Growing up, watching the Harlem Globetrotters with my family was a cherished annual tradition. Every year, our family would venture into The Big City from Long Island to watch basketball wizardry, insane dunks and trick shots, and laugh at all the team’s comical antics. It was one of those memorable childhood traditions I couldn’t wait to share with my own children.

I was finally able to fulfill that promise last week. My kids and I went to Madison Square Garden along with a dozen other NYC Dads Group members and their kids to see the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters during their 2024 World Tour. They put on an insane performance that had all of us laughing in our seats watching these masters ham it up while sinking shots from half-court.

The farcical basketball game had something for everyone — alley oops, jaw-dropping skills, and a dancing mascot (Globie) that captivated the crowd. My 9-year-old daughter was loving every minute of the experience and it converted her into a lifelong fan. My older son was dazzled by the extraordinary ball-handling skills of the players. We were all confused by the wacky scoring system, but that didn’t seem to be very important. Of course, the Harlem Globetrotters pulled out the victory to continue their undefeated win streak.

All of the NYC Dads and kids loved the experience and had many positive things to say about the game. Many of them were making memories at their first-ever Harlem Globetrotter game. For our family, we highly recommend this new version of The Original Harlem Globetrotters that features former Louisana State University women’s basketball captain, NCAA Champion and WNBA draft pick Alexis Morris, a.k.a The Show.

Definitely plan to catch the Harlem Globetrotters when they visit your city as they conduct the spring leg of their 2024 World Tour – traveling across North America, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick! See their tour schedule here.

Editor’s note: New York City presents amazing cultural opportunities to share with our families. We recently collaborated with “The Little Prince” to experience this magical Broadway show. Scroll to the end for a discount ticket offer!

The NYC Dads Group are back! Broadway is, too!

After two years of having to mostly suspend in-person meetup experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our group partnered with The Little Prince to emerge in a grand fashion. More than 30 of our dads along with their kids, many attending their first ever Broadway show, descended upon the Broadway Theatre in Times Square recently to share a memorable, unique and magical performance of this classic children’s story.

An unforgettable story becomes an unforgettable Broadway show. Based on the 1943 book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that continues to touch millions, this stunning new production transported us to a world unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

What’s the show all about?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, here goes. An aviator descends from the sky to find himself in the middle of the desert. Here, he meets the Little Prince, a young hero on an extraordinary adventure. The Little Prince goes on this touching journey as he meets many colorful and bizarre characters who help him learn how to follow his heart.

The Broadway version is non-traditional for most. It creatively shares the story via narration (there are teleprompters in case you miss dialogue), aerial artistry and stunning choreography. Sometimes the show felt like a ballet. At other times, it’s like Cirque du Soleil. Audience members will interpret it differently, but everyone is sure to enjoy the thrilling grand finale.

Our family went to see the musical not knowing much about the story. For those with smaller children, we recommend you read them a plot summary in advance to have a better understanding of the characters and story.

Our dads, kids loved ‘The Little Prince’

After the show, our group quickly began raving about this special experience. Here are a few highlights and observations from our circle of dads:

“My son’s first Broadway play was fantastic! We got to experience the acrobatic planet-hopping of The Little Prince, all in a magical atmosphere.” – Billy D.

“That was the first time taking my 6-year-old to a Broadway show, and I’m so glad it was to see The Little Prince, which is still one of my favorite books. The fact that my daughter sat through the entire show says a lot. And the show was truly wonderful. Her favorite character was The Rose.” – Aarao B.

“My son Jackson (age 6) enjoyed the thrill of being at the show. It was his first show and we got burgers and milkshakes afterwards, and he told me it was the best day of his life.
The show was an interesting take on the book. More interpretive with the dance elements than a straight reenactment. His favorite part was seeing the aerial acrobatics, and the part he talked most about was how often someone walked on a giant ball to get around the stage.” – Micah B.

“Thanks to the NYC Dad’s Group, this was my 5-year-old son’s first Broadway show watching The Little Prince. So great to see the awesome acrobatics, dancing and feeding his imagination. Pretty amazing that he sat through the whole show!” -Mike N.

“It was very interesting to see the how they were going to interpret the book into a Broadway performance. It was different and unique. We loved the dancing, acrobatics and the music.” – Larry I.

