Dig for Gold and Perfect Your Forward Flip at PS1 This Weekend

Take a beautiful, and very deep, brick room and fill it, wall-to-wall, with a thick layer of soft, colorful yarn and thread waste and what do you get? A most unusual, and thoroughly fun, bouncy space where running, jumping, flipping through the air, turning summersaults, and of course, digging for treasure, are simply irresistible--and not just for kids. My five-year-old son wanted to stay all day. So did my husband.

You may be surprised to find that this fun is not in a play space or a children's museum, but at MoMA PS1, the contemporary art museum in Long Island City. Read on to find out more about this and some other exhibits at MoMA PS1 that will make checking it out in the exhibit's last weekend worth the trip.

Giveaway: Win Season Tickets to TADA! Youth Theater

I love taking my kid to see live theater. Over the years, we've seen shows from Broadway to the Fringe Festival, but the ones that have made the biggest impression on her are the productions at TADA! Youth Theater. Part of that is because she's watching her peers onstage: the children's troupe is made up of local youngsters ages 8 to 18. But I think my daughter loves TADA! for the same reason I do: Its original musicals are funny, sweet, thought-provoking and all around awesome. And the tickets are super-affordable:$15 for adults, $8 for kids.

We've written many rave reviews of past TADA! shows, so we're excited to offer a huge ticket giveaway for the company's entire 2012-2013 season. One lucky family will win four tickets to four TADA! musicals, including Up to You, which opens in April, and two runner-ups will snag seats to one or two shows. All told, over $500 worth of prizes!

Read on for more info on this wonderful kids' theater company, and the scoop on how to enter to win TADA! tickets.

Free and Cheap Summer Camps in Connecticut (Hartford County)

Summer camps can sometimes run in the pretty high range and can be a hefty expense for many families. But if the majority of camps unfortunately do not fall within your budget there are still a few other options available for your child. There is a selection of summer camp choices that offer a cheaper rate or are even FREE!

Spring Break Long Island Staycations: Fire Island, Shelter Island, and Hamptons

Spring break is right around the corner, and Long Island is the perfect place to spend a staycation. While some will flock to Florida, California, or various other places for a spring break vacation, Long Island and its surrounding areas have some of the nation’s best attractions, making it the perfect destination. And we’ve got a guide for you to have one of the best spring breaks in your own backyard.

 

News: Carousels Reopen, Tribeca Film Festival, High Line Expansion, and Nannies for the 1%

Spring has sprung and we've got several great reasons to get outside with your kids, including the arrival of carousel season, the rebirth of outdoor New York Philharmonic concerts, a clever new public art installation, the chance to see hidden wonders in the harbor, and a handful of free family events as part of the Tribeca Film Fest.

There's also exciting news in the air as The High Line's stage 3 plans have been unveiled and a year-round ice skating rink has been proposed uptown.

Kids' Birthday Party Deals and Our Updated Party Guide

Our Birthday Party Planning Guide is chock-full of great ideas for fun kids' birthday parties whether you are planning a party at home or at one of the amazing birthday party places all over NYC. We just updated all the posts to make sure they have the latest information. And if you scroll down to the Party Planner, you can search for listings by type of entertainer, party place or service.

In celebration of the relaunch of our Kids' Party Guide we asked some of our amazing sponsors to offer deals for our readers. Even if you're not planning a party right now, check it out: Some of the deals are good for a while and can probably be redeemed as long as you plan the party before the deal expires.

As always, a huge thank you to our Party Guide sponsors, without whom we couldn't put together such a great resource. If you plan your party with any of our sponsors, please tell them you saw them in the Mommy Poppins Party Guide.

Best Kids' Classes in Harlem: Places to Play and Learn Indoors

While Harlem has a ton of lovely outdoor parks and playgrounds, there are no drop-in indoor play spaces like many other Manhattan neighborhoods (unless you count Chuck E. Cheese's).

Happily, Harlem does have lots of wonderful places that offer cool kids' classes. Whether your children are looking to swim, dance, make art or just run around like maniacs, here are the top spots for children's classes in Harlem.

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