The pool at Waterside can be used by non-members who purchase a day pass.

By Sabina Mollot

While the city is finally starting to see some relief after a too-long heat wave made even more brutal due to the humidity, the summer is still only half over. Sure, there a variety of local, outdoor activities for kids scheduled throughout the summer (See T&V’s Around & About section for details), but those can get rained out and other times, it’s just too hot to be out all day. So, this week, Town & Village is putting the spotlight on a few local places where parents can bring their kids for some recreation in indoor, air-conditioned bliss.

One is Ibiza Kidz, the new shop in Stuyvesant Town which has branched out from just selling clothes, shoes and toys to offering weekly puppet shows.
Not long after opening the store around the holidays, Carole Husiak, who owns the business with her husband Johnny, started looking at additional ways to use the space on First Avenue. She ended up deciding to host puppet shows on Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. and again at 11 a.m. The shows quickly became draws to the point where some parents were opting to pay for a few in advance at a discount rather than just dropping in. (That would be $22 as opposed to the $25 drop-in rate, which includes admission for the adult accompanying the child.) There are also occasional book readings.

Husiak, who also lives in Stuyvesant Town, explained, “We’re going beyond the classic retail concept. By focusing on more than just the merchandise it serves the community so much better. That’s what I’m hearing from all the parents.”

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