As much as we love sledding, skiing, or playing in the snow with our kids, sometimes we just need a day off from slushy, mushy adventures, soggy mittens, and snow pants. Mommy Poppins has researched some great places to have some fun inside during those long winter months, especially with children ages 10 and up. Also check out our Indoor Play Guide for younger kids in Hartford County.

Here are some other suggestions for indoor activities and great places to have winter birthday parties in Hartford County. 

Traveling with babies and toddlers can be as stressful as it gets. There are tantrums and tears, and most of us are not our best selves when paying an overweight luggage fee for a suitcase full of baby items or building a tower of pillows while praying our child won't roll off a guest bed.

Now there’s an app that can help families traveling to New York City with all that gear, and let locals make a little extra money. GoBaby is a peer-to-peer marketplace such as Airbnb, but for baby and toddler equipment. Remember that pack-and-play you shoved in the back of the closet just in case you need it? With this crowd-sourcing app, rent it out when you aren’t using it. And tourists? No need to pack all that baby stuff!

How’s this wish list for a kids' recreational class: great instructors, top-notch facilities, supportive staff, and diverse offerings for kids of all ages and abilities. When husband-and-wife duo Jonathan and Shannon Schafer decided to create the 37,800-square-foot Schafer Sports Center, these items were among their “must-haves."

My family recently visited the Schafer Sports Center in Ewing Township to check out their offerings, and it didn’t disappoint. There's something for everyone at this immaculate facility.

With the holidays upon us, the NYC shopping season is in full swing. If your travels take you to one of the city's top shopping meccas, Soho, you're bound to need a break and a bite to eat. Like the neighborhood residents, the food options are diverse, offering everything from pizza to rice pudding and crepes to the ever-popular Cronut. It's also home to three of our favorite cups of hot chocolate in Manhattan.

So whether you're searching for a sit-down meal or just a sweet treat, here are the most kid-friendly dining spots in Soho and its surrounding areas. Don't forget, you can find more great NYC eats in our Kid Restaurant Guide.

Finding the right activities for kids can be challenging, especially with everthing from art to dance classes available. Gymnastics is a popular choice, one that peaks in popularity every four years, just as it did this year after parents and kids watched Simone Biles' spectacular performances during the Olympics. This list includes both recreational gymnastics facilites as well as places where training for competition is the goal. 

The holidays are meant to be a time of reflection; however, the majority of my time is spent reflecting on everything I must prepare for that magical morning! So, I thought it would be a nice break to do something different and check out this creche with the boys. The children and I spent a couple of hours over in Bethlehem to see the creche on display at the Regina Laudis Abbey. We arrived at the Abbey and parked by the shop at the top of the drive. We found home-made cheeses and local honey while admiring the pottery, art, and especially the carved stone basins. My boys have never seen a gift shop that they don't like and this one was no exception. We then took a nice walk back down the drive and along a path that led through the grounds until we reached a restored 19th century barn. (On Dec. 1 and 2 make sure to visit the town of Bethlehem also for their annual Christmas Town Festival).

With the dark evenings falling upon us earlier and earlier each night, all the houses lit up with holiday decorations are even more enjoyable. One of our favorite things to do this time of year is to drive around in the evenings looking at all of the beautifully lit houses. Not only are the houses breathtaking to gaze at, but many places in the Hartford area offer special holiday light shows. We've listed some Holiday Light Show events that are sure to make an impression!