Preschool is one of those things I never put much thought into until my son's third birthday was looming. I assumed finding a preschool would be a breeze, one of those tasks I checked off the to-do list in a day (cue the first time mom chuckles). Instead, I quickly realized that there are a lot of variables to consider when selecting a preschool for your child, some of which make a big difference and others that may not matter as much. For us, price was one of those make or break factors, and finding an affordable preschool proved to be a big hurdle to overcome. So for all the parents out there looking for affordable preschool options in Southwest Houston, we have you covered.

Think a recipe for fun includes locking yourself and your kids inside a small room for an hour? That's the idea behind escape room adventure games, an activity that's become a worldwide phenomenon over the last year or so. New Jerseyans now have a new option for escape room fun: one of the state's largest facilities, the Escape Room Center, just opened in Bridgewater, and it makes for an exciting and memorable outing for families with older children, tweens, and teens. 

New York City boasts plenty of sweet spots, and even places where kids can make their own chocolate or ice cream. But now it has its very own museum dedicated to chocolate.

Choco-Story New York: The Chocolate Museum and Experience recently opened within Jacques Torres’ Soho shop, offering tours, classes, and a healthy serving of history about one of our most revered sweets.

Maybe you saw the headlines about its opening March 7, but wondered, “Is it kid-friendly?” Read on for our review and tips to find out.

Say cheese—er, carrots! Easter is almost here, making it the perfect time for family-friendly activities like Easter egg hunts, coloring eggs and of course, having a photo snapped with the Easter Bunny. This year, there are a number of places in and around Westchester where your kids can pose for a picture with Peter Cottontail himself.

Looking for more holiday ideas? Check out our Event Calendar and sign up for our newsletters!

When my son was nearly two, I was excited to start new traditions, especially around the holidays. And while it was easy to come up with activities for us, like decorating Easter eggs, I had a hard time finding an Easter Egg Hunt that I felt would be age appropriate for him. I knew he wouldn’t quite get the point of the hunt, and might even possibly be trampled by older kids. I also wanted a tradition that we could count on year after year, creating a lasting and memorable experience.

I didn’t grow up with local Easter traditions, and occasionally times like the holidays make it harder to feel connected. So I decided to do something about it. I organized a neighborhood hunt for my son and the other toddling tots I've grown to know and love from neighborhood mommy meet-ups. The egg hunt has been such a hit that we have repeated it every year, and each year we've found more ways to make it special and grow the participation into a true neighborhood event where we all make new friends, build memories, and enjoy some true village parenting.

So, here are my 10 tips and tricks for organizing a great, easy community Easter egg hunt!

I'll be honest, I haven't gone to the movies since my daughter was born, and she's getting close to 1 1/2-years old! I remember being told to go to the movies as much as possible while I was pregnant, but I didn't really comprehend that watching a movie on the big screen would become such an unlikely endeavor after having a baby. I also remember reading that one can take babies to the movies when they are newborns and they will just nurse and sleep but that just seemed too daunting to me, what would I do if she cried? I could just imagine all the angry movie patrons yelling at me for bringing a baby to the movies, would they even let me in the theater? Even though I've tried all kinds of mom-and-baby activities, such as music classes, baby yoga, and storytimes, I had no idea that "mommy and me" movie showings existed.

There are some great family-friendly movie options in the Houston area - don't be afraid to give them a try! Some screenings are geared toward children with sensory issues, so they show kid's movies, while Mommy and Me screenings are typically movies for adults that also welcome babies and children as audience members. 

Mummies, a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, is an exciting glimpse into the ancient past made possible through modern technology. The exhibit—on loan from The Field Museum in Chicago—showcases 18 mummies from ancient Egypt and Peru, many of which have been in storage since the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Yes, that's right—more than 100 years ago. Amazing. Kids will be fascinated by the mummies, while parents will find the science that made it all possible equally enthralling. (More on that later.) The exhibit, which opened Monday, March 20, gives a sense of who the mummies were, what their lives were like, and even what several of them looked like. 

There are few more iconic places in our city to take kids than the Boston Common. It’s steeped in history and the perfect place to run around in the grass right downtown. In the summer, families flock to the Frog Pond to cool down after playing on the nearby Tadpole Playground.