My kids are five and seven and both attend public school. I’m amazed at how much is expected of them at such an early age. In addition to rigorous academics, students are expected to sit still for huge portions of the day—not easy for active kids like mine! We stay busy with activities like hiking and ice skating, and of course, we love all the indoor play spaces Westchester has to offer. Still, I wanted a class where my kids could learn some new skills. Nothing too regimented—I wanted to balance out the school stress, not add to it. My kids needed a class that would let them get their wiggles out, help them become strong and confident and, most of all, have some silly fun. Luckily, we've found a great place to combat the Common Core blues: the circus!

Westchester is chock full of beautiful places to enjoy nature--it’s one of the reasons so many families choose to live here. From historic sites like Kykuit and Sunnyside with lush gardens to explore, to huge parks like Rockefeller State Park and Croton Point Park, there's more than enough green space to go around. We previously wrote about great places to go hiking with kids, however some of the most gorgeous spots to commune with nature are not the most commonly known. If you're looking to blaze new trails, here are three great places to start.