You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy the Jewish Children's Museum. Although much less famous than that other Brooklyn Children's Museum (which happens to be located just a short walk away), the Jewish Children's Museum is the biggest institution of its kind in the U.S., and opened back in 2004. And yet my family and I had never been, a real shame (or shonda as we say in Yiddish).

Last month my kids and I finally made it to the museum and it was well worth the schlep. We originally intended to stay only an hour or so, but ended up spending almost four hours, there was just so much to see, do and try—including an indoor mini-golf course. Like a traditional children's museum, the displays are interactive and educational, the notable difference being that they all relate to Jewish history and culture in some way. And while there are certainly other places where you can learn about Jewish culture in NYC, the Jewish Children's Museum is the only spot that engages kids in such a fun, hands-on way.

From Fancy Nancy to the Berenstain Bears to Matilda, putting popular children's books on stage is nothing new. And yet TADA! Youth Theater's musicalization of a pair of Ezra Jack Keats stories is pretty daring because most theater companies stay far away from the award-winning author/illustrator. Yes, he's famous and many of his books are beloved, so adapting his work might seem like a no-brainer. But here's the thing: While Keats' tales are quite evocative on the page, with moody illustrations and sparse text that capture the inner lives of his characters, there isn't a lot of action. How the heck do you make that theatrical?

Well, TADA!—a company made up of talented local kids ages 8 to 18 that we're always raving about—decided to give it a go. How did they fare?

Great playgrounds aren't the first thing you picture when you think about Midtown West. However, if you move away from Times Square and roam the side streets, you'll be surprised at how many parks and playgrounds you'll find.

Of course Midtown West's most famous green space is Bryant Park, and we could easily do an entire post on all of the cool things for kids there, from the carousel to the seasonal ice-skating rink. The one thing it doesn't have? A playground. As we conclude our month-long focus on Midtown West, we take a look at our top five outdoor romping spots in the area, from small local playgrounds to amenity-filled multiacre parks to a public plaza with an iconic Tom Otterness play structure. You can find all of our posts about the neighborhood in our Midtown West Kids Guide including our roundup of indoor places to play.

One of the things we always try to do at Mommy Poppins is to look beyond typical kid activities and share cultural happenings that aren't aimed at children but can be enriching and fun for the whole family. Many of my family's most amazing NYC moments are when my mini-mes found inspiration and excitement in some amazing happening that was a little bit above their heads.

In that vein, we're starting a new series called Take the Kids where we'll highlight a grown-up exhibit, performance or other event that we shared with our kids and everyone loved. We acknowledge that all kids and families are different and—especially when you are pushing boundaries—not everyone will dig the same thing. Our goal here is to encourage you to try something new.

Our first Take the Kids pick is the Guggenheim Museum's Gutai: Splendid Playground, an artistic treat my usually reticent son couldn't get enough of. Read on to find out what this exhibit has in store for kids, how to get the most out of your visit, plus inspiration for activities to try at home. Bonus: We're giving away some special prizes from the Guggenheim Museum to encourage everyone to share their visit to the exhibit, too.