Things to Do for NYC Kids and Families April 23-24, 2011: Easter, Earth Day, Tribeca Film Fest Drive-In and More

Earth Day, Passover and Easter, oh my! Talk about something for everyone this weekend.

Warning: Murphy's Law dictates that it must rain whenever the weekend is filled with outdoor fun. As of now, Saturday's supposed to be a washout and Sunday may be as well. So before heading out to an alfresco event, be sure to check its official website for any weather-related updates or cancellations.

Families can commune with nature at the Staten Island Zoo’s annual Earth Fair, celebrate Passover at the Museum at Eldridge Street or attend one (or many) Easter egg hunts around to, including our favorite: the rotten egg hunt at the Bronx Zoo, hosted by cast members from Broadway’s The Addams Family.

Another spectacular annual event, the NYC Easter Bonnet Parade, takes over Fifth Avenue on Sunday. (Click here to see our slide show of colorful photos from 2009.) And if you're looking to fill your little bunny's basket with treats, we've rounded up the best places to buy Easter candy, as well as ideas for what to do with all of those sweets post-holiday...besides eat them.

Other weekend fun includes the wonderfully artsy St. George’s Day Festival on Staten Island (which has an indoor plan in case of rain), Brooklyn Bridge Park's annual Spring Fling (which is rain or shine), featuring kid rocker AudraRox, and the Bronx Zoo's ongoing Animal Tales Extravaganza, starring Spider-Man this weekend. Dinosaur fans should head to the American Museum of Natural History for its brand-new World’s Largest Dinosaurs exhibit. Prefer Porsches to prehistoric creatures? Then hit the New York International Auto Show at the Javits. The Tribeca Film Festival's family programming also kicks off this week, with free outdoor screenings, including The Muppets Take Manhattan on Saturday night. Check the event's website in case of rain!

Below are additional best bets for the weekend, but don't forget to check out the Mommy Poppins Events Calendar, which is filled with storytimes, concerts, stage shows and more. Have a happy holiday, whatever you're celebrating!

KidsHousecalls: the NYC Pediatrician Who Comes to You

As the mother of a baby and a toddler, I dread taking the kids to the pediatrician's office. When one is under the weather or has a checkup scheduled, it’s a pain to drag the other one along. Plus, I worry about all of the germs they’ll be exposed to.

And when either of them gets sick during the night, I always wish the pediatrician could come on over, just like the doc did on Little House on the Prairie. It's so difficult to diagnose what's wrong over the phone.

That’s why I was very intrigued when I found out about Dr. Edward Kulich, a New York City pediatrician who only does house calls. So when I noticed my 10-month old was showing signs of pink eye, I gave him a call.

One Great Day in NJ: Campgaw Mountain Reservation

When I was a kid I loved being outside. My mom lived on a farm and my brothers and I spent many a summer getting lost in the cornfields, and locked in the chicken coop. (That last one was just me.) But  upon the discovery of gossip magazines and teen angst, I decided that hot, sweaty, buggy, cold, windy, mild, sunny, rainy, snowy, overcast, undercast, sideways weather was just not for me, and I broke up with the outdoors. Inside and I had a good time, but eventually Central Park and picnics called me back outside, and then I camped. I slept outside. I even had fun, despite the torrential rain. And then I had children, who should really come with a warning: MUST NOT BE KEPT INSIDE ALL WEEKEND. PRONE TO SELF DESTRUCTION. So, we hike. (And camp, but that's another story. Stay tuned.)

Sunnyside Arts Cooperative Offers Cool Classes For Little Queens Kids

As of 2012, it seems like the cooperative is no more. However, Sunnyside Ballet has moved to a new larger space.

Here in Sunnyside, Queens, just steps away from the 40th Street-Lowery Street stop on the 7 train, is a lovely little studio for kids' dance and theater classes. The name of the Sunnyside Arts Cooperative says it all: It was launched in June 2009 by several moms, all working arts professionals, who wanted to share their expertise with neighborhood families.

Their vision is paying off. One of the founders, Catherine Lutton Espinosa—a former performer with the Martha Graham Dance Company who teaches creative movement and is also studying for her master's in early childhood development at Hunter—says that not only the kids are learning, the moms are, too.

Read on for an inside look at this unique community spot.

Fun and Free Ways to Connect with Nature for NYC Kids

Earth Day is fast approaching but as they say, shouldn't every day be Earth Day?

In the spirit of that statement, the National Wildlife Federation has teamed up with Nickelodeon, TheMotherhood.com and other bloggers (including Mommy Poppins!) to get the word out about B Kind 2 Earth Day, which encourages everyone to do something nice for the planet on Earth Day and beyond. 

But you don't have to wait until April 22 to start: Grab the brood, head outdoors and reconnect with our fantastic planet today and all year long. If you feel inspired, make your pledge to do something kind for the Earth on the B Kind 2 Earth Day Facebook page.

The World's Largest Dinosaurs: A Groundbreaking Exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History

There's something huge at the American Museum of Natural History, and I'm not talking about the Blue Whale. I'm referring to the groundbreaking new exhibit The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, which is sure to be a big hit with amateur paleontologists young and old. This fascinating show focuses on the supersized sauropods, and goes beyond dusty old bones to examine these giants as the living creatures they once were.

This exhibit isn’t about when but how these animals lived and thrived for 140,000 years. Their story is told in different sections, each with kid-friendly interactives and tons of models, which delve into the physiology and biology of these enormous creatures. We explored the exhibit last week, and you won’t want to miss this innovate spotlight on the sauropods.

"Parenting Without Power Struggles": Book Review

Have some power struggles in your family? Kids wearing you out? You wearing them out? Enter the lovely and down-to-earth Susan Stiffelman, author of Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids while Staying Cool, Calm and Connected. Ms. Stiffelman is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child counselor, an Educational Therapist, and Parent Educator. She's also a teacher. And a mom. A mom to a college student, which means that she raised a child to adulthood without killing him or having a nervous breakdown. This alone would give her the authority to speak on the topic at hand, but, oh, there's so much more.

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