Moving with kids is challenging from start to finish.  Surprisingly, 2 year olds are not that helpful with packing.  And while they are infinitely more helpful with unpacking (paper everywhere), sometimes they can be a little too helpful (broken china everywhere…). On the up side, moving with kids is never dull!  If you’re moving to Connecticut from out of state, or even from within the state, there are a lot of ways to make the transition easier for both you and your kids.

Where can you watch Monster sized trucks (12 feet tall and 12 feet wide) fly 35 feel up into the air and over 14 lined up cars? Monster Jam is a three hour show meant to wow and thrill you and the kids. Trucks can go up to 100 mph on top of 66 inch tires! A lucky Mommy Poppins CT subscriber will take a family of 4 to the show of their choice Feb 11th or 12th for FREE!

Go Chuck! The Staten Island Zoo's famous weather-predicting groundhog didn't see his shadow, which allegedly means we'll have an early spring. (Not like we needed him to tell us that.) If your kids are worried they won't get a chance to play in the show this winter, we've written about a bunch of nearby resorts that make their own so families can go skiing or snow tubing.

Of course the weather doesn't need to cooperate for you to enjoy winter culture. This week we did a post on kids' stage shows we're excited about, and we also have roundups of cool kids' concerts and family film festivals like BAMkids, which takes place this weekend.

Outside the city, our Connecticut site followed in NYC's and LA's footsteps by sharing a list of 30 things to do in Hartford County with kids. If you're taking a trip up that way, it's worthy of printing out. Speaking of traveling, NYC public school midwinter break is coming up. We've got lots of great day trip ideas in our Winter Fun Guide, including indoor water parks and no-car destinations.

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. Read on for everything we covered on Mommy Poppins NYC this week.

Besides being the first weekend in February (and another weekend closer to Spring), it's also a big weekend for football fans since the Giants are in the Superbowl! Although many will be getting ready for the game, there is still lots of fun to be had prior to Sunday's main event. This weekend's activities include maple sugaring, mozzarella making, Mad Science, and a winter day on the farm. Read on for all of our picks and you can always find additional weekend events in our Event Calendar.

This unusually warm weather has definitely thrown us for a loop. Instead of sledding, snow shoeing and snowboarding we are hiking, skateboarding and riding bicycles this winter. Not to complain, however it's a bit strange not to have a blanket of snow over everything now that it is February! Speaking of February, there's lots of fun stuff to do this weekend. Feel like a show? The Cinderella Marionette show is sure to be a fun and entertaining outing as is Oliver at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Learn how to survive the winter outdoors at the New Canaan Nature Center or go on a bear hunt at the Roaring Brook Nature Center. Check the events below for more fun things to do this weekend.

Superbowl Sunday means different things to different people. For some, it means hours glued in front of the TV, hanging with friends and chowing on hot wings and pizza.  For others (the rest of us), it means smooth sailing on the 405 and smaller crowds at our favorite hotspots. What better time to start checking off items on our “100 Things to Do with LA Kids” list?

If the clear skies this week have got you thinking about the summer, you’ll want to check out our list of outdoor summer camps. (If you’re not planning quite so far ahead, perhaps a local hike is in order.)

Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend.

How about this weather we've been having? This weekend is no time to stay cooped up in the house or at your local bounce-play place. Get out and enjoy the weather! There are lots of outdoor activities going on this weekend to enjoy, including a seal cruise and a few other nature-based activities, as well as some indoor events in case the weather turns or it rains, like a Black History Month celebration at the Children's Museum, a LEGO day at the Nassau County Museum, and a concert at the Suffolk Y JCC. Get out and have fun!

Poor Punxsutawney Phil. Whether he or Mrs. G, Drumlin Farm's resident groundhog, see their shadows on Groundhog Day (Feb 2), or not, it feels like we are on the path to an early spring. While this means that some wintry events have been canceled, like the Franklin Park Winter Snow Festival (for obvious reasons), we’ve found great activities for the weekend - and they don’t even interfere with game time!

Also this week on Boston Mommy Poppins:

• With February vacation just around the corner, we’ve highlighted a variety of programs that take place during the break (note that most require advance sign up).
• We continued our summer camp series with a focus on camps that are geared for girls.
• We also got some fabulous tips for choosing the right camp from Samantha Razook Murphy, founder of Curious Jane, coming to the Winsor School in Brookline this summer.
• We've highlighted some awesome places for kids’ arts and crafts.
• Our monthly book corner features Al Pha’s Bet, by Amy K, Rosenthal. Thanks to HugoBookstores for the recommendation.
• And there are still a few hours left to enter to win tickets to Calvin's Monster - just send me an email.

Read on for our weekend picks, and enjoy!