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Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with Kids in Connecticut: Cinco de Mayo, Spring Festivals, Mother's Day Expo

Submitted by Mary Beth Lawlor on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 9:11pm

Yes, finally...The weather is suppose to warm up over the weekend! We must enjoy it while we can because it is suppose to get colder again next week. This weekend celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Earthplace with music, crafts, tacos and pinatas in Westport. Spring festivals abound. The Zagray Farm Spring Show will include all things mechanical such as tractors, plowing, farm tools and blacksmithing. There will be free wagon rides and tours of the farm museum and lots of other fun. There is a Spring Fair and Plant Sale at St. John's in Stamford. Enjoy a fire truck, bounce castle, music and dance. Don't miss the Donkey and Mule Festival at Bishop's Orchards.

4 Homemade Mother's Day Gifts That Kids Can Make (With Some Help)

Submitted by Tara D on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 8:02pm

For most moms, there just isn’t a store-bought gift that can hold a candle to a thoughtful gift handmade by their little ones. Read on for four craft project ideas to make at home that Mom or Grandma will be proud to display.

Free and Fun Things to Do This Weekend with NYC Kids: Festivals & Carnivals, Partners in Pres Open Houses, Free Comics May 5-6

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 3:00pm

It's another weekend of tough activity decisions. There are a slew of spring festivals, street fairs and outdoor fetes, like Hippo Playground's annual Spring Fair, Calhoun's annual Carnival and the NYC Irish Dance Festival, which kicks off this season of Summer on the Hudson. It's also Open House Weekend for the 40 historic NYC sites up to win grants from Partners in Preservation, and many nominees are hosting cool family programming—like Henry Street Settlement's old-school Block Party, Flushing Meadow Corona Park's Rocket Thrower Festival, and live music and hayrides at the Queens County Farm Museum—in the hope of earning your vote.

Since the forecast currently mentions rain, we also highlight plenty of indoor fun like a free Hot Peas 'N Butter concert, the New York Children’s Theater Festival's final musical, The Velveteen Rabbit, Japan's Children's Day at the Japan Society, no-cost bowling at Chelsea Piers' NYC 300 and the free new Ernesto Neto exhibit.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional ideas in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

Climb into Huge Hanging Crocheted Tunnels in Ernesto Neto's New Free Exhibit

Submitted by Raven Snook on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 9:00am

Unfortunately, we received an email from the gallery stating that due to "issues of liability and respect for the pieces of art" children under 12 are no longer allowed to climb in Neto's structures. The pieces are still very cool to look at, but certainly exploring them was a big part of the fun.

Do you remember Ernesto Neto's anthropodino exhibit at the Park Avenue Armory as fondly as I do? Three years later my daughter still raves about that experience and how much fun she had running through the Brazilian artist's wild, otherworldly installations. That's why I was thrilled when I found out that the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in Chelsea is showcasing two floors of Neto's interactive work through late May for FREE.

My six-year-old and I and some friends went to check it out and—if I hadn't physically carted my kid out of there—she'd still be running around Neto's colorful crocheted wonderland.

Long Island Children's Museum (Giveaway Inside!)

Submitted by cristin on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 7:12pm

May is museums month here at Mommy Poppins Long Island. Long Island is rich with museums--children's museums, art museums, cultural museums, science museums, you name it. And while just a couple are devoted exclusively to children, nearly all of them offer some great programs for kids and families. And we're going to spotlight as many of them as we can. We're starting off with Long Island's museum just for kids—the Long Island Children's Museum.

The Long Island Aquarium

Submitted by Debra F on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 11:19am

If you're looking for a fun family day out East, take a ride out to the Long Island Aquarium. Even if you went years ago when they first opened, definitely make it a plan to go back now as they have expanded. As members, we've been there all seasons and enjoy it each time, however I highly recommend visiting on a spring or summer day if you want to take advantage of all the outdoor areas and activities the facility offers.

News: Cooper-Hewitt's New Design Center, Cool New Kids' Cruises, Fort Tryon Park Makeover

Submitted by Jeff on Tue, 05/01/2012 - 10:00am

In addition to our usual selection of school scoop—some encouraging, some not—we've rounded up links about a bunch of cool new New York City places and programs. We've got details on Cooper-Hewitt's new Harlem Design Center, the star-studded launch of a new kids' cruise, geeky fun at a new comic book shop in Midtown, a new healthy restaurant at Chelsea Piers and newly minted chess champs at a Brooklyn middle school.

Summer School Camps in Northwest Connecticut

Submitted by Mary Beth Lawlor on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 9:21pm

If you are thinking that summer school might be a good idea for your child the first thing you must do is ask them how they feel about it. It should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for them (and you!). For children with LD's, special interests or just a plain old love of academics, summer school can be a proactive way to spend time. We've rounded up a few options that are either day or sleep-away as well as tutoring centers. Many of these campuses offer a traditional New England boarding school experience which can be an added bonus!