April hasn't been the consistently warm and wonderful salute to spring we'd been dreaming of all winter, but with May arriving on Friday (how did that happen?), we continue to have high hopes about the days ahead. Although we just highlight one pick per day in this post, you can find lots of other suggestions in our Event Calendar and our Connecticut Day Trips Guide. If you're still trying to decide on summer camps, registration deadlines are approaching fast, so be sure to check out our Camp Guide, which includes both day camp and sleepaway options.

Though most "big" events for Westchester families take place on weekends, there are still plenty of weekday activities for kids large and small. We’ve highlighted our top picks for the coming week, many of which are FREE.

The big news this week is the return of Lightscapes: a luminescent display of flora and fauna fashioned from recycled materials. Other highlights include Dia!—para Las Familias, a bilingual celebration of Spanish culture, and Teen Minute to Win It, when teens have 60 seconds to do wacky things.

But that’s not all! Read on for more picks and check out our Event Calendar for great family activities every day of the week. You can also subscribe to our FREE newsletters to get our posts delivered to your inbox.

There is a lot of great family entertainment on tap this week. Watch a FREE performance by storyteller LuAnn Adams, catch New York City Children's Theater's musical, A Band of Angels, about the historic Fisk Jubilee Singers or take your tot to the Treehouse Shakers' interactive farm-themed show Hatched.

Although we only highlight one event per day in this post, you can find plenty of other options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

This year almost 200,000 kids in New York State chose to opt out of the standardized state tests for grades 3 through 8. That’s a whopping 15% and almost four times the number that opted out last year. The growing dissent over the Common Core and high-stakes testing has been visible in article after article citing despicable practices, product placement and age-inappropriate questions. While I think most parents are in favor of high standards for kids, there’s obviously a lot of frustration with how the Common Core is being implemented, and it raises the question of what our standards really are.

Of all the articles bouncing around the Internet these days about the Common Core and standardized testing, two particularly caught my attention. One describes the standard expectations for a first grader in 1979; the second shares math problems from a first grade Common Core curriculum today. The difference is striking and astonishing, and will really make you rethink the educational road we've gone down since we were little.

Walking in LA? Don't believe the song—people really do walk in LA. And if CicLAvia is one of your family's favorite events, then The Big Parade (Saturday, May 2-Sunday, May 3, 2015) is something worth checking out. The Big Parade is not a race—it is about exploring, learning, and celebrating everything our city has to offer. And, with The Big Parade, no one is ever left behind.

A few days ago, my family and I visited Hubbard Park in Meriden for the first time. I am embarrassed to admit that it took almost 14 years of living in Connecticut to discover this state treasure, but, as the saying goes, better late than never. Charles Dickens observed that, "nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own," and without a doubt, this beauty is magnified at Hubbard Park. Here’s how we occupied half a day, and what you can expect when you visit this New Haven County gem.

Outdoor fun, plus lots of cool kids' culture makes for a packed week of awesome activities. There's even a global food crawl—no plane tickets necessary! 

Festivities for the Tribeca Film Festival continue with the Family Street Fair and ESPN Sports Day happening this Saturday. Kids can also celebrate the arts with the WBGO Kids Jazz Concert in nearby New Jersey, or take a day trip to Planting Fields in Long Island for its Arbor Day Family Festival, complete with live shows and a petting zoo. You'll also find live animals, along with other surprises, at A Night at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven. Other fun includes Tarrytown Music Hall's semi-annual family fest with circus workshops, music, arts and crafts.

Planning your next family vacation? Our Travel site has details on the best things to do with kids in Houston, Texas, as well as an historic adventure in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: