In summer, Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden are super-popular destinations, with glorious flora and fauna, and lots of free or inexpensive programming for families. But they don't go into hibernation during the winter.

The cool months are actually a great time to visit: You'll find fewer crowds, lower fees (the Garden offers free admission on weekdays through March 11) and plenty of kid-friendly activities and attractions, many of which are inside where it's warm. From indoor exhibits at the Garden and the Park's Audubon Center to outdoor nature walks, here's why you should bundle up the family and hit these green spots in winter.

There are many reasons for taking your children to an artsy-craftsy place: Bringing out their inner artist, encouraging creativity and self-expression, doing something fun together, having access to teachers, equipment and materials… I could go on and on.

While all those things are important, this is the number-one reason for visiting the fabulous places I have selected: The mess isn’t in your house! So take the kids out, unleash the creative spirits within, have a great time.

One of LA's hidden gems for little ones is an outdoor show known as A Faery Hunt, a gnomadic experience which is part hike, part play and all fun, taking place at several parks around town. Recently, the sprightly crew added an indoor show to the repertoire, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden, and it's a real crowd-pleaser among the under-eight set. Performances currently take place at Sherman Oaks' Whitefire Theater.

[UPDATED: December 1, 2012]

Next week, our month-long spotlight on Park Slope will come to an end. We've already shared our favorite places to play, eat, learn and shop, but we couldn't wrap up our coverage without telling you about one of the coolest, most offbeat and unique destinations in the neighborhood: Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co, a little shop with an amazing alter ego.

While Park Slope families may be well aware of this spot's double identity, we're guessing lots of readers have never even heard of this shop, let alone know its big secret. Find out what's going on behind a hidden door at this store for aspiring Spider-men and Wonder Women.

I am so excited to offer this giveaway to our weekly newsletter subscribers. What a treat to experience the visual eye candy that the Wizard of Oz is famous for on a super duper big IMAX screen! This show will sell out and The Maritime Aquarium has reserved 4 tickets to a lucky Mommy Poppins CT subscriber. Due to high demand, please don't enter if you won't be able to attend the show. They want to share this experience with every possible human who can fit into the theater. Showtime is March 4th at 2pm.

Now that you know what bento boxes are and what supplies you’ll need, you may be wondering: What goes in them?

The short answer is whatever your kids will enjoy – virtually all their favorites can be worked into a bento box. One of the great things about bentos is that they let you present food in a fun, appealing way -- so your kids may even try something new. Here are some specific ideas:

It's hard to believe that last weekend there was enough snow on the ground to go sledding. This week, temperatures were so mild, we actually saw a few shoots popping out of the ground. But don't be fooled: Winter isn't going anywhere. That's why we posted about a lot of fun indoor activities this week, like children's yoga classes, sing-alongs and a bunch of family film festivals. You can find more cool seasonal activities in our Winter Fun Guide

In the interest of brevity, from now on our weekly wrap ups will primarily feature stories from Mommy Poppins NYC, although we'll highlight posts from our sister sites when we think they'll be of interest to our New York City readers, like Connecticut's awesome roundup of family ski resorts or New Jersey's extensive roundup of summer camp open houses. Also of note: Los Angeles' 100 things to do in LA with kids before they grow up, modeled on NYC's popular post. It's gone viral in the city, so if you're planning on visiting, this list is worthy of printing out. If you want to stay on top of everything that's going on in New Jersey, Long Island, Connecticut, Boston or Los Angeles, you can subscribe to our free newsletters.

Order up!  Today's menu includes pigs, ants, tree bark, and a very popular side dish of mice. Visitors to the Long Island Children's Museum's new permanent exhibit, "Feasts for Beasts," are invited to become servers at this child-size diner, where a raccoon, bear, beaver, snake, and leopard have come to feast. Give them the wrong food and a sugar container will light up "no," while the right food will generate a "yes."