At last, LEGOLAND New York Resort is opening! After a delay due to COVID, the theme park in upstate New York will open for previews beginning on May 29th. It is located a little over an hour away from Westchester County on more than 150 acres in Goshen, New York.

While the park is in its final stages of completion, guests are invited to preview and enjoy six of the Resort’s seven LEGO-themed lands — BRICK STREET, BRICKTOPIA, LEGO CITY, LEGO CASTLE, LEGO NINJAGO WORLD, and MINILAND loaded with rides, food, entertainment and attractions.

​The final land, LEGO PIRATES, will open later this summer, as will a 250-room themed LEGOLAND Hotel, which will welcome guests year round. 

Check out images of the park and hotel below!

Single day tickets are on-sale for the preview period at a reduced price of $49.99 for adults and $44.99 for children. The family theme park will be open seasonally, typically from early spring through late fall. Learn more at legoland.com/new-york.

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has just been approved for 12 to 15-year-olds – here’s what you need to know and why you should schedule a shot as soon as possible.
 
As a pediatrician and someone who is very familiar with all types of childhood vaccines, I encourage everyone to sign their tweens and young teens up for a vaccine appointment as soon as they are able to do so. As the parent of a 14-year-old (and an 18-year-old who is already vaccinated), I know I will – and here’s why:

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1. COVID-19 cases are growing in children. 
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children now represent over 20% of all new infections. With the loosening of restrictions at school, as well as more transmissible mutations, this is a concern. While the effects in children have been reported to be less severe than adults, COVID-19 is still a serious illness that has resulted in pediatric hospitalizations and even deaths. Young children are also more likely to be asymptomatic carriers and could put our more vulnerable or unvaccinated family and community members at higher risk. 


2. It’s safe! 
Despite the false perception that this vaccine was “rushed,” the mRNA technology that is being deployed in the Pfizer vaccine has been under development for the past decade. This technology essentially “tricks” our body’s defenses into activating without the virus actually being present (it bears reminding that there are no live viruses in the vaccine). These advances were one of the reasons the vaccine was brought to market expeditiously – because we already had all the molecular-level background to begin work on a safe and effective vaccine against it. 


3. It likely works even better in kids.
While studies are still under way to prove just how much better the vaccine works in children, it makes sense this would be the case. As has been shown in some of the other routine childhood vaccines that we administer, the immune system of younger children recognizes and responds to the “appearance” of a viral infection more robustly than older children or adults. You can be confident that the vaccine is doing its job in protecting your most cherished asset and closing the door on this health pandemic.


Written by Dr. Ellen Lestz, a board-certified pediatrician, seeing patients at White Plains Hospital Medical & Wellness in Armonk. To make an appointment, please call 914-849-7900. 

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It has been 17 years since Yonkers native, Noel D'Allacco, started Operation Prom. The national nonprofit that provides free prom dresses and tuxedos to students in need has been on pause since the beginning of the pandemic.

While sitting out two prom seasons, local Westchester County mom Noel decided to start another company, The Grl & Co., an online shop that sells merchandise inspired by the empowered woman! Whether you are a busy mom, boss mom, community activist, educator, influencer, or anything in between, The Grl & Co. has something for you - and a mission to go along with it.
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There's an organic loose tea line with names like EmpowerMint, EqualiTea, and CommuniTea. A portion of the proceeds will benefit local causes related to women's empowerment, equality, and social issues.

​Plus, there's a coffee line for moms who run on caffeine! The Coffee Grl label has ethically sourced coffees, as well as coffee body products like scrubs and soaps that reduce the appearance of scars and cellulite.

Who said coffee was only for drinking? Later this summer, The Grl & Co. will launch a hemp and CBD line for women, and, of course that will have a charitable tie-in as D'Allacco is focused on a give-back with all of her products.

Check out TheGrlCo.com for more information and use the code "GirlPower" for 20% off any purchase.

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Moving can be a somewhat daunting process. It takes up a lot of time, money, and energy, and it stresses you out as nothing else can. However, moving in general is nothing compared to moving with kids. That doubles the amount of stress, anxiety, and the work you need to do, making it all even more difficult. 
 