Performance and discount ticket info

The Little Prince is in a strictly limited engagement on Broadway. It runs through August 14, 2022, at the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway in Manhattan. The show has numerous performances weekly, including matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Being an NYC Dads Group member, friend or fan has its perks. We have discounted tickets for you! Click here to save 30% on performances through May 1 with code LPDAD223.

Disclosure: The team at “The Little Prince” provided this experience for NYC Dads Group members to attend. The opinions expressed in this review are heartfelt, honest, and 100 percent our own.

UPDATED November 2022: The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx is one of the best winter break activities in NYC that you can do indoors with your children. Tickets are on sale now for this year’s show, which runs from Nov. 19, 2021, to Jan. 16, 2022. Admission is limited so don’t wait to buy tickets. Here’s a review one of our members did of a past year’s show (most of which still holds true).

The annual train show is one of my 4.5-year-old son’s favorite things to see, and this is his third year in a row attending. The show combines major “attractions,” model trains and model architecture, with the buildings of New York City, complete with bridges, made out of plants (remember, this is the Botanical Gardens).

The Holiday Train Show was about the same as previous years, with a few new buildings but younger children are unlikely to remember what they saw the previous time.

Building highlights among the 175 featured include Yankee Stadium, the Empire State Building, the Apollo Theater, and the Brooklyn Bridge. They even have the Little Red Lighthouse to complement the George Washington Bridge. The trains are all large-scale and extremely cool. The kids like to get close-up (unfortunately, there is very little you can actually touch) and it’s also fun to watch the trains go overhead across the bridges.

The Holiday Train Show can get very crowded, especially during peak season, which is why I suggest getting tickets for the start of the day Tickets are timed, which means you can’t enter until the time on your pre-purchased ticket, but once you are in, you can stay in as long as you like.

The exhibit is one big loop, and you can go around the loop as fast or as slow as you like, but as one dad pointed out, you might have to deal with a “codger bottleneck” or a pack of school kids. Security prefers that you not go the wrong way on the path. My daughter (15 months), enjoyed walking through, so I stayed at her pace anyway. A couple of the dads made two loops because their kids were napping during the first go round

The Holiday Train Show is a little pricey but it’s a good chance to do an activity you can only do in the winter here in NYC. Strollers aren’t allowed, as there is no room, so bring a carrier if your child doesn’t walk. However, there is stroller parking for those parents that do bring their strollers. I drove up to the New York Botanical Gardens with a friend, which is the easiest way to get there, but parking is expensive if you don’t have a Wildlife Conservation Society membership. Metro-North is also a fast option, and is right across the street. To get there via the subway requires a bus or a schlep as well.

All in all, The Holiday Train Show at New York Botanical Gardens is a fun experience, if not a little redundant for me on my third trip. Fortunately, the kids loved it and that’s what matters!

— Josh Kross

NYC Holiday Train Show info

• Location: New York Botanical Gardens, 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY
• Hours: Generally, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday and Monday federal holidays.
• Tickets: $20 to $35, children under 2 get in free. Timed entry. Buy in advance. Buy tickets.

Photo: © hitman1234 /  Adobe Stock.

Near the halfway point of his informative, funny, and alternatingly sweet and salty book debut, The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad: Your Essential Manual for Being an Awesome Full-Time Father, Shannon Carpenter sums up his overreaching goal.

“Everything that we read online and in magazines is geared toward mom and has a tendency to treat dads like total dipshits,” he writes. “Get that condescending shit out of here.”

And he does.

Carpenter, a Midwestern stay-at-home father since 2008, has created an instructional guide for the modern father. The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad combines insight, practical tips and frequent laughs about this wonderful, exhausting and crazy adventure called parenting. Moms will also be entertained as will working dads. They will also learn more than a few things not covered in those websites and magazines aimed solely at them.

(DISCLOSURE: Carpenter is a longtime member of our Kansas City Dads Group. He is also a contributor to this blog. Carpenter devotes a whole chapter to dad groups and their importance in helping fathers find their bearings. He gives particular praise to City Dads Group. Thanks!)

Carpenter uses his own experiences as a parent of three to guide The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad from topic to topic. Along the way, he peppers in advice from other fathers. These include recurring tidbits from his KC posse of SAHDs (or “magical unicorns” as one of them dubs themselves).

