This is the week of Earth Day and there are tons of really fun Earth Day activities to keep you busy.

In celebration of Earth Day I was planning on taking the National Wildlife Federation's Be Out There Challenge this week, a program designed to encourage families to get outside for a green hour every day for a week. Instead, my son had an emergency appendectomy last Thursday, so the only camping I'll be doing is in a hospital room. (It's amazing the lengths kids will go to to avoid going outside these days.)

Despite that little hitch, I'll be posting about parks and gardens and other outdoorsy stuff this week. I hope it inspires you to Be Out There and hopefully I'll be sharing my own stories soon when we're back on our feet.

Store Openings, Closings and Sales:
Long-standing Park Slope children's store is, Firefly Children's Boutique is closing its doors forever and holding a huge liquidation sale of their Spring and Summer clothing and toys.

Toy store eeBoo is having a Spring Sample Sale at the Upper West Side location. Get up to 75% off starting today, April 19-April 23rd, 2010.

Baby store Giggle recently opened an Upper West Side location and are having a grand opening weekend May 1-2 with free prenatal workshops, family activities and prizes.

People's Pops, the popular natural popsicle outpost from the Brooklyn Flea has just opened a store in Chelsea Market.

Tribeca Film Festival:
The Tribeca Film Festival opens this week with the premier of Shrek 4 on Wednesday. My daughter will be reporting from the Red Carpet as part of Tribeca Kids Access. We'll have more about the film festival later this week, but you might want to mark your calendars for the Drive in on Friday and the Family Festival Street Fair on May 1.

TV Turn Off Week:
In addition to it being Earth Week, it's also TV Turnoff Week, although it appears that the organizsers have been shunning screen time too much to update their website. Can your family live without TV for one week? Try it and see.

Activity Picks:
Monday: Big Movies for Little Kids celebrates Earth Day with a double feature of The Lorax and The Man Who Planted Trees. $6.50 for all walkers and up.

Tuesday: Free demo classes for Private Picassos at the Rusk Institute or Music Together at apple seeds FREE

Wednesday: Make Recycled Art at the new Battery Park City Library FREE

Thursday: Make nature crafts at the Chess and Checkers House in Central Park FREE

Friday: The Tribeca Family Festival Drive In shows Big FREE