Most schools are closed for Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20th so you might be looking for something to do with your children on this cold winter day off. Luckily, there are many options in Hartford County to help entertain you and the family so that you’re not left bored in the house! Honor Martin Luther King with one of these great events. Just in case you are in Fairfield County check out these MLK events too.

If you've got a baby or toddler in NYC, chances are you have a stroller (or two or three). When my son was young, our stroller got plenty of wear and tear up and down subway stairs, across potholes, and through muddy parks, snowy streets and rainstorms. It also pulled double-duty as a grocery cart, coat rack and, when strapped, a diaper changing table.

While heavy-duty strollers are built to withstand a fair amount of abuse, if you're using your wheels every day, parts inevitably break. Do you really want to trash that $1,000 stroller because the frame bent or the tire popped off? We didn't think so.

For simple repairs like a blown tire, you can try your local bike shop (many handle minor fixes and may even stock standard stroller-size inner tubes and other small parts). But for more advanced assistance, we've found five New York City services that specialize in stroller repair so your family can get rolling again.

Mommy Poppins Boston is delighted to share this guest post from Amber Bobnar of WonderBaby.org, a support and information site for parents of children who are visually impaired (featured in our list of favorite blogs in 2013):

We take our family out to concerts in the Boston area almost every weekend, and my eight-year-old son, Ivan, is in a wheelchair and totally blind. Accessibility is very important to us!

Below you’ll find my rundown of our favorite accessible theaters and live performance venues in the Boston area. I share pros and cons based on a multitude of special needs because I realize that the criteria for what’s accessible will be different for each family. Some kids are in wheelchairs, some have sensory issues, some have hearing or visual impairment and all will react differently in different environments! Find one that looks like a good match for your family and give it a shot! Remember, if it doesn’t work out you can always leave. No big deal. 

The holidays are safely behind us and the kids are back in school. You’ve filled up the calendar with fun activities and outings for the kids this month. Now it’s your turn for a fun night out sans the kids. Wouldn't it be nice to leave for a date night without your youngest hugging your legs, koala-style, screaming "Mommy, don't goooooo!"?

Well, instead of hiring a sitter for the night, why not make it a night out for the kids also? They may be more willing to let Mommy and Daddy go if they’ve got a night of fun activities ahead. It turns out that a number of local places your children may already frequent offer Parents’ Night Out services. For some, you can even arrange a night out with the staff—all you have to do is ask! Read on for details on drop-off services for your next date night. Enjoy!

Winter is here and it’s a cold one! If you’re tired of being cooped up inside with the kids, why not visit one of Union County's wonderful indoor play spaces? We’ve covered eight great choices below, including everything from bounce houses to art studios to indoor mini-golf. Keep them in mind on the next frigid day and no need to worry about going stir-crazy! For more indoor play ideas, visit our new Indoor Play & Rainy Day Activity Guide.

What…pack up and head to Florida for February break? Never!  Nope, this clan is staying put for the upcoming school vacation.  And while the idea of spending some time in Florida is tempting, I love the chance to enjoy local adventures with my kids.  These are the some of the things we’ll be doing over February break here in Fairfield County.

What do climbing, skating, swordsmanship, batting, and swimming have in common? They are all great birthday party options for kids who like to keep active. Sure, indoor playspaces are awesome locations for kids’ birthday parties, but we’ve found some unique places west of Boston that kids - and parents - just might want to consider.

Of course, they all come with all the advantages of hosting a party indoors and not in your home - plenty of space, no weather worries, no mess to clean up afterwards, and minimal preparation required for parents. Read on for details about 10 indoor birthday party places west of Boston where you can host a party and be assured that kids will be able to channel their energy and excitement in a safe, entertaining environment. And check out our Birthday Party Guide for more places to have a kid’s birthday party in MA, including our roundup of indoor birthday party places for active kids in Boston.

Before this week I thought the polar vortex was something Captain Picard battled on Star Trek. But now we know it just means winter can be really cold. The weather certainly impacted our posts this week: At first we were all about sledding and other snowy activities, but soon we were sharing fun places to play indoors as the temperatures dropped into the single digits. (Yeah, I know, let's not relive that.)

We really don't have it all that bad in NYC—just imagine if we lived in Montreal, Canada. Of course there are plenty of wonderful things to do in Montreal with kids, even in winter as our Travel site proved this week. All of our other Mommy Poppins sites were focused on winter fun, too, both indoors and out. Here in NYC, we updated our lists of drop-in indoor play spaces in Manhattan and Queens. Connecticut added a roundup of great family ski resorts to its Winter Fun Guide. And New Jersey has a slew of seasonal sports posts in its Winter Activity Guide.

And a quick plug for one last fun indoor activity for next Saturday, January 18: Join Mommy Poppins at a special performance of the cabaret-style kids' show Still Awake Still! at the New Victory Theater. There will be interactive pre- and post-show activities, plus Mommy Poppins readers can save 20% on tickets.

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