May GoList: Best Things To Do with Philly Kids

Submitted by Christine Mooney on

The flowers are blooming and cold days are behind us! It's May. Full of bright spring colors and the promise of summer. I don't know about you, but I'm just thrilled that playground weather seems to be here to stay. Both Sesame Place and Dutch Wonderland officially open for the season and festivals and fairs abound! Not to mention all the fun our event calendar has in store for this month. From carnivals to crafts, there's a little something for everyone this month.

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Texas Crawfish and Music Festival, Soggy Doggy Swim Day, April 28-29

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on

Blue skies and mild temperatures make the outdoors the perfect place to be this time of year, and we could not be more excited to help you plan out how to take advantage of the upcoming weekends!

If you're looking to get out of town this weekend, we have two great options we recently reviewed. If you're looking to stay close to home, we recommend checking out nearby Conroe, which offers everything from paddleboarding to hiking without being too far of a drive. For a weekend getaway, Austin. Texas' weirdest city.

This time of year also gets us super excited about all of the farmers' markets around the city. Farm fresh produce, locally sourced eggs and dairy, and all sorts of handcrafted goods make being healthy easy and fun - especially when the kids get to help pick everything out. Want to make it an even more hands-on activity? Visit one of Houston's nearby farms for some DIY berry-picking, an activity that is sure to be a hit with your little helpers. 

You'll also definitely want to check out our event calendar for daily activities and our April GoList for events that are happening around Houston throughout the month. To have all of our posts delivered right to you in one concise email, be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter and you'll never miss a beat. Have an event worth sharing? We'd love to feature it! Just submit your event to our calendar, and we'll do the rest.

Now, let's take a look at all the fun things happening around Houston this weekend. 

Weekend Fun: Sakura Matsuri, Legos, and Family Festivals

Drew Kristofik's picture Submitted by Drew Kristofik on

Warm, cold, rainy, sunny (please, no more snow)...whatever the weather has up its sleeve for NYC, Legos don't care. And there are TWO Lego events happening this weekend for NYC kids: Saturday (for FREE!) and Sunday (for a fee). The Legopalooza begins at Scandinavia House on Saturday, and the good news is that this new exhibit, aptly titled Lego Bricks: A Celebration, is open through August 4 (hot, rainy days = already sorted for you). 

On Sunday, Lego Build for Habitat for Humanity at the World Trade Center invites kids ages 5–12 to compete for prizes, working in teams of four to build their own version of a Habitat for Humanity home.

National Arbor Day is April 27, so naturally this weekend includes lots of tree-themed outings. For starters, the massive Brooklyn Botanic Garden Sakura Matsuri festival takes place all weekend, celebrating those fleeting cherry blossoms and Japanese culture. 

More tree hugging can be accomplished at Wave Hill's Arbor Day Fest, which includes a chance to don hard hats and harnesses to climb an ancient sugar maple, The Evergreens Cemetery, and the Queens Botanical Arbor Fest.

All that, plus street festivals are in season, including this weekend's Street Games, the Puppetry Arts Fest in Brooklyn, the Jack and Jill School Spring Fair, and the Friendship Circle Upper East Side Carnival (with ponies), to name just a few.

Check out our Spring Fun Guide, for the best upcoming family festivals this season, events for the pre-K and toddler crowd, and more outdoor fun like the May 1 opening of Governors Island, or maybe a little mini golf (did you know there are 12 miniature golf courses in NYC—at least one in each borough?)!

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: KidVenture, Rubber Duck Derby

Submitted by Susan Miele on

It wasn't easy narrowing down our top picks for the last weekend in April—there are so many lively events that scream spring, we hardly know how to budget our time! Fortunately for our readers, we’ve been toiling away at not only identifying must-do family events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, but also prioritizing them.

Some of our top picks can be classified as spring festivals, like the Spring Celebration Pinkster Festival and the White Plains Cherry Blossom Festival. Everyone’s favorite rubber-duck race returns as an example of the fun at Y Healthy Kids Day. Unrelated to festivals is Hudson Valley KidVenture, a low-cost, multi-venue, two-day combo of performances, hands-on activities and varied attractions. For a dance-the-early-evening-away kind of par-tay, hit Rockin’ Rave & Family Fun Night.

