Jennifer Coe

Latest posts by Jennifer Coe

A Visit to the New England Air Museum in Connecticut with Kids

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Fri, 04/16/2021 - 2:58pm

Staff members are on hand to explain the historic aircraft. Photo courtesy of the New England Air Museum

Whether they're excited about Amelia Earhart, the Wright brothers, or Buzz Lightyear, a visit to the New England Air Museum in Connecticut is a thrill for most kids with an interest in planes or flying.

Located in Windsor Locks, not far from Hartford and just yards away from the roaring planes that land and take off daily from Bradley International Airport, this aerospace museum is home to more than 100 historic aircraft on display and plenty of hands-on, interactive exhibits sure to fuel their love of science and exploration.

Maple Sugaring with Kids in Connecticut: Maple Syrup Festivals, Sugar House Tours, and More

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Fri, 02/19/2021 - 11:00am

Photo courtesy of the Sharon Audubon Center

Warm days and cool nights start the sweet, sweet maple syrup season. Right about now, sugar houses across Connecticut are busy collecting and evaporating clear sap into tasty, golden syrup. The traditional maple sugaring season extends from late February until late March. Here, we share the latest information on maple syrup activities and sugar house tours for Connecticut families during this year's syrup season.

Make the most of the next couple months by checking out our favorite snowshoeing spots and snow tubing areas in our Connecticut winter fun guide.

10 Things To Love About the Connecticut Science Center

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Mon, 02/08/2021 - 10:00am

Hands-on features make a museum visit memorable. Photo courtesy of the Connecticut Science Center

For local families with curious kids, the Connecticut Science Center is one of the best places to spend a chilly or rainy day. Kidspace, the Engineering Lab, Invention Dimension, and Our Changing Earth are just some of the exhibits and activities that simultaneously entertain and educate youth of all ages. Also, there are traveling exhibits that change regularly, making it worthwhile to come back to the Connecticut Science Center more than once during the year. Add in take-home projects and school vacation enrichment programs, and it's no wonder that a visit to this brainy museum is one of our favorite things to do in Hartford with kids.

Read on for our 10 favorite things to do at the Connecticut Science Center—including the new dinosaur exhibit—and don't miss our Connecticut Museum Guide for more enriching outings with kids.

Zip Lines and Ropes Courses in Connecticut for Outdoor Family Adventures

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Sun, 10/04/2020 - 8:00pm

While big kids zip through the treetops, preschoolers can play in the Adventure Playground in Storrs. Photo courtesy of Adventure Park

Do you have a child who loves adventure—or who can often be found scaling walls or scrambling up trees? While a family hike is always a great outlet for these high-energy kiddos, you might want to up the ante with a day trip to an outdoor zip line course or ropes course in Connecticut. Our state is home to a number of zip line courses with a range of age-appropriate challenges that will excite thrill-seekers young and old.

What if the weather is cold or wet? Kids can put their climbing skills to the test at It Adventures Ropes Course in New Haven, or monkey around at these Connecticut indoor obstacle courses instead.

Best Reading, Spelling, and Writing Apps for Kids

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Thu, 04/09/2020 - 4:00pm

Give your kids a little educational screen time with these app picks. Photo by Patricia Prudente/Unsplash

Adapting to our new homeschool way of life requires flexibility, perseverance, and patience, but a great big list of reading, spelling, and writing apps is helpful, too! With children facing at-home learning for the foreseeable future and parents eager to keep them on track academically, we'll need some creative teaching tools to get us through. So, we've collected 19 reading, spelling, and writing apps to lend a hand in your kitchen table classroom.

If you need more help with the 123s than the ABCs, we've also culled the internet for the best math apps for kids. And, when you're feeling truly overwhelmed, be sure to check out our Realistic Guide to Homeschooling for Busy Parents.

The Realistic Guide to Homeschooling for Busy Parents

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Tue, 03/24/2020 - 10:30am

Making time for reading each day is a low-key goal that works for all ages. Photo by Josh Applegate/Unsplash

For parents with children coming home during these coronavirus school closings, there is little time to prep mentally or physically for homeschooling. So let's have a real discussion about how you can make this work at your home where you might also be trying to complete work for your usual job, manage younger kids (and pets), and run a home and all that entails.

I've been homeschooling my boys for six years, and I'm happy to share my homeschooling tips. Please also know that no one is expecting you to replace your student's teacher, nor to be homeschooling for a full school day. Let's figure out some realistic goals and tactics.

Updated: Coronavirus Closures Update: Schools, Museums, Libraries, Play Spaces in Connecticut

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Fri, 03/13/2020 - 8:33pm

Schools across Connecticut are emptied out as coronavirus spreads. Photo courtesy of Lisa Maruna/CC by 2.0

Normally, our job at Mommy Poppins is to clue parents in to where to have fun with kids around Connecticut. But as coronavirus spreads through our community, we're also here to tell you where not to go. Here are the schools, museums, zoos, indoor play spaces, libraries, and stages we know to be temporarily closed around Connecticut. Please visit and comment on our Facebook page to let us know what other closures we are missing and should know about.

Stuck at home? Look to our Mommy Poppins Coronavirus Guide for Parents for hundreds of ideas for games, crafts, and activities, as well insider tips and takes for keeping kids safe and healthy at home and beyond. All the best from our families to yours.

Indoor Swimming Pools around Hartford with Day Passes and Drop-in Family Swim Times

Submitted by Jennifer Coe on Fri, 02/14/2020 - 5:19pm

Photo courtesy of Cornerstone Aquatic Center

It may be cold outside, but it's always swimming season at these Hartford-area indoor pools. Whether your child is clamoring to splash around or still learning to swim, these pools welcome families with day pass options and drop-in family swim hours.

After you go for a dip, make sure to check out our entire list of things to do indoors in Connecticut. After your swim, spend the day doing one or more of our 45 favorite things to do with kids in Hartford.

Latest posts by Jennifer Coe

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