No matter what age they are, kids really have good theater in this town. New York City is uniquely set up to provide top quality children’s entertainment, thanks to its host of actors, musicians, puppeteers and storytellers happy to perform for the little ones. Better yet, these productions are created to specifically engage a young child and many of the shows are interactive, usually about an hour in length and generally affordable. If you haven’t taken your child to live theater performance yet, check out this list of shows being performed this winter and get going.

If your little New Yorker already thinks they've seen it all, you might consider hustling them down to TADA! Youth Theater's production of B.O.T.C.H. The musical follows seven wayward subway riders into the tunnels beneath New York, where they stumble onto several curiosities even life-long top dwellers couldn't lay claim to.

With the cold and wet days we've been having, nothing sounds more appealing than hanging out in a cool cafe and there's no reason that you can't do some cafe chill time even with kids in tow. Just ask Rebeca Ramirez-Haskell who has been keeping a blog called The Coffee Beaners where she records her explorations, with son Diego, of the best coffee shops in NYC. Rebeca has chosen some of her favorite places to share with us.

Some neat tidbits to share this week with a new exhibit called Mission to Mars opening up at the Intrepid Museum, free CPR training classes that can also get you a free week at the gym, cool filmmaking vacation camps for kids, a great author speaks, and fun "Playdate for Haiti" event.

My apologies that Winterfest was a complete bust last weekend –I’m hoping the Indian Kite Festival, Himalayan Animal Stories, Lego Building, free music events and other great stuff going on this weekend can help make up for it. Plus check out our separate post on things to do on Martin Luther King Jr Day for more activities, as well as places to volunteer. If you’re looking to use this day of service to aid the efforts in Haiti, we’ve got information on that there too.

A number of years ago when I first heard that Carnegie Hall was giving concerts for kids I envisioned Rachmaninoff for the Romper Room set—hoity toity music for portrait-perfect Little Lord Fauntleroys and Diminutive Debutantes-in-Training who could sit ever so quietly (while not rustling all that taffeta). Yawnsville to me, so I was ecstatic to be proved wrong. Nothing of the stuffy sort, Carnegie Hall's Family Concert Series' ambience is fairly laid back, (jeans fine, tiaras optional), and tickets are affordable.

"A live in nanny? How can you afford a live in Nanny?” That's what most people say when I tell them who watches my children. No we're not rich and we don't live in a sprawling 5 bedroom apartment, but we've found that for our family a live in nanny works best and the benefits outweigh the downfalls. If you've ever wondered how any normal person in NYC could have a live in nanny or if you've never even considered it as a possibility, read on to find out more about this surprisingly doable childcare alternative.

Walking around NYC seems to always lead to some adventure or another. One of the things I particularly love is when we stumble upon some cool street art. When we do we always make sure to stop and enjoy it. Last Friday we came across an interactive video art piece which is installed in an empty storefront on Lexington and 33rd St. The kids had a great time playing with it (see video below) and it inspired me to share some other cool public artworks that you might want to check out.