clean. The chosen-one that gets to deal with diaper duty can use any tall kitchen bag on the Ubbi and a simple sliding lid means you don’t have to get too close or let too many aromas out into your space. Thankfully, the contraption is also childproof and locks so that pets and wee people can’t knock out the diaper pail’s contents. Read More

By Benjamin-Emile Le Hay 8/16/12 12:22pm

Autumn Art

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Children’s Museum Of The Arts To Spice UP 2012 DUMBO Arts Festival

Children’s Museum of the Arts (CMA) and AT&T have announced an original line-up of family arts programming for this year’s DUMBO Arts Festival, September 28 – 30, 2012.

Some 25,000 children attended the three-day festival in 2011, which saw over 500 artists, 100 studios and 50 galleries participate. Noticing a growing demand for creative programming geared towards kids, organizers have elected to expand aspects of the festival into a more family-friendly format.

“We’re extremely excited to bring our signature family programming across the East River to Brooklyn this fall,” said Dave Kaplan, Executive Director, CMA. “The festival’s spectacular line-up is sure to inspire, and CMA is especially thrilled to present workshops and experiences that engage young festival goers and help them harness their creativity.”

In addition to the numerous interactive art experiences, exhibitions and craft events, organizers have announced a special component of the festival that will focus on DUMBO’s waterfront. These activities will surround family hotspots such as Jane’s Carousel and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Read More

By The Editors 6/08/12 6:19pm

Scooter Weekend

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We’re Going To Coney Island!

After a long week, and with school winding down, we need a little sun. Escape the city for some seaside amusement at Coney Island. Enjoy the theme park rides and food booths, play in the sand or browse the oddities on the boardwalk.

Believe it or not, a great family-friendly option is Coney Island’s Circus Sideshow. Running continually on Saturdays and Sundays from 1p.m. -8p.m. Adults tickets are $10, $5 for children under 12, and ticket sales end at 7 p.m. Read More

By Jennifer Wright 4/18/12 5:20pm

Sites We Like

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An Enchanting Child-Themed Art Site – With French Roots – Grows In Brooklyn

Want to celebrate the magical realism of childhood in a more sophisticated fashion than your average Anne Geddes print? Of course you do – unless you really love grinning infants wearing pumpkin costumes. (I have always suspected those children are drugged). Kid-in’s take on childhood is thoroughly grown up.

If there is a child in a pumpkin costume on the site, you can be sure that it was intended as a wry and pointed commentary.

At Kid-in, an online platform on which a wide range of international and local designers and photographers focus their creative efforts on the subject of childhood, you’ll always find something fresh. Read More