History Detectives

     You may have walked by someone doing this trick on the streets of New York: he has a little table set up with three upside-down cups and he gets people to wager money on whether or not they can guess under which cup the ball was placed. Don’t fall for it! This person…

  Here is a challenge for all of you home chefs. How many of you can recite this motto truthfully: “I worked for freedom today. I served at least one food from each of the basic seven food groups. I prepared the food I served with care. I wasted no food today.” Whoa, you might…

Readers, we have some real treats for you in this post. As you may know, our February Reading into History book is Breaking Ground, Breaking Silence: The Story of New York’s African Burial Ground. On February 24th, from 3 – 5 pm, we will host our Wrap for this book with co-author and conservator Gary McGowan. This book…

To celebrate one of our founding fathers’ favorite foods, The Historic Division of Mars and the New York Historical Society present a family friendly event on Presidents’ Day, February 18, all about the history of chocolate. The American Heritage Chocolate® line of products is a nod to an original 18th century recipe – the type of…

  I was taught very early the importance of writing a thank you letter. I must admit that in this age of instant communication I don’t always do so by mail…but I still value this art and try to adhere to it. A simple thank you letter really shows how much you value, not the…

  This weekend marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake in the Chinese calendar. There will be feasts, parades, fireworks and gifts of red envelopes passed out to celebrants during this important Chinese holiday. Great significance is placed on the symbolism of the snake. Chinese lore tells us that a snake in the…

  Recently at Little New-Yorkers, we read a book called Urban Animals by Isabel Hill. “Urban animals,” you may think. Like rats on subway tracks? Squirrels in Central Park? Polar bears at the Bronx Zoo? None of the above. The book is about animals on buildings, of course! Urban Animals features photographs of buildings in…

  On a sunny winter day last weekend hundreds of families traveled with their “Passports Through American History,” stopping at 1699, 1776, 1845, 1899 and 1942. At each stop along their travels, kids participated in historic games, art-making, and hands-on activities, earning special stamps in their passports. Other highlights included a photo booth using images…

  WARNING: If you are squeamish around slimy, blood-sucking worms, you may not want to read further! Have you ever been swimming in a pond with leeches? I have…and it made me a little nervous. As refreshing as it was on a hot summer day, I did NOT want an uninvited guest to tag along on my body…