It’s the time of year that New Yorkers start to breathe a sigh of relief.  We return to the streets, blinking in the long forgotten sun, happy to have made it through another cold and snowy winter.  It is hard to believe that two weeks ago we were literally buried under a foot of snow but now it seems to have melted into some pretty blissful pre-Spring days.  You won’t need your parka or your snow boots when you go out this weekend (you may need an umbrella though.)

Parks across the city beckon with their offerings of cool, free, family fare like a Native American puppet show, bird watching and live animal encounters. But, if you aren’t ready to spend time outdoors just yet, there are plenty of exciting things going on inside, too. Boogie down at one of the many kiddy concerts, visit Artopia a family arts festival or take in a flick from The New York Kids International Film Festival - tickets are still available. And don’t forget St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner.  Visit the Irish Arts Center during their Annual Open House this Sunday.

Update: There is no elephant parade in 2014 due to the circus playing in Brooklyn..

Once again the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus is heading into town and since the circus elephants can’t go up the Penn Station escalators, they need to get off the circus train a stop early in Queens and walk through the Mid-Town Tunnel, and straight across Manhattan to Madison Square Garden.

Posting this event is always controversial because some people feel that watching the circus elephants march across Manhattan is supporting their mistreatment in the circus. On the other hand, I get lots of emails every year asking me when it 's happening. My position is that this is a pretty crazy thing that happens in NYC and I'm letting people know. Do what you like with the information.

How good does that warm air feel? Though we were dreaming of springtime fun, we still had time to monitor the news articles you might have missed. Find out more about the air traffic control fiasco at JFK, a cool blog about children's books, a 100% recyclable nursery, and why you shouldn' google your child's symptoms. Also, get a glimpse of life after kids and a quick Oscar roundup.

[UPDATED: July 18, 2012]

We hear a lot about the benefits of cooking and eating healthy meals together as a family, but despite our best intentions, it can be tough to make that happen on a daily basis, whether for lack of time, energy, creativity—or all of the above.
 
You can get a little help in the kitchen and have fun doing it by taking a cooking class to learn easy, healthy recipes and techniques for getting food on the table for your kids. Despite what you might think, cooking classes don't have to be fancy or expensive, there are some casual options here in the city that are a good fit for parents for making family meals.

The semi suburban sprawl of Queens has endless birthday party options. Vanessa in Astoria had her son's first birthday at an indoor playspace, booked live music, and even got a professional photographer. If you are looking for a Queens birthday idea then you have come to the right place. Here is the lowdown on the best birthday party places in Queens. You can find even more options in our Birthday Party Guide including 10 more Queens party places.

The first weekend of March is living up to the cliché that the month comes in like a lion, since it is packed with Spring-welcoming holidays Holi and Nokour (don't forget this weekend is the big , colorful Pagwah Festival!); a free children's gardening workshop; a Dr. Seuss Birthday Party; St. Patrick's Day Parades in Queens and Staten Island; and cool crafts, music and museum, and Shakespeare events. Read on and plan your weekend!

Most commonly known as a drinking holiday, St. Patrick’s Day is usually a time to lock the kids in your house. But not this year! Queens has one of the largest Irish communities in NYC and there are some great parades and classes to look into even before the actual holiday. Here is the skinny:

One of the really great things about New York CIty is having all these cultures living here together. And by far the most fun way to experience them is through food. From food carts to family friendly restaurants, dining out on ethnic foods is delicious, fun and educational.  

One of my favorite ethnic food experiences, and probably one of the most interesting restaurant experiences for kids is Korean barbecue. Korean barbecue has a couple of things going for it that make it a favorite for both me and kids: