Lindsey Thomas

New York is one of the fashion meccas of the world, and even its littlest residents are up-to-date with trendy styles. Thanks to the best kids' shoes stores across the city, your youngsters can stay hip and comfy with a wide variety of footwear options. Little feet trapse all over Gotham. Between subway rides, playground visits and everything in between, it's important to rock a cool look that can stay durable in the concrete jungle. After you've made a visit to the best kids' shoe stores, browse these kids’ consignment shops, kids' clothing stores and school uniform stores.  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day for kids is more than just a day off from school; it's the perfect occasion to promote core values like tolerance and freedom while honoring the legacy of the visionary civil rights leader. This year, there are lots of great ways to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. for kids. Little ones can settle in for story times and crafts centered around messages of love, peace and equality, while older kids can appreciate a civil rights–themed march, a scavenger hunt or a film screening lauding Martin Luther King Jr. and other illustrious African-Americans. This year, too, the holiday happens to coincide with President Barack Obama's inauguration. Catch a live screening of the ceremony at the Harlem Armory or at BAM as your family reflects on how far we've come in the 50 years since MLK delivered his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.

He's already come to town and started making his list—now, scroll through our guide to where to see Santa Claus in NYC this year. The classic St. Nick is back at Macy's, but this year your little ones can also share their Christmas wishes with his more offbeat cousins: a hipster Santa, a female Santa and a few seafaring varieties. And if your brood is wondering where to see Santa in the outer boroughs, they're in luck: Plenty of local malls and shopping centers are hosting the jolly red fellow through the end of the holiday season.RECOMMENDED: Christmas for kids in New York City

Rachel Lipson asked a three-year-old student who had just joined one of her songwriting classes if she knew how to compose a song. "No, but I can write an ocean," the girl replied. Lipson, founder of Blue Balloon Songwriting for Small People, knew that she had just heard a great lyric. By the end of the lesson, the pupil and two other students had produced an accompanying melody that, Lipson thought, had echoes of Bob Dylan. (The girls responded with blank stares until one of them said she knew a doggy named Dylan.) Founded in 2010, Blue Balloon—which is based in Brooklyn Heights but holds classes in other neighborhoods according to demand—channels kids' creative energies in private and small-group lessons for preschoolers through middle-school students. From the very first session, Lipson instructs aspiring Joni Mitchells how to play an instrument (usually guitar), compose music and pen lyrics. "I'm teaching kids how to be folk singers from a very early age," says Lipson, a singer and guitarist herself. But songwriting isn't the only subject here—the kids each build a repertoire, recording and editing their tunes in a studio, and designing artwork for their own album. Classes culminate in an end-of-year public showcase that gives children a taste of the indie-music experience. This year, some 30 students will perform original material, after which Lipson and her group, the Tip Top Band, will take to the stage for a grand finale. Students from Blue Balloon Songwriting for Sma

Entrepreneur Daniel Nissanoff had just founded an online luxury-goods marketplace, Portero.com, when he started looking closer to home for inspiration for his next business venture. The Upper East Side dad had always loved putting together model airplanes, and his two young kids shared his love for crafts. Make Meaning, one of the city's premiere crafting destinations, was born when Nissanoff realized he could start a company that brought other families together around the same hands-on projects that his brood—Asher, 7, Phoebe, 6, and wife Amy—enjoyed. The all-ages DIY crafting concept has taken off since Nissanoff opened the first Make Meaning on the Upper West Side in 2010. Now, there's another Make Meaning on the Upper East Side, in addition to locations in Massachusetts, Arizona and California, with other spots currently in the works. "I can't walk down the street now without someone saying, 'See that guy? He's the Make Meaning guy.' All of a sudden I'm like the Pied Piper or Willy Wonka," Nissanoff jokes. "I'm in the business of making people happy." Families who visit Make Meaning can focus on one of seven crafts: paper, jewelry, ceramics, glass, soap, candles or cake. The Nissanoff family is particularly fond of the spot's soap-making station: "The outcome is always really cool," explains Nissanoff. "There are pre-colored and pre-formed shapes that the kids can add toys and glitter to." The Nissanoffs have even hosted their children's birthday parties at the store: "Ph

Jennie Perillo’s life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Mikey, died suddenly of a rare autoimmune disorder in 2011. As she struggled to cope with the tragedy, the food writer turned to her lifelong passion for the culinary arts—the same passion Mikey had encouraged her to pursue when they first met. Perillo threw herself into cooking for (and with) her daughters, Isabella, now 10, and Virginia, 5, in their Carroll Gardens home, as well as for the devoted fans of her popular blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen. Perillo’s first cookbook, Homemade with Love, which debuted in March, is the fruit of that labor. Many of the healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes feature interchangeable ingredients, influenced by Isabella and Virginia’s finicky palates as well as their friends’ dietary restrictions. Mikey’s memory also lives on in the book’s recipes—including his favorite dish, drop-biscuit chicken pot pie—and in the family’s Friday movie night tradition. “We make pizza from scratch and watch classic movies,” explains the Brooklyn mom. “Mikey was a huge fan of the Marx Brothers.”THEIR FAVORITE...BRUNCH SPOT“We love the servers and hostesses at Café Mogador (101 St. Marks Pl between First Ave and Ave A; 212-677-2226, cafemogador.com). They’re so friendly, and are always armed with a smile—no matter how busy it is. Isabella typically goes for the pancakes or French toast. I’m addicted to the Moroccan eggs, which are poached and served with a spicy tomato sauce. Virginia loves them too, sans t