Having said that, moving with kids doesn’t have to be all that bad. If you involve them in the process, they will make it fun and actually help you get things done. If you want to find out how you can get your kids to assist you during your move​, read on. Our tips and tricks will make the process as easy as possible. 

1.   Let Them Help With Decluttering

Moving is the perfect time to get rid of anything you might not need anymore. According to Nancy Zafrani, the general manager of New York moving company Oz Moving, the key to making your move seamless is donating everything you don’t need. 
 
Many organizations all across the city accept furniture, electronics, clothes, toys, and anything else you might think of. And the best thing about it all? You can get your kids to help you choose what goes and what you keep. 
 
Let your kids take care of their own stuff. Bring out all their old toys and clothes they can’t fit into anymore, and explain how they will be helping others by giving away some of their belongings. Donating things like this will help you have less on your plate, and it will teach your kids an important lesson on sharing and being charitable. It is a win-win situation. 

2. Decorate Your Moving Boxes

Packing is stressful enough even without kids running around you and distracting you. If you need some peace and quiet while you pack, we suggest you let them be creative. 
 
Get out some markers, sticky notes, and decorative tape and let them go to town on the moving boxes. They will have the time of their lives decorating the boxes, and you’ll get to do everything on time and the way you want. Additionally, you’ll have the fanciest and prettiest moving boxes ever!
 
This activity is also great if your kids are sad about moving and need a little pick-me-up. They’ll get to see moving as something exciting and fun, which might make them feel a bit better about the process in general. 
 
If your kids are teenagers, then they can help you pack. You can let them pack up their rooms and even help you out with the rest of the rooms. 

3. Let Them Help With Cleaning

Once everything is packed and ready to go, you will need to make your old home spotless. Though this might seem tiring and boring, you can get your kids to help you out. 
 
If your kids are smaller, let them wipe down lower cabinets or baseboards. Older kids can do even more, like vacuuming and dusting. Children generally love having their own rag and spray bottle, as well as their own tasks they need to get through. It gives them a sense of purpose and makes them feel helpful and grown-up. 
 
So, don’t hesitate to put your children to work. They will feel great about it, and they will be a great help to you at the same time. Of course, make sure you oversee them as they clean, so they stay safe at all times.
 
You might also have to clean your new place before unpacking. The same applies in such a case, too: your kids can help you, regardless of their age. 

​4. They Can Help You Unpack, Too

The pain of moving does not stop once you are out of your old home. You still need to unpack all your belongings and make the new place feel like home. Though doing it all on your own might seem like the most efficient plan, we suggest that you let your kids help, too. 
 
Letting them unpack their own rooms and toys will make the new place feel less foreign and strange. That is especially the case with younger children. Allowing them to surround themselves with their belongings the way they want to will make the process of adjusting to a new home a lot easier.
 
You can also make this process fun and exciting. Hide something (a little toy or trinket of some kind) in your kid’s boxes and let them go on a little treasure hunt to find it. If you make it seem like a game, unpacking will start looking like the most interesting thing in the world to them. 
 
Letting your teenagers unpack on their own is important, too. It will tell them that you trust them and give them a sense of independence and usefulness. Besides, they are already old enough to do it on their own and help you out a little.

​A Few Parting Words

Packing and moving with your kids around might seem like an absolute nightmare. However, with the right tips and tricks, it can become bearable and even exciting and fun. We hope that our little list helps you learn how you can involve your kids in the moving process, regardless of their age. Doing so will ensure your move is seamless and that you have some fantastic helpers on the journey. Good luck!

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Your child’s pediatrician is often attuned to subtle signs of preventable problems.  
Written by Dr. Amanda Menco, Pediatrician
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When it comes to kids’ health, the sooner you can identify a problem, the less of a big deal it may become. Sticking to regular well-visits is an opportunity for your child’s doctor to look for those less obvious signs that something may be off with their physical and mental health. It may turn out to be nothing, but sometimes it allows us to catch a condition early when it is most easily treated or can be evaluated further by a specialist. 