“You don’t parent in a vacuum, even though sometimes our minds makes us believe we do,” Carpenter notes in a section dealing with the stress and anxiety he and many dads experience but rarely gets discussed or taken as seriously as much as what moms experience. “Those relationships are your support system — or sometimes the reason your mental health gets worse.”

Along with discussions on how to properly outfit both a diaper bag and a minivan for a day out and tips on meal prep and house cleaning (hint: get a wet/dry vacuum), Carpenter writes about the importance of helping your children with valuable life lessons and skills. Whether assisting you with dinner or burying a bunny your wee one witnessed you whack with a shovel, it’s always the children whose well-being he keeps in mind.

“Don’t teach your kids to cuss,” he advises, for example, at one point, “but when they do, give them credit if it’s said in the right context.”

If you have young children, chances are you’ve at least heard of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s animated show Bluey (it’s on the Disney channels in the United States). This isn’t a show to simply entertain the kids, and it’s not some fad. It’s a show about parenting, written by a dad, produced by a different dad, and with a main character who is a stay-at-home dad character we should all strive to like.

Set on the outskirts of Brisbane, the show’s characters are all dogs, and the central family is the Heelers. The father, Bandit Heeler, is the primary caregiver. He’s a part-time archeologist (a dog who digs bones, get it?) but the only work we ever see is his main job: raising his two daughters: 6-year-old Bluey and 4-year-old Bingo. Bandit’s wife, Chili, completes the family, and is often privy to their crazy games. Even their adult neighbor, Lucky’s Dad, goes along with the fun.

But this isn’t just a silly kids show. Each episode is only eight minutes (there are more than 100 so far), yet in a mere eight minutes, you’ll see positive values, universal truths and the importance of imaginative play. To do all this and still appeal to infants, adults and every age between is impressive.

Bluey is full of humor and heart, but it’s also deep. In the episode “Copycat,” Bluey deals with learning about death by mimicking her parents. In “Grandad,” we see Chili begging her older dad to slow down, and how time passes differently for grandparents.

“I’m not taking advice from a cartoon dog!” proclaims Bandit, during the episode “Flat Pack.” But that’s exactly what we, as dads should do. Bandit’s real. And a refreshing change. He’s not the buffoon dad (a trope still in use in, from cartoons like Peppa Pig through adult sitcoms like Modern Family), or the absentee dad (another trope). And despite the wholesome feel, the show is pure fun. It’s not the “after-school special” feeling you’ll get from an episode of Daniel Tiger or Sesame Street.

Bandit, who was even named (canine) Father of Year in Australia in 2020, always puts his kids first, sometimes by letting them solve their own problems. When Bluey wants to quit riding a bike (in “Bike”) he doesn’t stop her or argue. He says “OK,” but then encourages her to watch all her friends persevering at other things, until Bluey gets on the bike again herself. Bandit is also a dad who ALWAYS plays games with his kids. The kids don’t leave him alone when he has to use the bathroom. The car is littered with food and toys. There’s always laundry and there are times he’s too tired to get up. In “Mount MumandDad,” the parents are so exhausted they can’t move, but still they play. In “Daddy Drop-Off,” Bandit doesn’t want to play because he’s running late, but he still plays. There is always time for play and for fun.

In fact, every episode is a new, imaginative, fully interactive game. Not just games to watch, but games my kids love to play with me now. Games to play with your kids. Yeah, it’s tiring. I’m not sure how Bandit is always so animated. Maybe it’s because he’s a cartoon. But it’s worth it.

Best of ‘Bluey’

Even if you don’t have young kids, you should still watch. In fact, this is the only show I enjoy watching without the kids. (Rolling Stone magazine listed it in its Top 100 sitcoms of all time earlier this year.) It’s that fun. If you’re a Dad wondering where to start, here’s my top seven episode recommendations (all can be streamed on Disney+) for dads, and why:

