This Week: Indoor Play Spaces for NYC Kids, Best Winter Exhibits for Families, Kids' Night on Broadway & More Theater Deals

1/9/14 - By Raven Snook

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:

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Last Friday's blizzard inspired us to update our roundup of the best sledding hills in NYC and we also shared info about the official snow day activities hosted by the Parks Department. Although the snow has pretty much all melted at this point, these posts are worth bookmarking for future reference as winter has only just begun.

Speaking of the cold, we also rounded up some warm and toasty destinations for families this season, including indoor play spaces with open play hours in Manhattan and Queens, and nine new museum exhibits that are great for kids.

It's a new month so we have a new neighborhood focus: Battery Park CIty. We kicked off our coverage with a list of the top 25 things to do with kids in BPC

Is your living room floor littered with rainbow loom rubber bands? Perhaps it's time to send your kids to a rainbow loom class or club so they can make a mess elsewhere.

Dads can do everything moms can (with a few notable exceptions, of course) but just like mothers, fathers need support, too. That's why we rounded up resources for NYC dads including meet-ups and specialized groups.

Our biweekly news post included details about three amazing theater deals going on this month, including Kids' Night on Broadway and Broadway Week. Tickets are on sale for both so act fast!

We're very excited about our Mommy Poppins Event at the New Victory Theater next Saturday. Don't miss the musical Still Awake Still! and all the special pre- and post-show activities.

Find out how buying a family membership at a local museum can snag you free admission to more than 300 institutions across the country and beyond.

Best bets for the weekend include the annual Icky Fest! at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur show at Symphony Space and the WinterGreen Festival at the Museum at Eldridge Street.