The Gift of Winter – Chelsea
TADA! Youth Theater, 15 West 28th Street between Broadway and Fifth Avenue
Through Sunday, February 9. See our listing for the complete schedule.
$20 for adults, $8 for children
Ages 5 and up
Out of all the shows my daughter and I see together, the ones at TADA! Youth Theater make the biggest impression on her, because she loves watching her peers on stage. Local youngsters ages 8 to 18 perform in original musicals that are quirky and thought-provoking. The company's latest production, The Gift of Winter, is inspired by John Leach and Jean Rankin's '70s book and animated short of the same name about a bunch of townsfolk who travel to the Ministry of Winter to lodge a formal complaint against the freezing season. The running time is just an hour and little kids are invited to sit on the front-row bench making this a great option for young theatergoers. $20 for adults, $8 for children

Helping Drew – Upper West Side
Saturday, January 25 at 2pm
Mary Lea Johnson Performing Arts Center, The Calhoun School, 433 West End Avenue at 81st Street
$10 for adults, $5 for children
Ages 5-9
Lauded family theater touring company, TheatreworksUSA, developed this anti-bullying puppet show especially for elementary schoolers. Principal Tector asks the kids in the audience to help her figure out who's bothering Drew, so there's lots of interactivity plus a short post-show Q&A when children can ask questions and share their concerns. It all ends on a sweet note with complimentary milk and brownies.

The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go! – East Village
La MaMa’s Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East 4th Street between Bowery and Second Avenue, second floor
Tuesday, January 28-Sunday, February 23. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$10-$30: A limited number of $10 tickets are available for each performance while supplies last; regular prices: $30 for adults, $20 for students, $10 for children under age 10
Ages 8 and up
After a fellow theater-loving mom turned me on to this campy kids' show at avant-garde theater La MaMa, I added it to this post and booked myself a pair of tickets! A huge hit at Minneapolis' Children’s Theatre Company last year, this comic-book-inspired sci-fi epic focuses on a pair of siblings with superpowers who don't fit in with their peers. But when the villainous Space Chupacabra threatens the universe, the Wong kids swing into action. There's even an online comic for kids to read to get them psyched for this one-of-a-kind show.

The Woodsman – Midtown East
59E59 Theaters, 59 East 59th Street between Madison and Park Avenues
Thursday, January 30-Thursday, February 16. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$18
Ages 12 and up
Aimed at mature tweens and up, this dark fairy tale is inspired by the origin story of the Tin Man from L. Frank Baum's original Wizard of Oz books. No Dorothy, Scarecrow or ruby slippers here. Instead, a woodsman falls head over heels for a slave much to the displeasure of her witch mistress, who puts a curse upon them. The story is told through incredible life-size Bunraku puppets and moody songs, and very little dialog. And spoiler alert: There isn't a happy ending.

Sleeping Beauty Dreams – Fort Greene
BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place
Saturday, February 1, Sunday, February 2 and Saturday, February 8 at 11am and 3pm
$12
Ages 3 and up
Mexican marionette company, Marionetas de la Esquina, puts a contemporary spin on the classic fairy tale about a young girl who lives under a terrible curse. The show is filled with stunning visuals, including gorgeous handmade puppets and sumptuous video backgrounds. If your family speaks Spanish, the 3pm performance on Saturday, February 1 is en español.

Bob Marley's Three Little Birds – Midtown West
The New Victory Theater, 209 West 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Friday, February 7-Sunday, February 23. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$14-$38
Ages 5 and up
Based on Cedella Marley's picture book about a worried little boy who's afraid to leave his house, this musical features classic songs by her father, the late great Bob Marley. A wonderful way to introduce children to his incredible musical legacy, and his message of peace and love.

The Beauty of Ballet – Corona
Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Sunday February 23 at 1 and 3pm
FREE
Ages 4 and up
Got an aspiring ballerina at home? Then head to the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park for this 45-minute show. Dancers and faculty from the School of American Ballet will demonstrate various steps and training exercises, and perform excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker with live accompaniment. FREE but reservations required. Call 718-760-0064.

