Robots and contests and pre-k, oh my! One of our favorite programs for young inventors, Brooklyn Robot Foundry, is opening a Manhattan outpost in Tribeca. The annual Doodle 4 Google art competition for students just got underway. Plus, we have an update on the battle for universal pre-k, details on the sing-along version of Frozen, social media rules for teens and other cool news of interest to New York City families.

The February recess is approaching and while many families head out of town for the week, many parents aren't able to take days off from work or choose to stay local instead. If you're not heading out of town and are looking for ways to keep your kids entertained and active while schools are closed, Westchester offers many week-long mini-camp options.

Last week we told you about art mini-camps that will be in session. Now we are rounding up various gym and sports camps to keep kids moving, jumping and playing all week long.

Whether you jump the moguls like an Olympiad or hang on for dear life traversing the bunny hill, 'tis the season for all things skiing, and Pennsylvania just happens to be an entire state of amazing resorts. We love to let you know about cool stuff, and the incredible travel and winter recreation opportunities of the 21 sports areas in the Pennsylvania Ski Areas Association (PSAA) fit the bill; from a special program that lets 4th and 5th graders ski for free with their parents, to midweek skiing deals, read on to find out about all the locations and opportunities in the Keystone State!

My eight-year-old son and all his brick building friends are counting down the days until The Lego Movie hits theaters this Friday. (Yes, we already bought our advance tickets for right after school that day!) But while watching the flick will be a one-time experience (unless he drags me back to the theater over and over, which is a distinct possibility), kids can get creative with Legos anywhere anytime.

But Lego mania has reached such a fever pitch in our home that just dumping out all of our pieces and holding a master building session isn't going to cut it. My son and his pals are getting pumped for the flick by enjoying all of the Lego-themed fun New York City has to offer beyond our living room. From megastores with interactive Lego displays to play spaces with massive Lego tables to the hands-on Legoland Discovery Center in nearby Westchester, here are eight fun ways for families to get their Lego fix in NYC.

Winter is a wonderful season for outdoor fun—just ask my three young snow-loving kids. In fact, there are so many fantastic skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing resorts near New York City, it's difficult to choose.

But since I'm also a mom to a teenager with special needs who isn't into winter sports, that makes our decision all the more challenging. He is both physically and cognitively disabled, and the thought of struggling onto lifts, into gear, up hills and through crowds doesn't appeal to him—not to mention the possibility of wiping out. So my family needs a resort that's able to accommodate children of all ages as well as abilities.

Happily, there are some amazing adaptive winter sports programs at resorts within a few hours of NYC, and some are low cost or even FREE. Here are five ski programs for special needs families.

Is it just me, or has this winter brought more snow and more cold than usual?  Even this hearty New Englander can't think back to a more active winter.  Perhaps the weather seems a bit more magnified since we recently moved from the usually balmy shoreline to the base of the Litchfield Hills, but it seems mother nature is having her way with us this chilly season.  Perhaps she'll relent with a delightful spring and reasonably warm summer.  A Momma can dream, right?

This cold weather makes planning a birthday party for active, cabin feverish, snowbound kiddos challenging.  But, winter birthday celebrations need not be quiet, restful events, or even indoors.  We've come up with a few unique ideas for you to plan a winter birthday party to be remembered! Our Birthday Party Guide has even more fun options for you to consider.

So far during our month-long focus on New Rochelle, we've rounded up the top things to do and great places to play. For our final post on New Rochelle this month, we're taking a look at family-friendly eateries around the city. New Rochelle has lots of dining options and a wide variety of cuisine including choices from vegan to southern comfort and everything in between. Read on for our top picks for dining in New Rochelle with kids.

February kicks off with a bang, literally, with the firecracker-filled Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown, one of our picks for the best things to do with kids in NYC this month. Even though it's the shortest month, we still found plenty of awesome fun for families in February, including cool events for the upcoming midwinter break and the annual BAMkids Film Festival.

For the first time ever, Super Bowl Sunday and Groundhog Day will coincide, and I admit, my family is way more interested in whether Staten Island Chuck sees his shadow than who wins the big game. Regardless of the rodent's weather prediction, we suspect that winter isn't going to end anytime soon. The upside: We see more sledding, skiing and snow tubing in our future.

If you need a fantasy escape from the polar vortex, check out our post about Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas on our Travel site. Just clicking through all the sunny photos should give you a blast of warmth, and perhaps inspire your next vacation. Looking for fun closer to home? Enter to win four tickets to family dance party Baby Loves Disco—there's even a special Valentine's Day edition coming up.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: