Astoria

In the past, we've written about ways to host a summer urban pool party and shared our favorite outdoor NYC public pools. But this winter, a few of our readers wrote in asking where they could book an indoor pool party off-season. Swimming parties are certainly a decadent way to celebrate a birthday. The kids rip off their coats, jump in their bathing suits, hit in the water and get an instant taste of summer fun, regardless of what season it actually is.

Luckily, there are a bunch of indoor pools in NYC, and while most of them are only open to members or currently enrolled students, many offer party packages to the general public. These indoor swimming parties are also a great option in the summer since the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation pools don't offer birthday packages and have a long list of strictly enforced rules.

Easter is coming up on Sunday, March 31, 2013 and what's the holiday without an outdoor egg hunt? You don't need a backyard to have one. There are plenty of egg hunts all over NYC, where kids can run through the soft spring grass searching for brightly colored orbs hidden amongst bushes and blooms.

We've got the scoop on the best Easter egg hunts in NYC. Most are outdoors in parks, zoos, gardens and farms, but a few are indoors at museums and other tot spots. Plus a lot of these fetes come with extra seasonal fun, like face painting, family concerts and spring crafts. Arrive early! The eggs never stick around for long.

If you'd rather do it yourself, you can always bring your own Easter eggs and set up a little private hunt in a quiet corner of your local playground. If you opt for an egg hunt in your home, we recommend using plastic or blown eggs. You don't want to stumble across any stinky hard-boiled surprises come summer!

Here are our top Easter egg hunts in New York City.

We love taking the kids to NYC's world-class museums at any time of year. But in the dead of winter, a trip to explore awesome and often interactive installations makes for a cool (yet warm) family outing.

We found a dozen fun exhibits that are worth checking out this season. From hands-on action at the Brooklyn Children's Museum's Big Adventure and Tony Hawk's Rad Science at the New York Hall of Science, to playable video games at the Museum of the Moving Image's Spacewar!, to an indoor tropical paradise at the New York Botanical Garden, to funky contemporary art at the Guggenheim's Gutai retrospective, here are the best museum exhibits for families this winter.