Here are four common conditions that pediatricians look for:

Speech Delays
A large part of your child’s development happens in early childhood, even before the age of four, and their social development is extremely important during these years. During the pandemic, many children were unable to play with other kids and were not exposed to a normal amount of language outside the home. This has led to an increase in pediatric speech delays, so much so that the State’s Early Intervention program has been inundated with scheduling evaluations, leaving many private speech therapists overwhelmed with referrals. With speech development, time is truly of the essence, so the sooner your pediatrician identifies an issue and can make an appropriate referral the better. 

Accelerated or Delayed Growth
Early adolescence is a critical time to check in with your pediatrician to monitor your child’s growth and development. It’s no secret that the pandemic caused many families to delay regular visits this past year. With this drop-off, we are suddenly picking up many cases of “precocious,” or early, puberty and advanced bone age. When a child’s skeletal and reproductive growth outpaces their chronological age, this can lead to various problems including inability to reach their full height potential. With proper imaging, we can confirm this condition and refer you to an endocrinologist who can provide various treatment options to slow down the process, so your child grows normally.

Chronic Digestive Problems
Tracking your child’s growth year-over-year also allows us to watch the trend on their growth chart more clearly. While a small drop in either their height or weight percentile usually isn’t cause for concern, seeing a significant drop in one percentile or the other, or even a subtle drop in both measures, can alert us to a possible chronic digestive issue like celiac disease or Crohn’s – even if the child doesn’t yet exhibit any gastrointestinal symptoms. 

Depression
Kids who sleep a lot more than usual, or who are always tired and bored, especially in their teenage years could be suffering from improper thyroid function…. but these symptoms could also point to depression and anxiety. Allowing us to talk with your child and check simple bloodwork can help us discover the exact cause as quickly as possible so we can make the proper referrals. The past year has been incredibly stressful on kids who are lacking social interaction, struggling for privacy with everyone working from home, and, for high school seniors, trying to make immense decisions about college with limited access and information. The amount of referrals to therapists and psychologists has been tremendous lately, so the sooner we identify the issue, the sooner we can get your child the support he or she needs.
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Now is a great time to check in with your pediatrician to make sure your child’s health is on track and to beat the summer camp and back-to-school rush. Let us know how we can help!
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Dr. Amanda Menco is a pediatrician with Scarsdale Medical Group, seeing patients in the Mamaroneck location. To make an appointment, please call the Pediatrics Department at (914) 989-1111. 

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It's that time of year! Stew Leonard’s Little Farm is opening for the season on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

To welcome the goats, sheep, and chickens to their new homes, Stew’s Little Farm is hosting a celebration that will include snacks, balloons, and special appearances by Stew Leonard’s own costumed characters. The event will be held Saturday, May 15, 2021 from Noon – 1:00 p.m. at the Yonkers Store located at 1 Stew Leonard Drive, Yonkers, NY.
 
Kids ages 4 to 10 are also invited to enter the “Name Our Babies” contest.  Parents can pick up a “Name Our Babies” entry form at customer service starting on May 1, 2021 and can submit their children’s recommended animal names into the suggestion box.  The contest ends May 10, 2021 and winners will be notified by phone later that week.  
 
The winners of the “Name Our Babies” contest will receive a $25.00 gift card to Stew Leonard’s and will also have their picture taken with the animal they named.  These pictures will even be posted at Stew’s Little Farms so everyone will be able to see who named our baby animals!

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After a year of limited activities and significant isolation, summer camp is more important than ever. And, not just for the big kids, camp is vital for the under 5 crowd just as well, if not even more! As Co-Directors of the Shames JCC’s River Friends Day Camp, we understand the importance of the early childhood camp experience and are so excited for this summer! Camp provides thrilling and unique activities that not only get children out of the house and moving but, in parallel, provide a foundation for development and growth—which promotes success in school and beyond. Need some specifics? Read on for our take on why camp is right for your young child this summer:

1. Camp Expands Your Child’s Social Circle. 
This year, many young children were exclusively at-home with one or more caregivers. Some children connected with a few others in a “pod” set-up that rotated from one family’s home to another. And, then there were some that attended school or daycare, albeit in a “bubble” or “closed cohort” model. Bottom-line: Not much exposure to new faces, diverse personalities, or fresh opportunities to build friendships or to resolve challenges. Camp groups enable children to connect with peers from other towns and other school districts. Camp resets children’s social dynamics and fosters fresh, new relationships; a valuable opportunity and learning experience at any age!

