New England is a place of weather extremes. In the span of a month, we witness cold and snowy blossom into balmy spring, and when summer has run its steamy course, autumn cools things down again. Whatever the weather, Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton is a fabulous destination for a fall day trip in Hartford County. The center offers indoor and outdoor activities, as well as a year-round calendar of activities and events. There is surely something for everyone, and there are few better ways to connect with each other than to connect with nature together.

When I was looking for a place to hold my son’s birthday party a few years ago, my sister recommended The Anderson Recreation Center in Rockville Centre. What a find! Not only did my little guy have an awesome party at a very affordable price, but I was amazed at all of the programs the Rec Center had for kids. Even better: You don’t need to be a resident to enjoy all it has to offer (although you will pay a bit more to use the facilities).  This sent me on a mission to find other kid-friendly centers around me in Nassau County.

And for more kid-friendly activities, check out our Long Island Events Calendar.

The rain washed away the last of that ugly black snow and we took our Winter Guide down from our homepage. So I guess that makes it official: Spring is truly here! This weekend is full of great ways to celebrate the new season like the debut of Macy's Flower Show, the opening day of Queens' mini-amusement park Fantasy Forest and spring's first big movie release, Muppets Most Wanted (my daughter and I saw a preview last Saturday and thought it was a riot—it's all silly puns, goofy gags and celebrity cameos, plus a great Chorus Line parody).

If the upcoming school recess is on your mind, our Travel site has a great list of spring break getaway deals both near (Hudson Valley) and far (the Caribbean). Or check our regional sites for vacation ideas: Our New Jersey bloggers just wrote about farms with adorable baby animals and put all of their great small towns posts into a handy guide. Meanwhile our Connecticut site has a list of family road trip tips.

However you decide to spend the first weekend of spring, we hope you have a blast. Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Happy spring! Maybe it’s the season, but if your kids love music, this is the weekend for them! From the annual Revels Spring Sing in Watertown to Rock ’n’ Romp in Cambridge, from Vanessa Trien in Chestnut Hill to Stacey Peasley in Needham. Read on for information about these and other weekend events. And be sure to visit our Events Calendar for even more things to do.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• 25 Things to Do with Kids in Dorchester - Indoor and outdoor fun for kids and families
• Visiting the JFK Library and Museum with Kids - Tara has the lowdown on what you need to know when visiting the JFK Library and Museum with kids.
• Part 2 of Tara’s April Vacation Week Programs for Kids
• Our WeeWorks Series continues - see all our WeeWork activity posts here.

Enjoy!

Spring is finally here and we couldn't be happier! To kick off the seasonal celebrations, head to the Greenburgh Nature Center for Spring Fling Fun or take a hike at Teatown Lake Reservation to look for frogs and salamanders returning to mate and lay eggs.

If you haven’t gotten enough Irish this month, the celebrations continue with the Yonkers and Sound Shore-Mamaroneck Saint Patrick’s Day Parades. Katonah Art Center is hosting an Open House and Free Arts Day on Sunday--all activities are FREE and include crafts, music and movement workshops including yoga, Zumba and dance.

The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival adds a modern twist to the classic tale, Much Ado About Nothing, at the Paramount Theater. The Tarrytown Music Hall hosts The Very Hungry Caterpillar along with an assortment of other favorite puppet characters.

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.

How'd ya like that cute little wake-up call this week? No biggie. Just a reminder of the trade-off we make for living in Sunny So Cal and  ...HOLY CANNOLI! WHAT WAS THAT?! That must have been a big one; it felt like a mess of trucks going by and... Oh. It was a mess of trucks going by? Fancy that. Must be fun for the kids; you know how they love those big rigs.

Okay, so maybe I am feeling a little jumpy. Maybe I still have a creepy, my-skin-is-crawling, like there are bugs everywhere, and LEAPIN' LIZARDS! There are bugs crawling everywhere! Oh, because of Bug Fair, right. Makes sense. (But cricket brownies? Serious. Ugh.)

You know what doesn't make sense? RAMPAGING ANIMALS! Through the streets! Roaring really loud and scaring little children and walking on tightropes and performing funny skits and maybe even riding little bicycles, and - I have to admit that sounds more talented than scary, like America's Teaching Zoo Has Talent talented.

Anyway, I'll be hiding in the doorway with my emergency flashlight until further notice. But for those of you willing to venture out into the wild world this weekend, please keep reading for some of our favorite picks.

Sure, playgrounds are great, but wondering where to take the kids on a miserably rainy, super cold or too hot day? We’ve got you covered with eight great choices for indoor play in Camden and Cumberland Counties. Whether they want to bounce, bowl, skate or climb, there is something to make everyone happy on this list. Read on for our top picks and visit our Indoor Play & Rainy Day Activity Guide for additional suggestions.

Another weekend to show off your Irish pride, as there are four St. Patrick's Day parades stepping off Saturday and Sunday. Pick your corner of Long Island: Montauk, Glen Cove, Farmingdale or Rockville Centre. Of course, there are also plenty of other kid-friendly activities across the Island, so be sure to check out this roundup for some of the best of the best on what's happening this weekend.

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