Happy almost Mother's Day to all of our community! We hope you have some fun things planned for yourselves and the mothers/ mothers-to-be in your lives. If honoring thy mother is not quite your thing (gasp!), there are plenty of other fun events going on as well!  This week, take in National Train Day, tea and teddy bears everywhere you turn, and lots of free admissions for moms!  Don't forget to like us on Facebook and enter to win free admission to NEST's Expectant Parents Baby Shower and a whole semester of fun one sh/e hatches!  Enjoy the week!

Weekend Spotlight:

Happy Expectant Mothers Day! Join other expecting parents for an ultimate pregnancy party at NEST! Mingle, learn, and enjoy your time exploring all the offerings in this action-packed afternoon. Includes food, swag bags, prizes, experts panel and more. It's a Family Fun Day in Bryn Mawr featuring carnival booths, moon bounces, games, prizes, music, and face painting and pampering opportunities for moms. Family Fun day benefits Family Support Services.

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We were recently invited to opening night at PPC favorite, Arden Theater to see the classic Robin Hood.  Like only the Arden can do, the sets were uncomplicated but telling (think green forest in the form of jungle gyms), the cast was engaging and the story was chock-full of the right lessons and messages.  Despite the fact that the show is geared for children age 5 and up, my zero-attention-span-not-interested-in-TV-or-movies 3 year old came along (with my 5 year old son) and I was nervous that she wouldn’t make it through.  It was quite the opposite – but why? What is it about the Arden and live theater that is so wonderful?

• There is no zoning out like there is with TV. They are actively involved by a story unfolding in front of their eyes and engaged as the Prince’s townspeople, the participants in the archery competition, and aids in misleading the Sheriff of Nottingham.
• They watch the cast feed off of them – laughs are heard and integrated into the show, looks, waves and glances are shared and understood throughout.
• The set is not an animated fantasy-land but is still full of wonder. My son is still talking about how cool it was that his question about “where the bows come from” was answered and I loved how the backstage set designers came out to show the audience the “mousetrap” mechanism.
• Meeting the cast afterwards gives them a whole world of possibilities and a deeper understanding about how people use imagination and talent to tell a story.

Beyond this, learning how to sit still and enjoy live arts is a skill in itself and the Arden has helped me realize it is never too early to start!  If you haven’t already, make sure you take in Robin Hood at the Arden Theater (it’s in the smaller upstairs theater so there is not a bad seat in the house!).  More info can be found here, tickets on sale through June 24^th.

Written by Peggy Mathias, co-founder and Director of Marketing of Philly Parent Circle.  She loves to take her 5 year old and 3 year old out on the town in Philadelphia and enjoy all the amazing family friendly attractions Philadelphia has to offer.  She is expecting twins in June and then only hopes to get out to see the light of day.

Happy May! Hopefully you are getting some pre-Mother's Day rest and relaxation (unlikely, we know!) before the big day next weekend. One of our members wonders "Who plans your Mother's Day?"  We'd love to hear your answers.  This week, enjoy Luke Skywalker meets Please Touch Museum, a fun-filled Children's Festival, Narberth's own Big Top and much more! Enjoy!

Weekend Spotlight:

The Please Touch Museum will transport visitors to a galaxy far, far away in celebration of all things Star Wars. Celebrations include Star Wars themed activities and visits from beloved and despised characters. The 2012 International Children’s Festival is here. On Saturday, enjoy 3 shows, access to the children’s fun zone, and lunch for only $25 with a festival Fun Pass. And don't forget to take part in crafts, face painting, jugglers and even more interactive children's activities.

Get the best Philly events for families emailed to you directly every Thursday by signing up here. We include what's free, fun, and uniquely Philly for every day of the upcoming week. Our weekly events newsletter is free to all!

Adventure Aquarium has always been a favorite venue of ours and we are long-standing members (membership is so worth it!) of this slice of kid heaven. Just when we thought it couldn't get better (after all the Scuba Santa rage, revamped Stingray Beach, AND visit from Alligator Mike), we found ourselves in the new and improved 3rd floor KidZone. WIth an eight, six, four and three year old in tow, we thought that maybe KidZone was geared towards a much younger age with crawl spaces, musical instruments, and small animals to climb but as we moved through, we realized this was a place for any aged child.

The tanks are lower and filled with delights like frogs that disguise themselves as mud, the ever-entertaining poison dart frogs, and curious little fish that bury themselves in the sand were a definite hit. We also had a chance to enter tanks where kids become part of talking tubes.

Families are also given the chance to touch starfish, let shrimp crawl all over you, make a worm-tube plant disappear and much more! KidZone is such an incredible addition to Adventure Aquarium that we thought we’d share some tips on how to make it even more enjoyable.  

Want to get the most out of your visit to Adventure Aquarium?  Read on for our 5 insider tips to avoid the crowds, find out where to snack and how to catch the hippos at just the right time. Plus, enter our SEAsational giveaway on Facebook where, for the next 5 days, we're giving away family 4-packs!