[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

Next week, our month-long spotlight on Park Slope will come to an end. We've already shared our favorite places to play, eat, learn and shop, but we couldn't wrap up our coverage without telling you about one of the coolest, most offbeat and unique destinations in the neighborhood: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co, a little shop with an amazing alter ego.

While Park Slope families may be well aware of this spot's double identity, we're guessing lots of readers have never even heard of this shop, let alone know its big secret. Find out what's going on behind a hidden door at this store for aspiring Spider-men and Wonder Women.

I am so excited to offer this giveaway to our weekly newsletter subscribers. What a treat to experience the visual eye candy that the Wizard of Oz is famous for on a super duper big IMAX screen! This show will sell out and The Maritime Aquarium has reserved 4 tickets to a lucky Mommy Poppins CT subscriber. Due to high demand, please don't enter if you won't be able to attend the show. They want to share this experience with every possible human who can fit into the theater. Showtime is March 4th at 2pm.

Now that you know what bento boxes are and what supplies you’ll need, you may be wondering: What goes in them?

The short answer is whatever your kids will enjoy – virtually all their favorites can be worked into a bento box. One of the great things about bentos is that they let you present food in a fun, appealing way -- so your kids may even try something new. Here are some specific ideas:

It's hard to believe that last weekend there was enough snow on the ground to go sledding. This week, temperatures were so mild, we actually saw a few shoots popping out of the ground. But don't be fooled: Winter isn't going anywhere. That's why we posted about a lot of fun indoor activities this week, like children's yoga classes, sing-alongs and a bunch of family film festivals. You can find more cool seasonal activities in our Winter Fun Guide

In the interest of brevity, from now on our weekly wrap ups will primarily feature stories from Mommy Poppins NYC, although we'll highlight posts from our sister sites when we think they'll be of interest to our New York City readers, like Connecticut's awesome roundup of family ski resorts or New Jersey's extensive roundup of summer camp open houses. Also of note: Los Angeles' 100 things to do in LA with kids before they grow up, modeled on NYC's popular post. It's gone viral in the city, so if you're planning on visiting, this list is worthy of printing out. If you want to stay on top of everything that's going on in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston or Los Angeles, you can subscribe to our free newsletters.

Order up!  Today's menu includes pigs, ants, tree bark, and a very popular side dish of mice. Visitors to the Long Island Children's Museum's new permanent exhibit, "Feasts for Beasts," are invited to become servers at this child-size diner, where a raccoon, bear, beaver, snake, and leopard have come to feast. Give them the wrong food and a sugar container will light up "no," while the right food will generate a "yes."  

One of the advantages we Angelenos have over other members of the Mommy Poppins family is the disproportionately idyllic weather we have. Last weekend we suffered through a whole day of rain. This weekend looks to be summer-like. It's time to go outside. Break out the sunscreen, because we’ve got you covered! You’ve no doubt pored over our list of the best LA area hikes for families. But what about those of you with little ones still in strollers? Are you limited to malls and sidewalks? Nope: check out our why-didn’t-I-think-of-that list of stroller-friendly hikes.

Clearly, we at Mommy Poppins are all about giving back. And we like it even better when drinking our morning Starbucks counts. If you, too, want to feel both caffeinated and good about yourself, you’ll want to read the Starbucks DonorsChoose post. Another way we like to give back is to give away tickets to the most awesome shows in town. Like Cirque de Soleil. Hey, remember last week when we gave away tickets to Cirque de Soleil: OVO? That made us feel so good that we’re giving away four tickets to OVO again!

Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend.

Science and nature are the name of the game again this weekend, with Science Saturday at the Long Island Science Center, and A Nature Clue for You and Creature Creations at a couple of Long Island state parks. You'll also find a Chinese New Year celebration in Stony Brook, both a chocolate workshop (!) and an activity about eating right for and taking good care of your teeth at the Long Island Children's Museum, and an Alice in Wonderland ballet at the Tilles Center.

It’s already the last weekend of January, and our calendar is filled with things to do with kids in Boston. From the opening of Wheelock Family Theatre’s production of The Wizard of Oz on Friday to Chinatown’s Chinese New Year celebration on Sunday, we’ve got you covered.

Families can enjoy other shows like Fancy Nancy, magic with David Garrity, and Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights in concert. The annual Bread and Puppet Theatre performance - Man = Carrot Circus - is an entertaining option for families and a personal favorite. Note: this is not your traditional puppet show!

Calvin's Monster Ticket Giveaway: Boston Children's Theatre's latest production, Calvin's Monster, comes to the Boston Center for the Arts for two weekends, beginning February 4, and a Mommy Poppins Boston family can win free tickets to see the show. Just send me an email to enter.

Read on for all our picks for the weekend, and visit our calendar for other events.

Enjoy!