All of us here at Mommy Poppins New Jersey have been working hard and birthday-partying like crazy and we're proud to finally introduce our NJ Kids' Birthday Party Ideas Guide! Chock-full of tips, ideas, locations, pricing, and personal experience, we hope our Birthday Party Guide will take some of the stress and legwork out of your planning and let you just enjoy your special boy or girl's big day. We'll be updating our Guide continually, so check back often for the skinny, gathered by our Mommy Poppins partiers. Enjoy!

We continue our month-long focus on Dumbo with a look at indoor places for kids to play and learn in the neighborhood. Although many families are moving to the area for its amazing views, cool culture and great things to do, Dumbo is still a work in progress when it comes to kids' play spaces—there's nary a kiddie gym franchise in sight. But in addition to a handful of athletic spots like Dumbo Gymnastics and Brooklyn Bridge Fencing, we've found some more offbeat spots where kids can take cool classes or just run around a bit.

Last week I posted a bunch of last minute spring break deals, but I think this week's crop of travel deals is even better. Whether your'e looking for a last minute getaway this week, or a Spring weekend getaway or a summer vacation deal, I found big discounts on trips to Montreal and Myrtle Beach, Philadelphia and South Beach and, of course, DisneyWorld, plus a bunch of hot destinations for this summer. These deals are so good, I'm tempted to go on these vacations myself. If you see I suddenly stop posting next week, you'll know why!

Easter is the main event this week and all of our sites have posts about cool community Easter egg hunts and festivals, from NYC to Long Island to New Jersey and beyond. We also updated our posts about New Jersey's awesome Easter Bunny train rides and where to take photos with the big rabbit in NYC, and our Boston site has tips on creating healthier Easter baskets.

This week also marks the start of Passover and spring break. If you're planning a NYC staycation, we have lots of ideas about what to do over spring break. And if you want to get out of town, you have plenty of time to take a day trip or even plan a longer getaway with the help of our new Mommy Poppins Travel Site.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site:

(Image courtesy of Long Island Aquarium)

It's Easter Weekend, and celebrations abound around the Island. Take the kids on an egg hunt (find even more here)--or even a dinosaur-egg hunt--an Easter Parade or a Spring Festival. Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Spring Break is about to begin for many Connecticut families and there are lots of Easter festivities around the state on Saturday. Looking for some inspiration? You can check out some fun Easter party and recipe ideas on our pinterest page. Saturday is your last chance to squeeze an Egg hunt in and Easter activities abound this weekend. You can find a celebration close to you in our Fairfield, Hartford and Litchfield posts. 

With two big holidays just around the corner, Boston is buzzing with bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and Passover preparations. There is still time for kids to see the Easter Bunny around town and take part in some really big Easter Egg hunts. Plus, we have some great ideas for ways to fill your Easter baskets and Easter eggs to celebrate at home.

If you’re still trying to figure out what to do with the kids during April Vacation Week in and around Boston, take a look at these terrific workshops, camps and programs. And be sure to check in on our calendar as we’re continually updating it with other special vacation events.

Here’s wishing everyone a great weekend. Read on for some of our suggestions of things to do. Enjoy!

“Listen my children and you shall hear…” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

April is National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Kids in the greater Boston area can celebrate with poetry contests, workshops, performances, a festival and an exploratory walk through the woods. Read on for a roundup of all things poetry.