Toys. Kids love ‘em; parents wish they would put them away. But in this the age of electronics, we can all agree that a good old-fashioned manipulative beats a device with a screen any day. With even big toy store chains like FAO Schwartz and Toys 'R' Us closing shop, it's time for us to rally and support the local toy stores we love if we want them to be here next year—particularly the ones where you find an unusual gift just when you need it.

New York City's spring outdoor festival season kicks off this April with more than a dozen fun and mostly FREE fairs, fetes, parades, and carnivals. Some annual Mommy Poppins favorites take place, including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Cherry Blossom Festival, the Queens County Farm Museum's Children's Carnival, Staten Island's St. George Day celebration, and the annual Street Games in East Harlem.

These events aren't just fun, they also foster community spirit by bringing folks together for a common cause. Many include old-fashioned games, eco-activities, homemade treats, and live performances. Here are some awesome NYC fairs, carnivals, and festivals for families this April.

It's time to kiss winter good-bye and spring into outdoor festival and fair season. Whether you choose to hop on carnival rides, stroll the streets of your favorite downtown, dance to live music, sample delicious eats, or do all of the above, there's something for everyone at these lively and family-friendly New Jersey spring fests. 

Read on for 30 of our picks, from Earth Day celebrations to strawberry festivals. And for more spring action, check out Mommy Poppins' Spring Fun Guide for New Jersey Kids.

Jamaica families, your wait is over! A brand-new play café has arrived in the neighborhood, and it is a treat for kids and parents alike. With play spaces popping up all over Queens and Brooklyn, it was only a matter of time before Jamaica got in on the action.

Located just two blocks from the F train on Jamaica Avenue, Mini Galaxy Play Café is a bright, open space that is set up so that caregivers can sit back with a cup of coffee (or delicious pastry) while watching their little ones have a blast.

Preschool. How could something so full of fun and games be so, so, so agonizingly difficult to select?!  Surely, there was a time when it was either 'the one around the corner,' or that 'Montessori one across town'. No more. The Montessori approach has been joined by Bank Street, Project Approach, and Reggio Emilia (and no doubt, others I've never heard of). There's also a wide range in cost. And scheduling. And wait for it…admissions requirements. There are easily hundreds, if not thousands of options for preschool in Fairfield County. Mommy Poppins and her friends have, at least, HEARD good things about the following preschools, or have children enrolled in them. Surely, we've missed some good ones, so please jump into the conversation and let us know where they are (especially you city dwellers out there - Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport)!

Yes, New Jersey, it’s still cold out there—and it seems like the playgrounds will be covered in snow until, oh, about June. Lucky for us, there’s a new indoor play space that just opened in Millburn, so staying indoors doesn’t have to mean staying home. Head on over to The Busy Bee, where your tykes can roll, jump, hop, climb, slide, and burn off the crazies every day of the week. The best part? There’s no membership required and you don’t need tons of cash, so you can drop in and play anytime you want. 

Downtown NYC just got lucky—The Craft Studio, long a mainstay of the Upper East Side has finally opened a Lower Manhattan outpost and fans of the wonderfully charming crafting mecca couldn’t be happier. Not only is it a great place for kids to unwind after school, it is also a birthday party venue and a great option for play dates.

Learn more about the new location below, including what you can look forward to in the brand-new downtown arts space.

I have a four year and she loves cookies. Sugar, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin: she doesn’t discriminate. She loves them all. So naturally, she absolutely loves visiting a bake-your-own workshop like The Cookie Workshop in Trumbull.  We've rounded up a list of sweet spots to bake with your kiddos across the state that they will absolutely love.  And you'll absolutely love not having to clean up one single sprinkle. It's a win-win.