1. “Café” – This is one of the episodes that hits home to me. Bandit and Bluey meet a new dad and his daughter at the playground. The kids are instant friends. But the dads … well, sometimes it takes adults longer to make friends than it takes kids.
2. “Daddy Drop Off” – Bandit’s running late dropping the kids at school. He doesn’t want to keep playing but does. And we see that choosing to play matters, not just to Bandit’s kids, but to others.
3. “Baby Race” – All right, this is a mom-focused episode, but we all remember the struggles of when the kids were growing up and ‘competing’ with other parents over which kid walked first, etc.
4. “Fancy Restaurant” – One thing I think all parents struggle with, especially with little kids, is finding time for our relationship to our spouse, when our lives are dominated by the kids. Bandit admits he’s “forgotten how to romance” in this charming, fun episode.
5. “Takeaway” – Yeah, kids get bored. Yeah, life happens. Sometimes it all just goes downhill. But if you can laugh about it …
6. “Octopus” – Playing nonstop games isn’t for everyone. Heck, I’ve three decades of theater and improv training and still find these games exhausting. In this episode, Chloe (a friend of Bluey’s) has a dad who feels like he can’t play the way Bandit does, but he still wants his daughter to have fun. It’s okay to play differently.
7. “The Dump” – On a trip to the dump, Bluey and Bingo question if their dad is really the best in the world. It’s okay to not be perfect. 

Beyond just the episodes, I really try to get into the games shown. “Magic Xylophone” may be the simplest Bluey game. A ding (which can even just be someone saying “ding”) makes everyone else freeze. Pretty simple. Or “Shadowlands,” where the shadows are land and the sunlit patches are water. Kids have limitless imaginations. Everything can be a game, and kids learn best through play.

Bandit won’t take advice from a cartoon dog. But we should. It’s OK to be goofy. It’s OK to be a little crazy. It’s OK to teach through pure fun. As the Aussies say: wackadoo!

About the author

Chris Mannino lives with his wife and two children. As a full-time stay-at-home dad, he considers himself a lion tamer, cat herder, sanitation manager, personal chef, private teacher and more. Somehow, he also manages to squeeze in a writing career: crafting fantasy stories from picture books through adult. Visit him at www.ChristopherMannino.com

While out walking the dog this morning, I witnessed a near-tragic accident as a biker and a truck almost collided.

The truck was, of course, driving too fast and barreling down my street. The biker, a young girl around 13, was merging into the street, also cruising down the road, eager to reach her destination. It was one of those moments where, for some reason, you happen to look up seconds before something bad happens to witness something horrible. I looked up and saw this girl, riding one handed and glancing down at her other hand. In that other hand was her phone.

The driver of the truck saw her, swerved out of the way and slowed. The girl looked up, slightly aware of what could have just happened, then quickly put the phone in her fanny pack and pedaled past me and the pup. I locked eyes with the truck driver and together we both shook our heads in disbelief.

In the new documentary about screen time, aptly titled Screened Out, Dark Star Pictures, a company whose mission is to create thought-provoking cinema, has done a great job. The film has, to me, proven to be riveting, but has forced me into self introspection, looking at my own screen habits and how they have come to be.

In a shockingly short amount of time, technology has changed by leaps and bounds. Perhaps in 15 years we will see another massive shift in how we communicate, interact and work. It could all change, but one thing that is for sure, this new wave of screens and smart phones has drastically changed our lives. Screened Out talks about how we have a whole new generation, mostly our children, for whom always having a screen in hand or nearby is not a change in their lives. This is their lives. They are not able to understand life without being connected, and we need to help them set healthy boundaries of knowing when to “unplug.”

One of my favorite subjects to bore my kids with is rambling on about what technology was like back when I was a kid. They moan and groan, hoping I will change the subject to something less “fascinating” as they say with sarcasm. Eventually I am met with looks of confusion as they try to grasp the concept of one phone, connected to a wall, for all the family to use. I remember visiting my grandparents in rural Michigan when they had a party line. For you young readers out there, that is a shared line that several families on the road use, so if you picked up the receiver and heard your neighbor speaking, you have would hang up and hope that in awhile the line would open up.

Screened Out shows its audience extreme cases of screen-time abuse. It is these stories that expose our own overuse and just how detrimental it is, not only to ourselves, but to our children who look to us for guidance and leadership. Fully developed brains have to model the right behavior for our children who really need to unplug to have better mental and physical health. I myself experience frustration when I realize that I’ve subconsciously picked up my phone to click on the various social media apps that call my name. What am I doing scrolling through Facebook again? What level of addiction do I have with my phone? How difficult will it be to untether myself from this device?

Screened Out is important for all parents to watch as it helps us to understand just how much damage is being done to our toddlers, our school-aged children, our teenagers and even ourselves by staring for hours at our phones. This is nothing new — we already know about the screen problems. The question is: Do we want to know this? Or is it easier to just ignore how bad it is because it feels so good?

