Best of Philly 2005: Home
Cooking classes for your aspiring chef: Viva the Chef This newly opened cooking school geared towards kids ages three through 18 offers courses such as Cooking 101 Nuts & Bolts (beginner classes that teach kitchen safety, measuring skills, and how to use basic kitchen tools), Pasta Power (how to prepare and serve delicious pasta dishes), and Mind, Body & Belly (how to nutritionally balance meals). There’s a café on the premises, as well as a shop that offers unique, kid-friendly culinary products (1149 Lancaster Avenue; Bryn Mawr, 610-581-7700).
Consignment shop: Twice as Nice This year-old mom-and-kids consignment shop rocks. The maternity clothes are first-rate, and the selection for kids is tremendous. Looking for a Morganeau crib and changing table? You’ll find it here. A Maclaren double stroller? Check. You’ll also find great toys and books, and clothes sizes newborn to 14 by all the top designers (237 Haverford Avenue, Narberth; 610-667-3005).
Art classes for your budding Picasso: Philadelphia Museum of Art From hour-plus gallery tours to five-week mini courses, PMA offers classes for kids (ages three to 12) that combine art history, reading and studio work. Time is divided between art appreciation and making projects to bring home. Kids learn how to find their way around a museum and have access to a real art studio, where they don old men’s button-downs—backwards—as smocks and experiment with paints, brushes, clays and other materials (26th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway; 215-235-SHOW).
Shoe department: Children’s Boutique Cathy Dubin and her cohorts know shoes — and they know how to fit your little ones. They’ll direct you toward the right brands for your child’s feet from among all their cool American and European options. Parents come all the way from the ’burbs for the staff’s expertise, and why shouldn’t they? This is the Neiman Marcus of children’s shoes (1702 Walnut Street; 215-732-2661).
Rainy-day activity: Adventure Aquarium Sharks and hippos and penguins, oh my! The newly reopened Camden aquarium boasts a 40-foot shark tunnel, a West African river exhibit (complete with crocodiles, Nile hippopotami, African porcupines, flying birds and thousands of fish), a rainforest waterfall, sea turtles, cownose stingrays, and much more (1 Riverside Drive, Camden; 800-616-JAWS).
Place to Strike a Pose: Yoga Child This South Street studio specializes in yoga for the two-through-teen set. Family classes are for parents and toddlers, and use imaginative play (kids visualize trips to the rainforest, beach, zoo and jungle, and imitate animals) to teach basic yoga poses and terms. (Imagine your three-year-old saying “Namaste.”) Classes for older children touch on building core strength and expanding self-awareness (903 South Street; 215-238-0989).
Kids’ concert series: World Cafe Live The new Saturday concert series, appropriately named Peanut Butter and Jams, is designed to expose the junior set to a wide range of music, from rock to folk to jazz, through acts that cater to children. The weekly programs encourage kids—and their parents—to get up and dance. (At a recent concert, attendees were provided with instruments and taps shoes and performed along with the band.) A Kid’s Weekend — think Woodstock for youngsters — is scheduled for October (3025 Walnut Street; 215-222-1400).
Place for Black Belts in Training: Martial Posture Studio Ishmael Payne and his crew run little boys (and girls) ragged at this Center City martial arts studio. Teaching basic karate skills to kids in a raw 2,500-square-foot space, Payne uses drills and exercises to develop focus, discipline, flexibility, strength and confidence — and great kicks and punches, too (2100 Chestnut Street, 2nd floor; 215-925-8070).
