Cold Spring Harbor is a wonderful place to enjoy nature because of the variety of environments to explore. You can try your hand at fishing at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium, and learn to identify the variety of fish in New York's waterways. You can go on a butterfly hunt as you explore a meadow at Uplands Farm Sanctuary, search for otter as you scan St. John's Pond, or hike to Massapequa from Cold Spring Harbor Park, the trailhead of Long Island's Greenbelt Trail. Whatever you choose, you're sure to have a blast. But don't forget to keep your eyes on the skies: Herons, egrets, and hawks are often found circling near the marshland bordering Route 25A. 

We've already told you about the best children's theater shows and kids' concerts happening this spring. Now we turn our attention to the season's top new museum exhibits for kids.

While all of our winter exhibit picks are still on view this spring, including the New York Hall of Science's interactive Animation , the Children's Museum of the Art's gleeful Love from Mt. Pom Pom and Creatures of Light: Nature’s Bioluminescence at the American Museum of Natural History, there's a whole new crop of cool exhibitions. From a pair of nifty baseball retrospectives to an über-creative installation in a landmarked Bronx mansion to a hands-on pattern display at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, here are six super exhibits for New York City kids this spring.

Each of Cold Spring Harbor's sites that we've chosen to feature here have managed to weave the village's rich past into its present. For example, the Whaling Museum features exhibits on whaling history and it also stresses the importance of present-day conservation. The Cold Spring Harbor Lab provides walking tours where visitors can learn about the history of DNA discovery, as well as the lab's Nobel legacy in that discovery. Lastly, the Firehouse Museum teaches fire prevention while demonstrating to visitors just how complicated battling a blaze was in the early 1900s with a hand-drawn Phoenix pump.    

The hot weather is approaching, which means endless days of potato salad, hot dogs and of course, the perennial favorite, hamburgers. Before you gas up your own grill, check out some of New Jersey’s best family-friendly burger joints, all with an added bonus factor, such as a great kids' meal deal or the ability to get your burger wrapped in lettuce for a few saved calories. You’ll be inspired all summer long!

(Photo courtesy of South Fork Natural History Museum)

One of the best ways for families to romp through the beautiful parks, preserves and beaches of Long Island is under the expertise of a naturalist, park ranger, or educator on a guided nature walk. Nature walks are a great way to get kids to strengthen their muscles and their knowledge of the natural world that surrounds them.  We’ve rounded up nature walks at some of our favorite spots that are currently (or will soon be) accepting reservations for guided walks scheduled over the next several weeks.

Before heading out on a nature walk, be sure to dress the kids appropriately. Water shoes for the kids are ideal for beach walks, and sneakers are appropriate for walks through parks and preserves. Fill a backpack with plenty of water to drink, sunscreen, insect repellent, a few Band-Aids, and antiseptic.  Evening walks on the beach will require a flashlight and will likely be cold and wet, so dress the kids in layers and bring a towel and a change of clothes for a comfortable drive home.

The spring culture season is really heating up in the city. This week, we rounded up 13 awesome kids' concerts, including four taking place this weekend. We're also very excited about the first-ever New York Children's Theater Festival, which kicks off this weekend on the Upper West Side. The outdoor festival season is also in full swing with the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival coming up next weekend. (Glad they're not this weekend, since it's supposed to rain on Saturday and Sunday.)

Earth Day is the main event on our sister sites. You can celebrate our planet at lots of festivals this weekend on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut—many of the events are inside so you don't have to worry about the weather. Our NJ site also did a really cool post about Geocaching with your kids, a kind of technological treasure hunt. And if you're planning on taking a trip with young children anytime soon, be sure to check out our tips for traveling alone with a baby or small kids.

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

(Photo courtesy of Garden City Bird Sanctuary)

Long Island is celebrating Earth Day this weekend in a big way! Hopefully the weather holds out for the outdoor events, but either way, there are lots of activities going on this weekend, including many free ones, to entertain the family with. There's an EcoCarnival at the Seatuck Environmental Center, a festival at the Rolling River Day Camp in Oceanside, and a festival in Islip, just to name a few. Plus several local museums are offering Earth Day programs for kids. It's also Kids' Day at Stony Brook University, and the Kids Kloset consignment sale is back on Long Island.

Happy Earth Day!

Since April is National Poetry Month, we asked our friends at the New York Public Library to come up with a list of poetry books for kids for this month's Little Lions post. Luckily Peggy Salwen, Senior Children's Librarian at the 67th Street Branch, is a big poetry fan so she was up to the task.

While many children's books are written in verse, these tomes feature true poems, not just stories that rhyme. And since poetry books, like poems, come in many styles, there are a variety of choices here, from themed collections to a single illustrated ode.