Blue Balloon Songwriting for Small PeopleChildren get a sense of what it takes to be a folk singer by learning an instrument (usually guitar), penning their own music and lyrics, recording in a studio and designing album artwork. To give kids a taste of the real indie-music experience, classes culminate in a showcase performance at a live music venue. Multiple venues (917-608-2433, blueballoonschool.com). Ages 3 and up.See them perform: May 21 1--4pm. The Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave at Havemeyer St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn. $15, children $5.Brooklyn Guitar SchoolKeith Richards wanna-bes start out by strumming along to their favorite rock tunes. Then they work their way up to mastering more advanced techniques like riffs, licks and shreds. 81 Fourth Ave at St. Marks Pl, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (718-855-5400, brooklynguitarschool.com). Ages 8 to 16.See them perform: May 13 at 7pm. See above for venue info. Free. Brooklyn Kids Rock!Aspiring musicians learn how to produce original songs while also playing the greats, from the Who to the White Stripes. After rehearsing with their bands and hamming it up in photo shoots, youngsters live out their rock & roll dreams by performing at city venues like the Living Room. Complete Music Studio, 227 St. Marks Ave at Vanderbilt Ave, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (brooklynkidsrock.com). Ages 7 to 14.See them perform: June 18 2:30--5pm. The Living Room, 154 Ludlow St between Rivington and Stanton Sts. $4, children $3. Brooklyn Music

Choplet Ceramics Studio Students use the same tools as the pros to make hand-built, sculpted and wheel-thrown pieces. Tuition includes unlimited, adult-supervised studio time, and families of four or more can create their own classes. 238 Grand St between Driggs Ave and Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (917-547-8316, choplet.com). Four-week session: $150 per person. Ages 6 and up. Greenwich House Pottery Open for over a century, this ceramics center exposes its youngest potters to the ABCs of hand building. Instructors often rely on storytelling to inspire castle sculptures and clay self-portraits . 16 Jones St between Bleecker and W 4th Sts (212-242-4106, greenwichhouse.org). $295--$555 per multiweek session (depending on class type and length). Ages 5 to 13. La Mano Pottery Budding artists learn hand building techniques (all ages) and pot-throwing skills (ages 12 and up) alongside experienced potters. 237 W 18th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves (212-627-9450, lamanopottery.com). Hand building: $250 per eight-week session; wheel: $300 per eight-week session; Sunday workshop: $50. Ages 5 and up. Mugi Pottery Kids' classes at this gallery-cum--party space teach tykes the art of slab rolling, coiling, pinch pots, glazes and slumps. Projects are often seasonal (think summertime lemonade cups). 993 Amsterdam Ave between 108th and 109th Sts (212-866-6202, mugipottery.com). $135--$225 per multiweek session (depending on class type and length). Ages 5 to 14. The Painted PotAt

At these holiday camps for kids, your crew can stay busy—and have fun learning!—on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Children can take a cue from the civil rights leader himself and join a community service project with NYC Is My Backyard or let their creative juices flow in cooking, crafting and performing arts holiday camps for kids around the city.

Donating to a toy drive is always a great way to brighten the holidays for children in need, but this year, as New Yorkers continue to get on their feet after Hurricane Sandy, local toy drives have the potential to touch children's lives more than ever. As you continue shopping for holiday gifts for your loved ones, consider adding an extra plaything to the list—and click through our New York City toy drive guide to see where your family can drop it off.

The Children's Museum of the Arts—one of our favorite art spots in the city for kids—turns 25 this year, and it's marking the milestone in two big ways: with its fifth annual Around the World multicultural series, which kicked off last weekend with the Lunar New Year Festival, and with "Face to Face," a new exhibition celebrating children's self-expression that opened on February 7. The show offers a fresh glimpse inside the Children's Museum of the Arts' permanent collection, which began in 1990 when the museum invited kids around the world to send in their self-portraits to the museum. Since then, the collection has expanded enormously with the acquisition of both historical and contemporary children's art. Here are five great ways to enjoy "Face to Face" with your brood, from checking out the mini masterpieces on view to leaving your own autobiographical impressions. Get to know children from around the world through their artAs the exhibition showcases more than 2,000 pieces—created from the 1930s to the present by children from more than 50 countries—museumgoers can see how children in such faraway places as India, Argentina, Austria and the former USSR have portrayed themselves. Their works display diverse styles, ranging from abstract (one portrait resembles a robot) to intricately realistic (in a portrait from Indonesia, the artist captures the elaborate textures of embroidered fabric and a floral headdress). Kids will also see how their fellow New Yorkers have captur