Susan Miele

Latest posts by Susan

January GoList: Best Things to Do in Westchester With Kids

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 12/27/2019 - 8:00am

With the holidays over and the cold weather setting in, January may seem like a good time to hibernate—but not so for Westchester and Hudson Valley families! Our January GoList provides plenty of reasons for getting out and taking advantage of the compelling programs in our area. And, after the high cost of the holidays, you'll be glad to know that many of our picks are FREE!

The Best of the New York International Children's Film Festival returns for an encore screening, with a dozen short flicks hailing from around the world, and the circus comes to town when the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus brings its feats and daring to the local arena. For outdoor fun that embraces the season, bundle up for the Hudson Valley Rail Trail WinterFest, and if your kids are practically obsessed with poop, try Scat! Lest we forget the key holiday of the month, teach your kids about civic duty by finding a cause to lend a hand to on the annual MLK Day of Service.

These are just a sample of the highlights we’ve identified for you—there are also shows, nature excursions, and more—so read on for more and consult our ever-growing Event Calendar for daily picks. Don’t worry: There’ll still be plenty of time to sit home by the fire in your jammies!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Christmas Carol, Nutcracker, Holiday Crafting

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 12/11/2019 - 2:00pm

Nestle into the historic Old Dutch Church this weekend for Charles Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol.” Photo courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley

The holidays are closing in, and Westchester and Hudson Valley families are scrambling to soak up all the fun! This weekend, the festivities are ratcheted up, so put on your jingle bells, light those lights, and don’t miss these highlights!

The big holiday events happening throughout December are still in full gear, and with a short holiday season this year and the tendency for some to sell out, we encourage you to reserve tickets now. Adding to the various iterations this month of the Tchaikovsky classic, this weekend marks the return of The Westchester Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker. Other noteworthy holiday performances include the Christmas Handbell Concert and Canadian Brass' "Christmas Time Is Here."

A couple of programs combine nature and crafting, including Decorate a Tree for Wildlife and Holiday Decorations from Nature, both annual traditions.

That's just the tip of the holiday iceberg—find lots more festive fun in our Event Calendar. Read on for our top picks, and also consult our Holiday Fun Guide. Enjoy it all!

Westchester Mompreneurs Open D.I.Y. Slime Shop in Larchmont

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 12/06/2019 - 11:57am

It's a kid's dream come true: a space solely dedicated to making slime!

Do your kids love to make slime? Do you not love having your kids make slime in your house? Enter D.I.Y. Slime, the newly opened Westchester storefront whose purpose is to provide slime-making fun that doesn’t ruin your table.

Say no more, right? But there is more. D.I.Y. Slime, located on East Avenue in Larchmont, takes slime-making to a higher level: This is high-end, fancy-pants slime! We paid a visit and got the lowdown on offerings, hours, mix-ins, and more.

Love being in the know about new businesses, party venues, local classes, camps, and events for your family? Make sure you’re subscribed to the Mommy Poppins newsletter!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Sinterklaas Festival, Laurie Berkner, Holiday Train Show

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 12/04/2019 - 10:00am

Head to Rhinebeck for Sinterklaas Festival Day on Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Sinterklaas Festival

With Thanksgiving so late this year, the holiday fun that would otherwise have been spread across two weekends is now jam-packed in the weekend ahead! There are Santa sightings, breakfasts with Santa, craft fairs, tree and menorah lightings, and a host of other seasonal attractions throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. How to optimize each weekend this month requires some strategy.

Many of the recurring holiday events we've previously listed are now supplemented with a fresh batch of festive fanfare, including the large-scale Sinterklaas Festival Day, Holiday on Huguenot Street (which takes place Friday, as well), and a Dutch celebration of St. Nicholas Day—all of which are FREE. Several holiday performances are scheduled, including Laurie Berkner's holiday concert and an interpretation of The Nutcracker performed by marionettes.

If you were hoping to catch the stage production of Peter Pan, both performances are sold-out.