Screened Out will be released digitally on May 26, 2020.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bryan Grossbauer is an actor, musician, former teacher and full-time stay-at-home dad to two children. A member of our NYC Dads Group, he and his family live in New Rochelle and enjoy traveling, hiking, and live music. A version of this piece first appeared on his blog, Dig it, Daddy-O.

Screened Out movie photo: Contributed

Need a new parenting mantra? Try this: “Most things are possible when you assume problems can be solved.”

That is one of the nuggets Judith Heumann provides in her recent memoir, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. I discovered Heumann while watching Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution this past summer with my teen daughters. The film is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year’s Oscars.

In the film’s Camp Jened footage from 1971, Heumann is a young wheelchair user and camp counselor who has polio. But her skills as an activist are already apparent. How did she achieve such early self-possession?

In her memoir, the Crip Camp star explains the power of her parents and friends: “I never wished I didn’t have a disability. … I’m fairly certain my parents didn’t either. I never asked them, but if I had, I don’t think they would have said that our lives would have been better if I hadn’t had a disability. That was who they were.” She adds: “Some people say that what I did changed the world. But really, I simply refused to accept what I was told about who I could be. And I was willing to make a fuss about it.”

Part of her can-do mindset came from her childhood friends: “It didn’t occur to me then to think it unusual that I joined in all the kids’ games in my wheelchair. Because there was never a question of whether or not I would play, too — we all figured out a way for me to do whatever everyone was doing. … Now I know that this was the way it was because we were kids, and kids are problem solvers. But it taught me, at a very early age, that most things are possible when you assume problems can be solved.”

When a child with a disability becomes a parent 

Another woman who appears in Crip Camp and has also written a memoir full of parenting wisdom is Denise Sherer Jacobson. The Question of David: A Disabled Mother’s Journey Through Adoption, Family, and Life chronicles the process Jacobson and her husband, Neil, both of whom have cerebral palsy, went through to become parents.

Similar to Heumann, Jacobson experienced unconditional acceptance from her parents as a child, which had a huge impact on her psychology. But her childhood was more alienating: “At four years old I already knew what I looked like in other people’s eyes: a pretty child who could hardly walk or talk, who had to be carried up and down stairs and fed and schlepped to doctors and therapists. I was viewed as a tragedy by well-meaning family and friends who pitied my mother and admired her devotion to me.”

Jacobson continues, however, in terms that parallel Heumann’s mindset: “I also knew, at four years old, that I wasn’t a tragedy at all. I’m sure it would have surprised them to know that it never occurred to me to wish I weren’t disabled.”

Significantly, Jacobson transfers this mindset to her role as a new parent of David, a baby boy who doctors suspect may also have cerebral palsy: “David would always know that, whether or not he had a disability, his life was of great value.” When someone doubts Neil and Denise’s parenting ability because of their cerebral palsy, Denise reflects: “People seem to get so caught up in what they can see that they ignore that which is invisible to them, the most important part of raising a child — the relationship between him and his parents.”

‘Crip Camp,’ teaches new generation (and its parents)

A third person who appears in Crip Camp has inspired a new children’s book.  All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything is designed for children ages 4 and up. Written by Annette Bay Pimental and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, the book tells the story of Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy.

At age 8, Keelan-Chaffins famously participated in “The Capitol Crawl,” a protest that occurred on March 12, 1990. In that demonstration, dozens of people abandoned their wheelchairs and climbed with their hands and arms up the many steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The Americans with Disabilities Act finally became law a few months later.

The book illustrates through a child’s eyes the need for curb cuts, ramps and elevators with braille panels. While physical architecture is foregrounded, the book raises awareness of how our mental architecture is even more important regarding disability issues. The author declares: “While physical barriers pose challenges to people with disabilities, social attitudes can be even more frustrating. People may focus on a disability as a problem to be solved instead of paying attention to the person with the disability. Or people with disabilities may be treated with low expectations, as if having a disability means they are incapable. On the other hand, people with disabilities are sometimes treated as heroes simply for doing everyday things when they just want to live their lives.”

