I am fascinated by Governor’s Island. It’s so hard to wrap my city dweller mind around a whole island that sits nearly empty just yards from Brooklyn and Manhattan. The views of the city are breathtaking. The entire island is soaked in history, and the beautiful old homes provoke whimsical flights of fancy in my imagination. My kids also love it, but for entirely different reasons. It’s basically car-free so the kids are able to really run around the entire island. They love the large expanses of grass where they can play and pretend they have a big lawn all to themselves. On a recent Friday, we decided to give one of the island’s kids’ programs a try.
The program we attended is run through the National Park Service and features rangers dressed as people that inhabited the island at one time or another through the years. On the day we went, we got to meet two soldiers from opposite sides of the Civil War and a middle class lady from 1863. My four year old son was thrilled with the soldiers. They did an excellent job of talking to wide range of ages, and the kids got to practice marching, drill with wooden guns (the liberal mommy in me cringed a bit) and watch the soldiers load and shoot their rifles. It all took place inside Fort Jay. Both kids also loved seeing and listening to the park ranger dressed in an old fashioned dress describe her life.
Overall, I was really impressed by the rangers and the program. My kids are 4 & 2 and very active. I was thrilled to see they both enjoyed the whole presentation that lasted about 45 minutes. Some of it was definitely over their heads but was a great firsthand look at history.
Details: The program is on Fridays at 10:15, 11:15, and 12:15 (June 11 – August 13). It’s free to all participants. Meet at the top of the hill at Soisson’s Dock which is directly up the hill from the Manhattan Ferry Boat.
Important Links:
A map of Governors Island
Governor’s Island Activities & Information
National Park Service Governors Island Kids’ Programs
Transportation: Ferries leave from Manhattan on a schedule and are free. NY Water Taxi provides service on Fridays from Brooklyn for a reasonable fee. The first boat from Brooklyn departs Pier 6 at 10:23am.
Tips:
- Consider packing a picnic lunch. We attended the 11:15am session after catching the first boat from Brooklyn and the kids were starving by 12noon when the program ended.
- Fort Jay’s court yard is surrounded by lovely porches that were lovely for a picnic in the shade (and out of the rain that drizzled on us on our visit).
- Don’t miss Nolan Park. It’s a lovely, serene place surrounded by beautiful home. My kids love playing here on our visits.
- For an extended day, check out the activities offered by the Children’s Museum of the Arts.
- If you don’t bring a picnic, burgers and hotdogs plus a fun sand “beach” for kids can be found at the Water Taxi Beach near the Manhattan ferry.
- Bike rentals are free on Friday for one hour. The family friendly bike rental place is near Castle Williams. Click here for more info.
********
Carolyn Pravda is a stay-at-home mom in Brooklyn, NY. After having two kids in quick succession, she found the slippery slope to frumpy housewife was getting steeper. It was just too easy for her to pull the same jeans and cotton t-shirts out of the closet each day. With laptop in hand and a firm nap schedule, she set to work creating a site that would help mommies everywhere get dressed in the morning, ready for life with kids and looking good. Her suggestions are budget conscious, washable and wearable at the playground.
Carolyn blogs at www.mamathreads.com with fashion suggestions as well as Mama Thread Thoughts on parenting. She is a member of the Yahoo! Mother Board and is a moderator for the lively and helpful online parenting group Bococa Parents. Finally, she contributes to AChildGrowsInBrooklyn.com with a column on fun things to do this summer in New York for an adventurous mom of two preschoolers who didn’t sign up for any camps!