A new face at Sesame Place

With any luck, a sunny day will sweep away any lingering clouds as Sesame Place opens for the season. Meander down Sesame Neighborhood - a replica of the brownstone-lined center for the long-running television series

Sesame Street

- to welcome the newest neighbor, Abby Cadabby. "It's amazing how much attention these characters receive," says Rhonda Clements, who has been an educational consultant for Sesame Place for more than 15 years.

Clements believes children will find Abby Cadabby particularly intriguing. "She is a character going through a transition, and Sesame Place offers a stimulating, but not frightening blend of excitement geared toward younger children."

In addition to water attractions, amusement rides, a daily musical parade, and live shows, Sesame Place has an exciting lineup of events in May. Christy Carlson Romano, star of the Disney Channel's Even Stevens and voice of Kim Possible, will perform two concerts Mother's Day weekend; and the first-ever Sesame Street-themed fireworks show will illuminate the evening skies Memorial Day weekend. Clements says visiting Sesame Place leaves children with "memories for years to come."

Peddler's Village launches its 45th anniversary season with its annual Strawberry Festival. Let them take you down the long and winding roads of the village where, along the way, succulent strawberries dipped in chocolate, or fried in an iron kettle and sprinkled with powdered sugar, will be dished out. Each day at 3 p.m., cheer on contestants in the strawberry pie-eating competition without consuming any additional calories. Visitors can enjoy window shopping at Peddler's purveyors of handcrafted works, and children can create their own in crafts areas. Live music throughout the day will leave you wishing you could stay in the strawberry fields forever.

As Tut-mania continues to captivate the city, boys and girls who reign supreme in their households can celebrate Mom a little early without shelling out a king's ransom as the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology hosts Mummy Day.

Families can explore the Egyptian galleries including the recently created "Amarna, Ancient Egypt's Place in the Sun," an exhibit examining the childhood home of King Tutankhamun; then test their knowledge of ancient Egyptian culture with the game "What in the World?" Children can create scarab jewelry, worn by living Egyptians and mummies for protection, or a canopic jar - a container to hold organs for the afterlife.

Egyptology specialists will engage audiences during afternoon discussions on topics including embalming procedures and motherhood in ancient Egypt; and members of the Delaware Valley Opera Company will perform arias from Aida, in the museum's Palace of Merenptah in the Lower Egyptian Gallery. The museum's cafe will offer Egyptian-inspired dishes throughout its Year of Egypt celebration.