Best Things To Do with Kids this Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

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The FASNY Museum of Firefighting hosts Mini Horse Mania, where kids can cozy up to cute mini horses. Photo courtesy of FASNY

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Earth Day is the theme for this weekend, with Earth Day festivities happening throughout the area, including the annual Earth Day Celebration at the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall. Other fun spring festivals include the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival in Hastings-on-Hudson.

Also, the kids won't want to miss Mini Horse Mania at the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, a free program where they can get up close and personal with the cute mini horses from Little Brook Farms.  

WildPlay Opening and More Things To Do on Long Island this Weekend with Kids

Jaime Sumersille's picture Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on

Take a cruise on the 700-foot zipline at WildPlay Jones Beach when it opens for the season this weekend. Photo by the author

Looking for the best things to do on Long Island this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your schedule.

Swing into spring as WildPlay Jones Beach and i.Fly Trapeze both open for the season this weekend. Or set your sights high at the Kite Festival at Robert Moses State Park.

The Center for Science puts a medieval twist on its prehistoric exhibit with a Dinosaur Renaissance Faire. Or, have a fancy feast at the Long Island Aquarium during the Princess Tea Party.

Keep reading for more of the weekend's best kid-friendly events on Long Island. 

Kites at the Pier Festival and More Things To Do with Kids in New Jersey this Weekend

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Kites of all shapes and sizes soar over the beach at Kites on the Pier in Long Branch. Photo courtesy of the festival

Looking for the best things to do in New Jersey this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

New Jersey celebrates a very happy Earth Day this weekend at events like the Cape May Earth Day Celebration, which features exhibits and entertainment. Plus, look up in the sky for a beautiful display at Long Branch's Annual Kites at the Pier Festival.

Read on for a full rundown of New Jersey's best kid-friendly events this weekend. 

Experience Wild Wonder at the Long Island Game Farm with Animal Encounters and More Zoo Fun

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From the moment you step into the Long Island Game Farm and meet its resident baby goats, the animals steal your heart.

Animal-loving kids go wild for an outing to the Long Island Game Farm in Manorville. A visit to the largest combined children’s zoo and wildlife park on Long Island is a day packed with fun and excitement. There are cuddles with furry barnyard animals and introductions to exotic species. My animal-obsessed little ones had a blast meeting, learning about, and even feeding some of their beloved new friends.

Read on for all the details of animal encounters and exotic wildlife wonders the whole family can enjoy during a visit to the Long Island Game Farm, which lands at No. 50 on our list of 100 things to do with your kids on Long Island before they grow up.

Step into the Future at Mercer Labs a New, Mind-Blowing Immersive Museum in FiDi

Submitted by Hans Howe-Freiwald on

Mercer Labs is a brand new immersive museum where seeing is believing.

If you're looking for a totally new experience in NYC, look no further than Mercer Labs in Manhattan’s Financial District. Mercer Labs is a wholly immersive digital experience that is going to leave you and your family breathless and amazed. As you wander from room to room, expect your senses to be engaged, activating a sense of wonder.

See what makes this new immersive museum in NYC a must-visit, and find more local cultural outings in our NYC Kids' Guide to Museums and Galleries.

Climate Change Anxiety in Kids: Expert Advice on Helping Kids Cope

Submitted by Meghan Rose on

One way to battle the climate change anxiety in kids is to talk, research, and take action together.

Climate change anxiety is real, and can feel so scary and existentially threatening for kids that it poses a real mental health challenge. Fires, floods, unseasonal tornados, extreme heat, snowless winters—it's real, and the constant exposure on social media  can lead to worry and depression that lead to what experts call "climate change anxiety" in kids.

It's hard to deal with as an adult, and it's doubly hard to know what to say to your worried and anxious kids that doesn't either belittle the problem or outright lie! So, we went to an expert: Aja Chavez, Executive Director of Adolescent Services at AMFM Healthcare. She answered our questions on why kids are experiencing anxiety, how it manifests, and what parents can do to help.

Keep reading for great tips to immediately calm anxious kids below. We've also rounded up actions kids of any age can take, how to live more sustainably, and more in our Earth Guide for Kids.

Amazing Overnight Summer Camps in California for Kids and Teens

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Kids have a blast in the ocean at Catalina Island. Photograph courtesy of Catalina Sea Camps

Overnight summer camps are pretty heady stuff: Sleep away from home, meet new friends, have adventures, master new abilities, boost social skills, develop confidence, and learn to handle situations without parents around! For parents, it's a chance to have a little kid-free time without feeling guilty, because we know our kids are having the experience of a lifetime—and disconnecting from their devices.

For some reason, sleepaway summer camp isn't quite as big a deal in California as it is in the Northeast, but we've scoured the state and found some pretty amazing overnight summer camps in California, from stunning Catalina Island to the rustic Sierra Nevada mountains.

For more fabulous overnight summer camps, check out our Sleepaway Summer Camp Guide to the Best Overnight Camps in the US. Or if you're looking to stay more local, bookmark our Los Angeles Summer Camp Guide and our Camp Directory where you can search for summer camps by type, age, and town.

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