Somerville is a fun and funky home to artists, musicians, urban farmers, festivals, and makers and creators of all stripes. Whether your children want to learn to garden, build a lightsaber or play in a brass band, there’s an organization in Somerville just for them. These groups – Groundwork Somerville, Parts and Crafts, and School of HONK – provide unique enrichment activities to kids and families in the community. The programs offered are free, inexpensive, or on a sliding scale to give everyone the chance to participate.

Birthday parties are both a cause for excitement and many sleepless nights with all the planning and logistics that come along with the big day. Why not save the planning for the experts and book your kids' special celebrations at one of Philadelphia's premier museums? The decorating is done—all you do is create the invite list and hit send!

Here is our list of museums in Philadelphia that will make your kid's birthday party one to remember.

Is there a parent that doesn't struggle with finding the right screen time balance for their kids? We haven't met one yet. A new tech family expo, Screen Time Social, will address this digital age challenge on Sunday with maker sessions for kids and seminars for parents at the Jewish Heritage museum in lower Manhattan.

With expert panels, as well as hands-on maker workshops for all ages, the expo is designed for parents and kids to experience together and find a balance between encouraging necessary (and fun!) tech skills and finding time to unplug. Kids can attend for FREE, and we've got a ticket discount to pass on to parents. Read on for all the details.

Living on Long Island isn’t cheap, so when parents find something that doesn’t cost them a fortune—or is free—then we're obligated to spread the word. And believe it or not, there are plenty of activities around town that won't break the bank. From storytime and art to train and carousel rides, here are some ideas to keep your preschooler occupied both inside and outdoors. And for more ideas, be sure to check our Long Island Events Calendar, which is updated daily.

If your kid has graduated from NERF battles to laser tag, don’t be surprised if he or she starts clamoring for a laser-themed birthday party. Super intense and requiring skill, patience and precision, laser tag is a huge hit with the middle school crowd. We’ve covered nearly all kinds of birthday parties in the past, and now we’ll focus on locations in Westchester and the Lower Hudson Valley that offer this high-tech game, as well as some options for throwing a bash at your own house.

During the summer months your child may crave more freedom, more opportunity for creativity, and more time outdoors. If so, the adventures below might be perfect for them. Here are a few summer camps in the Hartford area that focus on art, pottery, and farm life. This will allow young minds to take a break from formulas and to get their hands dirty with paint, clay, or soil. At the end of the summer, they'll be left with beautiful memories, and maybe even a few beautiful works of art.

The Space adventure The Wong Kids at ArtsEmerson's Paramount Mainstage sweeps families across the universe in a side-splitting, colorful romp that cleverly shows audiences that it's more than okay to be different.

Older kids who love Star Wars and superheroes are going to adore Violet and Bruce Wong, the unlikely heroes of this imaginative and unique tale. The production hooks the audience from the very first moments with the appearance of the quirky siblings. They look different, they act different, and they are different. They discover their shared superpower just as a Space Chupacabra appears in the sky, threatening the destruction of the universe. What are quirky kids with a strange superpower to do but pony up and try to save the universe?

This post is sponsored by The Palace Theatre.

Many Connecticut families already know that seeing a show at The Palace Theatre in Stamford is a unique and memorable experience. A one-time vaudeville house, it has been restored with plush red seats and gold decorative work that frames the bigger-than-Broadway stage. But while its décor might be reminiscent of old Hollywood, the line up is fresh and sure to please youngsters. In fact, kids truly rule at The Palace this spring, with family favorites you won't want to miss that include fun with both Disney and Sesame Street.