February School Break Camps in New York City

New York City public schools are closed Presidents Day week for midwinter break, and a lot of kids (like ours) are already counting down the days. You could take a mini-vacation, or do a day trip to a nearby ski resort, snow tubing spot or indoor water park. There's just one problem: While the kids get a break, many grown-ups still have to work.

Luckily, lots of NYC spots offer February break camps where kids can pursue all kinds of interests, from athletics to arts to academics. Some programs offer full coverage throughout the week; others are only a few hours a day in case you just want to get the kids out of the house for a bit. And while some of these camps are expensive, we've included lower-priced programs that sound like great deals. One is even free!

New Year's Eve Ice Skating (Fairfield County)

I used to celebrate New Year's Eve by staying up into the wee small hours, but now I consider the most indulgent New Year's celebration one that involves getting the kids to bed early--and there's no better way to tire them out than with a little ice skating. There are quite a few rinks across Fairfield County that will be open for public skating New Year's Eve (and if you have little ones not quite ready to hit the ice, bring them to Stepping Stones for a sock skating adventure!)
 

This Week: Best Things to Do with NYC Kids During Holiday Break, Celebrate New Year's Eve with the Whole Family, Three Kings Day Parades

The holiday season is in full swing in NYC. Everywhere you look, there are amazing seasonal sights throughout the five boroughs, not to mention the entire country beyond.

The school break is a great time to enjoy all of those cool holiday experiences you didn't get to earlier. Santa may be gone, but Christmas trees, department store windows, decked out houses and holiday train shows stay up at least until New Year's Day.

Speaking of New Year's, we have roundups of the best ways to ring in 2015 with kids in NYC, on Long Island, in New Jersey, and further afield in Boston. Of course, you don't need to go out to enjoy the spirit of the season. If you're looking for festive, at-home family activities, be sure to check out our WeeWork Guide, which is filled with holiday crafts, recipes and projects.

Here's what else we covered in NYC this week:

Three Kings Day Parades & Celebrations for NYC Kids

Christmas may come and go this week, but holiday celebrations continue into the New Year with Three Kings Day, which officially falls on Tuesday, January 6. Also know as Epiphany, Three Kings Day is the last official day of the Christmas season, or the "12th day of Christmas" as the song goes.

The holiday, which is especially popular in the Hispanic community, commemorates the Three Wise Men coming to visit the baby Jesus. The main event in New York City is East Harlem's 38th annual Three Kings Day Parade, which is sponsored by El Museo del Barrio. We've got the scoop on this procession and six other ways to celebrate Three Kings Day with kids in NYC. You can find even more seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide.

News: Baby Harbor Seals Debut at Central Park Zoo, Times Square Loses a Legendary Restaurant, Ice Sledding for Children with Special Needs & Free Ice Cream!

We're keeping our last links post of the year brief due to the holidays. But we've got (mostly) good news to share this week, including a pair of adorable new Central Park Zoo residents, special needs ice sledding at Brooklyn's McCarren Rink, how to save money on pet adoptions and NYC culture spots, and perhaps most important, where to score FREE ice cream during holiday break.

Mostly Free & Fun Things to Do this Weekend with Westchester Kids: Live Shows, Last-Chance Holiday Events, Kwanzaa and More, Dec. 25-28

Seasonal fun abounds all weekend long in Westchester and due the short holiday week, we've decided to run our weekend roundup a day early. You'll find lots of fun things to do with kids around town--we've even listed a few events happening on Christmas Day! For this coming weekend, we'll highlight the wrap-up of a few seasonal events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. Additionally, in light of all the high expenses incurred around the holidays (not to mention the exhaustion!), we’ve selectively zeroed in on activities that are FREE, inexpensive and/or restful.

If you haven’t yet squeezed in enough holiday events, get your last licks with Frosty Fest, Holiday Spirit Festival, or Mr. Dickens Tells a Christmas Carol, all of which end this weekend. Continuing this weekend (as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) is It's a Wonderful Life.

If you’re looking for FREE, celebrate the start of Kwanzaa with The Black Candle or enjoy Family Holiday Program, Lionheart Puppet Company, Spring Valley Puppet Theater, The Polar Express or Alamo Kids Camp, to name a few.

For other forms of low-key, low-cost entertainment, your kids might enjoy a comical performance by The Paper Bag Players, cheering at the Slam Dunk Tournament or getting artsy at School’s Out/Art’s In.

Read on for our top weekend picks, and click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? You can count on our Event Calendar to keep you busy, and check out our roundup of holiday mini-camps. Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox. 

Weekend Fun for Boston Kids December 27-28: Sing-a-Long Sound of Music, Holiday Pops: Home Alone and More

This last weekend in December brings with it the chance to sit back and relax before the new year arrives. For some indoor fun, bring the whole family to the Sing-a-Long Sound of Music in Arlington or head over to Symphony Hall in Boston to watch the Holiday Pops: Home Alone movie with live orchestral accompaniment. The Museum of Fine Arts offers Vacation Week Activities all weekend, and the Family Trees exhibit is still going strong in Concord. For outdoor family time, check out holiday light displays in and around Boston.

If you haven't yet made it to one of the holiday performances in the area, it's the last chance to catch A Christmas Carol in Worcester, the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, and Boston Ballet's Nutcracker in Boston. To experience a unique take on a classic story, bring the kids along to The Light Princess in Cambridge, the Urban Nutcracker in Boston, or Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol in Brookline.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

If you're looking for something to do on Thursday when most places are closed, take a look at our 10 Christmas Day activity ideas for the whole family

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to check out the full events calendar for school vacation week fun!

Long Island Kids' Activities December 27-28: Frozen Fest, The Stacey Peasley Band, Live Theater & More

With nearly two weeks of holiday break to fill, we'd thought we'd help you out with some activity planning. From live shows and music to model trains and crafts and more, we've got you covered.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. And for plenty of more seasonal activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Holiday Fun Guide.

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