It is finally starting to feel like spring, so there is no reason to be cooped up this weekend! We’ve got plenty of free ways for you to take advantage of the 60 degree weather—from taking it back to the streets to celebrating the planet. Many of the best happenings this weekend are in honor of Earth Day, and can be found in our Earth Day post.

Read on for events that let you reminisce of your childhood while sharing a piece of it with the kids (by playing in the streets), learn about the inspiring life of a famous composer, play outside carnival-style, score free admission into the galleries at the MoMa, count bees and more. Whew! Sounds like a jam-packed weekend to me...

Lake house near Jefferson Valley in Northern Westchester

For parents, summer planning can get tricky, especially when you find yourself trying to negotiate the different needs of children and spouses. One spouse may have more flexibility in the summer and the other may not. Or maybe you have one child who is ready for camp, but another who is not. One secret solution is to vacation in a nearby suburb. "Ah, vacationing in the suburbs" you say, "how divine...I mean pathetic." If you are imagining postage stamp lawns and ranch houses, then you are missing out. You can find everything you expect from a vacation in the country, plus the convenience of being closer to the city in Northern Westchester and Putnam Counties.

Here are 5 reasons you should consider taking your summer vacation in the suburbs:

Haven't done a links post in a while, so lots to catch up on, like where to possibley catch a glimpse of Nicholas Cage filming the latest Disney creation, what the DOE is doing to try to reduce childhood obesity, what moms worry about (everything), the case against Dr. Sears (and everything else), cool new craft site, the cute little robot who could, and more free ways to entertain your kids at home. Check it out:

April 22 is Earth Day, but you don’t have to confine your celebrating to just that one date: This year, many places are scheduling environmentally-themed events throughout the month with lots of great family-friendly activities. Learn about the environment, how to live more greenly, volunteer to green up New York, or just celebrate the Earth and have fun. Here are some suggestions for Earth Day/Month activities to do with the kids in NYC:

Springtime is when the nature in NYC makes itself most obvious to us city kids. While frequently we can be oblivious to the nature all around us, in Spring you can't help but notice the flowering trees, the buds bursting from the earth and, possibly even some wildlife. It's a great time to take your little urbanites to the park and observe the magic of nature at work. Here are some great ways to take in nature in the city this Spring, with places to see red-tailed hawk nests, flowering trees and earthworms.

It may be April showers outside now, but it'll be bright, sunny and 75 degrees before you know it. You can plunge into the spirit of summer right now and get swimming season off to an early start with these free indoor swimming events that are perfect for kids of all ages. Read on to find out about YMCA Splash Week free swimming lessons and water safety and Asphalt Green's Big Swim event. 

The bad news is it looks like rain is in the forecast for Saturday. The good news is that if you want to brave the weather and go to an Easter Egg Hunt in New York City or Long Island anyway, the crowds won't be so bad. But make sure to check the websites or call ahead and find out if the event is cancelled or not before heading out.

Either way, we've got the skinny for the best Easter activities and alternative cool, free events for this weekend:

Living literally down the block from New York Botanical Garden, I have the pleasure of visiting with my 1 year old, Pearl, at least once or twice a week. As many of you know, in addition to offering acres and acres of natural beauty, NYBG also provides some great programming for kids. Although Pearl is pretty much too young to really enjoy many of the kids activities, I recently took a stroll though the Everett Children’s Garden to check out ‘Chocolate and Vanilla Adventures,’ an educational component of The Orchid Show aimed at introducing kids to the history of the vanilla orchid and Theobrama cacao tree.