This last weekend in December brings with it the chance to sit back and relax before the new year arrives. For some indoor fun, bring the whole family to the Sing-a-Long Sound of Music in Arlington or head over to Symphony Hall in Boston to watch the Holiday Pops: Home Alone movie with live orchestral accompaniment. The Museum of Fine Arts offers Vacation Week Activities all weekend, and the Family Trees exhibit is still going strong in Concord. For outdoor family time, check out holiday light displays in and around Boston.

If you haven't yet made it to one of the holiday performances in the area, it's the last chance to catch A Christmas Carol in Worcester, the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, and Boston Ballet's Nutcracker in Boston. To experience a unique take on a classic story, bring the kids along to The Light Princess in Cambridge, the Urban Nutcracker in Boston, or Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol in Brookline.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Our guide to First Night Boston has all the information you need to know about this family-friendly celebration.
• The best of winter for families in and around Boston.
• Hand-Stamped Hankies and salt dough hand print ornaments make great last-minute gifts.
• We round up the 40 Best Winter Activities for kids in the Boston area.

If you're looking for something to do on Thursday when most places are closed, take a look at our 10 Christmas Day activity ideas for the whole family. 

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to check out the full events calendar for school vacation week fun!

Winter break is here. Kids are home from school, moms and dads have taken time off from work, and, finally, families have a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor and savor the holiday.

However, if your vision of Christmas break has nothing to do with sugar plums and more to do with the anxiety of how to keep the kids entertained, fear not! The Mommy Poppins calendar has plenty to keep everyone happy.

Nestle down by the fire with a good book, add some last minute decorations to the tree or take a family day trip. Visit Dino Days at Wilmington's Delaware Natural History Museum or All-Star Days at Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences. See The Media Theatre's Annie Jr. or Hedgerow Theatre's  A Christmas Carol as they both close this weekend. View the beautiful lights at Fonthill's Candlelight Castle Tour. Or perhaps you are ready to ring in 2015 and want to make New Year's Eve plans? 

No matter how you chose to spend the first weekend of winter break, Mommy Poppins wishes you a very Happy Holiday!

Don't see your event listed among our events? Please add it to our calendar. Thank you. 

Since this is a short holiday week, we decided to run our weekend picks post a few days early. That way you can plan out your family's Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the weekend beyond long before Santa hops on his sleigh.

Seasonal fun abounds this weekend. Enjoy frosty fun at the Bronx Zoo's Wildlife Ice Carving Week, try hands-on projects at the New York Hall of Science's ReMake the Holidays and celebrate Kwanzaa at the American Museum of Natural History's annual festival. It's also a great time to see all of NYC's iconic holiday sights before they're gone, like animatronic department store windows, over-the-top Christmas houses and massive decorated trees.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Holiday Fun Guide, including a list of 35 things to do with kids over the school break. From all the moms at Mommy Poppins, we wish you and your family a fabulous holiday season, whatever you celebrate.

On Christmas Day, as I wipe sweat from my brow while basting a turkey and multitasking pots of various accompaniments, I will exude holiday cheer. Inwardly, I will be silently envious of my friend’s family who, each year, relaxes at Great Taste restaurant, their Christmas mainstay, after getting the heavy lifting over with on Christmas Eve. For those of you who, after a full season of holiday festivities, choose to take it easy on Christmas Day, or who do not celebrate the holiday and are looking for a meal out, there are definitely some options in the greater Hartford area. If you like Asian fare, you can find several delicious choices at various price points. For more traditional holiday fare, you can find restaurants east and west of the river that offer a prix fixe menu. And if you care to travel, check out these restaurants that are open in Fairfield County. Happy holidays!

Is any summer vacation complete without a round of miniature golf? If that thought gets you revved up, how about getting started now? NJ has a few indoor mini-golf courses, ranging from quiet putting practice to standard windmills and waterfalls, to full-on glow-in-the-dark monsters and music, so brush up on your stroke and prepare yourself for the great outdoors!

And for more indoor fun, check out our Indoor Play Spaces, Sports Centers and Fun Zones Guide.