Extreme Kids & Crew, a mom-founded nonprofit, just opened its third NYC sensory gym for children with disabilities and its first outpost in Queens. We've visited its Brooklyn play spaces in Crown Heights and Red Hook in the past, so we were excited to see its latest, Ridgewood Space, in the Ridgewood neighborhood of Queens, which straddles Brooklyn and is often touted as the next hot NYC nabe.

The goal of the Brooklyn-based nonprofit is to provide supportive spaces for children with disabilities and their families to play and connect. The new Ridgewood spot is located in P.S. 71 elementary school, and offers places to swing, slide, build and just chill out. The bubble machine particularly caught our eye.

The borough seems to be adding more and more indoor play spaces for kids, including Sabrina's and Shastye last year, and we're happy to welcome Extreme Kids & Crew to the fold. Read on for our full review.

Tea time is an opportunity for moms and children of all ages to enjoy a few relaxing moments together. Whether it's for a special occasion, a child's tea party birthday or a traditional tea and scone, here are five places to try, each with its own unique style.   

May is right around the corner, so don your sombrero, dust off that marimba and head out for some Cinco de Mayo family fun! There’s music to dance to, food and drink to consume, monarch butterfly celebrations and more. With all this activity, your kids may enjoy a relaxing siesta while you mix up that margarita you so richly deserve. For even more seasonal fun, check out our list of 25 things we can't wait to do with kids this spring in NJ.

Activities based on engineering principals offer a great way for kids to learn art, science, technology and concepts of literacy, while also strengthening fine motor, critical thinking, problem-solving and teamwork skills. That’s the thinking behind STEM-based schools, like our sponsor BASIS Independent Brooklyn, which starts teaching engineering in its PreK classes. But learning engineering principles can happen at home, too, and BASIS Independent Brooklyn teachers have shared some of their favorite engineering-based activities from their preschool and K-4 classrooms to try with your family.

"With increased screen time in PreK-12 environments, there is a growing and important movement to build in time for actual 3D play into children's days," says Hadley Ruggles, head of school at Basis Independent Brooklyn. "Not only is engineering important for asking larger questions about the world around you, but it keeps important parts of kids' brains and bodies active." So challenge yourselves with these fun engineering activities, perfect for your preschoolers and older kids, too.

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes of your favorite animated films? Now's your chance to find out at the Franklin Institute's The Science Behind Pixar exhibit. See how Finding Nemo, Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monster's Inc. and more were created. From concept, to design, creation and the finished product this exhibit offers insight on even the most minute details of the process.

For those of us lucky enough to live on Long Island (especially during the summer months), there’s plenty of time to explore everything our beautiful home has to offer. But for families who might be coming in for just a few days, it's essential to make the most of your time here. With that in mind, we’ve come up with our top seven must-see locations for those taking a quick trip to Long Island, from top museums and an aquarium to beaches and lighthouses.

Exploring these places—and we've included both indoor and outdoor fun so you don't have to worry about the weather—will leave you making plans for another visit ASAP. And for more to do in the area, be sure to check out our Events Calendar and Long Island Spring Fun Guide.

During the last few years Somerville has become a haven for both foodies and families. With more parents with little ones moving into the city, many kid-friendly restaurants have been popping up all over town. 

While going out to dinner with small children isn’t always a fun or relaxing experience, breakfast is often a much better option. The next time you’re looking to dine out with the whole family, try one of these Somerville breakfast spots sure to please parents and kids alike.

We laughed; we cried; it was better than Cats. Well, actually it was cats, and we didn't really cry, but I'll stand by better than Cats—because instead of going home with Memory stuck in my head, I went home with my son intent on training our cat (infinitely preferable). What I'm talking about is The Acro-Cats, an unusual touring show I stumbled upon this weekend that offers a solid hour of feline performances. The show is currently playing at North Hollywood's El Portal Theatre, and in May it moves on to a short run at the Art Theatre of Long Beach. If watching kooky cat ladies convince rescue kitties (and a few other random critters) to perform unlikely tricks sounds like it could give you a chuckle, then read on. It certainly tickled our funny bone.