It may be April showers outside now, but it'll be bright, sunny and 75 degrees before you know it. You can plunge into the spirit of summer right now and get swimming season off to an early start with these free indoor swimming events that are perfect for kids of all ages. Read on to find out about YMCA Splash Week free swimming lessons and water safety and Asphalt Green's Big Swim event. 

The bad news is it looks like rain is in the forecast for Saturday. The good news is that if you want to brave the weather and go to an Easter Egg Hunt in New York City or Long Island anyway, the crowds won't be so bad. But make sure to check the websites or call ahead and find out if the event is cancelled or not before heading out.

Either way, we've got the skinny for the best Easter activities and alternative cool, free events for this weekend:

Living literally down the block from New York Botanical Garden, I have the pleasure of visiting with my 1 year old, Pearl, at least once or twice a week. As many of you know, in addition to offering acres and acres of natural beauty, NYBG also provides some great programming for kids. Although Pearl is pretty much too young to really enjoy many of the kids activities, I recently took a stroll though the Everett Children’s Garden to check out ‘Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures,’ an educational component of The Orchid Show aimed at introducing kids to the history of the vanilla orchid and Theobrama cacao tree.

School might be the last place you'd think of taking your kids for entertainment, but The City University of New York system features fantastic family fun on the syllabus all year ‘round. And the best part? You don’t even need to be an alumna to enjoy it. So whether your kid is into ballet, rock, reading, theater or the circus, your local CUNY college has got you covered—and usually at a much lower price than you’d pay for similar activities elsewhere.

Let us school you on your upcoming shows or check their sites for more upcoming performances:

Yesterday we posted 40 things to do with your kids on a staycation. Today we've got a handful more tips for great activities, news and discounts going on right now, from $15 tickets for Disney shows on Broadway to a conference just for working moms, the story behind public school and real estate, free scavenger hunts, and more.

Here's the scoop:

Hanami is the Japanese tradition of viewing and cherishing the cherry blossom season. And there's no better place to enjoy the beauty and grace of cherry blossoms than at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which has more flowering cherry trees in one place than anywhere else in the world outside of Japan! Strolling beneath the stunning, pink canopy of blooms is a wonderful spring tradition the whole family can enjoy and Sakura Matsuri, the two-day cherry blossom festival (May 2 and 3, 2009), has delighted families for over 25 years.

For children, Hanami is a delightful learning experience: watching the seasonal magic of spring as the trees show their first buds, burst into a luscious bloom, and finally send out a flurry of petals that carpet the ground in pink and are replaced on the trees by the tiny green leaves of summer.

To celebrate Hanami, Mommy Poppins is teaming up with Brooklyn Botanic Garden for a great photo contest.

STILL TIME TO ENTER. CONTEST EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 5th!

Enter our Hanami Photo Contest to win an incredible prize package.

It can be hard eating out when your child’s on a restricted diet: You struggle to find a place that serves what he can eat, or you find one and he won’t eat what they serve. But you won’t have those problems at these places, which are convenient and kid-friendly. We've rounded up a handful of restaurants which serve meals that all kids will like and can eat even if they are vegan, vegetarian or have food allergies. Plus, they're all cool and fun for New York kids.

If you have a toddler who loves Thomas, then you're going to love this giveaway. Thomas the Tank Engine returns to the Beacon Theatre with an all new, live musical adventure: Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town.

Thomas lovers will follow the familiar tale from the Island of Sodor, where Thomas and his friends must learn to work together to prepare for an exciting event under the Big Top. All your child's favorites, Percy, James, Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt and of course Thomas and a cast of circus performers will entertain with a story that teaches the importance of friendship and cooperation.

We're giving away 4 tickets to Thomas and Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town. And, don't forget to enter our giveaways for Dear Edwina and The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.