Our Visit to Kidcity in Middletown

Before you set foot in Kidcity, you'll most likely have already heard about it from moms who have gone or plan to go. Kidcity Children's Museum in Middletown is a one-of-a kind destination designed for little ones ages 7 and under to explore, socialize and probably learn something along the way. Director Jen Alexander, founder and creator behind Kidcity, wants little children to come and navigate their way through the three floors of fun and be free to experience it any way they like to - whether that is skipping from room to room or spending the entire time in one fascinating place.

A Dozen Fun Things to Do with Kids at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ

If biking, hiking, and learning about nature sounds like great fun for your family, plan a trip to Duke Farms. Open to the public since 2012, this 2,740-acre ecological treasure located in Hillsborough offers diverse wildlife, hiking trails, and interesting educational programs. This park is perfect for exploring the outdoors in all seasons. Here are a dozen ways to take it all in at Duke Farms.

Yankee Stadium Opens Kids Playground for All Ticket Holders

Yankee Stadium has a new way of keeping little ones entertained during those notoriously long baseball games: a playground. Say hello to the Sunrun Kids Clubhouse. You’ll find it in the 300 level on the right field side, its entrance beneath a subtle, circular sign. Any ticketed fan can enter, but security appeared solid when we visited—there’s no entering without a child.

Most of its features skew toward kids ages 5 and under, with small slides and climbing features scattered around a baseball diamond-shaped clearing with soft, artificial flooring. For little ones, there’s space to run in the 2,850-square-foot playground space.

The stadium also made an addition for new moms. There's now "a private space for nursing mothers," with "seats and outlets for electric pumps" in the Sunrun Kids Clubhouse. Smart idea to put this next to the play area in case a nursing mom is also watching an older kid or kids.

15 Spots in Boston to Get an Amazingly Delicious Frappe

It may be below freezing for long chunks of the year in Boston, but that doesn’t stop our city from absolutely loving ice cream. And to show just how serious they are about cool treats, northern New Englanders have developed their own term for a thick, creamy ice-cream-based drink—a frappe. Basically, a frappe is just a fancy term for what the rest of the country calls a milkshake (and what Rhode Islanders, no joke, call a cabinet—because, duh, that's where the blender is kept.) Whatever term your household uses, these frozen drinks are huge hit with kids, especially when temperatures rise. The next time a special treat is in order, hit one of these amazing frappe joints, which range from a 19th-century dairy farm to a lactose-free creamery. We can hear the happy slurping already.

MTA Hands Out Baby on Board Buttons to Pregnant Straphangers

When a female subway rider offered her seat on the uptown 6 train to one of our Mommy Poppins editors who was well into her third trimester of pregnancy, the gentleman beside her suddenly came to life.

"Oh sorry, didn't know if you were pregnant or just fat." Dude. A new MTA pilot program launched on Mother’s Day 2017 aims to clear up that, ahem, confusion.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which includes NYC’s subways and buses, but also the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, will provide two types of wearable buttons for anyone who requests them due to a temporary or permanent disability: “Baby on Board!” or “Please offer me a seat.” Both buttons carry the slogan “Courtesy Counts,” and are designed to “encourage customers to move their feet and offer a seat for pregnant riders, seniors and those with a disability who are seeking seats,” according to a MTA statement.

New York to Offer Free Gear to First-Time Campers

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish we camped more,” but the risk of abandoned tents, sleeping bags, and coolers sitting in the corner of your garage, or your nonexistent storage space if you're in the city, stops you from gearing up and going, New York state’s new First-Time Camper weekends might be just right for your family.

The state's Department of Environmental Conservation is launching a program to reserve a fully stocked campsite at select New York state campgrounds for a weekend getaway this summer, letting families test the waters before investing in the necessities. (And to find out who’s really afraid of the dark. Kidding.)

This Program Meets Kids at Eye Level to Help Learning Take Off

We love the philosophy behind Eye Level: that successful learning happens at the eye level of the child. The example of an elementary school teacher who kneels down in front of paintings at a gallery the day before bringing his students to an exhibit, to make sure he sees the work the way they will, is the type of engaged teaching we all want for our children. Maybe that's why more than two and a half million children have participated in Eye Level's individualized supplemental math and English program across the globe. With fifteen locations in New York and 216 locations nationwide, more local families are discovering the confidence and self-directed learning habits that Eye Level programs can provide.

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