Would you believe that’s not all? Read on for all this and more, but definitely don’t stop there. We've got oodles more in our Event Calendar! 

Weekend Fun for Philly Kids: Spring Blooms, Science, Performances April 28-29

Submitted by Kristen Sullivan on

Just take a look at our jam-packed events calendar and you'll find the end of April sure brings a lot of springtime excitement to the Delaware Valley.

Start off the weekend in nature. Wake up early to see how the fish are biting during Lorimer Park's Kids' Fishing Clinic & Derby. Learn about honeybees and their vital role in the world at New Leaf Eco Center's Open Hive Days. See spring flowers in all their glory at Longwood Gardens. Free outdoor fun includes an opportunity to discover how wild animals make their homes during Newlin Grist Mill's free Pop-Up Naturalist Series, hikes at Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education's free Schuylkill Saturdays, and the 2018 Philadelphia Science Festival's free, all-day Science Carnival. This culminating event offers live demos, hands-on activities, entertainment, and games for the entire family.

After outside fun, find a seat at a local show. This weekend, Philly families can chose from The Sound of Music, Aladdin, Jr., Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, and Snow White at Arden Theater (don't miss our recent review about this unique two actor performance).

Keep reading for more top picks for the weekend. Enjoy!

NJ Cat Cafes: Purr-fect for Feline-Loving Kids and Families

Submitted by Alison Reiser on

If you're a cat-lover who craves a new place to sip a cappuccino while enjoying some downtime with your kids, then you're in luck: the cat cafe trend has officially arrived in New Jersey. Three kitty cafes have opened in the Garden State since July 2016—in Asbury Park, Rahway, and Palmyra—and the best part is, they're all kid-friendly. Guests big and small are encouraged to pick up a toy and get down on the floor to interact with the cafe's feline friends. For kids who go gaga for kitties, it's a cool alternative to a traditional indoor play space—and, since all of the four-legged residents are up for adoption, you just might leave with a new best friend.

Read on for more about NJ's three cat cafes and get ready to plan an a-meow-zing visit. 

Weekend Fun: Spring Festivals, Royal Brunch, Touch-a-Truck

Jaime Sumersille's picture Submitted by Jaime Sumersille on

Dine like royalty at the Coral House's Prince & Princesses Brunch. Celebrate Mother Earth at Planting Fields Arboretum's annual Arbor Day Festival. Create a butterfly feeder at the Long Island Explorium and then explore the rest of Port Jefferson.

Hop over to our April GoList to find more options for the final weekend of the month, or pad your wallet with a list of FREE family activities.

Of course, our Event Calendar is loaded with fun, daily happenings for Long Island kids. Don't see a great event listed here? Add it to our Event Calendar yourself. 

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Fearless Girl Statue Set to Move to New NYC Home

Jody Mercier's picture Submitted by Jody Mercier on

Fearless Girl, the bronze statue put up in NYC by an investment firm last year ahead of International Women's Day, is about to get a new, long-term home in the city. The guerilla-style art installation was meant to bring attention to the lack of women in senior-level management positions and became an instant selfie magnet for women and girls of all ages.

It has spent the past year staring down the Charging Bull in Bowling Green Park on Broadway. She will be moved just north from the skinny Bowling Green median to a pedestrian-only spot directly in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the Financial District.

A Peek Down the Rabbit Hole at Tilly’s Tea with Alice

Submitted by Susan Miele on

For five weekends starting May 4, a new walk-through production will allow children to enter the pages of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Experience classic children’s literature in a new way at Tilly's Tea with Alice: A Curious Adventure Through Wonderland. Read on for our sneak peek so you can snag your tickets before they sell out.

Want more inside scoops? Subscribe to our newsletters to stay abreast of other fun experiences coming to Westchester and the Hudson Valley! More events like this can be found on our Event Calendar.

15 Houston Mother's Day Brunch Spots to Reserve Now

Carrie Taylor's picture Submitted by Carrie Taylor on

Whether you're looking for a spot to take your own mother (or grandmother, or any other mom figure in your life you'd like to celebrate), or you would like to forward this list along to the significant other as a mildly subtle "hint hint," we have 15 ideas for a drool-worthy Mother's Day brunch. Many of these spots, which are listed in no particular order, offer lunch and dinner if brunch isn't your thing and range from elegant to casual chic. All of them offer a meal mom is sure to remember!

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