Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids |

Where to Find Free Classes for Kids at NYC Stores and Public Spaces

Submitted by Sydney Ng on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 3:53pm

We'll just say it: Raising a kid is expensive. Weekend classes, summer camp, after-school care, and dance and music lessons can add up. A 2018 study by Sun Trust Bank found that a majority of parents spend at least $1,000 a year per child on extracurricular activities. And let’s face it New Yorkers, we’re most likely paying much more than that.

That’s why we’ve rounded up more than a dozen FREE classes that run year-round in NYC to lighten the financial load. All the classes listed here are free within free-to-access stores and public places, but there are also plenty of free and low-cost activities inside of NYC museums and gardens that have monthly memberships. Don't forget that your IDNYC card will give you free or discounted access to many cultural institutions.

Check out our Free in NYC Guide for more budget-friendly family fun.

Is It a Snow Day for Philly Kids? Here’s How to Find Out.

Submitted by Erin Ryan on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 11:30am

When you're a kid, snow days mean snowball fights, snow angels, sleds, and snowmen. Add in some hot chocolate, warm cookies, and a few indoor activities and you've got one memorable day off from school. With winter in full swing, kids can't wait for a snow day, eager to whip out their waterproof boots and bibs.

While they relish school closures, most of us parents don't (shoveling, need I say more?). Throw a weekday snowfall into the mix, and now you've got to figure out your child's school schedule. Is the school closed for the day? Will there be early dismissal? If there was an overnight snowfall, will the school be opening late? So many questions! With them in mind, we've compiled a few resources so you can stay up to date on weather-related school closures in Philadelphia.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Day with Kids at These NYC Events

Submitted by Andy Fenwick on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:55am

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is peaceful for New York City kids, but it sure isn't boring, with music and storytelling and volunteer activities all focused on celebrating Dr. King's life and teachings with kids. Enjoy interactive peace marches, a special story hour, a FREE bash at BAM in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and various museum events.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 21, 2019) is also a National Day of Service, when citizens are encouraged to help out in their communities. So we've included a list of family volunteering opportunities that are wonderful ways to honor King's work. You can find even more things to do on MLK Day in our Event Calendar.

MLK Weekend Fun: Day of Service, American Girl Live, Train Show

Submitted by Laurie Rein on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:50am

The first three-day weekend of 2019 kicks off with cozy crafts and theater, then tops off with an important historical celebration.

Catch the stage debut this weekend of American Girl Live in Morristown or Red Bank, and get ready to be amazed when Bubble Trouble bursts on the scene at Bergen PAC. There are plenty of weekend opportunities to get crafty, including the I Have a Dreamcatcher Craft, Valentine Pop-Up Cards, Free Crafts at Lakeshore Learning, and penguin-themed crafts and activities at Penguin Awareness Day.

On Monday, kids of all ages can honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through service activities in Scotch Plains and Blackwood, or creative outlets in Summit and Forked River.

Find even more weekend options in our Winter Guide, including 50 Things To Do with Kids Indoors in New Jersey. And look to our January GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

The Best Escape Rooms on LI for Tweens and Teens

Submitted by Lisa Mancuso on Tue, 01/15/2019 - 10:40am

If you’re looking to keep your tween or teen entertained for an hour or two in a way that doesn’t involve electronics, we have two words for you: Escape rooms.

Escape rooms are one of the hottest crazes to hit Long Island in recent years, popping up throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Originally targeted to adults, many LI escape rooms are now perfect for tweens and teens, whether it’s for a birthday party, a school or camp field trip, Saturday afternoon play date, or a family night out.

Not familiar with this new form of interactive entertainment? A group of people are "locked" in a room for an hour (per state law, doors cannot technically be locked), and have to work together to figure out the clues that will get them out. And when we say room, we’re talking elaborately decorated spaces with specific themes that can be funny, scary, or cerebral, and everything in between.

We’ve put together a list of some of Long Island's most popular escape room venues for kids. Check individual websites for details since prices vary, as do the number of rooms available, how many people each holds, difficulty levels, and age restrictions. Themes occasionally change also. Try one or more. Each offers a unique way for kids to use their imaginations, develop team-building and problem-solving skills, and most of all, have a blast.

Free Classes for Kids at Houston-Area Stores

Submitted by Ashley Jones on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 9:19pm

Houston has a variety of amazing kid-friendly activities that don't break the bank, but organized classes don't often make the cut. Some museums offer free admission on certain days of the week, but signing up for music lessons or dance classes usually costs more than most of us would like. Luckily, several area stores offer a variety of classes to keep young kids engaged and learning for FREE.

Another perk of free store classes is the flexibility they provide. Kids often jump from one interest to the next more quickly than semester-long or year-long classes last. By attending classes for free at local stores, kids can explore a variety of interests without the time commitment of traditional classes.

These valuable community resources can be found right here in the greater Houston area. Check out our list of free store classes to see what could be available right in your neighborhood.

Best Winter Theater for NYC Kids 2019

Submitted by Raven Snook on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 4:02pm

New York City has tons of cool shows for families this winter, including the debut of two buzzed-about Broadway productions aimed at tweens: the Internet-fueled phenomenon Be More Chill and the big-budget musicalization of Beetlejuice. But you don't need to dig into your 401K to give your kids a memorable live theater experience in NYC—plenty of family-friendly productions are playing beyond Broadway for a lot less.

This winter there are wonderful options for kids of all ages from toddlers to teens, including shows aimed specifically at the preschool set (The Naughty Penguin, Sesame Street Live!), stage adaptations of popular picture books such as The Snowy Day, The Magic School Bus and The Stinky Cheese Man, and eye-popping spectacles for the whole family (Thunderbird American Indian Dance Concert and Powwow, Jedi Academy).

Best of all, most of these 28 shows are priced at $25 and under, so you can take the whole family for less than the price of one Broadway ticket.

48 Free Things to Do with Kids in Chicago This Winter

Submitted by Siobhan Adcock on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 10:26am

Say what you want about Chicago winters, but the fact is, this town knows how to pack a lot of fun into the coldest months of the year. And best of all, much of that family-friendly winter fun is totally FREE.

Some of the city's best attractions offer free admission during the winter, with free Illinois resident days at the Shedd Aquarium and the Museum of Science and Industry—plus, the entire month of February is FREE at the world-class Field Museum. Winter is prime time for exploring culture and history with Chicago kids, with free and just-for-kids celebrations of MLK's legacy around Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and no-cost Chinese New Year celebrations lighting up Chicago. There's a blizzard of free kids' concerts, shows, storytimes, and public art hitting town too, from The Beach at Navy Pier to free performances of the International Puppet Theater Festival.

Looking for more? Our list of 100 Things to Do With Chicago Kids Before They Grow Up might do the trick, and of course you can always find more daily activities in our Chicago Event Calendar.

American Girl Live: Your Favorite Dolls Take the Stage in First-Ever National Tour

Submitted by Caitlin Dowling on Mon, 01/14/2019 - 10:00am

With two five-year-old girls in the family, the American Girl Doll phenomenon has overtaken our home—quite literally. We have dolls, furniture, books, and an extensive wardrobe I find myself slightly envious of. "Julie" and "Maryellen" have hobbies we talk about, preferences on activities, and are with us so often that I sometimes forget that they're not real-life pals of my daughters. So, as you can imagine, when I announced we would be going to the all-new, first-ever American Girl Live show, I was met with shrieks of excitement—followed by weeks of planning outfits, accessories, and hair-dos, for both them and their 18-inch sidekicks.

American Girl Live, featuring six of the iconic dolls and an all-girl cast (not to mention an all-female crew and creative team behind the scenes) will be touring the country in 2019, with stops that include New Jersey, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Boston, N ew York City, Long Island, and Maryland. In keeping with the American Girl mission, the show is all about "girl power," a message that came through to my girls loud and clear when I took them (and Julie and Maryellen, of course) to the Capitol Center of the Arts in Concord, New Hampshire, one of the show's first tour stops.

50 Free Things to do Indoors in Connecticut

Submitted by Makayla O'Keefe on Sun, 01/13/2019 - 8:53pm

Let's be real here: keeping our kids busy often costs a small fortune. So, when this mother hears the word "free," her heart skips a beat or two. Really, that four little word brings immeasurable joy to us parents. In that spirit, we've rounded up 50 of our very favorite free indoor activities to checkout across the state. We bet there's at least a handful of nearby events that are news to you—and which you should pass on to others!

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