Hudson Buzz

Kids can explore the wonders of the great outdoors when Grasshopper Grove, a neat little play space outside the Hudson Highlands Nature Museum in Cornwall, opens Saturday.

The play space, which was designed to appeal to 2- to 6-year-olds, will give young adventurers access to the natural world, minus some of nature’s minor perils and discomforts. A whimsical gateway designed with natural branches...

Rockland Boulders pitcher Bobby Blevins will head up a baseball training camp for kids during school vacation days next week. Little sluggers ages 7-14 are invited to put on their baseball caps and take to the field to learn from instructors, including current and former members of the Boulders, at Provident Bank Park, the team's home stadium.

The camp, which costs $199 per player, also features...

Looking for some sweet family fun? It’s maple-sugaring season, that once-a-year spell of mild days and icy nights that provides just the right conditions for the maple sap to flow in the Hudson Valley. At about 20 days long, the prime maple season is fleeting; so don’t miss your chance to experience it. These five local sweet spots invite families to learn about the process, celebrate the season...

Looking for ways children can celebrate Black History Month? Kids can learn about an important African-American role model at a story walk, make crafts to commemorate historical figures and hear a reading and meet the author of a book about skin color and identity as seen through a child’s eyes. Find all the details here.

Sunday: Story walk in White Plains

Families with children in grades...

Groundhog Day is Saturday, Feb. 2, and there are quite a few family-friendly ways to celebrate the holiday in the Hudson Valley. Kids can hear groundhog tales, learn the history of the holiday, make groundhog crafts, and, of course, witness the main event: A live groundhog emerging to look for his shadow. Find the details here.

Friday and Saturday: “Gregory’s Shadow” story time in West Nyack

Shy...

Want to give your kids a live theater experience this weekend? Hudson Valley families can see familiar stories and favorite characters brought to life by onstage talents in local performances.

“We're Going on a Bear Hunt” in Mamaroneck

They’re not scared! Follow a family’s fun and foolish foray over, under and through assorted outdoorsy obstacles in search of a big bear, and see what...

Looking for ways to ring in the New Year with youngsters? Say hello to 2013 at one of these three local events where kids are welcome.

Balloon drop in New Rochelle

Young revelers can experience a daylight version of the Times Square countdown to the New Year -- but instead of a ball dropping at midnight, the main event will be a colorful cascade of thousands of balloons released from...

Dog owners are invited to make holiday memories with their favorite four-legged friends during Santa’s Workshop at Pause Dog Boutique in Rhinebeck.

Furry family members can have their photos taken with Santa from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. Crafty animal lovers can also preserve their pet’s paw print in a pretty keepsake ornament and create a fleece toy to donate to local shelter animals.

Dog...

Looking for some holiday fun that will dazzle kids and adults alike? On Thursday, the Orange County Arboretum (211 State Rte. 416, Montgomery; 845-615-3830; www.orangecountynyparks.com) kicks off “Holiday Lights in Bloom,” an exhibit featuring the arboretum illuminated with thousands of lights in a garden-themed display.

Festivities begin with the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at 7 p.m., with...

Can three ghostly visitors bring about a change of heart in the cold and crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge? Kids and adults alike will thrill at storyteller Jonathan Kruk’s one-man performance of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” which opened the day after Thanksgiving in Sleepy Hollow (381 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow; 914-631-8200; www.hudsonvalley.org).

Music and candlelight will...