Happy 2014 Long Island families! This weekend, two new shows hit the stage. Enjoy the adventures of Peter Pan & Wendy at the Bayway Arts Center, and Dorothy Meets Alice: The Wizard Of Wonderland at Studio Theatre. Feeling more crafty? Head to the Children's Museum of the East End to make a rubber band powered car, or put those investigative skills to the test and make snow. Get in touch with nature at the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center by discovering how birds use their beaks, or by going on a winter field walk. Ready to make a New Year's resolution of leading an active lifestyle? Then check out the Family & Fitness Open House at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family. 

I'm a resolution maker. And the one resolution I've made every year since becoming a parent is to find fun and new activities for my kids and myself that challenge us and help us learn, grow, and enjoy our time together. Mommy Poppins has been a terrific resource for me as a reader and a contributor, and I hope it does the same for you.

Our CT Winter Fun Guide is full of skiing, snow tubing, indoor play and more options for fun this Winter. Perfect timing since we are to get a dumping of snow over the next two days! Stay safe and don't drive unless you absolutely have to.

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Without further ado, here are our suggestions for making the first weekend of 2014 a memorable one! 

Happy New Year and welcome to the first weekend of 2014! The first days of January are always a little bittersweet as we watch all of the holiday sights come down, recycle our Christmas trees, and return to our busy school and work routines. But on Friday, the blizzard (a.k.a. winter storm Hercules) left us with a day off from school (and hopefully work), and an official Parks Department snow day on Saturday, January 4 when you can hit one of five designated NYC locations for FREE hot chocolate, snow games and sledding.

If you're not into the white fluffy stuff, there are lots of other fun things to do as the city digs itself out. Monday marks Three Kings Day (a.k.a. the 12th day of Christmas) and this weekend brings early celebrations like Brooklyn's Three Kings Day Parade and a holiday family workshop at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Other weekend fun includes the Chinese New Year-inspired Asian American Festival at the Children's Museum of the Arts, a live owl demo at Bronx oasis Wave Hill, and Thomas the Tank Engine and his pals at the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our top picks are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

Welcome to 2014! With the dizzying rush of the holidays just behind us, it’s time to relax and maybe even spend some quality time with the family without a jam-packed schedule. You’ll find some great educational outings for older kiddos like the emPOWERED: Generators exhibit at Newark Museum or the next Super Science Saturday at Morris Museum. Younger tots will love exploring and climbing at Liberty Science Center’s Bob the Builder – Project: Build It! If you’re looking to do something all together, check out the Welcome Winter Walk at Mountain Lakes Preserve or get goofy with a Grease Sing-A-Long at the Mayo Performing Arts Center! And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

One of my favorite things to do over holiday break is look back through the 500 or so posts we've published throughout the year to remind myself of all the cool new places for kids that have opened since January. (Yeah, I'm nerdy like that.) Every year, NYC welcomes new state-of-the-art parks and playgrounds, outdoor ice-skating rinks, interactive indoor play spaces and even a museum or two, and 2013 was no exception. Even if you're still working your way through our best new family destinations post from 2012 (or 2011 or 2010), here are 20 brand-new New York City attractions that opened in 2013 to add to your must-explore list.

Local mom and “Outdoors with Kids Boston” guidebook author, Kim Foley MacKinnon, shares her best family outing tips and picks with you as part of our guest blog series with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Kids Outdoors Boston free online community.

There’s no need to look farther than a neighborhood park or your own backyard for free snowy family fun. With a few supplies you probably already have in your house, you can offer up any number of ideas for winter days when the kids can’t come up with their own entertainment.

We continue our month-long coverage on Mamaroneck with a look at restaurants in the neighborhood. Mamaroneck offers lots of family-friendly dining and a solid variety of cuisine to choose from. You'll also find a few choice spots for dessert. Though not all the restaurants we selected have a dedicated children's menu, you will find kid-friendly staples at all of them.

Not surprising, most eateries in this post are located right along Mamaroneck Avenue, the town's "Main Street," though there are a few others throughout the village. Read on for our top picks for dining with families in Mamaroneck.