Kids and Greenwich Village, it turns out, go together like peanut butter and jelly, chocolate chips and cookie dough, and cupcakes and frosting. Begin this highly educational, 1.5-hour kid-centric tour by meeting up with your guide in this historic neighborhood.
On the subject of cupcakes and frosting, one of the first stops will be Magnolia Bakery, famous for its delicious cupcakes. Along the way, the guide regales young tour-goers with interesting tales about the history of this old neighborhood. Each child participant will be given an activity sheet with exercises that correspond to the neighborhood, including vocabulary lessons. There are three levels of activity sheets, enough to keep everyone engaged.
Monkey around at the Bleecker Street playground, a favorite local hangout for celebrity parents. And then stroll by historic and famous sites such as Jackson Square, Chaim Gross’ statue The Family, Abingdon Square, Our Lady of Pompeii Church, and Father Demo Square. A stop at Blue Note Jazz Club will help tour participants understand the importance of music, particularly jazz, to the neighborhood’s past.
The final stop is leafy Washington Square Park, where the children will put on a short play about the founding of the park. Each kid will play a role.
There will be a 15-minute bathroom break along the way, and the tour ends at Washington Square Park, leaving you free to continue to explore the neighborhood on your own.