Ally Noel
Ally Noel has lived in Connecticut for over two decades. Before becoming a parent, she worked as an Educational Technology Specialist, helping schools and teachers integrate technology into learning. Now, she’s all about discovering the best family-friendly adventures, activities, and hidden gems. Share your tips, questions, or just say hi at ally@mommypoppins.com, and follow along for family fun at @mommypoppinsct.
Latest posts by Ally
Nothing cures cabin fever quite like a little creative release, but the dried-up clay and construction paper laying around most of our houses can get a little old (literally). So we have searched the entire Nutmeg State to find our favorite places to get our craft on! With pottery painting, glass fusing, canvas painting, and more, these craft studios in Connecticut offer a mix of drop-in times, reservation slots, and even takeout options that allow you to bring a fresh kit of crafting materials home.
If you're planning an impromptu crafternoon or playdate at home, there's plenty of creative inspiration to be found in our list of 100 crafts for kids.
And just like that, the final week of January (and perhaps the longest January on record) is here! January isn't quite slipping away into the darkness quite yet, though; there may be one or two tricks up this month's sleeve! Bask in the light of the "Wolf Moon" on the beach in Norwalk, tap a maple tree in New Canaan, or get in on some early groundhog action in Canton.
For virtual activities to round out your weekend, check out our Poppins@Home workshops, including Baby in Tune classes, the Happy Feet Soccer online series, Cartooning, and Magical Potions.
Our Connecticut Winter Fun Guide will give you ideas of where to go on a cross country skiing or snowshoeing adventure, book a ski lesson, or glide down the slopes at a snow tubing park. Just remember to bring your mask and practice social distancing. As always, keep tabs on our Connecticut events calendar for daily updates on reopenings at favorite spots, and more local and virtual opportunities for family fun.
An Instant Pot is an electronic pressure cooker that is able to cook foods quickly—and once I started using one, I wondered how I ever lived without it. The only tricky thing is finding the best Instant Pot recipes that everyone in the family will eat. From kid-pleasing Instant Pot chicken recipes to the secret to perfect Instant Pot rice, I’ve tried them all, and rounded up the best of the best.
For those of us who don’t think about what to have for dinner until approximately melt-down-o’clock, this list of tried-and-true Instant Pot recipes will save dinnertime, one meal at a time! Don’t have an Instant Pot? Try our favorite easy one-pot meals. And whatever you make for dinner, save room for dessert.
Looking for a fun outdoor activity to pass the time this winter? (Which parent isn't?) Maritime Aquarium is offering their popular Seal Spotting & Birding Cruises on select weekends in 2021. Seals migrate from Canada to the warm waters of the Long Island Sound from around mid-November to April, and are most visible to humans when they “haul out” onto the rocky shores that make up the Norwalk Islands. On a sunny, cold Sunday in January, my daughter and I had a blast spotting the cute marine mammals as well as a variety of majestic winter waterfowl from the deck of the aquarium's spacious cruising boat. Of course, just the prospect of trading a day in the house or car for a day on the water was exciting, too!
Read on for details of our experience on the Seal Spotting & Birding Cruise, and find more of our favorite cold-weather adventures with Connecticut kids in our Winter Day Trips guide.
Discover 30 days of indoor activities to get your family through an entire month of at-home play with kids of all ages. Tuck it away for a rainy or blustery day, or break it out now if facing another round of stay-home orders. Find more indoor activities in our Stay-at-Home Activities Guide.
Buh-bye 2020, hello, 2021! I don't know about you, but we are so excited to turn the calendar and welcome in a new year. Even though all of our worries may not disappear at the stroke of midnight, let’s start 2021 off right by getting some fresh air with First Day hikes in Enfield or Sherman, or try out an outdoor scavenger hunt at the Nature Center in New Canaan. Or, take a step back (before leaping forward) in time: It's the last weekend to learn about ancient civilizations at Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed exhibit at the Connecticut Science Center.
Looking for more ways to celebrate the New Year? Grab a thermos of cocoa and hit the road for one last chance to check out Connecticut homes with spectacular holiday lights and decor. For some at-home fun, check out our Poppins@Home pages, including a new Virtual Escape Room series, a planting workshop, and a LEGO art and design workshop. If you're out and about, just remember to bring your mask and practice social distancing. Keep tabs on our Connecticut Winter Fun Guide for even more local happenings, and if you're snuggling in, check out these virtual storytimes, events, and classes to stream from home.
Don’t let a little cold weather keep you cooped up! With many indoor spaces closed right now, it's extra important to find fun new ways to get kids outside. There's a saying: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes." Well, with the right winter gear (and a little ingenuity) there is plenty of fun to be had during even the shortest and coldest days.
Before a bad case of cabin fever sets in, try one of these 40 outdoor activities that are sure to get the whole family outside and moving. From backyard campfire cooking to outdoor science experiments, these activities help keep kids away from screens and devices and get them fresh air and exercise in these chilly winter months.
Planning holiday celebrations and activities might take some extra imagination this year. But doing things a little differently doesn’t mean sacrificing any of the joy, traditions, or family memories that come with Christmas celebrations. In fact, let the limitations on travel and gatherings in 2020 spur your creativity to greater heights. From festive fun with grandparents to innovative ways to keep annual traditions going with friends, we have rounded-up our favorite socially distant ways to celebrate the season. With traditional gingerbread decorating, a newly imagined Christmas lights caravan, and even a Nailed It! challenge kids adore, these ideas are so crowd-pleasing, we bet a few become new family holiday traditions.
For more great ways to celebrate the season together, don’t forget about these 10 fabulous any-day zoom activities for kids and grandparents, the most fun games kids can play virtually with friends, and all the best virtual holiday events for families!
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