My son, at 6 years old, declared his intention to attend MIT after high school, class of 2027.  He lives and breathes science, so most summer camps involving athletic activities don't appeal much to his interests.  Sound familiar?  If your little marine biologist or farmer need a fun camp experience this summer, New London county offers a wide range of camps just for them! Also check out our complete Summer Camps Guide!

I'm glancing out my back door at the snow as I write--Happy First Weekend of Spring! Take heart, NJ, this wacky weather can't last forever. Hopefully this weekend as we hunt for eggs, celebrate Earth Hour, decorate cookies or geocache, the sun will be shining and winter will be a distant memory. Um, hopefully. Read on for our top picks for the weekend of March 23-24 and find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

This weekend is all about Easter egg hunts! Head on over to Newbridge Road Park in Bellmore for the 98.3 KJOY Eggstravaganza where you’ll enjoy a egg hunt, bouncy rides, magician, face painters, team mascot appearances, live entertainment, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and more. At the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City, don’t miss the Spring EGGstravaganza. Pump It Up in Great Neck is hosting its Jumpin' Easter Egg Hunt.  At United Skates of America in Seaford enjoy fun off the roller skating rink at its Princess & Superhero Breakfast where you’ll meet your favorite princesses and superheroes! Also on tap: A Pirate & Princess Tea Party at Ballet Long Island in Ronkonkoma, and a Spring Egg Hunt at Safari Adventure in Riverhead.  As always, check out our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family!

For the March edition of Poppins Parents, our series highlighting local parents who make a difference in the lives of Boston families, we talked to Joy Olaes Suprenant, founder of Catching Joy.

Read on to find out who is her non-profit organization’s pint sized co-founder, where she says is one of her favorite places in the whole world (we agree completely!) and how much joy she brings to families throughout the area. Joy also shares tips for getting your family involved in volunteerism and giving.

Ahh...spring break! No studying for spelling tests! No memorizing math facts! No recording required reading minutes! Spring break may even relieve you of carting the kids to and from sports practices and games, music lessons, and all the extracurriculars that fill our family calendars.

So what will we do with all of this free time?

We’ve rounded up fun spring break programs for kids around the Island sure to cure the inevitable “Mom, I’m bored!” that strikes soon after spring break begins. Nearly all of these programs allow you to sign up “a la carte” so if one day’s theme is of particular interest to your child, you can simply register for that day. The kids will be entertained for a few hours leaving you with some time for your own “required reading” or dare I say, spring cleaning. Spring break programs typically fill up fast so call and register when you get home from practice tonight...after homework!

One thing you can always count on in NYC? Even when a beloved spot closes something cool is opening somewhere else. Such is the case this week as 92YTribeca announces its demise while we have the scoop on a new kiddie gym in Harlem and a new children's boutique in Tribeca. Want more good news? How about FREE rides on Deno's Wonder Wheel in Coney Island, new attractions on Governors Island, an easy way to stock up on Girl Scout Cookies and a no-cost Broadway concert good for tweens and up.

Family travel has come a long way since my 70’s childhood. In those days, we kids were content to stay at an inexpensive motel and put coins into the bed’s magic fingers device.  For a quarter, the bed vibrated for a few minutes, which we found thoroughly entertaining. Today, the travel industry is courting families with hotel packages geared specifically to the interests of prized junior customers. If you’re looking to indulge your child with a family vacation that caters to their particular passion, there are a variety of options. Themes include American Girl, Lego, American History, Tintin, Broadway, a Barbie cruise and more.

It's one day until spring--huh?? The east coast has endured some crazy weather in recent weeks, so we wise and hardy NJ moms know there is no guarantee that warm weather will be here anytime soon. Luckily, New Jersey has plenty of fun and exciting indoor play spaces to take the kids. Pack a bag, put on your snow boots, and head out to try out some of these awesome places in Mercer and Somerset counties.