Muppets Most Wanted: Parent Movie Review

Muppets Most Wanted (PG) is in theaters, and we're ready to address two questions right off the bat: 1. Is the new Muppet movie worth seeing, and 2. Is it worth seeing at El Capitan? No need to draw it out: the answers are yes and yes! Read on for a parent review that helps you decide whether or not your little Miss Piggy fans are ready for this film, and why seeing it at Disney's El Capitan Theater - directly in front of the new Muppets star on Hollywood Boulevard - is more of an experience than seeing it anywhere else.

Play Time for Long Island Children with Special Needs

Play time is crucial to childhood development—it teaches children basic sensory functions, as well as how to interact and get along with the people around them. Playtime with a child with special needs can be tricky because most organized play spaces aren’t adaptive to the needs of some children. Luckily, Long Island has all kinds of play areas geared toward all children.

And for more kid-friendly activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Events Calendar.

Deals on Summer Camps & Classes, Plus Discounts on a Kidrockers Concert and Kids' Magic Show

Right about now, figuring out summer camp is at the top of most parents' minds. So we're happy to share some awesome deals on great NYC day camps like NYC is My Backyard, Wingspan Arts, the just-opened Brooklyn School of Rock and more.

Already have summer camp all planned out? (We're impressed!) We also have significant discounts on the upcoming Kidrockers concert and the family magic show The Amazing Max. If you see a bargain you can't pass up, act fast: Many of these deals will be gone before the first buds bloom.

Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Mount Kisco

We continue our month-long coverage of Mount Kisco with a look at kid-friendly eateries in the area. Walk along East Main Street and South Moger Avenue in Mount Kisco, and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer abundance of locally owned restaurants and eateries that this small townage has to offer. Have no fear, hungry reader! Mommy Poppins has sampled and snacked her way up and down these delicious thoroughfares and has compiled a list of the tastiest and most family-friendly places for your dining pleasure. From soups, pizza and pancakes to French, Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, Asian and Greek specialties, we've found a meal for every appetite. 

Day Trip to Roaring Brook Nature Center

New England is a place of weather extremes. In the span of a month, we witness cold and snowy blossom into balmy spring, and when summer has run its steamy course, autumn cools things down again. Whatever the weather, Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton is a fabulous destination for a fall day trip in Hartford County. The center offers indoor and outdoor activities, as well as a year-round calendar of activities and events. There is surely something for everyone, and there are few better ways to connect with each other than to connect with nature together.

5 Kid-Friendly Recreation Centers in Nassau County

When I was looking for a place to hold my son’s birthday party a few years ago, my sister recommended The Anderson Recreation Center in Rockville Centre. What a find! Not only did my little guy have an awesome party at a very affordable price, but I was amazed at all of the programs the Rec Center had for kids. Even better: You don’t need to be a resident to enjoy all it has to offer (although you will pay a bit more to use the facilities).  This sent me on a mission to find other kid-friendly centers around me in Nassau County.

And for more kid-friendly activities, check out our Long Island Events Calendar.

Sports for NYC Kids: Yorkville Youth Athletic Association

You’ve probably seen kids wearing Yorkville jerseys, and if you don’t already know a child who participates in a Yorkville Youth Athletic Association (YYAA) program, you may have wondered what it’s all about. As one of the largest community-based sports programs for kids in the city, the organization’s reach and breadth is nothing short of extraordinary. In its almost 50-year history in Manhattan, YYAA has grown from baseball and basketball teams with 200 players total to a wide range of sports and performing arts programs serving 6,000 kids all over the city. But what makes Yorkville so appealing to NYC families? 

This Week: Spring Break Travel Deals, Ethnic Food Experiences for NYC Kids, Little League, First Weekend of Spring Fun

The rain washed away the last of that ugly black snow and we took our Winter Guide down from our homepage. So I guess that makes it official: Spring is truly here! This weekend is full of great ways to celebrate the new season like the debut of Macy's Flower Show, the opening day of Queens' mini-amusement park Fantasy Forest and spring's first big movie release, Muppets Most Wanted (my daughter and I saw a preview last Saturday and thought it was a riot—it's all silly puns, goofy gags and celebrity cameos, plus a great Chorus Line parody).

If the upcoming school recess is on your mind, our Travel site has a great list of spring break getaway deals both near (Hudson Valley) and far (the Caribbean). Or check our regional sites for vacation ideas: Our New Jersey bloggers just wrote about farms with adorable baby animals and put all of their great small towns posts into a handy guide. Meanwhile our Connecticut site has a list of family road trip tips.

However you decide to spend the first weekend of spring, we hope you have a blast. Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

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