Rory Halperin

It's been quite a year for children on Broadway—many of the season's shows, including the super successful British import Matilda, star actors under the age of 13. We sat down with the four girls who share the role of the telekinetic schoolgirl—Sophia Gennusa, 9; Bailey Ryon, 10; Oona Laurence, 10; and Milly Shapiro, 10—to talk about out how they found out the got the part of a lifetime, their favorite part of the musical and what it's like performing in a show that received 12 Tony nominations. (The guartet wasn't eligible for a Best Actress nom, but they will receive a special award—the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre.)How did you find out you got the part of Matilda?Bailey: It was Halloween and I was helping my little brother trick-or-treat. My mom told me in the street and I gasped, but she told me I couldn’t tell anyone. It was still a secret!Sophia: I found out on Halloween, too, which was canceled because all the trees and wires were down [because of the hurricane]. My mom burst in the door and told me and I screamed. Like Bailey said, my mom was like, “You can’t tell anybody!” I went to school the next day and was like, “Zip. The. Lip. Sophia.”Oona: I was in a restaurant and just finished trick-or-treating with my friends. I had just gotten out of the bathroom to my dad in the hallway whispering, “Ona, Nora’s on the phone!” When I heard, I covered my mouth and couldn’t even say anything.Milly: My sister and I had just finished a game and my mom stepped outsi

Forty years after his parents brought J&R Music World to downtown Manhattan, Jason Friedman, dad to five-year-old Micole and 18-month-old Oliver, decided it was time to add a kid component to the megashop. J&R Jr., a store-within-a-store that opened earlier this year, sells everything from baby gear and toys to CDs and electronics designed specifically for little ones. The spot's also become a must-visit destination for local families thanks to a slew of classes, kid concerts and special weekend events; it also hosts birthday parties. One of the best parts about the new venture, says Friedman, who lives on the Upper East Side with his wife Danielle, a pediatrician, is getting to introduce his kids to some of their favorite kindie musicians. "We've been lucky to host Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes, Rockin' with Andy and Little Maestros."THEIR FAVORITE... CITY PARK " Every time we go to Central Park we try to walk down a different path. We're always amazed that we discover a new nook every time. It really is one of the most beautiful places on earth." BRUNCH SPOT"We love Noi Due (143 W 69th St between Columbus Ave and Broadway; 212-712-2222, noiduecafe.com), an Italian caf on the Upper West Side. It's hidden down a flight of stairs on a side street, and it has a great brunch menu and a very kid-friendly staff. Their pancakes are the best. They're not your standard-fare flapjacks, but rather thick and fluffy. Plus, they come with chocolate or maple syrup." WEEKEND OUTING"The Central

He may not be front and center with Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, but to fans of morning talk show Live! with Regis and Kelly, executive producer Michael Gelman is quite the familiar face. Since 1987, he's sat at the foot of the stage bantering with the show's hosts—first Regis and Kathie Lee Gifford, now Regis and Kelly—about the day's news and upcoming celebrity guests. Michael, known to most as "Gelman,"and his wife, Laurie, a contributor to the parenting website BabyCenter and a television correspondent, are raising their daughters, Jamie and Misha, on the Upper West Side. Have the girls spent a lot of time on the Live! set? MG Well, Jamie and Misha both came on the show when they were born. And they usually dress up in costume for our annual Halloween show. They also come to the studio when their idols are on, whether it be the Jonas Brothers or...LG Well, it started out with the Wiggles and then graduated to the High School Musical kids, and then it turned into the Jonas Brothers. They get a kick out of being able to meet them. It's a huge perk. It seems like the vibe on set is very child-friendly. MG Yes, the kids got comfortable being backstage at an early age. And Kelly has a daughter the same age as Jamie.LG Kelly's door is always open. The kids can just run in and out. MG And when we take the show on location, everyone brings their kids. It becomes a real family affair. Michael, you've worked with Regis for years. You even babysat his kids! What's his relationship

By day, Jonathan Perelman, the vice president of Agency Strategy and Industry Development for BuzzFeed, is collaborating with the rest of the popular site's team on ways to keep their content as viral and "in the news" as possible. The former Google executive has another full-time job, too—he's raising sons Jack, 7, and Will, 5, with wife Alexandra Lyon Perelman, the co-founder of the New York-based perfume company Give Scent. We chatted with Perelman about technology in the 21st-century, famiy game night and his crew's favorite spots for hot chocolate, pizza, mini-golf and more. Are you a techy family?We do have a lot of tech gadgets around the house: iPads, phones, smart watches, Google Glass! Our next purchase will be a GoPro camera.How do you balance technology in their lives?There's a time and a place for all of it. We have Sunday game nights, where our technology is put away and we play old-school board games and work on puzzles. We also put it away on Friday evenings when we have our special family dinner, creating a peaceful space to close the week. We limit the time they have with technology, but it's definitely different for them than it was for us. Technology is ubiquitous but when I was growing up it was just the Apple IIc. Do they boys get the concept behind BuzzFeed?I'm not sure they understand the day-to-day of my work. They know the site and love the animal section and the badges (LOL, CUTE, WIN) on the top of the page. We have many stickers with those on it a

