When it comes to celebrating the power of play, there’s no place more dedicated to the childhood pastime than The Strong National Museum of Play. Located in the heart of downtown Rochester, New York, The Strong National Museum of Play might be one of the best children’s museums in the United States, but it’s far more than a kids-only space.

Fresh off a 90,000-square-foot expansion that debuted in 2023, The Strong Museum is home to plenty of hands-on exhibits guaranteed to entertain kids for a day or more—and it’s also the largest collections-based museum in the world. This combination makes it a great all-ages destination as adults are guaranteed to find plenty of nostalgia in its galleries, which include the National Toy Hall of Fame and the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Read on to learn why The Strong National Museum of Play is a must-visit Upstate New York attraction and why it makes a perfect jumping-off point to explore the region from the Flower City to the Finger Lakes, and nearby Buffalo and Niagara Falls beyond.

Once the stockings are hung by the chimney with care, the next order of business is finding stocking stuffers your kids will love! Santa’s big-ticket items might be under the tree, but unique stocking stuffer ideas are a great way to surprise children with smaller, thoughtful gifts that don’t break the bank. So we’ve made a list—and checked it twice—of the best stocking stuffers for kids at every age.

We’ve got cool stocking stuffers for teens and tweens, as well as stocking stuffers for toddlers and kids, and all of them are under ten bucks (our gift to you). For even more help getting ready for the holidays, including the best advent calendars and where to get free toys this holiday season, be sure to check our Family Holiday and Christmas Guide.

If your family is searching for Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities in New York City, look no further. Finding ways to volunteer with kids isn't always as easy as you'd think. Many charitable organizations have age minimums for their projects, and family-friendly volunteering opportunities often book up weeks in advance. (Which, of course, is a good sign—better to have too many people interested in volunteering than not enough.)

With Thanksgiving approaching, we wanted to make your search for volunteering with kids a bit easier and we are highlighting where to give back on Thanksgiving in NYC. We're including opportunities for children of all ages, so everyone can participate. While kids might not be able to work in a soup kitchen, they can help the homeless, hungry, and elderly in other meaningful ways.

Read on for a list of family-friendly ways to put the "giving" in your Thanksgiving and beyond. Bookmark our NYC Kids Guide to Thanksgiving for more ways to celebrate.

Laundryheap offers quick and reliable laundry, dry cleaning, and ironing services with free pick-up and delivery across most of New York City.

Laundryheap is about to be your family’s new superhero. With free and flexible pick-up and delivery options, this lifesaver of a service tackles laundry, dry cleaning, and ironing for families across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. I had the opportunity to give it a try, just as I was scrambling to pack for all four members of my family before a long weekend away, and couldn’t have bagged up our used bath towels and a week’s worth of my husband’s dress shirts any faster.

Read on for my experience with Laundryheap, plus answers to some frequently asked questions. And don’t miss the chance to get 25% off your first three orders with an exclusive code for Mommy Poppins readers.

Printable Halloween coloring pages are the perfect way to do a little Halloween decorating with something homemade. Simply print out one of these Halloween coloring pages, let the kids go to town, and hang them up around the house! Here are 15 places to find free printable Halloween coloring pages for kids of all ages, from easy toddler coloring pages to intricate coloring pages for teens. 

If you're looking to download pages any time of the year, don't miss our post on free printable color pages. And if you're looking for more Halloween crafts for kids, you'll find an awesome recipe for monster slime or instructions for making a cardboard haunted house in our list of the best 75 fun Halloween activities for kids.

Madison, New Jersey, should be on your radar if your family is into history, the arts, or nature. This picturesque Morris County gem has a quaint, small-town vibe with a tight-knit community and a thriving downtown.

Nicknamed Rose City, Madison is a perfect day trip destination that offers lots of things to do, including great restaurants, nearby museums, an awesome playground, and three private colleges in close proximity.

Read on for 25 ways to have a great day in Madison, and take a gander at all our New Jersey City Guides for more day-trip inspo. 

It can be tough to find things to do in New York City for teens. They're too old to want parents to accompany them everywhere, but many teen activities require adult supervision. If your high schooler's social life has been reduced to online gaming or scrolling TikTok, help them mix it up by sharing this roundup of 17 things to do in NYC for teens. They're all engaging activities that teens can do on their own and a few were even created by NYC teens.

Many of these teen activities in NYC are FREE or inexpensive, so you won't have to raise their allowance. Find more things to do in NYC with teens in our Teen and Tweens Guide to NYC and our jam-packed Family Activity Calendar.

A visit to the Whaling Museum & Education Center in Cold Spring Harbor is nautical fun for the whole family. This Suffolk County gem is home to historical Long Island maritime exhibits and whaling industry artifacts dating back to the 19th century.

The museum's new exhibition, “Monsters & Mermaids,” transports kids and adults into a mythical world of mermaids, sirens, and legendary deep-sea creatures. Mermaid-loving kids and aspiring ocean explorers, like my little ones, were dazzled by the exhibit's hands-on crafts, interactive oceanic folklore fun, scavenger hunt, and more. 

Read on for details that will help you plan your family’s Whaling Museum adventure, and check out our Guide to the Best Museums for Kids on Long Island for more tips on visiting LI's top cultural instituations.