Parents looking for a way to beat the mid-winter blues have a new alternative: Dave & Buster's, the family-friendly arcade and sports bar-style restaurant, is celebrating the opening of its second New Jersey location today, February 14! (Family Valentine's Day outing, anyone?) 

Providing a fun-filled experience for all ages, this gamer's paradise is located in Wayne's Willowbrook Mall, which recently underwent a multi-million dollar facelift. 

If you’re staying in town for the three-day weekend, get ready for lots of local fun for families right here in Westchester and the Hudson Valley!

As we reported in our February GoList, the circus is in town! With the recent closing of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the performance by The Royal Hanneford Circus is that much more special. If clowns aren’t enough ha-ha for you, grab some more giggles at Mr. Pennygaf's Cirkus Sideshow Spectacle. Or, for less comedic entertainment, the kid-adventure film Swallows and Amazons looks promising.

If the Olympics has your family asking, “What’s curling and where do people do that?” then take advantage of the local Curling Open House and skip the flight to Pyeongchang. And since Presidents’ Day is intended to honor our presidents, celebrate accordingly at Washington’s Birthday Celebration.

Read on for more of our top weekend picks and check out our Event Calendar for an even bigger selection of activities this weekend and beyond. Kids off from school next week? Check out 40 Things to Do with Kids on a Westchester Winter Staycation to avoid cabin fever.

Cheer on the Winter Olympics by participating in events all weekend long at the Children's Museum of the East End. Or engineer a bobsled run at the Maritime Explorium.

Interact with nature on Long Island over Presidents Day weekend. Head to Jones Beach for a winter seal walk, enjoy a winter celebration at Connetquot River State Park, engage in a winter search party at Garvies Point Museum.

Planning ahead for February school vacation week? Check out our guide to camps and workshops, or try these 30 fun things happening on February break.

For more activities to fill the weekend, pop over to our February GoList or Winter Fun Guide. And if you're keeping an eye on your wallet after the holidays, check out our list of free family activities in February.

Of course, our Event Calendar is loaded with fun, daily events for Long Island kids. Don't see a great event here? Add it to our calendar yourself. 

Long Island City is a bustling, young, up-and-coming NYC neighborhood, with plenty of growing families and loads of kid-friendly restaurants. Whether you're hitting a destination playground, having a culturally rich excursion, or going heavy in the arts-and-crafts department, finding a spot to eat is easier than you think. You'll find everything from Thai to Italian, diners to fancy artisanal food, plus great dessert spots.

Since the area is quite spread out, we've also added a pair of restaurants near two of LIC's more out-of-the-way attractions: the Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park.

This weekend kicks off the mid-winter break for New Jersey schoolchildren, and there's plenty to keep the kiddos entertained. Enjoy a drama-filled weekend with a variety of theatrical performances, including Charlotte's Web Live, Beauty and the Beast, Gobsmacked!, and Mr. Popper's Penguins. Partake in a whole afternoon of kid-friendly games, crafts, and other activities on Saturday at Kidabaloo in Asbury Park. Or celebrate George Washington's birthday with Washington himself!

If you're looking for day-off entertainment on Presidents Day, head over to Morris Museum for Presidents Day activities, State Theatre New Jersey for Family Day, or Trailside Nature & Science Center for a Mad Science demonstration.

To find more fun for this weekend and beyond, check out our list of 30 things to do during the February break. And look to our February GoList  and  Winter Activity Guide for even more ideas. 

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, you probably have great memories of rockin' and rollin' at the roller rink. Birthday parties, end of year school trips, disco evenings, or just plain having fun inside on a hot or rainy day—roller rinks were the best. Even though inline skates are the outdoor skate of choice these days, we can still put on some quads at these LA- and OC-area roller rinks. Take the kids for a taste of your childhood. And, Mom and Dad, you can go ahead and skate too. It is great exercise and just as fun as you remember.

Part museum, part play space, Wonder of Dinosaurs at the South Bay Galleria is a tantalizing collection of animatronic dinosaurs of all varieties, in the setting of a mini amusement-park-toy-shop combo that offers a full day of family friendly exploration (and shopping). Spanning two floors of retail storefront, this dino destination has such wow-worthy draws as Triceratops bouncies (some reserved for the many birthday parties being held on the premises) and a movable dinosaur with reigns for riding like a horse. This natural history museum of play gyms, Wonder of Dinosaurs is a welcome addition to the many kid-friendly places in Redondo Beach.

Boston is packed with great indoor party places that cater to kids. But there are still plenty of parents—myself included—who really enjoy hosting a good, old-fashioned, at-home birthday party. The one catch: Coming up with ways to keep kids engaged that don't involve trashing the house. Recently, we rounded up some of our favorite musicians, magicians, clowns, and character actors who travel to homes to perform for Boston-area kids. But in the event you have a child who yearns for something a little different, we've scouted around for party entertainment that's a little outside the gift box, so to speak. Whether you have a kid who's into exotic creatures, cooking, or just romping around, you can count on one of these companies to create a one-of-a-kind party for your unique birthday boy or girl. Rates fluctuate by group size and sometimes seasonally, so be sure to ask details when you reach out for more information.