As most school-aged children in the area know, the Harvard Museum of Natural History in Cambridge is a great destination for families with kids who are fascinated by animals, dinosaurs, insects, sea creatures and birds. Its exhibits, informative displays, and special programs make it a fun place to explore.

There's a new reason to visit the HMoNH: Mollusks: Shelled Masters of the Marine Realm, which looks at the world of snails, clams, squid and other invertebrates of the marine world.

Whether you dream of outdoing the Cake Boss for your child's next birthday or just want to bake some homemade sweets, there are stores all over the city with cool supplies. If you're ready to move beyond basic techniques, many locations also offer classes on how to ice cakes, make buttercream flowers, work with fondant, and more, though most are geared toward adults and older children. Little ones will still love wandering the aisles and checking out unusual cake toppers, baking tins shaped like their favorite cartoon characters, and sprinkles in every color of the rainbow. And just in case they start begging for their own classes, we included two places that have them specifically for smaller children.

Last year we wrote about the Davis family and their adventures starting a small farm on their property in Washington, CT. They began with a flock of 25 chickens and soon after added a herd of Icelandic sheep and 2 beehives. Right now is maple sugaring season and anyone with some maple trees, an open fire and the time to boil can make maple syrup here in CT. The Davis' tried it out last March and enjoyed it so much that they have upgraded their operation this season. Elliott Davis answered some of my questions:

Back when my daughter was in preschool, whenever her birthday rolled around all I had to do was book a play space and we were set. Now that she’s in elementary school, I knew a gym party wasn’t going to cut it. But I still wanted a celebration where the kids could run around and have fun—without the parents feeling the need to chaperone.

Since gymnastics is my daughter’s big thing, it seemed like the perfect solution. Admittedly these parties don’t come cheap, but if you’ve got an aspiring Shawn Johnson, it’s worth the investment. These spots have quality (and clean!) equipment and professional instructors who make safety a priority. Best of all, after all that running, jumping, swinging and tumbling, your kid’s bound to be ready for a nap. Shades of preschool all over again!

Read on for ten of our favorite gymnastics party places for big kids.

You don't have to go over the top with a birthday party to make it out of this world fun for kids. A simple, inexpensive at-home birthday party can be thrown together last minute by picking up some craft supplies and baking a cake. My daughter still calls her Tie-Dye Birthday Party the best one ever and all I did to prepare was run the local hardware store for some RIT Dye and rubber bands. Actually the hardest thing to find was the plain white T-Shirts (who sells Hanes in Manhattan any more?)

Whether it’s good old-fashioned angel food or trendy Southern red velvet, birthday cake is still the highlight of any party for kids. These days, however, the definition of “birthday cake” is expanding to also include cupcakes (amazing what one little episode of Sex and the City can do). Cupcakes are a good party choice because they can be cheaper, easier to serve, and more customizable than regular party cakes—the perfect answer when half your guests want chocolate and the other half crave vanilla. Whichever way you go, consider the following places. They’ll make any birthday party a sweet celebration.