January is a time for new beginnings, and we've got a bunch of those in this installment of our biweekly news roundup. We have info on a new Williamsburg play space, a new start for an old museum, a cool new iPad app for creative kids, and a new celebrity baby whose birth created quite a stir. (Unless the cold is giving you a serious brain freeze, we're sure you know who we're talking about...but did you hear what our Mayor said about the whole controversy?) Plus, kindergarten applications, breastfeeding on TV and a little boy who needs your help.

So far during our month-long focus on Park Slope, we've shared the best places for kids to play, both indoors and outside, our top toy stores and 50 things to do with kids in the area. Today we're spotlighting our favorite places for kids to take classes in this super-family-friendly neighborhood.

Whatever your child is into—arts, crafts, dance, theater, music, sports, nature, yoga, even origami—there's a spot in Park Slope teaching it. Since schedules and prices constantly change, please visit the official websites for the most up-to-date information. Here are our top 11 spots for kids' classes in Park Slope (because we couldn't limit ourselves to just ten).

In Part 1 of our Bento Box Lunches for Kids series, we talked about what exactly bento boxes are; this time we're focusing on the tools you'll need to make your own.

Let's start with a box. Some come in fun shapes; some feature cute critters or animation favorites like Hello Kitty and Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo and Totoro (American cartoon characters are available, though those can be harder to find). They can be double-deckered, with locking lids or simple pop-top squares or ovals. But you can really create a bento box with nearly any container -- a small, shallow Tupperware will do the job just fine.

The Year of the Dragon is upon us!  Those born in this auspicious year will be predisposed to being innovative, brave, quick-tempered and passionate (good luck, parents of Dragons!)

Chinese New Year is a great way to celebrate Chinese culture – whether you are of Chinese heritage or not.  In China, the 2-week long New Year's celebration (this year it runs from January 23rd - February 6th) features traditional dances, feasts, and fireworks.  The emphasis is on honoring one's family, and beginning the New Year with good fortune. Here in Fairfield County, CT, there are many fun ways to usher in the Chinese New Year with your kids.

[UPDATED: February 24, 2013]  What to do with preschoolers during the summer can be even harder to figure out than for older kids. Especially if you have older kids who are in day camp, entertaining toddlers and children that are too young for most day camps can be challenging.

You might want to start by looking at the summer programs offered by preschools in your neighborhood, but we've found a few interesting summer camps for preschoolers that offer something a little different than the average preschool summer program.

How often do NYC kids get to hang out with pigs? Well, real pigs. At two New York summer camps, NYC kids can get a taste of real farm life with real animal chores and hands-on gardening experience. There are two different farm day camp experiences NYC kids can try that take them to a world completely outside of NYC, even if they are in NYC.

We're teaming up with Stepping Stones Museum to offer one lucky family a set of four tickets to spend the day trying out kung fu, rock climbing and even surfing - all indoors! What a great way to keep the kids active while having some fun now that temperatures are dropping outside. This new special exhibit, Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action, opens January 21st and runs through April 29th. The exhibit aims primarily at children ages 5-12.

The kids just went back to school and already we have a three-day weekend. (Not like anyone's complaining!) Of course, it's not any old holiday weekend. Since Monday is Martin Luther King Day, it's the perfect time for families to celebrate his life and legacy, and even volunteer with kids.

There will also be plenty of time for non-MLK Day fun, too. It's your last chance to catch the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show (yup, it's still chugging along) and Carsten Höller: Experience at the New Museum. As you can see from the photo, my daughter and some friends went last weekend, and those Upside Down Goggles are seriously cool (I totally lost my sense of balance and fell over, but the kids ran around without a problem).

You can also start planning some fun winter outings with your family. We rounded up family skiing and snow tubing spots in New Jersey, and indoor fun like seasonal cooking classes and puppet shows in New York City.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our sites in Boston and Los Angeles.