“Mom. Is it time yet? Are we going to the Splash Zone today?” For the last week, these have been the first words out of my daughter’s mouth. On Saturday she walked into my bedroom at the crack of dawn wearing her swimsuit (over her pajamas of course) and goggles. Finally, Sunday arrived. Splash Zone Day at Chelsea Piers Connecticut! To say my four-year-old daughter was looking forward to this adventure would have been a bit of an understatement. Bonus points: she got to bring a friend! 

When the shorter days and longer nights of Winter have my family bouncing off the walls we frequently turn to the Mommy Poppins guide of Indoor Play Spaces.   Lucky for us in Fairfield County, there are quite a few to choose from. Having a fun, safe, clean, dependable indoor play area is crucial to surviving winter in Connecticut.  For my family, that magical place is called “Our Back Yard”.  You may not notice this expansive play space driving down the road in Fairfield. It’s tucked into a strip mall, above the Nutmeg Bowl Bowling Alley.  Our Back Yard is in the same building as the bowling alley, but if you follow the driveway along the side of the building, you will reach the separate parking lot and entrance for the play space.  Our Back Yard offers a “weather resistant” playscape. Even though we have been “bounced out” after about 60 minutes, I still feel like this is a tremendous bang for your buck.  

This craft is sponsored by Henry Holt, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group.

Families come in all shapes and sizes. A new picture book, Little Elliot, Big Family, tells the story of a small elephant who finds a family of his own in the big city. We travel with Little Elliot and his friend Mouse through 1940s NYC, visiting favorite landmarks.

This charming tale inspired us to celebrate our own family with a special picture frame craft. This easy project is a picture perfect way to save cherished family memories.