It's been an incredibly emotional week, from the tragic attacks in Boston to the new ELA Assessments to the gun control craziness. Even though Mommy Poppins' mission is to help families go out and have fun in NYC and beyond, we can't help but acknowledge these concerns since they're weighing on our minds. We suspect you're thinking about them, too.

And yet in stressful times, it's particularly important to find ways to enrich our lives by enjoying ourselves and spending quality time with our kids. Happily, spring is a time of renewal and celebration. There are lots of outdoor festivals, kids' concerts and new family-friendly shows this season. Plus with Earth Day coming up on Monday, there are many ways to honor our planet and give back to nature in NYC, New Jersey and on Long Island.

Since the weather looks iffy this weekend, it may be a good time to explore the new Legoland Discovery Center in Westchester—just make sure you buy your tickets in advance. And if you've already been there, our New Jersey site has a roundup of cool places to play with Legos, besides your kid's room, of course.

Looking ahead to May, our Travel site has a slew of great getaway deals for Mother's Day and beyond that sure beat even the fanciest NYC brunch. And if your child's a movie fan who attended screenings at last month's New York International Children's Film Festival, check out this cool kid critic contest our LA site has going. If your brood saw any of the flicks playing at the Los Angeles Children's Film Festival when they screened in NYC, they can enter the contest, too and get published on the site to boot.

Whatever you end up doing this weekend, even if it's just hanging around the house, we hope you and your kids are able to relax and enjoy each other's company. That's my family's goal! Here's what else we covered in NYC this week:

It's a great weekend for family theater, music and outdoor festivals. Lots of notable kids' shows debut this weekend, including two picks from our April NYC Go List: Wanda's Monster the Musical featuring songs by Laurie Berkner and TADA! Youth Theater's Adventures from Ezra Jack Keats, along with the kickoff of the second annual New York Children's Theater Festival.

There are also a slew of FREE Earth Day-themed festivals, like the art-filled St. George Day Festival on Staten Island, plus celebrations in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Union Square.

On a somber note, our thoughts and hearts are still with our friends, family and colleagues in Boston as they recover from Monday's attack. Sunday is Family Day at NYC's 9/11 Memorial and we suspect the organizers will do something special to honor the victims and survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. Remember, you can find additional ideas in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

Our spring culture coverage continues with a look at the most promising family shows opening this season. Reading the papers, you might think the only great productions for kids are on Broadway. But while Matilda (it's dark!) and Cinderella (it's light!) command the media spotlight and cost big bucks, there are many wonderfully creative children's theater performances off Broadway and beyond.

The selection this spring is particularly intriguing and there are options for all age groups, including a few shows that are perfect for first-time theatergoers. The New Victory has a pair of plotless spectacles, one acrobatic, the other urban dance, and Making Books Sing and TADA! Youth Theater are adapting popular kids' books by Eileen Spinelli and Ezra Jack Keats. Plus the New York Children's Theater Festival returns for its second year on the Upper West Side, and the tenth annual International Toy Theater Festival takes place in Brooklyn. The one thing all of these shows have in common? You can take the kids to see them without dipping into their college fund—most are $20 or under and one is even FREE.