It's hard to believe that we'll be ringing in the New Year this week! Now that the presents are unwrapped and the novelty of new toys is wearing off it's the perfect time to get out and play! This week there are some fun family workshops in West Hartford and Norwalk as well as a Star Wars party in Stamford. Ring in the New Year with the family at First Night Hartford. For more fun things to do, check out our frequently updated Event Calendar and Holiday Guide for all sorts of fun.  Happy New Year!

Winter break is finally here. Children are home from school. Moms and dads have taken days off from work. Now, everyone can sit back to savor time with family and friends. However, if the idea of winter break makes you wonder, "How am I going to occupy the children until school starts again?" do not worry! Our events calendar is your holiday wish come true.

Go see show such as Wizard of Oz at Gratz College Theatre or Cinderella at Ambler Theater. Check out Kwanzaa celebrations at the Please Touch Museum and the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Or burn off some of those Christmas cookies at special events held at BounceU in Horsham. 

No matter how you spend Christmas and the weekend ahead, enjoy this time with family and friends. For the latest fun, stay connect to Mommy Poppins through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Christmas weekend is here and even if nobody told Mother Nature, so is winter. Check out the Holiday Train Display in Garden City, be entertained by a puppet show in Sag Harbor or enjoy WinterFest in Cold Spring Harbor. If you need more to do, visit our Holiday Guide.

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While I love to relax at home with my family during the holidays, it's also the perfect time of year to get out and enjoy the city with kids. One of my family's favorite winter activities is ice skating, so we'll definitely be hitting the Frog Pond, but I had so much fun putting together our list of things to do during vacation week that several other activities have also found their way onto my calendar. I cannot wait for this sing-along going on this weekend. Other winning picks include everything from a storybook walk to some cool activities at the MFA and the EcoTarium. If that's not enough, the must-see Pixar exihibit is in its final days at the Museum of Science; we'll be finding a way to squeeze in a second visit. Finally, holiday light displays and shows are wrapping up as well, so load up the family and catch them while you can.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Looking to get out on Christmas Day? Check out these family-friendly activities around town.
• Once the presents are unwrapped, these things to do during December vacation week are sure to please the whole family.
• Visiting any of these Christmas displays on the South Shore can stretch out the holiday spirit a bit longer.
• Even if you're not looking forward to winter, these winter activities are sure to make the cold, dark days a lot more fun.

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to check out our full Event Calendar!

Though Christmas is Friday, the seasonal fun continues throughout the weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. Equally noteworthy: Holiday hoopla is also starting to simmer down.

If you haven’t yet squeezed in enough holiday events, there’s still a chance to catch Winter Wonderland and other recurring attractions; check our Event Calendar for the full list of options. But if you’re ready to move on, your kids might enjoy the comic antics of The Paper Bag Players or cheering at the Slam Dunk Tournament. If FREE is sounding good about now, shift holiday gears at a Kwanzaa Celebration or enjoy a performance by the Spring Valley Puppet Theater, among others.

Read on for our top weekend picks, and check out our roundup of holiday mini-camps to help keep your kids occupied next week. Also be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly newsletters to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox.

Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa from your friends at Mommy Poppins!

I’m not kidding when I tell you that I nearly fell over last week here in Fairfield County when our new 15 year old babysitter informed me that she charges…$13/hour!!!!  Are you kidding me? I’m seriously considering having my husband quit his finance job and go into the babysitting racquet.  At the very least, I will be signing my kids up for a babysitting course ASAP. I’m hoping their babysitting money will fund my retirement.

If NYC had a Facebook page, its Year in Review would go something like this: debuted three new museums, two cat cafes and one seriously jaw-dropping carousel. And that's not all! Dozens of cool kid attractions opened in New York City in 2015 and we've rounded up the 15 best new destinations to add to your family bucket list.

Read on to see how many you've already visited (they're all over the five boroughs, yes, even the Bronx and Staten Island), and then make an early New Year's resolution to check out the rest of these must-dos over holiday break (or, for seasonal spots, in 2016). Don't forget to post pics on Facebook to make your out-of-town friends Grinch-green with envy.