Redesigning mental architecture can be challenging, but all parents should constantly strive for a barrier-free, problems-can-be-solved environment for their children. As Heumann says of her childhood, “In my mind, there were no barriers to what I could learn or what I could achieve. All the barriers came from outside of me.”

“How did you explain people’s different religions to your kids?” a fellow dad asked me recently. Short answer: I didn’t.

But my children and I learned together by reading Mary Pope Osborne’s One World, Many Religions: The Ways We Worship. You and your little ones may already be familiar with her work because Osborne is the author of the Magic Tree House series.

One World, Many Religions is written for grades 4 and up, and it introduces the seven major religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Throughout the book, Osborne’s tone is gentle, neutral, and inviting. She begins: “How did the world begin? What is the purpose of life? What happens after we die? Since the beginning of time, people have asked these questions. In their search for answers, they have often felt the presence of a sacred power, or powers.”

Osborne helps you explain religion by keeping things simple. This also helps children understand the history and geography of religions. For example, she explains: “Judaism began between three and four thousand years ago. Christianity eventually grew out of Judaism. Then the religion of Islam grew out of Judaism and Christianity. … At the same time that Jewish teachings were being written down in the Middle East, priests in India were recording the teachings of Hinduism. About 2,500 years ago, the writings of Buddhism grew out of Hinduism. Around the same time, scholars in China began writing down the teachings of Confucianism and Taoism.”

Granted, Osborne’s summaries omit many more complex aspects. That, however, leaves room for parents to provide context as they see fit. More importantly, she notes the purpose of all religions, They “seek to bring comfort to their followers. They all offer thanks for the world’s great beauty and goodness,” she writes. “They all express awe and humility before the mysteries of the universe. In this sense, they are all wise and enduring.”

In the opening chapter on Judaism, the theme of respect for God (and different religions in general) is established and continues throughout the book. For example, “Orthodox Jewish men always wear a head covering called a yarmulke as a sign of respect to God.” Such a detail is important to her audience, since children often comment on unfamiliar appearances. The book also includes photographs of children from all seven religions in active worship, further familiarizing the topic for young readers.

On the other hand, Osborne is not afraid to mention that religions are not immune from being disrespectful sometimes. But she broaches issues like religious persecution, sexism, and discrimination with restraint and an age-appropriate tone.

A comparative religion class boiled down to essentials

Osborne draws helpful parallels among the different religions’ holy founders, sacred writings and symbols, places of worship, and rites of passage. Fittingly, the book contains no conclusion about religion. In the chapter on Confucianism, however, she notes: “Confucius said that all people should be courteous and kind to one another. One of his best-known sayings is: ‘Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.’ Most major religions teach a version of this saying, which is sometimes called the golden rule.”

One World, Many Religions is not a perfect book. For example, it does not address families who may be non-religious or atheist. (Such families might consult Dale McGowan’s Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion for resources.) But Osborne’s book includes a glossary of religious terms, a world map of “People Practicing the Seven Major Religions” with a color-coded key, and a “Timeline of the Seven Major Religions.” These all help children visualize world religions.

Beyond Osborne’s book, many others address parenting along with trying to explain religions or a specific faith. Parents should decide if one of these fits their family’s values best. But books like Osborne’s seem especially needed in our current climate of religious strife, uncivil discourse, and a general deficit of empathy. Whenever you find such a book whether it explains religions or sex or whatever, remember to save it for a younger parent to use when hiking a tough part of the trail of parenthood you’ve already traveled.

Photo by © kodbanker / Adobe Stock.

The coolest family attraction to hit the New York/New Jersey Metro Area in years has finally arrived. After years of delays, the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, N.J., opened in November 2019 and it includes an oasis of thrilling entertainment including Nickelodeon Universe.

Why is Nickelodeon Universe a must see? Let us count the ways:

1. Easy, convenient access

Nickelodeon Universe is less than 30 minutes away from NYC by car or bus (they have an express bus leaving the NYC Port Authority station every 20 to 30 minutes). If you drive, parking is free as long as it’s not game day for the Jets or Giants who play football next door in MetLife Stadium. We stayed in the theme park longer than normal just because we knew the ride home would be swift and easy.

