Though many of the restaurants and cafés surrounding Lincoln Center might seem too upscale for family dining or a quick, inexpensive snack, there are plenty of affordable, kid-friendly eats hidden in plain sight. As a plus, most of these places cater to the pre-theater crowd, know local productions and schedules, and are more than happy to make sure you're in and out with time to spare before the curtain rises. Whether you're in the neighborhood for a concert, the circus, or the ballet, or just to check out the famous fountain, here are our favorite spots to grab a bite without breaking the bank—or your patience.

Find more great kid-friendly eateries in our NYC restaurant guide.

Sure, you have amazing plans watching the clock strike midnight, but if your kids are anything like mine -- they will still be up at the crack of dawn on New Year's Day looking for something to do. Whether you choose to bundle up and head outdoors, or leave the coats at home and check out an indoor activity, there is plenty of excitement awaiting in every corner of the state. Spend a nice day with your family skating by the Sound, or take in the IMAX at the Maritime Aquarium. From First Day Hikes to the Connecticut cience Center, something on this list will ensure that everyone starts 2019 off right. 

Ah, New Year's Eve. What was once a wild night out can be downright grueling for parents already running on empty after weeks of holiday planning and organizing, er, fun. Wouldn't it be nice to convince the little ones that 5pm is the perfect time to ring in the New Year? Break out the confetti and sparkling apple cider, because Netflix has your back with 14 on-demand New Year's Eve countdowns, many of them featuring your kid's (or even your) favorite stars.

It's the no-cry solution to an early bedtime for all, because the new year can now happen any time you want it to happen. It's also a simple way to get kids in on the festivities, celebrating new adventures as a family. 

Looking for more New Year's Eve fun? Venture out armed with our list of the best kid-friendly celebrations in your town: New York City, Los Angeles, Long Island, New Jersey, Boston, Connecticut, Philadelphia, and Houston.

2018 has been another great year for Long Island families, with new and improved attractions and venues opening in Nassau, Suffolk and on the East End. From museums to indoor play spaces to spray parks, and more, the year brought exciting places to discover and more ways to have fun.

In case you missed any of this year’s hottest new spots, we’ve rounded up some of the best right here. You still have time to catch the Holiday Light Show in Calverton and Party City’s new Toy City pop-up. While it’s cold out, there are plenty of indoor places to explore such as a rebranded Long Island Explorium and a restored exhibit at Vanderbilt Museum … and you can dream about the warmer weather by making plans to visit Splish Splash and its thrilling new water slides this summer. (More exciting warm-weather news: Plans are underway for the opening of a new adventure park at Jones Beach this spring.)

Every year we share articles about how families can volunteer and donate during the holiday season. But, we are also parents raising our children and working to improve our communities ourselves. Even as our website has grown (Hello, DC and Chicago!), we are proud to say that the values and mission of Mommy Poppins have not changed. We are committed to helping children and families, both online and in real life.

This year, we invited team members from each of our local areas to pick a holiday drive or organization that helps children in need. We funded a shopping spree or, if the holiday season was just too crazy, made a direct donation. In order to do as much good as possible, not just for children, but for local businesses too, we targeted some of our favorite local toy stores to make our purchases. Our children were great helpers in picking out gifts and delivering them.

As the founder of Mommy Poppins, I am grateful to our amazing team for rallying during the hectic holiday season and doing so much good. In all, we donated over $8500! Thanks also to all the local businesses, large and small, who support Mommy Poppins with advertising dollars throughout the year. It makes providing this resource to families for free possible, as well as these donations and our other initiatives. We are humbled and grateful for the support of our readers and local business community.

Read on to find out where our local families shopped and donated.

Still sad about the DWP shuttering their holiday lights? In the five years since that free public display closed, a number of shows have popped up around town. The LA County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is the latest to join the LA Zoo and Descanso Gardens with its own event. Moonlight Forest features more than 60 Asian-created lantern displays. The festival isn't free, but you might find it blows the old DWP display (and a few others) away. 

Our Mommy Poppins families really traveled this year! We scoped out some amazing cities with our kids in tow, from New Orleans to Santa Barbara, up to Vancouver and over to Chicago.

There were some epic science museums to explore, Christmas towns to make us cheery, gorgeous beaches, fun at amusement parks, and of course, a slew of entertaining family-friendly resorts, from Mexico and the Caribbean to Los Angeles and New England ski resorts.

So if you’re planning your next family vacation, take a look at our favorite destinations from the last year, including these warmer climates for February or spring break. In each profile, we highlight the most kid-friendly activities and events and let you know what to skip with toddlers or what to see with the teens.

There have been a lot of changes around Fairfield County over the past few months. In case you missed it, many of the most popular cultural institutions got a little bit of a face-lift. These new exhibits breathe fresh air into the tried-and-true family favorites. Their renovated spaces, new animals, expanded exhibition spaces all offer state-of -the-art programming for Fairfield County families.