A Special Saturday in New York

Governors' Island is always a fun visit for kids, with its historical buildings, including a fort, beach and concessions. Even a quick trip on the water taxi makes for an exciting excursion. But this Saturday kids can experience firsthand science with the World Science Festival. Events will include a hands-on visit with the harbor ecosystem, including the amazing eco-engineering of oysters. Timothy Farris and NASA telescopes will help you and your kids learn firsthand about sunspots and solar weather. Another option is the great Bug Hunt (my favorite!) with Jay Holmes of the American Museum of Natural History. There's a botanical safari, and a birdwatching adventure, meteorology for all ages, and kite flying for all-- including a kite tough enough to lift a grown person.

Best of all is a ride on the Mystic Whaler, setting sail twice tomorrow, with a tour for all in between.

It's easy to get to Governors' Island from Manhattan: just take the Governors' Island ferry, right next to South Ferry at our southern tip. From Brooklyn, take the Pier Six ferry from Brooklyn Bridge Park. See you there!

What to do with the kids this weekend

...that will amaze, entertain and educate the whole family? AND most of the events are free! This year's World Science Festival has a lot family oriented events.

Two great bets are the events that will take place at Governor's Island on Saturday, and Washington Square Park on Sunday. If you're night owls, tomorrow night's free event is stargazing at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Visit Worldsciencefestival.com for more information.

How to listen so your children will, too

One of the most important discipline skills children can have is the ability to listen to parents, teachers, and friends. Listening is an intergral part of learning, safety and relationships. A certain amount of a child's attention is natural, they can't help wanting to listen, to hear things, to understand them. It's our job to encourage this and help them focus and improve.

But how are your listening skills? You can't teach what you don't know, so let's check the definition of "active listening" -- a tool for letting kids know you hear them, and a skill they can learn, to let you know they hear you, too.

When you're actively listening, you give the other person your full attention. No wandering eyes, no loss of focus. When the other person is talking, don't be so caught up in thinking of your response that you don't actually hear what is being said. Don't assume you already know what they're going to say. Even if you do.

Another aspect is to give the other person cues that you are listening: nod your head, acknowledge their points, make eye contact (but don't stare).

Listening and not allowing yourself to be distracted gives your child the message that they are important to you, that their needs and wants are understood and considered, even if they don't get what they want. Modelling active listening helps your children learn to listen respectfully too. Even if you have to remind them how!