| Page 1581 | Mommy Poppins - Things to Do with Kids

This Week: Easter Egg Hunts and Spring Festivals, Focus on Dumbo, Things to Do Over Spring Break

Submitted by Raven Snook on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 4:00pm

Easter is the main event this week and all of our sites have posts about cool community Easter egg hunts and festivals, from NYC to Long Island to New Jersey and beyond. We also updated our posts about New Jersey's awesome Easter Bunny train rides and where to take photos with the big rabbit in NYC, and our Boston site has tips on creating healthier Easter baskets.

This week also marks the start of Passover and spring break. If you're planning a NYC staycation, we have lots of ideas about what to do over spring break. And if you want to get out of town, you have plenty of time to take a day trip or even plan a longer getaway with the help of our new Mommy Poppins Travel Site.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site:

Great Wolf Lodge Review and Money (Sanity) Saving Tips

Submitted by Anna Fader on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 2:53pm

Indoor water parks can be a great weekend getaway when the chilly weather has the kids going stir crazy or any time you want a mini family vacation without the expense of getting on a plane. Great Wolf Lodge is a chain of popular indoor water park resorts that kids clamor for. We were recently invited to review the Great Wolf Lodge in Scranton, PA and even given a free ride courtesy of a test car from Chevy. Talk about gilding the lily.

Kids will obviously love Great Wolf Lodge for the over the top indoor water park and the wild MagiQuest adventure game that takes them running through the hotel looking for treasure. We've reviewed Great Wolf Lodge Resorts for families before, so I thought in this post I'd focus on some money (and sanity) saving tips to help make this kid-tacular retreat a more grown-up friendly vacation too.

Long Island Kids' Activities April 7 and 8: More Easter Egg Hunts and a Spring Festival

Submitted by Dara Stewart on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 11:55am

(Image courtesy of Long Island Aquarium)

It's Easter Weekend, and celebrations abound around the Island. Take the kids on an egg hunt (find even more here)--or even a dinosaur-egg hunt--an Easter Parade or a Spring Festival. Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Animate Yourself (Literally!) at New York Hall of Science's New Interactive Animation Exhibit

Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 10:00am

My son and I had been dying to see the New York Hall of Science's Animation exhibit from the moment it was announced. So when it opened last weekend, we trekked out to Flushing Meadows Corona Park to check it out and it did not disappoint. Like all of NYHS's installations, Animation offers hands-on learning fun for kids and adults. Plus, the subject matter is right up every child’s alley: What kid doesn’t love cartoons?

When you step into the huge colorful gallery, you're transported to a cartoon world inhabited by the animated stars of Cartoon Network. (The channel provided funding for this traveling exhibition.) Kids can learn about a variety of animation techniques at a series of interactive stations, and even try to make their own creations. Plus they get a cursory lesson in the history of the genre, and even get to watch classic and contemporary cartoons.

Free and Fun Things to Do this Easter Weekend with Kids in CT: Easter Egg Hunts, Easter Bunny and Seal Watching

Submitted by Mary Beth Lawlor on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 9:20am

Spring Break is about to begin for many Connecticut families and there are lots of Easter festivities around the state on Saturday. Looking for some inspiration? You can check out some fun Easter party and recipe ideas on our pinterest page. Saturday is your last chance to squeeze an Egg hunt in and Easter activities abound this weekend. You can find a celebration close to you in our Fairfield, Hartford and Litchfield posts.

Fun Things for Kids and Families to Do in Boston for Easter Weekend - 4/7 to 4/8

Submitted by Audrey Trieschman on Wed, 04/04/2012 - 10:07pm

With two big holidays just around the corner, Boston is buzzing with bunnies, Easter egg hunts, and Passover preparations. There is still time for kids to see the Easter Bunny around town and take part in some really big Easter Egg hunts. Plus, we have some great ideas for ways to fill your Easter baskets and Easter eggs to celebrate at home.

If you’re still trying to figure out what to do with the kids during April Vacation Week in and around Boston, take a look at these terrific workshops, camps and programs. And be sure to check in on our calendar as we’re continually updating it with other special vacation events.

Here’s wishing everyone a great weekend. Read on for some of our suggestions of things to do. Enjoy!

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Kids in Boston - Contests, Festival, Workshops and a Walk

Submitted by Audrey Trieschman on Wed, 04/04/2012 - 4:26pm

“Listen my children and you shall hear…” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

April is National Poetry Month, a celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Kids in the greater Boston area can celebrate with poetry contests, workshops, performances, a festival and an exploratory walk through the woods. Read on for a roundup of all things poetry.

Celebrate National Poetry Month with NYC Kids

Submitted by Kay on Wed, 04/04/2012 - 10:00am

April is National Poetry Month (bet you didn't know that). Even if the last time you picked up a collection of adult poems was Sylvia Plath in college, chances are you read your kids rhyming stanzas by the likes of Dr. Seuss, Margaret Wise Brown or Shel Silverstein on a more regular basis. Little ones really respond to poetry; the rhymes help them learn to read, and older kids get into rap and slam poetry.

There are lots of special kid-friendly events going on in honor of National Poetry Month, including free poetry writing workshops, poetry slams and the annual Poem in Your Pocket day. But we've also got ways your family can celebrate the art of poetry year-round in New York City.