| Page 1136 | Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids

Houston, Texas with Kids: 20 Best Things to Do on a Family Vacation

Submitted by Allison Tibaldi on Sat, 04/18/2015 - 5:28pm

If you think Texas is just wide-open spaces and cowboys, a visit to Houston may challenge your preconceived notions. Yes it’s sprawling, and the annual rodeo draws locals like bees to honey, but the art scene is unexpectedly innovative and kid-friendly. Interactive and unusual visual experiences should please even self-proclaimed museum haters. And a zoo, an aquarium and a space center are just a few of its many family attractions. Here are our favorite things to do in Houston with kids.

Earth Day Outdoor Volunteering Opportunities for Westchester Families

Submitted by Christi O'Donnell on Fri, 04/17/2015 - 10:00am

While Earth Day officially falls on April 22, Westchester is celebrating through the end of the month. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to get their hands dirty and help keep Westchester clean and beautiful. Earth Day, along with I Love My Park Day on Saturday, May 2, are great times to come together with your community, and make a difference in our parks and outdoor spaces.

Children love to help, so in honor of Earth Day and I Love My Park Day, we've rounded up opportunities for kids of all ages to volunteer their time to improve the planet. You'll find some of these events (and many more) in our Event Calendar and April GoList. From planting and weeding in local parks and nature centers, to collecting trash and other cleanup, everyone can pitch in and do their share.

This Week: Free Tribeca Drive-in Family Movies, Thomas the Tank Engine & Patriots' Day

Submitted by Ravelle Worthington on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 4:33pm

It's been a busy week for public school students in third through eighth grades, with the ELA tests wrapping up this Thursday. Whether your kids took them or opted out, they're going to want to let loose this weekend. Luckily, it's going to be a nice one; Saturday is expected to be in the 70s!

We've got lots of outdoor fun on tap with the Tribeca Film Festival's FREE drive-in outdoor movies, the Tenafly Street Fair in nearby New Jersey and the Suffern Street Fair in Westchester. Or head over to Benner's Farm on Long Island, where kids can meet the newest barnyard babies. It's also the kickoff weekend of the Day Out with Thomas Celebration Tour in Connecticut. Enjoy carnival rides, a magic show and, of course, everyone preschooler's favorite friendly engine.

If you're looking to take a quick weekend trip, the Shad Festival takes place in Philly on Saturday, where kids can learn basic fishing techniques and make colorful fish rubbings. Or celebrate Patriots' Day in Boston, commemorating the opening battle of the American Revolution.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Weekend Trip: Hang with the Dinosaurs at Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park's Brand-new Exploration Island

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 4:00pm

My husband and I are big fans of Lancaster County's family amusement park Dutch Wonderland, and dread the day our nine-year-old outgrows this sweet Kingdom for Kids. We take at least one road trip here every summer but this year we were invited to visit on opening weekend to check out the park's brand-new dinosaur attraction, Exploration Island.

With so many other animatronic dinosaur spots around, like the Bronx Zoo's Dinosaur Safari and New Jersey's Field Station: Dinosaurs, plus the show Walking with Dinosaurs set to stomp into Brooklyn's Barclays Center this July, you might think my son would have soured on the saurs. But he's as fascinated by the prehistoric creatures as ever. And since the rest of Dutch Wonderland's 43 bucolic acres features a nice variety of safe and clean family rides, live shows and strolling performers, it makes for a great weekend getaway.

Fantasma Magic: Cool Magic Store, Free Houdini Museum and Awesome Birthday Spot

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 11:20am

My 10-year-old son is fascinated with magic and has performed his own act at school for four years now. (This year he passed a blade sharp enough to cut a carrot through his lovely assistant's hand.) Given his passion for hocus-pocus, we're always scouring NYC's magic shops for the coolest, new illusions to beef up his bag of tricks. So we were both surprised when he was invited to a birthday party at Fantasma Magic—a shop neither of us had heard of.

Fantasma Magic is the largest magic kit manufacturer in the world, and its midtown Manhattan showroom is a hot spot for illusion and sleight of hand fans of all ages. The store is also home to a small museum devoted to Harry Houdini, and is an awesome birthday party spot. We know where we will be shopping for my son's next magic show!

Staten Island's First Amusement Park: Fantasy Shore at Midland Beach

Submitted by Nataki Hewling on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 10:00am

Unfortunately, this theme park is out of business. Going to a fun-filled amusement park is one of the great pleasures of summer. And now that Fantasy Shore Amusement Park has opened at Midland Beach, Staten Island residents don't need to leave the borough to find one.

Owned and operated by the same company behind Queens' Fantasy Forest at the Flushing Meadows Carousel, Staten Island's Fantasy Shore is similarly modest. While a visit here may not be as thrilling as a trip to Coney Island, the upside is the rides are cheaper, there are no unruly teens or adults, and the beach is lot less crowded!

Weekend Fun with LA Kids: Book Festival, Star Wars and Earth Day April 18-19

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 8:45am

We here at Mommy Poppins are all about mothers, and this weekend, we’re celebrating the biggest mother of them all: Mother Earth. We are blessed to live in a region full of outdoor destinations, many of which host Earth Day festivities. Naturally, we’ve compiled a guide to the best Earth Day celebrations in the area.

Of course, mothers with slightly less girth are celebrated as well. Club MomMe's Spring Family Fest is a chance for all mom and dads to explore the latest in parenting and enjoy a little pampering, while kids get their play on.

Nothing would make your Momma prouder than to see you spending time with a few good books. The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is one of the biggest literary events of the year, with celebrities, authors, celebrity authors, and author celebrities, including Malcolm Gladwell, Octavia Spencer, Joyce Carol Oates, and Scooby-Doo. You can read all about it, (or have someone read it to you if you're still working on your sight words).

Keep reading for the most mom-o-rific events this weekend.

Weekend Fun for Westchester Kids: Earth Day, Film Festival, Sound of Music April 18-19

Submitted by Susan Miele on Thu, 04/16/2015 - 8:00am

Westchester is teeming with family-friendly events and activities this weekend, including an array of Earth Day celebrations, a children’s film festival and the return of the beloved Sheep-to-Shawl Festival.

Since Earth Day falls midweek (April 22), there are lots of activities this weekend and next. This weekend we have White Plains Earth Week, Earth Day Nyack and an Earth Day and Arbor Day Celebration to choose from.

Cinema fans rejoice as the New York International Children’s Film Festival: Westchester kicks off this weekend, with screenings for all ages. And, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the movie that made the von Trapps famous, your family is invited to a Sing-a Long-a Sound of Music.

If you’re looking for live performances, there's Disney’s Choo Choo Soul with Genevieve and a stage adaptation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favorites.

We’ve highlighted our top weekend picks below. Remember, these are just a few of the many fun family activities in our Event Calendar. You can also use our April GoList to plan out the rest of your month!