Believe it or not, a great family-friendly option is Coney Island’s Circus Sideshow. Running continually on Saturdays and Sundays from 1p.m. -8p.m. Adults tickets are $10, $5 for children under 12, and ticket sales end at 7 p.m.

The spectacle is great, traditional circus fun for all ages. By The Seashore theatre (1208 Surf Avenue, Coney Island, Brooklyn), the permanent home of the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, is the last place in the U.S. where you can experience the thrill of a ten-in-one circus sideshow--human wonders, curiosities and all.

Images courtesy of American Museum of Natural History.

It’s nearly summer! Flowers have bloomed and baby birds have hatched. But it’s also the time of year when many butterflies lay their eggs or caterpillars begin to hatch from winter.

Hazel Davies, Manager of Living Exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, has published a stunning tome, The Exquisite Butterfly Companion ($14.95) that focuses on all things Lepidoptera. The special box set includes a thorough field guide featuring scientific and informative details about nearly 100 species of butterfly and moth. For the artistic bug in your young learner, there is an envelope with 100 rich images of the each genus specified in the book.

The craft ideas are limitless! Take The Exquisite Butterfly Companion to your nearby park to explore what species flutter in your neighborhood or pack it for excursions outside of the city. It makes for a perfect summertime gift for any Lepidoptera fan—young or old.