[UPDATED: JANUARY 21, 2013]

The first time my three-year-old son saw a backyard swimming pool, he was completely befuddled. He thought pools belonged indoors or on glass-enclosed rooftops, not out in the elements in a backyard. Thanks to city living, he had already discovered the pleasures of swimming year round in an indoor pool. New Yorkers are lucky to have many family-friendly pools available with affordable open swim options. Read on for our list of the best public and private indoor pools in New York City. No need to pack up your bathing suit until next summer!

[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

We continue our focus on Park Slope this month with a look at toy stores in the nabe.

Considering how many families live in the area (mine included), it's no surprise that there are lots of shops selling toys. We've rounded up our favorite places to pick up playthings, from well-known boutiques like Little Things Toy Store to unusual spots where you can find fun knickknacks.

Anyone who's ever gone hunting for fairies knows that it can help a lot to have a guide. Not only is A Faery Hunt Theater at our service; the sprightly sprite experts are taking their popular fairy ensemble indoors to Studio City's Whitefire Theater - where, presumably, the fairies will be easier to hunt. The new show, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden, opens on January 22nd, and one lucky Mommy Poppins family is going to see the show for free! Read on to find out how to score four free tickets to the January 22nd performance.

Happy Three Kings Day! (And here you thought the holidays were over.) Friday marks Epiphany, and there are many celebrations around town, including El Museo del Barrio's annual Three Kings Day Parade in East Harlem, pictured at left. Last year, my husband and I escorted our daughter's entire kindergarten class to the event, and it was a blast.

Since it's a new month, we're focusing on a new NYC neighborhood: Park Slope. This week, we shared our top 50 things to do with kids in the Slope, as well as 13 fun indoor play spots. Look for lots of other Park Slope posts in the weeks to come.

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.

The holidays are over, the kids are back to school…everything is back to normal. Except now they're bored, suffering from postholiday letdown. How can you keep them entertained? We've got you covered. Disney on Ice is in town, the Long Island Children's Museum is opening a new exhibit and is presenting a fun performance in its theater, plus there are a couple of children's productions being put on around the Island.

We continue our focus on Park Slope this month with a roundup of our favorite indoor places to play in the nabe.

A Park Slope resident by way of Scotland, I am a pretty hardy soul when it comes to braving the elements. You'll often find me and my daughter romping through Prospect Park in the cold. But even I have my limits, and New York City winters have certainly challenged mine in recent years! Fortunately, Park Slope has plenty of places where kids can play inside. We've rounded up 15 cozy indoor spots, many of which are free.

Happy 2012 everyone! We hope you rang in the New Year with all the frivolity and caution thrown to the wind that the night deserves, and maybe even made it through to midnight (don’t worry; East Coast time counts).  Now it’s time to get back on track, tidy up your messes, and follow through on your resolutions.

If one of your resolutions was to recycle more, we can help you off to a good start. Mommy Poppins has the low-down on Christmas tree recycling options throughout Los Angeles!

We now return to our regularly scheduled program of classes, shows and festivals to keep your kiddies occupied and amused. Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this weekend.