Dino-Light: A Glow-in-the-Dark Dinosaur Adventure – Corona
Queens Theatre, 14 United Nations Avenue South in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Sunday, March 2 at 1 and 3pm
$14
Ages 3 and up
Earlier this month, my daughter and I caught this awesome glow-in-the-dark dinosaur show at Symphony Space, and it's a must-see for anyone who loves prehistoric creatures and eye-popping visual effects. Performed by the always inventive Lightwire Theater (of America's Got Talent fame), DiNO-Light has a loose story about a scientist who creates a dino that plays with flowers, dreams of becoming a fish and battles a nasty T.rex (or something like that, I'm not quite sure). But the plot isn't the point, anyway. This high-tech stage spectacle brings extinct creatures to life via illuminated costumes worn by very athletic performers (clothed in black so as to be invisible) and has a wonderfully evocative soundtrack featuring famous classical pieces and pop songs. Bonus: It ends with a dinosaur light saber duel. Why quibble with such a whimsical anachronism?

Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch – Tribeca
Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street near West Street
Saturday, March 15 at 1:30pm
$25
Ages 3 and up
The folks at the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia are masters of puppetry, which is why they're so great at adapting children's picture books for the stage. Three of Leo Lionni's Caldecott Honor-winning books come to life via a variety of puppet styles: Inch by Inch, Swimmy and Frederick.

Peace, Love, and Cupcakes – Upper West Side
Vital Children's Theatre, 2162 Broadway at 76th Street, fourth floor
Saturday, March 15-Sunday, April 27. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$30
Ages 7 to 12
My eight-year-old is a huge fan of this chapter book series about Kylie, a quirky unpopular girl who starts a cupcake club in order to make friends. But can the bakers stand up to the school's big bully? Written by real-life NYC mom Sheryl Berk and her 11-year-old daughter Carrie, the books have an authentic feel and my daughter devours them like sugary sweets. Given Vital's success with their other page-to-stage hits (Pinkalicious, Angelina Ballerina and Fancy Nancy), Peace, Love, and Cupcakes seems like a natural fit, and will also help the company finally target tweens.

A Brown Bear, a Moon, and a Caterpillar: Treasured Stories by Eric Carle – Flatbush
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road near Kenilworth Place
Sunday, March 16 at 2pm
$7
Ages 3 and up
And another page-to-stage adaptation by the artists of the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia. Eric Carle's signature illustrative style is captured beautifully via black-light puppetry in this trio of popular tales: The Very Hungry Caterpillar; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me.

Cirque du Soleil: Amaluna – Corona
Citi Field, 126-01 Roosevelt Avenue near 126th Street
Thursday, March 20-Sunday, May 18. Visit the website for the complete schedule.
$50-$145
Ages 3 and up
Cirque du Soleil's over-the-top shows always deliver spectacular visuals, amazing circus skills and grand pretensions. Love them or hate them, there's nothing quite like them and I'm particularly excited about this new show, which takes girl power to a whole new level. In addition to being directed by 2013 Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus (the current circus-themed Pippin), Amaluna features an overwhelmingly female cast and a plot inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest. Goddess Prospera is overseeing a coming-of-age ceremony for her daughter on their island nation. But when young men suddenly arrive, their presence sets off an epic power struggle and love story. Sound highfalutin? Don't worry, the plot is most likely incomprehensible anyway. Cirque is all about style, not story.

Charlie's Kid – Fort Greene
BAM Fisher, 321 Ashland Place between Lafayette Avenue and Hanson Place
Sunday, March 23, Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 at 11am and 3pm
$12
Ages 7-11
Calling all Charlie Chaplin fans: Swedish mime troupe Pantomimteatern translates his classic 1921 silent film The Kid to the stage. The company uses mime, mask work, music and projections to tell the tale of the Tramp and his loving relationship with an abandoned child.

The Greatest Pirate Story Never Told! – Midtown West
The Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street near Broadway
Saturdays at 11am through June
Ages 3 and up
$39-$65 but you can save on tickets through our affiliate Goldstar
One of our bloggers took her two preschoolers to see this swashbuckling improv show and had a rollicking good time. There's plenty of audience interaction as kids (and parents) make suggestions to keep the performers going, and a few lucky children are invited onstage to play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to help make a key decision in the story. The theater is intimate and boosters are available, and since there's lots of shouting out it's no big deal if your child chatters a bit. Afterward, kids can pose with the cast and get autographs.

And though we rarely cover Broadway shows, we have to acknowledge that mention that Disney's Alladin musical is flying into town. Previews begin at the New Amsterdam Theater on Wednesday, February 26. Though personally, I'm more excited about Disney's plan to bring Frozen to the stage, though that's a few years off.

Find more fun things to do this season in our Winter Fun Guide.