Do you like festivals? Well good, because there are a bunch of exciting ones this weekend. Vehicle-obsessed kids can get their fix at two Touch-a-Truck fests and animal lovers can hit the Fleece Festival in Prospect Park. Introduce your kids to all kinds of ethnic eats at the Ninth Avenue Food Festival, show off your moves at the New York Dance Parade and rock out to mom bands at the annual Mamapalooza Extravaganza.

Speaking of music, two kiddie rock heavyweights are playing this weekend: Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes. Other indoor fun includes screenings of the classic French short The Red Balloon and a free performance by the Paper Bag Players.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. Remember, there are even more options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

The Meadowlands, once a punch line to many NJ jokes, is now a beautifully landscaped, wild ecosystem.  This Northern New Jersey destination has enchanted many visitors as an urban oasis. The transformation of the one-time landfill is a history, environmental and health lesson all rolled into one, a perfect balance of city life and wildlife…with a few highways in between. From hiking a short trail to visiting the outlets, exploring the Meadowlands is the perfect day trip for any local family.

We recently brought you a round-up of Long Island Farmers’ Markets sure to inspire even the pickiest eater to eat a crisp, fresh market veggie. The next stop on your kid’s nutritious, culinary adventure is a visit to the actual farms where many of the fruits and veggies sold at the markets are grown. Many of these farms offer families the opportunity to “pick-your-own” fruits and vegetables which is yet another great way to inspire your kids to appreciate the delicious and nutritious fruits and veggies grown right here on Long Island.

While some baby swans are making their NYC debut, a handful of local family businesses are singing their swan songs, including Scribble Press' Upper West Side location, which closes this month. Of course we've got good news, too, including new ways to get to Randall's Island this summer, a cleaned-up Chinatown Fair Arcade and a star-studded Story Pirates comedy benefit—and if none of those put a smile on your face, well, just look at those cute baby swans!

Chelsea is jam-packed with restaurants. Walk down any major avenue and many of its side streets, and you're presented with an overwhelming amount of choices, from bistros to barbecue, diners to doughnuts.

Since Chelsea is a very family-friendly neighborhood, most of the restaurants will accommodate children, especially during the day, but that doesn't mean they're really good for kids. So we continue our series of posts on Chelsea with a roundup of our favorite eateries in the area that are kid-friendly in terms of atmosphere and menus.

By now, many of you have probably organized your summer with military precision. I know I have. We have this much camp and that much vacation and this much time to annoy one another and that much time to drag ourselves around town to various sprinklers. It's all mapped out. Even still, sometimes it's nice to just get away, semi-spontaneously, for a few days of family fun without having to drive very far. New Jersey and the surrounding area offer several weekend destinations ranging from waterparks to pig farms to NJ's many beaches. Enjoy the backseat conversations and wave-jumping squeals, because my brand of nostalgia dictates that I remind you, autumn will be here before you know it. Soak up the sunshine! 

Although the average age for first-time mothers in the U.S. is mid-20s, many New York City women are on a different schedule. In the city, it's not uncommon to see thirty- and fortysomething moms proudly pushing strollers down the streets—often double ones. Becoming a mom later in life has many potential advantages, like maturity and financial security. But there are challenges too, like connecting with your peers. Sure, you can make plenty of mommy friends on the playground, but if you're hoping to meet other parents who grew up on Sesame Street before Elmo, you may want to join a specialized playgroup or meetup.

We previously posted about general parent groups in NYC. In honor of Salute to Moms 35+ Week, which runs May 13-19, we've rounded up some of New York City's best resources for mothers with a bit of life experience under their belts.

I find that dog owners with kids are separated into 2 categories. There are those that had pups well before human kids and treated them like children, lavishing attention on their fur baby before taking the plunge and trying for a real one! And then there are those that don’t even think about adding a furry friend into the mix until their lives are already buzzing with activity from 2 or 3 tots running around. After all, what’s one more body in the house to entertain and feed?