Happy New Year! With a new year comes a new feature for Mommy Poppins Westchester--a weekly roundup of top weekday events, brought to you in a Monday morning newsletter. Similar to our weekend roundups, we'll highlight fun things to do with kids all week long. This means that subscribers will hear from us twice a week in 2015: once with weekday highlights, and once with weekend fun. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley. 

Below, we’ve singled out our favorite event for each weekday, Monday through Friday, for the coming week. There are a lot of great roll-up-your-sleeves events and a particular hotbed of activity for tweens or teens--like Teen DIY and Poetry SLAM and Open Mic. Four of the five are FREE! Click through for event details, but don’t stop there--be sure to peruse our Events Calendar for even more events happening around town.

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!

The holidays might be officially over, but that doesn't mean the good times have to end. This week, there are plenty of kid- and family-friendly activities across Long Island to enjoy, whether you're looking for something to do after school or you need to find some fun for your toddler during the day. From getting a last glance at holiday lights to making a polar bear pet to cuddle with for the long winter, your little ones have something to keep them occupied every day of the week.

And be sure to check out our Long Island Event Calendar, which is always being updated with new and fun things to do across the area.

After weeks of chaotic festivities, it’s time to move back into the familiar routine. The kids have mostly returned to school. It’s the first week of a new month, so lots of museums are free. Brick lovers were likely gifted plenty of LEGOs during the holidays, but it is still nice to collect the First Tuesday freebie.

In fact, after the excesses of December spending, it’s a good idea to find those activities around town that don’t require payment. Start this New Year contemplating the night sky stargazing from your own back yard, or, if you want an organized event, head to the Abbott Kinney Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library in Venice. It may be worth spending on one last treat, though, if you still haven't seen Pompeii: The Exhibition at the California Science Center, because this week is your last chance!

NYC isn't called the city that never sleeps for nothing. The Big Apple buzzes with activities for all ages every day from morning to night. So in honor of the New Year, we're trying something new: Weekly roundups of the top five weekday event picks for families. Because in a vibrant town like ours, cool things to do with kids don't just happen on the weekend.

Of course we'll continue to publish weekend event posts every Wednesday as well as monthly GoLists. Sign up for our newsletter to get them all right in your inbox. 

Like most NYC parents with young kids, I've logged so many hours at our local parks and playgrounds, I feel like I've become an expert on which design elements work, and which totally fail. If you've always wanted to share your playground opinions, now's the time because the Parks Department is listening. Thanks to its Community Parks Initiative, $130 million will be used to redesign and rebuild 35 debilitated NYC green spaces. But before the renovations begin, the Parks Department is holding a series of Community Input Meetings where families can offer their ideas and hopes for these parks.

Are you ready for something new? I know my family is. 2014 has had a lot of ups and downs, so we're looking forward to all the healing and adventures we hope the New Year will bring.

To help us all kick off a fun-filled 2015, most of ours sites have posted brand-new January GOLists highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month in NYC, New Jersey, on Long Island and beyond. Even though the jam-packed holiday season is coming to a close, there are plenty of amusements ahead, like next Saturday's special Mommy Poppins-sponsored performance of Stella, Queen of the Snow at Symphony Space that includes an adorable marshmallow snowman activity and a deep discount on tickets. We hope to see you there so we can celebrate 2015 together.

If you're itching to start your post-holiday purge, we have lists of where to donate toys and kids' clothes in New York City and on Long Island, and all the details on how to easily recycle your Christmas tree in NYC.

From all the moms at Mommy Poppins, we wish you and your family a fabulous New Year! Thank you for sharing 2014 with us. Here's what else we covered in NYC this week: