Sometimes a story time is just the right amount of activity for us when we don't want to commit to a whole involved outing, but we want something to do out of the house. Plus, they are relatively restful and easy for the exhausted grown-ups. We've written about the story times at Barnes & Noble and the New York Public Library, plus some others, but if you're bored of your same old, same old, here are some interesting new-to-you storytimes to check out, many of them in fun places that you'll be able to stretch your story hour into a full day of fun:  

Yes, Folks, it's that time of the week again...your Friday Afternoon Video Break. You've had a hard week and you've earned it. This week's video is the creation of a French photojournalist who apparently has the most inquisitive, autonomous and adorable baby in the Western World. Check out this kid's moves and wish he were yours. Hey, maybe it's time to have another...I'm sure the next one will totally be easy and play alone for long stretches of time...

A few years back, Lisa and Molly became friends. They were neighbors, had kids the same age and were going about raising them. Then, without warning, Lisa was diagnosed with an advanced form of Leukemia. With little time to waste, Lisa Gershowitz Flynn was informed she needed a bone marrow transplant and that there was no match in the national bone marrow database. Molly got to work, and organized a bone marrow drive in the lobby of their children's school. Speaking of her involvement, Molly states simply: “There was no choice. What else is there to do when something like this happens to your friend.”  

At Mommy Poppins we love not over thinking it, acting from the heart and getting things done--that's why Molly Snyder is our mom of the month! Below is a short interview with her and information on how YOU could start a bone marrow drive, register yourself and attend a local drive March 7^th for a little girl who desperately needs to find a match.

Julia Roberts is out on the stump promoting her new movie and talking about her kids, motherhood and marriage to husband, Danny Moder. The full-time mom (except for when she's working) has said that it should be illegal to take pictures of celebrity children, but I guess it's OK to sell your own pictures as she did in 2005 or to trot them out to promote your current film entitled, um, Duplicity. In other shocking news...the NY Post publishes a cartoon that critics claim represents Obama as a chimp, Little Miss Perfect is a new show about child beauty pageant contestants, girls and boys really do marry their parents (or people who resemble them), the preschooler essentials before you leave the house, and a fashion-garden mash up that benefits everyone.  Find out now!

The totally redone Brooklyn Children's Museum is still new enough that we hadn't yet exhausted the current exhibits, but they're staying one step ahead of us by adding a great new exhibit that we really enjoyed, Building Brainstorm. I have always been interested in the fields of architecture and design, and thought this would be a great opportunity to expose my boys to those interests during play.

Located on the second floor, this bi-lingual (Spanish and English—love that!) exhibition continues with the interactive theme found throughout the museum, encouraging and inviting children of all ages to plan, build, and design, with rough materials and soft cloths, plastics and wood. The exhibit is made up of a series of challenges: Shape Search Challenge, Shapes in Building Challenge, Inside Shapes Challenge, Window House Challenge, Floor Plan Challenge, Room Design Challenge, and Brainstorm Challenge.

Do you check back on posts to read the comments? Sometimes readers add great information there, or ask great questions. Some of my favorites lately were Margaret who asked other readers if they wanted to get a group together for a kids knitting class. Sharon, left a great comment with more ideas of places to eat on the Lower East Side on the Candy Store Itinerary post. Another commenter on our Drop In Play Spaces post asked for recommendations for the cleanest play spaces.

Good question. It seems to be a trade off. Places that don't charge hefty membership fees and are open to the public maybe aren't always quite as pristine. But I'm sure there are exceptions to the rule. Here are some of the indoor play places I've found to be really clean:

The financial collapse, unemployment, war...hey, put all that nonsense away and give yourself a few minutes of smiles with our new feature: Friday Afternoon Video Break.

Let me know if this is a feature you'd like to keep and If you have a video to recommend, email me.

Our first entry comes from Katia who says:

So much going on with valentines Day, Presidents Day plus the February Break Vacation Week. I'm dividing the events into separate posts. This one has the best activities just for this weekend. Check out a sword dance festival, a disco dance party, valentines day crafts, movies, a winter festival and more, all free. Click on the links for more information about events and locations.