New York is filled great bookstores and neighborhood libraries. As parents, we know these lit havens can mean lifeline to sanity on cold and rainy days and hot and humid ones, along with giving a safe and kid-friendly place to play through all those stages they seem to whip through so quickly, from cruising toddler to inquisitive adolescent.

Sure there are the standard spots to rely upon week after week, year after year. But just in case you're tiring of the same four walls, we've rounded up the top openings and renovations of NYC libraries and bookstores around the city. Get ready for some fresh kid lit!

Whether you spend your time searching for ways to feed your picky little eater, or struggle to catch up with your kids' more-adventurous appetites, Philadelphia offers plenty of family-friendly dining options. If you're looking for a meal to satisfy your family's varied taste buds, pho may be the way to go! 

The Vietnamese soup is simple enough—noodles, broth, meat and spices—for kids who don't like to veer too far down the creative culinary path, but flavorful enough for those who do. You can find pho in Philly (say that a few times fast!) pretty easily, but, in a city known for its restaurant reputation, you don't want to settle for anything less than the best, so we've rounded up a few standouts.

Got a future innovator on your hands? Perhaps an engineer in the works? Whether your budding genius is a novice inventor or a future mechanical pioneer, you’re sure to find entertaining exhibits and engaging hands-on workshops to stimulate their minds at the Eli Whitney Museum. Eli Whitney is remembered as the inventor of the cotton gin and a leader in the concept of interchangeable parts which became the manufacturing standard in the Industrial Revolution. Teaching his workers how to craft tools and other skills required for his factories, Whitney’s legacy of workshop education lives on inside the Eli Whitney Museum.For more fun near Eli Whitney, check out our top picks for things to do with kids in New Haven. Or, take a peek at our museum guide. 

I'm writing this while I wait to hear whether my kids' school will preemptively call a snow day ahead of the 6+ inches of snow currently forecast to fall tomorrow, so I will confess that I'm not entirely in a springtime frame of mind. Yet. But as I flip through the camera roll of last springtime adventures for inspiration, I'm recalling some uniquely Connecticut spring fun from bucolic ice cream stands to melodious evening hikes to marine life cruises. Below you'll find a list of some wonderful things to do in Fairfield County this spring – and whether you’re wearing mittens or flip flops, we bet you'll have a blast!

Looking to kick off your Easter celebration a little early? Join one of the city's handful of Easter Bunny brunches for kids to get into the spirit with a festive, springtime meal this March. We've rounded up several special New York City bunny breakfasts—from inexpensive pancake affairs to a lavish spread at a high-end restaurant—where families can enjoy photo-ops with the holiday mascot along with other seasonal activities.

Easter this year falls on Sunday, April 1. Tickets for these meals always sell like hotcakes, so get them before they're gone.

Regardless of which option you choose, bring your camera, and your appetite. Check our Event Calendar for more seasonal and holiday fun.

You may have heard a new kind of toy store moved into Houston last fall. Distroller, pronounced dee-stro-yer​, is an unconventional toy experience similar to Build-A-Bear and can be found in the Houston Galleria. A few weeks ago, my 5-year-old daughter and I had the pleasure to visit the brightly colored store whose motto is, "Being boring is forbidden," and I can promise it was anything but. Not only did my daughter have fun, but she learned about caregiving and development.

Read on to learn what you can expect from the out-of-this world shop, and visit our Indoor Fun Guide for Houston Families for more ideas on great days out with the kids.

It's a well-known fact around here that Ramen fixes everything. Not feeling well? Ramen. Had a rough week? Ramen. Tired of the cold, gray skies of winter? Ramen. Trying to solve the Reimann Hypothesis? Ramen. OK. You get the point. Any excuse for Ramen is a good excuse. And luckily, because this delicious noodle bowl has seen a sharp spike in well-deserved popularity, a serving is never too far off no matter where you are in Connecticut. So whether you're new to Ramen or a tried and true noodle aficionado, read on for some of Connecticut's best noodle houses. And remember, slurping is encouraged.