One of the things I love about living in Connecticut is that I can be in downtown Hartford in ten minutes, and If I drive ten minutes in the other direction, I can be on a rural, working farm that feels like I'm far away from any hustle and bustle. 

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, CT has nearly 5,000 farms. They are wonderful places to show your children where our food comes from, and why local agriculture is crucial to the environment and the economy. If you would like to get out and see for yourself, check out our post on Where to See Baby Farm Animals in Fairfield County.

Hands down, May is my family’s favorite month. Gorgeous weather and outdoor events make for perfect late-spring weekends. Got a truck lover in your life? Head to Nutley’s Big Truck Day. Princess in the house? Try the Afternoon Doll Tea at Just Bead Yourself. And for the whole gang, there's Smithville Village’s Mayfest or a Woodland Walk at the NJ Botanical Gardens. Read on for our top picks and find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

What's the one neighborhood in NYC that has not one but two children's museums? If you guessed the Upper West Side or Park Slope, try again. Crown Heights, Brooklyn is home to the super-popular and interactive Brooklyn Children's Museum as well as the lesser-known Jewish Children's Museum, which features an entire floor of games including an indoor mini-golf course. So while there may not be any traditional kiddie gyms in Crown Heights (yet—it's only a matter of time), there's certainly no shortage of places for kids to play and learn.

In addition to the aforementioned tot spots, there's the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum, which are both very kid-friendly and offer wonderful family programming year-round. Plus the historic Weeksville Heritage Center is about to debut its brand-new Education and Cultural Arts Building. We continue our month-long spotlight on Crown Heights with a look at everything these institutions have to offer families, including lots of opportunities for enriching drop-in fun.

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer and the busy season for family vacations.  It’s not too late to score a discount holiday weekend getaway or too early to start planning a bigger summer trip.  We’ve found deals up and down in the Northeast, Florida, Virginia, Arizona and Costa Rica.

As we head toward summer's unofficial start, Memorial Day weekend, there are a slew of exciting openings to share, including a new mini-amusement park in Queens' Flushing Meadows Corona Park, the debut of a Dinosaur Safari at the Bronx Zoo and a fresh ice cream shop in Williamsburg.

We've also got the scoop on a couple of museum closures, a way to see Section 3 of the High Line before it opens to the general public and a list of hilarious parenting hacks that may inspire you—or at least put a knowing smile on your face.

Does a day of living history, local history, architectural history, dance, traditional craft demos, kids' crafts, storytelling, art, and live music sound good to you? While several LA-area museums offer free admission the first Tuesday of each month (and one offers the first Wednesday), the annual Museum of the Arroyos Day offers free Sunday admission to and special activities at five different historical museums along the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena and Los Angeles each May.

Even though Hurricane Sandy may seem so long ago, many communities are still recovering from all the damage done. One of the hardest hit areas in NYC is one of our favorite places to play in the summer: Coney Island in Brooklyn.

While the Parks Department says the beach will be ready to welcome swimmers and sunbathers come Memorial Day weekend, many other Coney Island attractions like the New York Aquarium are struggling to open for the season, and some iconic events like the annual Mermaid Parade may not happen at all without support from fans. We've got up-to-date info on what to expect when you visit Coney Island this summer, and how you can help the People's Playground bounce back.

As the mother of a son with special needs, we have our work cut out for us in many areas. While we’ve pretty much figured out the crazy NYC school system (at least for the moment) and explored a whole slew of extracurricular activities, there are still lots of things we need help with on a day-to-day basis.

Previously I profiled YAI NYC and NYC's Resources for Children with Special Needs, two wonderful nonprofit organizations that offer resources, advice and assistance for local special needs families. However, since many agencies have full caseloads and wait lists for in-demand services, it’s always a good idea to have a few more irons in the fire.

That's why I recently called AHRC New York City, an organization that has been serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their loved ones since 1950. I found out that AHRC has a special needs dental clinic located about 30 minutes from my house, which is a good hour less than we had been traveling for the last few years. But the dental clinic turned out to be just a glimpse of what AHRC has to offer.

AHRC states on its website that its goal is “to offer individuals with disabilities day to day living that is as rich, absorbing and worthwhile as possible, with an emphasis on helping individuals live up to their maximum potential in the community.” Based on what I’ve found out so far, that’s an understatement. Here are just a few of the unique events, services and resources AHRC provides to the NYC special needs community and their families.