Updated: Coronavirus Closures Update: Schools, Museums, Libraries, Play Spaces in Connecticut

Schools across Connecticut are emptied out as coronavirus spreads. Photo courtesy of Lisa Maruna/CC by 2.0

Normally, our job at Mommy Poppins is to clue parents in to where to have fun with kids around Connecticut. But as coronavirus spreads through our community, we're also here to tell you where not to go. Here are the schools, museums, zoos, indoor play spaces, libraries, and stages we know to be temporarily closed around Connecticut. Please visit and comment on our Facebook page to let us know what other closures we are missing and should know about. 

Stuck at home? Look to our Mommy Poppins Coronavirus Guide for Parents for hundreds of ideas for games, crafts, and activities, as well insider tips and takes for keeping kids safe and healthy at home and beyond. All the best from our families to yours.

Coronavirus Update: Closings, Cancellations in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia

The National Portrait Gallery is closed for now. Photo by Marquis Perkins courtesy of Washington.org

As the coronavirus continues its near relentless march across the country, we here at Mommy Poppins DC will share with you what we know about school closings, museum closings, event postponements and cancellations, and more.

In the meantime, see our Coronavirus Guide for Parents, for tons of resources and Boredom Busters to keep the kids busy. We've got educational science experiments, fun exercise games, remote learning resources such as FREE online coding classes for kids, and more.

Here is what we know so far: 

Coronavirus Closures Update: Schools, Museums, Libraries, Play Spaces around Boston

Schools across Massachusetts are emptied out as coronavirus spreads. Photo courtesy of Lisa Maruna/CC by 2.0

Normally, our job at Mommy Poppins is to clue parents in to where to have fun with kids around Boston. But as coronavirus spreads through our community, we're also here to tell you where not to go. Here are the schools, museums, zoos, indoor play spaces, libraries, and stages we know to be temporarily closed around Boston. (Note the Boston Public School system, a last holdout, just announced Friday evening that schools will be closed from Tuesday, March 17 through April 27.) Please visit and comment on our Facebook page to let us know what other closures we are missing and should know about. 

Stuck at home? Look to our Mommy Poppins Coronavirus Guide for Parents for hundreds of ideas for games, crafts, and activities, as well insider tips and takes for keeping kids safe and healthy at home and beyond. All the best from our families to yours.

Long Island Coronavirus Closings: School Closings, Museums, Libraries, Playspaces and More

While here at Mommy Poppins we pride ourselves in keeping a finger on the pulse of Long Island's event and activity scene, the Coronavirus has forced us to swim in the opposite direction of these unchartered waters. To help keep you in the know, we have created a running list of local museums, venues, attractions that are temporarily closed due to the Coronavirus. Please review our list and reach out if we have missed any.

Visit our Coronavirus Guide for Parents, for tons of resources and Boredom Busters to keep the kids busy. We've got educational science experiments, fun exercise games, remote learning resources like FREE online coding classes for kids, and more.

For more information on Coronavirus updates from around New York State, click here to read what parents should know.

UPDATED: Coronavirus Closings at NJ Venues: American Dream, Liberty Science Center, More

Liberty Science Center announced Thursday that it will close through the end of March. Photo courtesy of LSC

Updated Monday, March 16 at 6pm.

More NJ-area museums, theaters, and other cultural and entertainment spots have closed their doors and canceled public events in response to the CDC's latest recommendation that public gathereings of 50 or more people be canceled for the next eight weeks. In addition, Gov. Phil Murphy announced on Monday that all performing arts centers and movie theaters must shut down "indefinitely" beginning at 8pm Monday.

Among the many institutions and venues that have closed are Liberty Science Center, American Dream Mall, Great Wolf Lodge, Mayo Performing Arts Center, and the Montclair Art Museum.

The closures in New Jersey join a growing number of cultural and entertainment institutions closing around the country and the world, from Broadway to Disneyland to the Louvre.

We will continue to update this list, so check back often. Also check out our list of NYC-area corona virus closings, including the New York Public Library, the New York Hall of Science, and the American Museum of Natural History. And see our Coronavirus Guide for Parents for the latest on the virus, plus tons of options to keep kids busy during these unprecedented shutdowns.

Life as a Mom in New York's Coronavirus Containment Zone

Resolve remains strong in New Rochelle where the Girl Scouts created this neighborly sign. Photo by the author

It's day 1 for my family in New York's first coronavirus "containment zone," a state-mandated two-week shutdown of schools and other public-gathering points within a 1-mile radius of the state's epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in New Rochelle. With so much uncertainty—who will get sick, how long will this really last, and will I have the supplies we need—it’s hard to know how to react to this shutdown with my family, which includes two teenagers, here in Westchester County.

As recently as a week ago, "prepare for sickness" topped my to-do list in terms of what to gather and stock up on. In early March, it still all seemed like an anxious person's panic and overkill. At that point—only a few days ago—most of the local discussion among parents and neighbors centered on whether or not COVID-19 was overhyped compared with the seasonal flu. I decided to take it seriously—not as a panicked person fearing for my life, but in the interest of emergency preparedness for the sake of my family.

(Find more information, including school closings and indoor activities and games, in our Coronavirus Guide for Parents.)

Disneyland, Disney World, California Adventure, Disney Cruises, Universal Studios Close for COVID-19 Crisis

Photo by Eduardo Merille/CC BY 2.0

OK, folks, this just got serious. I know we've all been glued to our screens tracking the inconceivable developments of this pandemic situation, watching major events cancel in real time, wondering if our kids are going to be attending school from the sofa next week, canceling trips to Europe, etc... But look out because COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus, just shut down Disneyland.

UPDATED: All NJ Schools Ordered To Close Wednesday

All NJ schools must be closed by Wednesday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday at a press conference.

Updated Monday, March 16, at 5pm.

All of New Jersey's public and private schools—pre-K through 12, as well as colleges—will be ordered closed on Wednesday to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Phil Murphy announced at a press conference on Monday. It's one of many increasingly stringent steps being taken in New Jersey, where confirmed cases have risen to 178. 

Murphy also announced that he's mobilizing the National Guard, and he urged all NJ residents to stay home from 8pm to 5am each day. In addition, all New Jersey movie theaters, performing arts centers, gyms, clubs, and casinos will be closed indefinitely as of 8pm Monday.

"We do not take any of these steps lightly," Murphy said. "We know that each comes with its own set of impacts on residents, families, communities, and businesses. But at this moment, our paramount concern must be to flatten the curve of new cases so we do not overload our health care system."

With schools closed and most public places shuttered, parents are finding themselves in the position of teaching their school-age children and trying to keep little ones entertained, many while trying to work from home. Check out our Cornavirus Guide for Parents to find the latest info, including closings of other NJ institutions and venues, as well as plenty of resources to help you cope. We've got Boredom Busters to keep the kids busy, plus educational science experiments, fun exercise games, online learning resources, and more. 

Schools and universities across the greater New York metro area are also closing, including the NYC Department of Education, which announced that it will be closed at least through April 20. See more about New York school closings here.

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