Ballet, Opera, Orchestra, Art Museums. For many people, high brow cultural opportunities like these are the best thing about New York City. And there's no reason that can't be true for kids too. Start your toddlers, preschoolers and little kids off on a diet of high brow culture tailored just for kids and before you know it you'll be taking them to the real thing.

This weekend there are a bevy of fun high brow performances your kids will love. But don't take my word for it. I've included some video clips for each show (where available) so you can decide for yourselves if this high brow culture is cool or not...oh, and most of these events are parts of series, so if you can't catch them this weekend, look for alternate performance and dates.

And we're not talking about Paris Hilton. We're talking about the real kind of princesses??”the little ones. Yes, I know some parents frown on encouraging little girls to overload on tulle and Disney, but in my experience this is a phase that should be enjoyed while it lasts, because around first or second grade the dressing up stops and there'll be no more pictures of those chubby little faces peeking out from crooked tiaras and sequined tutus. Whether your little princess hails from New York or you are visiting royalty, here's a list of activities for creating the Ultimate Princess Weekend in New York City for your little girl. (Warning this post could be dangerous to your wallet. Extreme caution is advised when planning on indulging your little girl's every fantasy. Do not attempt all of the following in one weekend. Mommy Poppins takes no responsibility for damages incurred by hysterically happy little girls or exhausted, broke parents.)

Swimming lessons are some of the most popular classes for New York City kids. And, while perhaps you were taught by being thrown in the water and allowed to figure out how to not drown, today's approach is much gentler. I mean, geez, who would pay for that?

Swimming classes start for children as early as newborns, with Mommy and Me Swim Classes, and continue with Group Lessons, Private Swim Lessons, or you might even consider a Swim Team. With all the options (and often high prices) of learning how to swim, it can be difficult to know what class is right for your (soon-to-be) Nemo. Your child’s age, skill level and your own expectations are the key determining factors.

The New York Public Library has put out a list of recommended children's books for Women's History Month. I guess that would be March.  I love books that feature clever, brave heroines any time of year.

Check out their list and here are some of my all time favorite books about cool girls:

Last month I wrote about play spaces where you can drop in and pay for play, but how about places where you can drop in and not pay? There are still some great places that welcome you to play for free and we've rounded up 5 good ones below. Of course, you should also check out our list of free times at NYC museums so you don't miss out on things like pay what you wish Thursdays at the Children's Museum of the Arts.

Where to play for free indoors with NYC kids:

There's lots going on in the world of schools right now, whether you're a parent looking to apply to public Pre-K, Kindergarten or just hearing back from the private schools. And there's lots to be concerned about with radical budget cuts threatening the quality of public school education, teachers getting laid off and class sizes growing. On the up side, there are going to be lots of new schools opening next year. Find out more about them and all this other news, and what you can do to make your voice heard for our kids. Plus we've got an update on the scooters for schools and the winners to our scooter giveaway below.

Well, now even the cave dwellers are feeling the recession.  That has to be proof positive that we’re in tough times.  In Missouri, a Cave Home is facing foreclosure, so they’ve naturally put it up for sale on Ebay.  It even has a stage that Ted Nugent played on once.  Really? Wow.  In happier news links, take a look at the portfolio of a ten-year-old graffiti artist some are calling the new Banksy, excerpts from the latest Michelle Obama interview (love her more and more…), 15 graceful ways to say no (but go ahead and say yes to reading them), and the NY Times coverage of Brooklyn’s newest top foodies.  Checkit!

Comedian Louis C.K.'s humorous rant on Conan about the "spoiled idiots" we are that we take the amazing progress of our generation for granted and whine about the most minor inconveniences from brand new technologies that we didn't even know existed 10 seconds ago.

Will our current economic crisis teach us a little bit of perspective? And is technology saving us or ruining us? What do you think?