Kids of Town Residential staff love going to work. (Photo by Jonathan Grassi)

Face painting, a magician, and ice cream. Sounds like a birthday party, right? Nope. It was “Bring Your Child to Work Day” at Town Residential’s Upper East Side office last week. (The real estate firm’s Flatiron office held similar festivities.) Town really went to town and pulled out all the stops on this annual day when kids get to see how Mommy and Daddy bring home the bacon.

There wasn’t much buying or selling among this crowd, but there was plenty of showing, especially while the children decorated their own picture frames. Using sparkly glue, neon-colored pipe cleaners, and fanciful cut-out shapes, the kids created their own masterpieces. “Mommy! Mommy! Look!” was the continual shout-out as parents oohed and ahhed.

While some kids decoupaged, others decamped to the face painter. Not surprisingly, butterfly wings were the most popular choice among the girls, while boys opted for pirates and skulls.

Even on days not designated for children, Town encourages the staff to bring in the kids when the nanny or babysitter can’t make it. “They make you feel so welcome here,” says Roula Arif, a sales representative. “They are with you all the way.” Roula sometimes brings her five-year-old daughter, Isabelle, to the office after school lets out. “Everyone is so nice to her!”

Cardone the Ultimate wows the crowd. (Photo by Jonathan Grassi)

Town upped the ante when it came to entertainment. Cardone the Ultimate, who describes himself as a "vaudeville magician," captivated one of the toughest crowds in show business: fidgety kids hopped up on sugar. Looking a bit like Elvis meets John Lurie, Cardone entertained the kids by escaping from a straitjacket and doing card tricks that stumped even the parents.

The day ended with every kid’s dream: free cones from an Itizy’s ice cream truck. Kids (and plenty of parents) waited in line to choose from Itizy’s handcrafted treats, like Madagascar vanilla or banana-roasted ice cream.

What a perfect day at the office.

A line nobody minds waiting in: Itizy's ice cream. (Photo by Jonathan Grassi)

(Adrian Sommeling)

Some parents call it “opting out,” while others label it “an act of civil disobedience.” But one sixth grader at the Institute for Collaborative Education describes it simply and succinctly as a “boycott” when she decided not to take the new state exams, which end this week.

While her classmates took the ELA test, which incorporates the tougher Common Core curriculum, this sixth grader, whose parents prefer she not be named, penned a six-page letter in which she cogently explained to her teacher why she decided to sit out this year:

“I am boycotting the test because I don’t like the way the DOE uses the test results. The kids who take the test are being used like guinea pigs in a lab. I do NOT want to be used this way. By boycotting the state exams we’re trying to change the way the exams work. We, as students, want to make a change, a change that will last.”

Institute for Collaborative Education (www.iceschool.net)

She goes on to describe the test as “a bully on paper” and finishes up by saying, “We’re doing something that takes courage. We are making a move our mayor would not have made. We are going to change these state exams. This is why I am boycotting.”

If we were handing out grades, we would bestow the prized 4 to this mini-Thomas Paine for her well-argued document. Her mom, Kemala Karmen, however, says her daughter “is not a natural crusader, but she came to this on her own.” Half of her fellow sixth graders at I.C.E. have followed suit and are boycotting the exams as well, she says. The whiff of dissent seems to be in the air. One-third of the students at the Earth School have opted out of the exam this year, according to a recent New York Times report.

We understand the fears and tears that many youngsters are experiencing. But we can’t help but smile at these kids’ feisty New Yorker personalities emerge when push comes to shove.

[Read the complete letter at Change The Stakes.]

Summer Sanders assists a student from PS 41 with her new helmet. Photo courtesy: Schwinn Bikes.

“At Schwinn, we hear stories all the time about how a helmet saved someone’s life during a bike accident,” said Alice Tillett, President of Schwinn. “The effect of those stories has made a profound personal impact on me and the other employees at Schwinn.  [Helmets on Heads] comes from our desire to ensure that riders of all ages, particularly children, are safe while enjoying their bikes.”

Thus is the basis for Schwinn’s new safety and education campaign, Helmets on Heads, a partnership with the ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation. Over the next ten years, the initiative will attempt to inform and educate around one million adults and children about bike safety and the importance of wearing a helmet. Scooter knows that bike riding often is at the top of many grown-ups' fondest childhood memories, so on Thursday October 4, we went to the cause’s New York City launch event at the PS41 School Yard in the West Village. Schwinn brand ambassador, Olympic Gold Medalist and mother of two, Summer Sanders, was on hand to meet local families and promote Helmets on Heads by fitting everyone with bike helmets.