2. Camp Introduces Your Child to New Activities 
Unlike school, or another playdate at the park, camp offers children a wide array of activities and experiences that they might not have been exposed to before. Maybe your child finds out she loves soccer? Or gardening? Or yoga? By sampling all that camp has to offer, your child may discover a new passion that brings them joy and can be extended beyond the summer with extracurricular activities.

3. Camp Promotes Children’s Independence. 
After a year of being largely at home, with parents and siblings often no further than one room away, now is a great time (and camp isa perfect setting) for young children to explore and learn an age-appropriate sense of independence. At camp, while guided by nurturing counselors, children themselves make choices and take-on new responsibilities. From choosing to play in the mud-kitchen rather than go down the slide, to independently unwrapping a cheese stick for the very first time, these are the moments when children are developing their independence and there are so many opportunities for these important moments during camp.

4. Camp Promotes Children’s Social & Emotional Development. 
In recent years, the concept and importance of “Emotional Intelligence” has gained widespread acceptance and there is no better place to begin developing this life-skill than at camp. While schools must satisfy particular academic standards, at camp we have magnificent flexibility to focus on interpersonal skills like sharing, taking turns, and demonstrating patience. At camp, a child’s experience is multi-layered; life skills like self-awareness, teamwork, and empathy are built on camp’s fields, art tables, and play spaces.

5. Camp Gets Children Active and Outside! 
During the pandemic, closed playgrounds and cancellation of typical extracurricular activities like sports, dance, and gymnastics, led to cooped-up kids! And camp is the perfect outlet for all of that pent up energy. During camp, children engage in activities that involve all kinds of movement and build gross motor skills. Children practice determination, develop confidence, and take pride in accomplishing goals like climbing to the top of the playground or helping their team complete a relay race. We have heard parents say that they know their kids are having a good time at camp when they come home tired and with dirt on their clothes—and we tend to agree. We can’t wait to play outside at camp!

6. Camp is Fun! 
Let’s face it—the past year has been anything but fun and we all need some levity. Camp actively invites campers and counselors to be silly and laugh. Camp is for lightning up with spontaneous dance parties, bubbles, making funny faces, and sharing jokes! Having made it through a year without birthday parties, vacations, and more, this is the summer to find a camp program you are comfortable with and to reacquaint your child with fun!

7. Camp is Good for Parents Too! 
Many parents have spent the entirety of the past year in close reach of their children. Stressed about enrolling their children in a school program and unsure about the safety of bringing a babysitter into the home, the parent’s “grown-up” time has faded away. Even activities like grocery shopping no longer provide an hour of grown-up time because it's all delivered or loaded into the car at curb-side now! When parents send their kids to camp, they can have peace of mind that they are doing something positive for their children and for themselves. Self-care is critical; let camp help make it possible for you!

8. Camp is a Gentle “On-Ramp” to Re-Engaging in Activities. 
Approaching re-entry to everyday activities is not as simple as it might sound. There is separation anxiety for children and for parents! It feels a bit like first steps on a new planet—our footing feels unsteady and there are different gravitational pulls. But, camp can be your oasis in this landscape. Camps often offer flexible schedules with various sessions and half-day options. Want to try out the “new normal” and see how it feels—start with camp!

9. Camp is Screen-Free. 
No screens. Really, no screens.

10. Camp Builds Lasting Community. 
​We have all been through a tough year, privately and in our homes, experiencing the challenges of life during a global pandemic. While “in it together” is often said, the isolation imposed by the pandemic sometimes makes “together” hard to believe. But “together” through camp is easy to imagine. Camp offers a shared experience for children and their families to collectively re-engage. With this shared experience, we can better understand and support one another—in current times and beyond. Camp families have opportunities to connect during the summer and throughout the year; camp has a lasting impact for everyone.

Written by Helen Berni & Stephany Olivieri, Co-Directors of River Friends Day Camp at the Shames JCC on the Hudson. Learn more about  their camp on their website.

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