Thanksgiving weekend can be stressful. All the adults want to do is chill and relax after the big holiday, but the kids are usually rambunctious and want to get out of the house! Luckily, Mommy Poppins CT is here to help you occupy the time and have some fun over the long weekend in Hartford County. 

With the Thanksgiving and holiday breaks coming up, you may be thinking about getting out of town for a few days. Our Travel site just posted a fabulous roundup of seasonal getaway deals, both near (the Poconos, Pennsylvania Dutch Country) and far more exotic (Atlantis in the Bahamas).

Of course you don't need to leave town to have a memorable time celebrating with your family. Try whipping up some vintage Thanksgiving recipes, making a few festive holiday crafts or hitting a nearby turkey farm before the big day.

And we've got a question for you: What are you doing next Saturday evening? Hopefully joining us for Mommy Poppins night at the New Victory Theater. We're hosting a special performance of 360 Allstars, a high-octane spectacle featuring BMX bike tricks, battling break-dancers, acrobats, athletes and a live beat boxer. Mommy Poppins readers save 20% on tickets to the 7pm performance on November 22 and enjoy cookie decorating after the show (and get to meet a few of us bloggers since we'll be there with our kids, too).

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Oodles of fun activities await families this mid-November weekend! Among the great choices for indoor activities are Science Saturdays at the Cambridge Library, LEGO® Star Wars Days at the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center in Somerville, and an Art & Theatre Workshop at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. For a last fall evening in the great outdoors, bring the kids to hunt for constellations at Under the Stars in Lincoln.

The performance calendar is overflowing this weekend as well, with something for everyone. It's the last chance to catch Alice at the Wheelock Family Theatre. For the younger set, Raccoon Tales hits the stage at the Puppet Showplace Theatre and Vanessa Trien sings at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Older children will enjoy a production of Pippi Longstocking by students at the Arlington Center for the Arts or Seussical: The Musical at the Concord Youth Theatre.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• In First Thanksgiving Recipes to Make Today, we share tips and recipes from Plimoth Plantation to get kids involved in preparing the big meal on Thanksgiving.
• Visions of candy canes are dancing in our heads as we round up Nutcracker performances.
• Michelle finds five unique movie theaters where the birthday child gets the star treatment.
• The Polar Express chugs into town, and tickets are going fast. 
• These holiday craft fairs are the antidote to big box blahs when it comes to holiday gift shopping. 
• Find out how to make your own I Spy book with your preschool kids in Stephanie's WeeWork activity.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full events events calendar!

With Thanksgiving around the corner and leaves on the ground, fall is in full swing. Still the weather has been holding out for various outdoor activities. Check out some of these around Long Island this weekend. And for more activities happening this season, check out our Long Island Holiday Fun Guide.

Heading to NYC?  Check out our exclusive Mommy Poppins reader event next Saturday night at the New Victory Theater.  Readers get to enjoy a performance of 360 Allstars, a thrilling athletic spectacle, a post-show cookie decorating activity and save 20% on their ticket by using MommyPoppins1 at checkout.   

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter.

Science science science! We are going to fill you with the smarts this weekend, as LA becomes the most sciency town this side of that comet that ESA just landed on. (And that's 300 million miles away, so not so good for weekend plans.) We have a S.T.E.A.M. Festival on Santa Monica Pier to thrill and inspire your kids. The science-heads at UCLA share their enthusiasm for our universe and all things in it at the annual Exploring Your Universe event. (Do you think anyone told them about the comet?)

But perhaps the biggest science news we've got is the opening of the new Discovery Cube LA. That's right, Orange County, you don't own discovering any more. (Don't worry, we still love you, never change.) We got a sneak peek at the new Discovery Cube over the weekend, and let me tell you, it is kid heaven. Just the right mix of techno-gadgety interfaces, attractions that keep kids actively engaged, and the sheer exhilaration of natural and engineered wonders. This is no gimmick: true science is taking center stage here.

Some science is best left to the parents, though. Specifically, coffee, and the mystical timey-wimey alchemy that turns caffeine into pure happiness. Starbucks Holiday BOGO is back. Keep your paws of my chestnut praline latte and no one gets hurt.

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend. 

Mid-November is the time of year when multiple seasons seem to collide in Westchester. The weekend ahead features the continuation of autumnal events, like Brick House Harvest Festival; preparation for Thanksgiving, such as Turkey Scavenger Hunt and Gobble Gobble; as well as the arrival of the holiday shopping season, with Santa's Grand Arrival Event and “The North Pole Adventure”: A DreamWorks DreamPlace.

Other themes this weekend are silent movies Charlie Chaplin Shorts and Silent Film Series, as well as culinary offerings with Culinary for Children: Panzerotti and Pie Making. And for stimulating fun that’s FREE, register your kids for Bubblemania or STEAM Fest—but hurry, as space is limited!

While we’re talking turkey, be sure to consult our roundup of Turkey Trots—a listing of Westchester fun runs and walks that help people stay active around feast time and also, typically, support a good cause.

If you're planning on heading into NYC this weekend, 360 Allstars, a thrilling athletic spectacle at the New Victory Theater, opens this weekend. And check out our exclusive Mommy Poppins reader event next Saturday night at the New Victory Theater.

Be sure to peruse our November Go List for our top picks for the month, and visit our Event Calendar for daily listings of great activities for families!

Atlantic Highlands, often referred to as the "Jewel of the Bayshore", is one of New Jersey's most unique small towns. This charming Victorian town on the Jersey Shore overlooks the New York Bay, Manhattan and the Atlantic Ocean. The town's hills include the highest point on the East Coast south of Maine. In addition to its great location and rich history, Atlantic Highlands is home to delightful restaurants, theaters and one-of-a-kind shops. Read on to learn why you should take a day trip to this adorable slice of Victorian America. For even more day trip destinations in Monmouth County, check out our Small Town Posts on Matawan and Aberdeen, Red Bank and Ocean Grove.

The holidays are upon us. Grocery stores have clearanced out fall goodies to make way for winter holiday treats. Malls are playing Christmas carols and setting up Santa's chair for young visitors. And our Mommy Poppins calendar is no different. This weekend, we notice some holiday events creeping onto our pages with many more to come!

However, there are some non-holiday events to embrace before we are immersed in the season. There are Boy Scout or Girl Scout events to help scouts earn badges. If you are looking for a bargain, check out this weekend's consignment sales. Or, channel your artsy side and make a mosaic cookie plate... just in time to leave cookies for St. Nick on Christmas Eve.