Tuesday, May 18th is International Museum Day where many museums fling open their doors and invite the public free of charge or at discounted admission. 13 NYC museums are participating, although some of them are taking part on different dates. Take advantage of free admission at some of NYCs best museums this weekend and next week.

Here's a list of participating museums and what they're offering:

[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

When you think of Williamsburg you may think more about hipsters and hangouts than babies and binkies, but it may be time to rename this hood babyburg, cause it has sprouted some of Brooklyn's best baby and toddler stores all within a few blocks of each other, giving Park Slope a run for its money.

Read on for the scoop on these baby boutiques and some exclusive discounts just for Mommy Poppins readers.

Ex-Governor Corzine isn’t the only New Jerseyan who feels a need for speed! At these racing venues, check out everything from punch buggies and monster trucks to jet cars and hot rods.  Ready to let the kids rev up on their own?  Hit the go kart tracks for some family racing rivalry–but remember, buckle up for safety!

If your cubs crave comic books or are aficionados of Japanese animé, you’ll definitely want to head on over to the incredibly cool Graphic Heroes, Magic Monsters show at Japan Society.  What you get to see is the amazing artwork that inspired modern-day animé, the likes of Mothra and Godzilla, and much of what we recognize as classic comic book graphic style, as well as popular tattoo art and manga.  All the bold, colorful works are by one incredible artist, Utagawa Kuniyoshi. One more thing. He lived from 1797-1861. (Totally true.)  Read on to find out more about this fantastic show  with tips on how best to view it.
 
 

No matter what age they are, kids really have good theater in this town. New York City is uniquely set up to provide top quality children’s entertainment, thanks to its host of actors, musicians, puppeteers and storytellers happy to perform for the little ones. Better yet, these productions are created to specifically engage a young child and many of the shows are interactive, usually about an hour in length and generally affordable.

The season is starting to wind down so if you haven’t taken your child to a theater performance yet this year – now is a good time to do it – there are plenty of great shows this spring - even some that are brand new.

Below is a pretty comprehensive list of what is playing around town for in the next few months, sorted by borough.  You will be able to find this list and all our cool kid culture finds in our Culture Guide.

Photo of the Week: My daughter walked on stilts at the Tribeca Family Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival's annual street fair, handing out cards for her tumbling class. The Family Festival was better than ever this year, spidering out onto several adjacent blocks because there were so many different activities and booths. The ESPN zone was particularly a big hit with the kids as well as mini-golf, imagination playground, hair spraying, and a free screening of the film Snowmen. While the fair was unbearably crowded right in mid-day having he activities on the side streets helped bring some relief.

Yesterday we posted about our Mother's Day wishes. I always find it hard to think of what I'd like myself. How do you possibly capture all the different sides of Mother's Day—the beauty of motherhood, your love and joy for your child(ren), and maybe just a little something special to make you feel like someone really went the extra effort for you with a wonderful, thoughtful gift?

There's one Mother's Day gift that I think fits the bill perfectly, a professional portrait. Whether you want to give mom a mother and child portrait to show off her beautiful maternal bond, a portrait of dad and baby so she can gaze on the ones she loves most, or a portrait of the whole family, I can't think of any Mother's Day gift more perfect than a portrait sitting or a professional family portrait.
 

Sit. Stay. Don't jump on the couch. There are an awful lot of commandments that apply to your dog and your kid. That's the beauty of Stanley's Party, the latest production at Manhattan Children's Theater. The musical, based on the Stanley book series by Linda Bailey, features the title pooch wrestling with house rules, but it could just as easily be your pre-schooler. Stanley wants to be a good boy, but when his people leave home for a few hours he just can't resist squeezing under the fence. After rounding up his friends, the dog pack take off for adventure that concludes with a house party Stanley's owners won't soon forget.