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hvparent.com n Hudson Valley Parent 15 relax and catch up with friends or Facebook. Frida's serves breakfast and lunch with an impressive menu of artisan breads, cookies, pies and tarts. There's also plenty of gluten-free and vegan options to choose from. Mid-Hudson Children's Museum 75 N Water St., Poughkeepsie 845-471-0589 MHCM.org Kids of all ages and abilities will find something fun and educational to do at the Mid-Hudson Children's Museum (MHCM). MHCM is proud to offer exhibits that get kids moving, exploring, building, pretending, collaborating, creating and discovering. The first floor is dedicated to pretend play with small villages, a firetruck with a mini pole and ladder and a giant train table set. For each pretend area there are plenty of costumes as well so kids can be completely immersed in their story. Upstairs, the imaginative play continues with a pirate ship, jungle walk, stage and puppet theater. Further over are tons of interactive stations to engage little minds in STEM. The flight lab lets kids launch By RIELLY GREY F amilies with children with special needs know that home is one of the only truly comfortable (and controllable) spaces for our little ones. But cabin fever eventually gets the best of us. Although the Hudson Valley seems to have ample services available for children with disabilities, there's only a few spots I can recommend visiting for some quality out-of-the-house playtime. Frida's Bakery & Café 26 Main St., Milton 845-795-5550 FridasBakeryNY.com Enjoy a hot cup of coffee while your kids play in a colorful and inviting playroom. Frida's Bakery & Caf is one of my favorite playdate locations. The playroom is nestled on the second floor of the caf with easy elevator accessibility. The spacious area contains a fully-stocked kitchen set, tumble area and large padded blocks for building castles and tunnels. These toys are perfect for kids under five. The other side of the playroom has plenty of seating so parents can pool noodle rockets and the Keva plank table inspires little builders. There's also the wondrous WonderDome where children can choose from nine different sensory exhibits to learn about light and color. There's even a neon robot arm that kids can control with a joystick. MHCM also has a dedicated area for snack time, a cozy reading nook, as well as an elevator and family bathrooms for accessibility. Sally's Dream Park 186 NY-416, Campbell Hall 845-615-3830 Sally's Dream Park is one of the best outdoor play experiences for your children with special needs. The newly redesigned park now offers even more accessibility for children of all ages including ramps, full support swings and unobstructed views from all seating areas. For toddlers and babies, there's also a smaller jungle gym that provides smaller slides and activity walls. During the warmer months, this is our go-to outdoor playground. The grounds are beautiful, there's new soft Top 10 places for kids with special needs Playgrounds, programs and places for pretend play 2018 Abilities First cover kid winner Keith loves spending time at Julie's Jungle. This inclusive playground is a perfect place for kids like Keith to play. (Continued on Page 16)