2. Record-breaking thrills

If you’re a family of thrill seekers, make sure the TMNT Shellraiser roller coaster (must be 48 inches tall to ride) your top priority. The 138-foot drop, at an angle of 121.5 degrees, is the steepest in the world! We loved this coaster and its eight inversions so much we rode it three times in a row. If you don’t have fear of heights, strap on your harness and climb Legends of The Hidden Temple Challenge. You’ll navigate a labyrinth of obstacles, beams and ladders as you scale terrifying heights in the world’s tallest, indoor adventure ropes course.

3. Skyline views from all angles

Love the Manhattan skyline? You’ll have jaw-dropping views from the top of the Skyline Scream drop tower. You soar up 200 feet and do a 360-degree spin so you see the city from every angle. You’re also treated to perfect cityscape views while you pause for a few seconds on the TMNT Shellraiser before plunging down the world’s steepest drop.

4. Meet your favorite Nickelodeon characters

Get hugs, smiles and photo opportunities with Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dora the Explorer. This was one of the highlights for our 4-year-old daughter who was telling everyone that she met Skye from Paw Patrol.

5. A modern, bright and clean universe

Nickelodeon Universe is a bit like a new car — gleaming, inviting and bright with colors, backdrops and rides that pop. The best part is that the weather is perfect year-round under the soaring, indoor shed. Sanitizer stations next to every ride are a bonus!

6. An amusement park all ages will love

As a parent of a tween and toddler, my biggest concern was would there be enough attractions to satisfy both children. Mission accomplished. We enjoyed several rides together like the popular Nickelodeon Slime Streak Roller Coaster, tranquil Dora’s Sky Railway and Paw Patrol Ferris Wheel. My 4-year-old had great fun for her size on Ren & Stimpy’s Space Madness drop tower and Shimmer and Shine’s Jumping Genies magic carpet ride. Bigger kids and adults will enjoy the dazzling Shredder roller coaster and timeless flying swings.

7. Encouraging kids to take risks, safely

Several attractions will nudge your kids out of their comfort zone. For example, my 4-year-old surpassed all expectations by climbing and traversing her way around Legends of The Hidden Temple Challenge ropes course to keep up with her older brother. Then, both children cast their fears aside when they stepped onto the 70-foot ledge and literally leaped (fully harnessed via rope pulley system) down to the ground. It was a monumental experience that our entire family enjoyed.

8. Have Nickelodeon Universe all to yourself

Not literally. However, you will certainly feel like a VIP if you arrive the moment the place opens. The lack of crowds in those first two hours resulted in no wait times at rides, meaning we went on our favorites several times. Unlike traditional theme parks, the condensed space in the venue keeps you immersed in the action and near all the rides. This enabled us to maximize our experience during these early hours as well as conquer the most popular rides that usually have a long queue.

9. Get slimed!

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Nickelodeon Universe features a mesmerizing Slime Time Live game show on its main stage. Two teams from the audience face off in a variety of silly competitions including bobbing for marshmallows (in slime), putting on dozens of pairs of underwear, answering trivia questions and tossing water balloons. The winner gets the ultimate prize — Slimed! We were randomly selected to participate in the game show. My son said getting slimed was a “life changing experience” and it enabled me to live out a “Double Dare” fantasy from my childhood.

10. American Dream offers much more

We absolutely loved our adventure at Nickelodeon Universe, but that’s just the beginning. The American Dream complex offers a variety of unparalleled entertainment. You have options like:

• Big Snow, North America’s first and only indoor, year-round snow-filled ski resort.
• The Rink, an NHL regulation size ice rink for hockey, figure and leisure skating.
• American Dream mall: Home to over 350 shopping experiences and featuring more than 100 dining destinations.

There’s also more to come at American Dream. Dreamworks Waterpark is slated to be North America’s most massive indoor water park including 40 water slides, wave pool and loads of other attractions. Also coming soon: a Merlin Entertainments’ Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center, CMX Luxury Movie Theater, Kidzania, and a 300-foot observation Ferris wheel.

A few recommendations for Nickelodeon Universe as they continue to evolve:

• More restrooms. It only had one centralized restroom facility.
• More food. There needs to be a wider assortment beyond snacks and “grab ‘n’ go” sandwiches for families wanting to spend the entire day inside the theme park.

When leaving Nickelodeon Universe, our family already started debating our next visit. Do we return to Nickelodeon Universe or strap on our skis at Big Snow?

Disclosure: NYC Dads Group received complimentary passes to Nickelodeon Universe. The opinions and thoughts expressed in this article are authentic and 100% our own.

