I am notoriously cheap, I’m sorry, frugal when it comes to children’s clothing. And why shouldn’t I be? Children are messy, destructive and have growth spurts that rival The Hulk’s. They ball up their shorts and T’s and stick them under the bed and you don’t find them until Christmas. Their favorite foods are chocolate, grape juice, and spaghetti sauce. They even have the audacity to bleed on their garments. Why would I spend my hard-earned money on this sort of behavior?

Visiting the MoMA on a weekend morning is one of our family's favorite, free winter-time activities.  Usually after we have finished one of the kids' programs at the MoMA my girls are burned out and ready to go home. Not last weekend. After completing our program, we went to check out the new Material Lab, a hands-on interactive space where kids can explore and play.  During the next hour and a half my girls were so taken with the space that they forgot that they were "dying of hunger" and I practically had to drag them out the museum doors so we could have lunch before 3pm.

You might not think of a casino as a family friendly destination, but Foxwoods, near Hartford, has some surprisingly fun—and wholesome—options for kids. From Ice skating on their brand new outdoor rink, an enormous arcade with current and vintage games and a museum dedicate to Connecticut's native Americans, a trip to Foxwoods has a lot to offer.

Pregnancy is a strange and beautiful time. You get to grow an entire new human PLUS experience such joys as nausea, back pain, varicose veins, and more. Luckily, prenatal yoga can help with the various discomforts of pregnancy. It’s also a lovely way to commune with your growing child (and belly), prepare yourself for labor, and meet other expecting mamas. Here are six great prenatal yoga studios around the city.

The tail end of the Mid Winter recess finds mini New Yorkers with a lot of options for the weekend.  Families can choose from some cool nature programs, kid’s theater, music and puppet shows plus great goings on in the museums.  If you haven’t hit the rink at Bryant Park, you better move fast, it closes this weekend (the other indoor and outdoor rinks will still be open for a little while yet.) This coming Wednesday would be the 107th birthday of Dr. Seuss and you can bring the kiddies to celebrate a little early at the Fort Greene Park Visitors Center on Sunday.  

Planning parents may want to know about the wonderful International Children’s Film Festival that happens in March (tickets are on sale now - and going fast), the perfectly family friendly Philadelphia Flower Show, The Brooklyn Baby Expo and that our 2011 Summer Camp Guides are up to help busy families get a jump on summer plans.

Our best bets are below, along with information on a sweet deal from the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria , read on to find out how to get it.  Have a great weekend.

Run out of vacation activities yet? We've got some great weekend events for you. From outdoor activities like Maple Sugaring, Nature Strolls, and another chance to see those seals, to indoor fun, like African Dance, a Mad Hatter's Tea Party, and a reading of 'Philomena's Home Coming'-- the true story of a prairie dog abandoned on Fire Island. If you need to get out of the house, read on, we've got great choices for you here.
 

The Circus is in town! This weekend there are three spectacularly different circus shows in New Jersey, including The Greatest Show on Earth, 46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes, and the Peking Acrobats. For those who are afraid of clowns and are more excited that Spring is in the air, there is a Maple Sugar Festival and a Bird House Making Bonanza. Finally, Justin Roberts rocks the stage with some funny kiddie tunes. Meltdowns set to music, anyone?

Recently I had the opportunity to check out Queen's hot oasis, Spa Castle. Though this may not be the first thing that you think of when you are searching for places to bring the kids, this is exactly what your family needs on these cold and dreary days. In fact, it is so great, that my introduction was a result of my my friends' decision to gather their friends and family there for their son's first birthday. Read on to find out more about the fabulous, and even kid friendly, Spa Castle.