Spring is finally here! The temperatures are slowly rising, I can hear a chorus of birds chirping and all the beautiful flowers are blooming. After a long cold winter that seemed like it would never end we are all happily ready to welcome this spring season. There’s no better way to greet the season than with a fun springtime festival so here are a few listed in Central CT to get you started.

As a Mom of two high energy, press-all-the-buttons, no-volume-control kids, I am eternally grateful for the few establishments that cater to us. There exist few places where a parent can walk in the door and immediately feel at ease letting their kids roam, explore and press ALL the buttons on everything in the place. A place where no one will tell them to pipe down, slow down, and don't touch that.To find one of those spots in nearby Watertown, CT, well...that's like winning the Momma lottery. Enter, Kids Down on Main Street.

Kids can have fun and learn valuable water-safety skills. For parents, it's a great value and the opportunity to indulge in a half hour of reading and coffee—definitely a win-win situation! You can also check out Indoor Swimming Pools on Long Island for those rainy summer days.

Recently (and out of nowhere) my two-year old daughter proudly announced, “Mommy, gracias means thank you in Spanish!” Being the proud mommy I am, I naturally bragged to my friends and family about her genius. When asked how she learned that phrase I realized she picked it up from an episode of Sesame Street. This got me thinking--if my child picked up a phrase from just one television show, imagine what she might learn from an actual foreign language class?

Kids classes are a great way for kids to learn new skills and make new friends. So why not try a foreign language class? Westchester has terrific options for kids of all ages. We've rounded up 4 learning centers in lower Westchester that offer foreign language immersion through fun-filled activities and exploration.

Read on for more information and start your little ones on a lifelong journey of learning and fun. And be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletter to have all the latest news, events and reviews delivered to your inbox.

Let them NOT have cake and eat it too. We've done the birthday cake a thousand times, and now it's time for something new. How about trying out one of the suggestions below? Perhaps they can serve as inspiration for thinking outside the pink cake box.

What a long, event-packed week it's been, especially for those of us with kids in public school. The ELA standardized tests kicked off on Tuesday, which also happened to be April Fools' Day (feel free to share your best punchlines in the comments). At least spring is finally in the air as we all gear up for a season filled with festivals and fairs; Easter egg hunts, including the awesome Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, which has brought 250-plus giant decorated egg statues to our city; and other outdoor fun.

All of our sites posted brand-new April Go Lists highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month. Here in NYC, our top family event picks for April include three of our annual favorites: the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival Family Street Fair and the Queens County Farm Museum's Children's Carnival. If you're looking for spring break getaway ideas, check out our April Go Lists for Westchester, New Jersey, Long Island and beyond—they just might inspire a day trip or two.

And there's still time to enter our Amazing Max giveaway. We're giving away two prize packages that include four front-row tickets to the family magic show, a magic kit, an instructional DVD, and a private meet and greet with Max himself.

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

The birds are chirping and baseball is in the air. Spring has arrived. There are plenty of events happening around Westchester this weekend to get the family out of the house. Join The Trailside Nature Museum for a hike around the park to look for signs of spring. The Hudson Highlands Museum is celebrating Trout Weekend with crafts and activities all weekend.

Easter and Passover events begin this weekend. Have breakfast with the Easter Bunny at the Westchester Mall, make some matzah at the Chabad of the Rivertowns, or create Passover decorations at the JCC of Mid-Westchester.

A live performance of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. takes place all weekend at the Irvington Town Hall Theater. Catch Galumpha, a performance combining stunning acrobatics, striking visual effects, physical comedy, and inventive choreography.

If you see something that piques your interest, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond. And don't forget our April Go List for our top picks for family outings all month long.

While we all thought the snow earlier this week was Mother Nature's April Fools's Day joke on us, at least she warmed things up so that we could enjoy some fun in the sun. If you still want to fool around, head to Oyster Bay for an April Fools' Hike at Sagamore Hill or to Islip for Gary Ferrar's magic show.

For those itching to get outdoors, Belmont State Park is hosting a free Spring Family Fishing Festival and a Family Seal Walk is being held at Montauk State Park. Easter Egg Hunts also begin across Long Island this weekend. 

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