Read on for all our top picks—then be sure to consult our Event Calendar for the full panoply of options (and there are many!), including alternatives to holiday-themed activities. Don’t forget to check out our Holiday Fun Guide to plan the remaining days of the season and our December GoList for our top picks for the month.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on all kinds of fun!

December GoList: Best Things To Do in Westchester for the Holidays

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 11/29/2019 - 9:00am

With Thanksgiving so late this year, holiday events that usually take place in late November have gotten bumped into December, leaving less time to do so many great things! The abundance of festivities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley can be overwhelming, so we’ve compiled our top picks to help you navigate the month.

So far, we've told you where to go for holiday tree- and menorah-lighting celebrations, where to catch a live holiday performance, and where to have breakfast (and brunch) and other encounters with Santa. Beyond these, our Event Calendar is positively bursting with activities for kids every day of the week. And when a break from holiday mayhem is needed, we’ve got you covered there, too. Feeling the pinch? Leverage our list of FREE holiday activities throughout the month.

Read on for our top picks for December. For even more great options, be sure to peruse our Holiday Fun Guide, full of yet more ideas to help you get the most out of the holidays with kids. Also, sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on all kinds of fun—holiday and otherwise!

25+ Awesome Santa Activities for Kids in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Submitted by Susan Miele on Fri, 11/22/2019 - 1:42pm

Santa greets visitors at Holiday on Huguenot Street in New Paltz. Courtesy of the event

For those who celebrate Christmas, the holiday season is hardly complete without a trip to visit Santa—so we've rounded up more than 25 Santa activities in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. From traditional mall photo ops to meals with Santa, train rides with Santa, painting with Santa—even skydiving Santa—we've got the goods on where to see the man with the bag. Incredibly, most of these events are FREE.

As a reminder, any event that requires or recommends advance reservations (especially if it's FREE!) should be pounced on, as these often sell out weeks in advance. Some might be gone by the time you finish reading this sentence.

But there's more! Also refer to our list of Santa breakfasts, tree lightings, and other holiday activities for even more opportunities for Santa encounters. And to optimize the season, check out our Must-Do Holiday Experiences for Westchester Kids and where to see performances of The Nutcracker and other holiday shows. Our Event Calendar is also loaded with events—many of which are FREE—and more are being added daily!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Thanksgiving Parade, Polar Express, Turkey Talk

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 11/20/2019 - 10:00am

Hop aboard the Catskill Mountain Railroad's Polar Express this weekend. Photo courtesy of the railway

Assorted fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including several ways to get a jumpstart on Thanksgiving festivities.

For starters, there's the Annual Valenti Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the largest Thanksgiving parades in the state. In a similar vein, celebrate National Native American Heritage Month by creating wampum beads and viewing exhibits, or immerse your family in our early settlers' lifestyle at Living Off the Land. Families can also honor the bird of the month by learning more about it at Turkey Day. For a departure from the holiday, snag a seat at the performance by Arch 8, a multi-genre production with a message.

These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan ahead, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!

Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Nature Fun, STEAMFest, Supercross

Submitted by Susan Miele on Wed, 11/13/2019 - 11:00am

Learn all about insects at the Greenburgh Nature Center on Saturday, November 16. Photo courtesy of the center

All kinds of fun is coming up this weekend for Westchester and Hudson Valley kids, including multiple family-oriented shows, numerous intriguing nature programs, and, of course, ways to get in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Consider this the calm before the storm, because the holiday hullaballoo will be starting soon!

Bring the family to work with clay, catch a sensory-friendly performance by Dan Zanes, get your American Girl doll ready for Thanksgiving, learn about creepy-crawlies at Bugging Out, or explore the different stations at the annual STEAMFest.

These are just a few of our top picks for the weekend; the rest can be found below, and there are even more fun and enriching opportunities on our Event Calendar. Consult our November GoList to plan the rest of the month, and sign up for our weekly newsletters to stay current with all our great findings!