Editor’s note: New York City presents amazing cultural opportunities to share with our families. We recently collaborated with Disney’s “THE LION KING” to experience this legendary Broadway show. Member Corbin Younger reviews this must-see musical.  

As we roar into the holiday season, a pride of 25 NYC fathers and their children recently attended a production of Disney’s award-winning best musical  THE LION KING at the Minskoff Theatre. Coming up the escalators, my daughter and I immediately realized we were being transported someplace special.

The sides of the theater look like the Savanna, and there’s a giant wooden lion head watching majestically over the proceedings. As my daughter and I entered the theater lobby, we saw many parents and children with amazed looks on their faces. Before you get to your seats, you have the chance to marvel at several  costumes on display. This is a very smart tactic. Not only does it provide great opportunities for Instagram worthy pictures before the performance, but it gives the little ones a frame of reference so they can be prepared for what is coming.

And what comes when the show starts is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in theater.

The grand procession of animals to begin the show, through the audience, left me breathless. You’re transported from the middle of Manhattan to the middle of Africa, from the mundane to the magical.

My daughter exclaimed loudly “Wow!” and shook with delight at how amazing and intricate the costumes were.  Each animal is portrayed in a slightly different way through the use of masks, makeup, kites, puppetry, pulleys and performers. The actors did not simply display their costume, it is as if each personified the spirit of the animal. A simple stare, a sudden pause to clean themselves, each animal had a nuanced way to demonstrate their individuality. No matter how small or large, from giraffes to warthogs to buzzards, each animal is portrayed with skill and grace. We realized that each animal is unique, and has to be treated with respect.

And yet, even being unique, THE LION KING animals work in unison to create a circle of life, where each animal is interconnected. If one aspect of this circle goes awry, the show demonstrates, the effects of breaking this chain can be devastating. Greed and shortsightedness can lead to devastation, a lesson highly relevant in today’s global environment.

The circle of life also shows how a community supports each other. The main character, Simba, does not grow to be the leader he becomes without family and friends supporting him. Similarly, I saw this effect on a more local level among our NYC Dads Group attendees. Before the show, when I needed to use a restroom, other fathers from our group kept a watchful eye on my daughter. I paid this kindness forward a few minutes later. When we began to walk to our seats, one of the dads called out to a fellow father  who had forgotten his backpack on a chair. We looked out for each other as a tribe, and welcomed others into our circle. For one short moment, we were one tribe, one family. We were similarly honored to join the circle of those lucky enough to see a production like THE LION KING.

We loved ‘THE LION KING’

After the show, our group quickly began raving about this special experience. Here are a few highlights and observations from our circle of dads:

Having the opportunity to share this show with my daughter was truly amazing. Watching her face in awe as the opening number unfolded was worth a million dollars. The production team of THE LION KING does an amazing job alongside the talented actors throughout the entire show. We’ll be talking about this Broadway show for years to come. –– Dan G.

Bloody brilliant experience! Our first time on Broadway for both my daughter and I. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to experience this with a great bunch of like-minded dads. Highlight was seeing the pure joy and amazement on my child’s face gawking at the unbelievable costumes and dancing! — Joe M.

Five stars! Every family should see this show. We especially loved the clever and creative animal costumes and great music. –– Chris D.

Seeing THE LION KING on Broadway was an awesome experience for my son and myself. His face was priceless throughout the entire show. So captivating. –– Larry I.

“I loved it!!”, said my daughter. It was a great time to share with my daughter and so many other NYC Dads. The costumes were unbelievable! — John S.

This was such a powerful experience for me. The first time I saw THE LION KING on Broadway was five years ago — the day before my daughter was born. Having the chance to share this spectacular Broadway musical with my daughter and seeing the pure joy in here eyes was the ultimate father/daughter bonding moment. THE LION KING was the perfect choice to be her first ever Broadway experience. We’ve been listening and dancing to the musical soundtrack in our home everyday so that’s when you know it made a positive impact on our lives. — Lance S.

Disclosure: The team at “The Lion King” provided this experience for NYC Dads Group members to attend. The opinions expressed in this review are heartfelt, honest, and 100 percent our own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Corbin Younger is a tutor and parent advocate, part-time writer and full-time dad to his daughter. He was previously a special education teacher for 20 years in Virginia and New York.