A statement released by organizers published findings from a 2010 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that stated “618 bicyclists were killed and 52,000 were injured in traffic crashes and nearly 70 percent involved head injuries.” The report concluded that bike helmets “have been estimated to reduce the risk for head injuries by 85 percent,” even though they are worn by about a quarter of those on wheels.

Debby Gerhardstein, Executive Director of the ThinkFirst underlined that “with the extensive and disturbing statistics surrounding young people and head injuries from bicycle related crashes, ThinkFirst is proud to be partnering with Schwinn on this important initiative to increase awareness and education of helmet and bike safety,” said “This campaign will benefit every American adult and child.”

Make sure that you and your family enjoy the best biking paths that the city has to offer-- safely this autumn!

According to a WebMD report by Stacy Lu, reviewed by Charlene H. Beard, MD, the National Sleep Foundation recommends between nine and 14 hours of sleep per day for children ages 3 months to 18 years old. Most kids (and parents) get significantly less.

One product that claims it can aid in the bedtime ritual and help young ones drift asleep is Sleep Blend from Essence of Vali. According to owner Valerie Bennis, the potion’s unique blend of lavender, marjoram, cedar wood and ylang-ylang relaxes you, acting as an anti-anxiety solution with its potent bouquet and works to lull you into a recuperative sleep.

Ms. Bennis told Scooter that some of her best clients for this top-selling blend are parents who need a natural and non-invasive sleep aid for their children—or themselves for that matter!

Midori Kameoka, who purchased Essence of Vali Bedtime Ritual for a friend and mother, said that her gal pal was able to use the droplets around her baby’s crib.

“She told me that her baby went to sleep and did not wake up in the middle of the night,” recalled Ms. Kameoka. “My friend loves it because now, she too can get a good night’s sleep.”

While Scooter didn’t quite have the time to take a nap with heavy mists of Sleep Blend, we did test Ms. Bennis’ Sleep bedtime balm on our wrists and can attest to its soothing aroma. We’d love to hear from other parents on their alternative sleep aids. Ms. Bennis’ concoction is available as a mist, concentrate and massage/bath oil.

“Our goal is to create an area where families can enjoy an expanded offering of books, toys and games designed to ignite imaginations and expose young minds to modern and contemporary art,” said Kathy Thornton-Bias, President of the MoMA Retail Division.

Additionally, the MoMA Design Store worked with the museum’s Education Department to boost the interactive and learning experiences of younger shoppers that will pass through the space.

“We look forward to unveiling the space and feel that it is truly an opportunity to inspire visitors of all ages,” commented Ms. Thornton-Bias.

The MoMA Design Store also stated that it intends to host book readings and creative activities that explore the museum’s unique take on of art and design.

Photo: Marisa McGrody

Last Saturday, June 9, a bevy of young adults, clad in white, flocked to 121 Fulton Street in Manhattan to honor Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that aims to create quality education for all children through the implementation of new schools and learning programs, increasing access to education and fostering global, sustainable communities.

Upon arrival at the event, patrons had their pictures taken on the step-and-repeat at the door, before entering a dimly lit room where servers hovered about passing hors d’œuvre. The main attraction, predictably, was the open bar, which dolled out vodka lemonade libations and rosé. A live DJ set kept things upbeat on the dance floor with mash-ups of house and top-40 tunes. The raucous merriment was only briefly paused for a quick thank-you from the event organizers, who expressed gratitude for everyone’s generous contributions.

Babesta's eco-friendly dollhouse

To take Al Gore’s word for it, the world is coming to an end and humans are chiefly responsible. Perhaps the next generation of tykes can stop the damage if supplied with the right tools. So how do we teach them that using excessive amounts of hairspray, taking 45 minute-long showers and driving gas-guzzling cars are not in their best interest?

Scooter recently discovered babesta.com’s eco-friendly dollhouse ($240). The innovative dollhouse mimics the design of “green homes,” featuring a miniature wind turbine, solar cell panel, rain barrel, recycling bins and other renewable energy resources. It’s a fantastic way to stimulate kids with an interest in design, architecture, technology and/or house-play.

According to Babesta’s website, the dollhouse “is designed to help children learn how to live in harmony with nature.” It also comes with furniture, so if your little one still wants to play house with his or her dolls and figurines— he or she can.