At age 41, New York filmmaker Nina Davenport made a big decision: She decided to stop waiting around for Mr. Right and have a baby on her own. "I really wanted a kid and I realized I better have one now or never," says Davenport, who documented her journey to becoming a mom (delivery room photos and all) in First Comes Love, a new compelling film airing on HBO this month. "I had already made Always a Bridesmaid about how I was a wedding videographer and dating a guy who couldn't commit and this felt like the perfect sequel." Now living in Boerum Hill with son Jasper, Davenport chatted with us about her film, the best part of being a mom and their favorite spots to spend time in the city. Tell us what your friends and family thought about your decision. There was definitely mixed reactions. Some were very supportive and said to go for it. A lot of people thought it was crazy. There was a lot of chatter about how was I going to maintain my "lifestyle" as a filmmaker and be a mom. I came up with this brilliant move to merge the single mom thing with the film thing.Is being a single mom easier or harder than you thought? Easier. I love every second with Jasper. I can never get enough of him. You can also see in the film that all of these people gravitated towards me and have become significant parts of Jasper's life. I didn't expect that. Well, they do say it takes a village. It's a phrase people throw around but it's not always true in this day and age. It's a very alienated cul

Deciding where to raise children is a big decision, but for these notable New York parents (chefs, designers, authors and entrepreneurs), it was a no-brainer: There's no where else they'd rather live with their kids than New York City. We asked them to tell us why NYC is the best city in the world to raise a family—answers ranged from "we have instant access to art" to "the city teaches kids to be open-minded and tolerant." Scroll through our slide show to read all of their comments, then tweet us at @timeoutkids to let us know why you think NYC is the best city in the world for families. 

Ever wonder how some of the city's most popular party entertainers (think face painters and balloon twisters) got into their trade? We invited six party entertainers (including a balloon twister dad from Brooklyn!) to our office to chat about the best part of performing at children's parties, what party goers can expect from their acts and the most commonly requested trick or song they're asked to perform. Lucky for us, they also showed off their talents while they were here—the party entertainers put on mini magic shows, sang favorite party songs, painted faces and more. Scroll through our slide show, below, to read what the party entertainers had to say, then watch our exclusive videos of some of the performers in action. RECOMMENDED: All party entertainers in New York City

On November 15, Fifth Avenue's Lord & Taylor debuted their annual holiday windows with some help from popular teen girl group Fifth Harmony—the women sang holiday tunes, as well as songs from their new album Better Together. This year's windows are inspired by vintage New York City experiences, including a retro scene of Lord & Taylor (look for Santa chatting with kids about what's on their wish list, men beting fitted for holiday attire and more). On display through December 29. Lord & Taylor, 424 Fifth Ave between 38th and 39th Sts (212-391-3344, lordandtaylor.com) RECOMMENDED: All holiday windows at department stores in NYC 2013

This year's holiday windows at Bloomie's puts the famous brown shopping bags into different shopping scenes around the world—everywhere from China and France to Great Britain and Italy (and, of course, Bloomingdale's right here in New York City). Josh Groban and the New York City Children's Chorus helped unveil the holiday windows with a special concert on November 19. On display through January 1. Bloomingdale's, 1000 Third Ave at 59th St (212-705-2000, bloomingdales.com) RECOMMENDED: All holiday windows at department stores in NYC 2013

Boasting a "Dream...and Believe" theme, Macy's 2013 holiday windows depict a young boy's journey through a magical dreamland. The six windows on the Broadway side of the store—Dream, Giving & Sharing, Joy, Beauty, Magic and Believe—use technology and LED lights to tell the story. Visiting families can also view the classic "Yes, Virginia..." windows on the 34th street side of the store. On display through January 2. Macy's Herald Square, 115 W 34th St between Broadway and Seventh Aves (212-695-4400, macys.com) RECOMMENDED: All holiday windows at department stores in NYC 2013

From the city's best new sports hub for little athletes to a beer-garden in Brooklyn that's extremely kid-friendly, our best of 2013 list has something for every New York City family. Read on to see which attractions, birthday party entertainers, restaurants and other things to do in New York City our editors named the best of 2013. Plus, find out who took top honors in our best of 2013 readers' choice poll!