Preschoolers

Weekend Fun for CT Kids: Dragon Boats, Fairs, and Country Fairs, August 18-19

Submitted by Jacqueline Miller on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 6:31pm

What's your favorite part of a country fair? Is it the animals? The music? The carnival rides? The fried dough? All this and more is on offer at the array of country fairs happening all over Connecticut this weekend from Bridgewater to Wolcott to Hamburg, not to mention the Oyster Festival in Milford or a Dragon Boat Festival in Hartford. Or maybe check off one of your summer bucket list items with a Lunchtime Cruise along the Mystic shoreline.

If all this fair-going has left you looking for something a little more sedate, catch your breath at the Bike Safety Roundup at Chelsea Piers in Stamford or the Stuffed Animal CARE-ium at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk.

For the latest and best family-friendly goings on around the state, keep checking in on our frequently updated events calendar and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Have a great weekend!

Weekend Fun for Houston Kids: Houston Food Fest, Galveston Family Beach Challenge, Aug. 18-19

Submitted by Rachael Cherry on Wed, 08/15/2018 - 2:58pm

Here at Mommy Poppins, we love a good opportunity to help, and this weekend there are two excellent opportunities happening where YOU can make a positive impact:

The Houston Fire Museum is hosting a Back to School Drive through the end of August. A school supply donation will get you FREE admission to the Museum and benefits students and teachers at Worthing High School.
The Woodlands Children's Museum is teaming up with Operation Pets Alive! for a "Clear the Shelter" day where interested families can adopt pets in need of a loving home.

Have you found yourself in an activity slump? We have several different resources to help you out. The Mommy Poppins event calendar is the place to go when you're looking for daily kid-friendly activities, and it's constantly being updated with as many events happening in and around the city as possible. Our August GoList is also an excellent resource, highlighting the best events happening around Houston throughout the month. For a quick, easy resource, we recommend signing up for our weekly newslette r so you can have everything that gets published on Mommy Poppins delivered to your inbox.

For anyone who is planning an activity, we would love to make sure it has a spot on our calendar as well! All you have to do is submit your event to our calendar. Once it's submitted, we'll review it and publish it so it gets shared with all of our readers.

Let's see what this weekend has to offer.

Free and Cheap After-school Classes and Programs for LA Kids

Submitted by Roberta B on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 3:25pm

Back-to-school season is also back-to-after-school season, when families look for enriching and fun programs for their children. Options for arts, sports, and other recreational classes for kids in the LA area are numerous and varied—lucky us!—but many are tough to manage on a budget. The good news is there are also several free and cheap ways to engage students’ minds and bodies in the hours after school lets out.

35 Things to Do with Kids in Soho and Little Italy

Submitted by Amy Meader on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 1:45pm

Spend the day roaming around Soho and Little Italy with kids and you'll realize just how kid-friendly NYC can be. Of course there are tons of shops and restaurants, but if you look closer you can see that the area is teeming with tons of fun activities for the whole family: You just need to know where to look! Here are 35 of the best places for families to visit, shop, and eat in Soho and the adjacent neighborhoods of Little Italy and Hudson Square, including family-friendly restaurants, must-see museums, playgrounds, and neighborhood institutions.

NYC's First Interactive Museum of Tea Celebrates Tea Culture...and Bubble Tea!

Submitted by Rosalind Muggeridge on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 8:22am

We've already filled you in on the Color Factory, Flow Separation, and Candytopia, and now the summer of the Instagram-ready, immersive art pop-up continues, with the first tea-themed interactive art space in NYC. Room For Tea is brewing, and is set to open in Tribeca on August 28. Read on for an advance look at photos of the imaginative space celebrating the diversity of tea cultures around the world (and especially bubble tea), plus everything you need to know to plan your visit.

15 Studios Where Kids Can Take Dance Classes in the Philly Area

Submitted by Becki Melchione on Tue, 08/14/2018 - 12:00am

Dance studios and classes come in a variety of styles for all ages. Some focus on fun and fitness while others trend toward competition and professional training. Many offer classes starting with Mommy & Me for the youngest dancers, and expand their variety as children get older and more skilled. Whether the aspiring dancer is into ballet, jazz, tap, modern, or hip hop, this list has something for everyone from Center City to the 'burbs.

8 Houston Parks Perfect for Kids' Birthday Parties

Submitted by Carrie Taylor on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 3:12pm

Hosting birthday parties for your kids comes with so many choices nowadays. Which indoor playground is best? What kind of cake will be served? What will the decorations be? Will there be entertainment? Can you get away with just not throwing one at all? The answer to the last one is....probably not (unless your kid is turning 3 and under and they won't know the difference anyway.) Our favorite place to host a birthday party is a great park - one with picnic tables so you don't have to bring any, lots of shade, plenty of room to run around, and great playgrounds so the kids don't have a reason to say they are bored.

The good news is, Houston is home to lots of great parks perfect for birthday parties. Here are some of our favorites.

Where to Find Awesome Classes for NYC Kids This Fall

Submitted by Jessica Laird on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 12:00pm

Back to school season isn't just new backpacks and long lists of school supplies. It's also time to get your little New Yorkers signed up for fall classes!

Thankfully, this city's got something for kids of all ages, from babies and tots to tweens and teens. Whether you're looking for a morning mommy-and-me class or an awesome after school program, there's no shortage of sports, dance, art, theater, and academic options to keep everyone happily busy.

You can search through dozens of classes by type or location in our Classes Guide and Directory Listings, but we've also rounded up some of the top options for fall 2018. Take a look at these family favorites!

Destination Playground: Pier 25 Playground Is Action-Packed for Kids of All Ages

Submitted by Jody Mercier on Mon, 08/13/2018 - 9:26am

On a hot summer day, the cool river breeze is hard to beat. But one thing that takes the summer fun up a notch is an ultra cool destination playground right on the river, with killer downtown and river views, proximity to free kayaking, reasonably priced mini golf, and plenty of free family-friendly programming. Think this all sounds too good to be true? Then you'll want to get reacquainted with the Hudson River Park's Pier 25 Playground in Tribeca.

LA's Best Gyms and Tumbling Classes for Kids Who Love To Bounce

Submitted by Audrey M on Sun, 08/12/2018 - 1:04pm

Every kid loves to jump around. While some kids channel that energy into competitive gymnastics programs at LA's gymnastics schools, others (toddlers particularly) really just want a place to bounce, tumble, climb, and swing. If you are looking for tumbling classes that are completely child-centered, fully non-competitive, and possibly closer to home (not to mention great options for birthday parties and summer camp), one of these kids' gyms may be just your speed.