Just a few months ago, I was chatting with one of my mommy friends about how our lives had flipped upside down since our little ones started crawling. I said I wished my home was up to the task—in my mind, that meant it would be equipped with wall-to-wall foam padding and enough color and sensory stimuli to keep my infant son safe and occupied from sun up to sun down. Well, I finally found the muse to match my imagination. And all it took to stumble upon this gem of an indoor play space was a snowy, yet not-too-cold-to-keep-us-homebound hump day, and one ambitious crawler. We were prepped and primed for play, and Play City in Weehawken was ready for us!

Every year, your kid's birthday arrives even faster, right? It seems like you just had her last party! But here you are again, and you need some new ideas. 

Good news! So many great new spots have opened in NYC in the last year, so you're about to be the coolest parent party planner. Whether your kid wants to make art, roll in a ball pit, dress up her dolls, play with dogs, or just bounce up and down for an hour, there's a new place for everyone. Read on for six new kid party spots that have opened in the last year.

Find more party spots and entertainers in our NYC Party Directory.

One River School of Art + Design is coming to Westchester, with locations soon opening in Larchmont and Hartsdale. While the latter is tentatively planned for March, the Larchmont facility will begin classes January 29, followed by a Grand Opening weekend, when free workshops will allow sampling of the school’s offerings.

Read on for the heads-up on this burgeoning option for Westchester families. Stay abreast of other news by signing up for our newsletters!

Visiting a local play space or children's museum is a surefire bet for lonely winter days. But if you want to get all ages in on the action (parents, too), bowling is hard to beat. This great boredom-buster is loads of fun and no experience is necessary.

Long Island is loaded with family-friendly lanes, including some that offer bumper lanes, lighter balls for little hands, arcades, and family and teen nights. We've already updated our list of bowling alleys in Suffolk County, and now we're putting together a list of those in Nassau. One of the best things about bowling? It's often open on holidays when other fun and sport zones are closed.

The zoo is a great place for an animal lover, and cat cafes have popped up from Brooklyn to Manhattan... but what about dogs? Enter Frolic, a new spot brimming with dogs that is now open on the Upper East Side!

Frolic is a colorful, sunshine-filled space in Manhattan, easily accessible by the Second Avenue Subway. Owned by adjacent Biscuits & Bath (though independently run), their mission is simple: learn about dogs, and have fun while doing it!  

Spring has officially sprung! The air is fresh and clean, the sun is (sometimes) shining, and it's time to start polishing up those dress shoes and thinking about a nice Easter brunch. Better yet, brunch with the Easter Bunny himself. Of course, not all kids are thrilled when they finally meet a six-foot-tall rabbit. I've got my share of screaming-child-with-bunny photos stashed in the attic somewhere. But hey, those are cherished memories in their own way and great stories to tell their friends when they're teenagers. Meanwhile, if your kiddo is keen to shake a paw and eat a pancake or two, check out these Easter Bunny brunches and breakfasts around the state. And here's where to go for some Easter Egg Hunts.

Trumbull Mall was one of my first outings as a new mom, I remember finding the Family Lounge and feeling like Indiana Jones when he found the Lost Temple. This is one of the most family friendly malls I have ever been to - they have tons of kid-friendly dining options, family parking, and a playspace (not to mention a carousel!). So you can imagine my delight when I stumbled across the newly opened Kidz Club in Trumbull.