When it comes to birthday parties, I am all for the spirit of inviting the whole class. There is no worse feeling than being excluded or not making the A list, and encouraging our kids to be inclusive is surely the right thing to do. However, public school class sizes being what they are, this can sometimes be an unmanageable proposition. And most of our kids have lots of other friends from other places, too, like pre-school or extracurricular activities. If you approach your child’s party with the good intention of inviting everybody, the guest list is likely to have at least 20-30 kids on it. So, if you don't have an acre of rolling lawn behind your family estate, how is this remotely feasible on a budget? We've got 10 great ideas that don't cost a bundle.

Summer camp is a place where kids can truly come into their own, spending the school break exploring interests, developing new passions, learning valuable skills, and creating life-long memories. And if that camp also happens to be situated on 100 acres of beautiful land in the Santa Monica Mountains, even better, right?

Our sponsor Tumbleweed Camp is a place where children ages 4-14 enjoy the wonders of nature just minutes from Brentwood. And while there are plenty of fun programs for campers to enjoy, the focus is on more than just keeping them occupied; each activity is designed to teach creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication—important attributes for when they get into the “real world.”  

The tiny town of Boonton, New Jersey just might have it all. This bedroom community, located in Morris County, is known for its beautiful open spaces and rural character. Throw in a vibrant downtown (named one of NJ's Best Downtowns by New Jersey Monthly Magazine), streets lined with 18th and 19th century homes, views of New York City and an actual waterfall and you can see why Boonton is a day trippers dream. Once a thriving factory town, Boonton has gone through a revival in the past several decades, morphing into one of New Jersey's coolest destinations. Read on to learn more about what makes Boonton so special. For even more great small towns in Northern New Jersey, check out our Small Towns Guide.

Believe it or not, there’s less than a month 'til spring and an actual end to the subzero temperatures! Meanwhile, take advantage of all the warm indoor fun throughout New Jersey this week. Explore the arts without spending a dime at Little Rocker’s Free Music Trial Class and Whole Food’s free Painting Fun workshop. Experience more creative fun at Kayla’s Creative Art Studio’s After-School Art Class and Kids Art Hour at the Monmouth Museum. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

A week designed for builders and creators of all ages, National Engineers Week is one event, but it's celebrated in two locations in the Southland. The Discovery Cube in Orange County and its newly opened sister branch in the San Fernando Valley both have many interactive activities aimed at young engineers and scientists, including the not-to-be-missed egg dropping contest. For those more interested in the natural world, there are two free aquarium opportunities in Santa Monica and Long Beach, and the one in Santa Monica comes with free food for our kids.

This week brings the chance to catch make-ups of some events rescheduled due to all the February snow, including the exciting conclusion to the Beanpot Tournament. Unfortunately, the Monkey King Puppet Show scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed once again due to roof snow removal at the library. Since there's still plenty of snow out there, other fun activities to try with the family include snowshoeing at Gore Place or skating at one of Boston's outdoor ice rinks.

Storytimes are always a good choice for the preschool set, and there are some great options this week. Gather the kids up for morning storytime at the Elephant's Trunk in Lexington or for Pajama Storytime with Catching Joy at the Blue Bunny on Friday evening. Read on for our picks of the week, and don't forget to check out the full events calendar!

Please check with the event venues for snow cancelations before heading out this week.

President's Week has come to an end, and everyone's schedules are going to back to normal. That means many of us will be looking for things to do with the kids--big and small--both during the day and after school. There are quite a few fun things going on across Long Island, from exploring nature (yes, even in this cold) and enjoying a kid-friendly movie and snack, you can find a few of our favorite events for this week below.

Of course, this list is just our top picks--be sure to check out our Long Island Events Calendar regularly as it is always being updated. And to receive this post right into your inbox, sign up for our newsletter, which is now going out twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays).