This week kicks off with President’s Day. How are you going to keep the little ones busy on their day off from school? Check out the many opportunities for a Monday fun day, including the busy, and free, Family Day at State Theatre and Trailside’s Fantasy, Illusion and Magic Show. Celebrate another festive day, Chinese New Year, at Reeves-Reed Arboretum. Plus, take advantage of opportunities for grown-up time while the kids are entertained at Hip Mom Hangout or Small Factory’s Kids' Night Out. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more President’s Day, weekday and weekend events.

It’s Valentine’s week! With all the ice and snow in New Jersey, maybe you’re not feeling the love for this time of year. When you check out all the great events going on this week, we think you’ll warm up to the season. Rejoice in everything Valentine at Shore Cake Supplies’ Valentine’s Day Cooking Class and The Bounce Factory’s Toddler Valentine’s Day Party. It’s a week for musical fun at Mini Music Mondays at Maxwells and a performance of The Rainbow Fish at Mayo Performing Arts Center. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

February kicks off with plenty of indoor fun to keep everyone warm and busy. Get a head start on Valentine’s Day with Valentine’s Storytime at Fire Me Up! Studio and free Valentine Card-Making at Pottery Barn Kids. Explore child-friendly museum activities at The New Jersey State Museum’s Hands-on Fun and The Hoboken Historical Museum’s Uptown Storytime. More snow in the forecast? Keep this list of snow day activities handy. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

Now that January is coming to a close, are you still feeling the post-holiday strain on your budget? Luckily, most of this week’s activity picks are free! Don’t miss the free fun at library programs, including Family Fun Night in Berkeley Heights, Fit4Kids puppet show in Chatham and Girls Who Code in Newark. Explore other free activities at Barnes and Noble and Thompson Park Creative Arts Center. Plus, enjoy low-budget active time at All About Fun and Fort Monmouth Recreation Center. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

Now that New Jersey's in a deep freeze, is anyone itching for warm weather, beaches and swimming? While there are plenty of fun winter activities, I can’t help feeling like Olaf and dreaming of everything summer. Don’t let the cold keep you indoors and stop you from doing those summer activities you love. With warm clothing and a little imagination, there are ways to experience summer-type fun in the winter. So get out your bathing suit (perhaps covered with your winter coat), and pretend it’s summer in January.

The week kicks off with Martin Luther King Day, a day of peace and remembrance, as well as a day off from school. Keep the kids busy at Explore the Dream Through Art Workshop or a fun day of Skate & Play at Depford Skating, plus various other community events. Nature programs are popping up all over the state this week, including Awesome Animal Artists, Maple Tree Tapping and Kids and Critters Preschool Program. And get a taste of music and art at Rock Out with Mr. Ray and Fire Me Up! Studio’s Kid’s Night Out. Don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

Take a look outside. There’s no doubt that winter has arrived in New Jersey! If you’re searching for ways to keep everyone warm and busy during a frigid January week, look no further than here. Explore the earth’s creatures past and present at Adventure Aquarium’s Dinosaurs in the Deep or Frelinghuysen Arboretum’s Garden Sprouts. Warm up with story programs at Pottery Barn Kids, Terhune Orchards and Montclair Art Museum, or chill out at Disney on Ice Presents Princesses and Heroes. You may get inspired to give ice skating a try at one of New Jersey’s outdoor rinks. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

We're kicking off 2015 with a new feature to help you enjoy even more fun activities with your kids. Starting today, every Monday we'll share weekday activity picks to enjoy Monday through Friday in addition to our weekend events round-ups. We're also adding an additional newsletter so our subscribers will get the new weekday events right in their in-box Monday mornings. Not a subscriber? Sign up now!

Happy New Year, everyone! With a new year comes a brand new feature for Mommy Poppins New Jersey: Weekday Event Picks. When my girls were toddlers, I put a lot of time and effort into digging around for activities to keep them entertained during the week. And now that they’re a bit older, I still look for the occasional activity to burn off some after-school energy. From story times to crafts to nature programs, there are tons of weekday activities for New Jersey kids to enjoy, many of which are free. Here are our picks for this week. Please see the links for more information on each activity. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.