It's so cold, my mother calls every morning to find out if her grandchild is dressed appropriately for the weather. (She never asks what I'm wearing so I guess I'm too old to worry about.) Winter is here to stay for a while and (once this deep freeze dissipates a bit), we're looking forward to enjoying skiing, snow tubing and other seasonal sports near NYC and beyond.

Of course if you're the type who plans to spend the next few months holed up inside as much as possible, there are lots of fun things to do indoors with kids. To inspire you, we put together a list of 50 drop-in destinations including play spaces, interactive museum installations, arcades and more offbeat options. If you're still pining for warmer climes, check out our Travel site's roundup of our favorite family travel destinations of 2014 and then start planning your next vacation—midwinter school break is coming up next month!

And what are you doing this Saturday? Hopefully joining us at our special Mommy Poppins-sponsored performance of the eye-popping show Stella, Queen of the Snow at Symphony Space. Our readers enjoy an exclusive preshow activity and save 35% on tickets. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Whoo hoo, we live for nothing if not celebrating; and lucky us, yet another holiday weekend is upon us! We've had mistletoe and candy corn and champagne glasses and things made with pumpkin, but the best is yet to come because this weekend is...  it is... I know it's January and, um, for sure there's a Saturday and a Sunday, and...oh, man. I don't know how to break this to you, but I think it's just a normal weekend. No holiday. No fancy shindigs. No gifts to buy or traditional treats to bake - just you and the kids doing your everyday thing.

And that's good. We live in Southern California, so unlike the rest of the country, we can actually go outside without freezing our chimichangas off. You can explore the coastline, do a little bird watching, take a trek Into the Woods...  You can even freeze your chimmichangas off, if you’re into that sort of thing. There are also dinosaurs, Hot Wheels, and monster trucks and queens, a royal tea and a master juggler, really, something for just about everyone.

So settle back, get back in the swing of “winter” in the Southland, and enjoy life as we know it, until the next time another one of those pesky holiday things comes along to shake things up. But that won’t be until next weekend.

Keep reading for some of our most normal picks for this weekend...

As the cold winter air migrates to Philadelphia, some automatically seek indoor activities while others are ready to embrace the chilly weather and get outside.

No matter what appeals to your family, the Mommy Poppins event calendar has plenty of options to entertain the kids.

Experience wintertime nature by bundling up and taking part in outdoor activities. Wake up early to participate in the Conservancy Cottage's Bird Count, stay up late for a Family Night Hike at Tyler Arboretum or learn what vegetation animals depend upon during the winter at Linvilla Orchards' Gardening with Children workshop.

If inside fun is more your speed, visit a museum. Please Touch Museum hosts the Ugandan Kid's Choir, Delaware Museum of Natural History offers its interactive story time called Book in the Nook and Penn Museum teaches kids about Egyptian jewelry at its Family Workshop.

Indoors or outdoors, much fun awaits you this weekend. Below are some highlights from the Mommy Poppins events calendar.

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Oodles of fun activities await outdoorsy families this chilly weekend! Winter Trails Day in Weston is the perfect way to try out cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, and the Snow Shoe Shuffle in Milton likewise offers the opportunity to learn some snowshoeing basics. Indoors, The Art of the Brick is closing this weekend (use code MOMPOP for discounted tickets), and the Tips on Trips and Camps Summer Camp and Teen Opportunities Fair gets you thinking of the warmer days ahead.

In performances this weekend, the puppets in the Pied Piper of Hamelin in Brookline or Stories from Snowy Lands in Arlington are sure to entertain. Family concerts this weekend include Joanie Leeds and the Nightlights in Natick, the Boston Celtic Music Fest in Cambridge, and Debbie and Friends in Brookline.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Use our January GO List to help you plan your family activities for the month.
• These drop-in indoor play spaces for little ones can be sanity-savers for parents of energetic tots.
• Thinking about your next vacation already? Our selections for Best Family Travel of 2014 include some great ideas for 2015. (Tara recommends Richmond in the springtime for fun, outdoorsy family adventures.)
• Our roundup of Summer Camp Fairs in the area helps you find all the information you need.
• We share all the deets about the Boston Celtics Club Green Family Pack for a great night at a game.
• Be sure to check out our latest feature! Our Weekday Picks posts on Sunday nights include the best events for Boston families in the coming week.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full events calendar!

The holidays are over, January is in full swing and the kids are back to school, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. Several family-friendly live theater performances kick off this weekend, along with arts & crafts and some museum fun for the entire family. If you're looking for some outdoor fun, be sure to take a look at our Ski & Snow Sports Guide.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter, which now also includes a weekday roundup of activities for Long Island kids running Monday-Friday.

As our focus shifts from the festive holiday season to the cold winter ahead, it may be hard to muster up the motivation to head out of the house. While the temperatures may dip, the little ones will still grow restless. Luckily, there are plenty of enriching and fun activities throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley, including a wide variety of events this coming weekend! 

It may be January, but that doesn’t mean that outdoor nature programs have come to an end. There’s Birding Hike, Winter Walk and Forest Magic to name a few. Bundle up!

If the arts are what you’re after, you can collaborate with artists at Live Art Fest, enjoy a FREE performance at Shakespeare in the Church, kick up your heels at Danceworks or Walk to the Beat Workshop Series: Square Dancing or get crafty at Model Magic Winter Wonderland.

Also happening this weekend are a couple of informative programs for parents: Financial Aid: How to Pay for College and Summer Camp and Teen Program Fair.

That's not all! Consult our Event Calendar and January GoList for lots more. Also sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox--both our weekend roundup and our newly launched weekday highlights.