Philadelphia's abbreviated winter break is almost here, and even in a shortened recess, families might be looking for entertaining, safe, and exciting ways to spend time together. Of course, there has already been quite a bit of togetherness since many families are virtual for work and school. So it might take a bit of planning and effort to make non-school days extra special.

Mommy Poppins Philadelphia has rounded up some great ideas for families to make memories over the extended weekend while staying safe. Our list includes outdoor adventures, indoor activities, as well as virtual ones. Indoor venues may require purchasing timed tickets in advance, so be sure to visit websites as you plan your day. Activities such as skiing, snow tubing, and ice skating likely require advance purchase of tickets. No matter what you decide to do over your winter respite, have fun and cherish these family moments.

When I moved to the South Shore from downtown Boston, I was pleasantly surprised by how much there is to do with kids. I figured the list would dwindle significantly once the weather turned cold, but alas, it seemed to actually grow the more I investigated!  

Here are my top 20 choices for things to do with kids in the South Shore during the winter, from indoor play spaces and classes for young children to our favorite family-friendly restaurants. No matter where you are around Greater Boston, you'll find fun ways to spend a cold day in our Winter Fun Guide.

One food we know families can't live without—pandemic or otherwise—is pizza. Lucky for us, Connecticut doesn't just have passable pizza—it's famous for it! Next time the family has a hankering, consider venturing beyond your neighborhood and ordering a pie or two from one of Connecticut's best pizza places for families, from standard-bearers Frank Pepe and Roseland to relative newbies like Swyft and yPizzeria Marzano. Whether dining in or takeout, we can promise the pizza will be delicious, and you will be helping a small business through trying times for the restaurant industry.

Look to our Connecticut restaurant guide for more kid-friendly brunch, lunch, or dinner outings, including igloo restaurants and heated patios that are operating outdoors through the wintertime.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced the sad news today that COVID-19 has stopped Rodeo Houston in its tracks for yet another year. The annual staple event on the Houston calendar was at first rescheduled for May, in the hope that by then the beloved community celebration could be safely launched. Sadly, this won't be possible. While a few associated activities are still planning to go forward in a limited way (see below), the rodeo itself is reining it in until 2022.

Jokes are the best. Knock knock jokes, silly jokes, pretty much any joke will make a kid roar. Even the bad ones. Especially the bad ones! But parents run out of jokes to tell kids (even dad jokes) well before kids get sick of hearing them. You know who never runs out of jokes, wordplay, silly answers, and entertaining games? Alexa.

The next time you need a minute to yourself, teach the kids a few things from this list of funny things to ask Alexa, the Amazon virtual assistant that plays on smart speakers. Go ahead and crack open a book you’ve been dying to read or sneak away to watch an episode of Bridgerton. Because Alexa time can equal me time.  

My coffee cups are getting a workout between my insatiable need for coffee, these easy hot chocolate bombs, and our family's newest cooking obsession: mug cakes.

Mug cakes are the perfect, low-mess solution for your sweet tooth and easy enough for tweens and teens to make on their own. There's no hot oven; instead, you can have a personal-sized treat ready to enjoy in mere minutes with the help of your microwave.

Read on for eight easy mug cake recipes to make with kids and find more kitchen inspiration in our Guide to Easy Recipes for Kids.

Ready to add an extra dose of fun to that snow day? If you just got dumped on with a big batch of the white stuff, we have a whole list of snow day games to entice the kids outside and away from their devices.  

With serious snowfall, you can build a snow fort or maze, and with sub-freezing temperatures, kids can try to blow frozen bubbles or make colorful ice gems! Read on for more fun snow activities and outdoor winter activities to be had on even the bleakest of winter days.

Sure, biking, hiking, and other outdoor adventures are abundant in Southern California. But sometimes what parents of cooped up kids really need is an actual activity. One where you don't have to do a lot of organizing or planning, so you can sit back, relax, and keep the kids entertained. Preferably, this magical outing doesn't require a long drive and isn't wildly expensive. Echo Park Lake’s Swan Pedal Boats offer exactly that—a new and unique activity for the entire family to enjoy together where everyone can turn brains off, decompress, and just have a blast.

If this outing makes your family long for more wet and wild fun, check out all the spots in the city where kids can pedal and paddle on the water—from kayaks to water bikes to SUP boards and more.