Every parent wants his or her child's birthday party to be a special and memorable experience. One way to insure that your child's party will be one that he or she will remember for years to come is to invite some animals, and I don't mean those boys in their class. Kids love animals and there are some really cool birthday party ideas that you can have right in New York City with live animals in attendance.

While some of these parties are admittedly exorbitant, you'll be surprised at a few options that are on par with other birthday parties in New York and won't break the bank. Check out these animal parties that kids will be "eternally" grateful for (for at least a couple of days):  

We've been highlighting Kids Club THIRTEEN events in our weekend posts for a while now. We partnered with the club because its goal is much like Mommy Poppins': To create lasting memories and a sense of community. For $75 (which goes to support THIRTEEN's quality programming), families can attend 13 exclusive events at cool cultural institutions like the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater and the DiMenna Children's History Museum, where they'll meet beloved PBS Kids characters in person, and participate in enriching and entertaining events throughout the tri-state area.

I attended a Kids Club THIRTEEN event with my daughter at the South Street Seaport Museum a few years ago, and she still talks about meeting Curious George and the way the ship swayed on the water as we took a tour of a historic vessel. Read on to find out more about the benefits of joining Kids Club THIRTEEN, plus details on how to save 51% on an annual membership.

This month we've lost a number of venues we've recently written about, like Park Slope's PSbkln and Perch Cafe, and Times Square's Mars 2112. Now we hear Moomah, which we just featured in our roundup of restaurants where kids can play, is also shutting its doors, as is Park Slope's Southpaw. All these closures are bringing up our abandonment issues.

Not all the news this week is bad. We also have info on a free elementary school admissions seminar, a new charter school in the Bronx and a change that will result in a lot less MetroCard waste.

Starting to look at summer camps for your children? We'd like to thank Samantha Razook Murphy, mom of two girls, and founder of Curious Jane, coming to the Winsor School in Brookline this summer, for these tips to keep in mind as you assess the different options for your daughters (and sons!).

Read on for her tips, and read more about her Curious Jane and other camps in our Camps for Girls post.

In summer, Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are super-popular destinations, with glorious flora and fauna, and lots of free or inexpensive programming for families. But they don't go into hibernation during the winter.

The cool months are actually a great time to visit: You'll find fewer crowds, lower fees (the Garden offers free admission on weekdays through March 11) and plenty of kid-friendly activities and attractions, many of which are inside where it's warm. From indoor exhibits at the Garden and the Park's Audubon Center to outdoor nature walks, here's why you should bundle up the family and hit these green spots in winter.

There are many reasons for taking your children to an artsy-craftsy place: Bringing out their inner artist, encouraging creativity and self-expression, doing something fun together, having access to teachers, equipment and materials… I could go on and on.

While all those things are important, this is the number-one reason for visiting the fabulous places I have selected: The mess isn’t in your house! So take the kids out, unleash the creative spirits within, have a great time.

One of LA's hidden gems for little ones is an outdoor show known as A Faery Hunt, a gnomadic experience which is part hike, part play and all fun, taking place at several parks around town. Recently, the sprightly crew added an indoor show to the repertoire, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden, and it's a real crowd-pleaser among the under-eight set. Performances currently take place at Sherman Oaks' Whitefire Theater.