We finish up our series of posts on Morningside Heights with a roundup of the best places to play in the area, both outside and indoors. Considering its relatively small size, the neighborhood has an impressive number of green spaces, from traditional parks and playgrounds, to the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine's gorgeous grounds and Columbia University's campus, which are both open to the public. And if it's rainy or cold outside, there are a handful of indoor romping spots, including Manhattan's least expensive drop-in play space. Here are our top nine places to play in Morningside Heights.

Figuring out where to eat on Mother's Day always gives me heartburn. Trying to find a place that will please me, my husband, my 9-year-old and my own mother (since she lives in NYC, too) is quite a challenge.

So this year, instead of stressing out about where I'll end up on Sunday, May 10, I decided to turn to the experts: my fellow NYC moms. In addition to updating our list of fancy Mother's Day brunch spots in New York City, we asked our always knowledgeable Mommy Poppins readers to recommend their favorite restaurants for the holiday—or any day.

For even more family-friendly brunch suggestions, check out our NYC Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide.

It's been an exhilarating week here in NYC. Now that winter has finally let go, my daughter and I took a long walk through our East Harlem neighborhood and spotted the first signs of spring: daffodil buds and Mister Softee trucks. And, like many of our fellow public school families, we participated in a citywide protest criticizing Governor Cuomo's controversial teacher evaluation proposal (glad we didn't have to do it in the snow).

With all that activity, the upcoming school recess can't come fast enough as far as we're concerned. Our Travel site has an enticing roundup of spring break family travel deals in case you're looking to take a full-fledged vacation to Florida, California or Mexico. Or check our regional sites for great seasonal day trips like New Jersey's seaside Jenkinson's Aquarium, the construction-themed amusement park Diggerland, which reopens this weekend, and the end of maple sugaring season in Westchester.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: