Celebrations for the 2015 Lunar New Year have been going on throughout the month of February, but this weekend boasts some particularly special events you might want to add to your family's calendar. The Chinese New Year Festival in Boston's Chinatown and the Lunar New Year Festival in North Quincy offer full-blown celebrations that include lion dances and dragons. The Peabody Essex Museum's Lunar New Year event is another fantastic option, complete with dance performances and other fun activities. If the weather finally gives us a break, the Maple Sugaring Tours in Ipswich and the Cape Ann Winter Birding Weekend are fun ways to get outdoors with the kids.

The performance lineup this weekend includes two puppet shows in Brookline: Both The Singing Turtle and Hansel and Gretel are sure to be a hit with the kids. Concerts for families include The Story of Babar in Arlington and Justin Robert and the Not Ready for Naptime Players in Natick.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Michelle shares insider info on Bird Watching With Kids in Newburyport, a place that really is for the birds.
• Our roundup of 5 Best Boston Afternoon Tea Spots includes something for everyone in the family.
• See how maple syrup is made at these local maple sugar festivals and farms. 
• Our top picks for family fun in March are causes for celebration. 

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

Welcome March this weekend by enjoying a bit of the great outdoors or stay inside with some princesses for breakfast or a tea party. There's also several crafting projects on tap this weekend, as well as maple sugaring demonstrations at a Suffolk farm.

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March blows in this weekend and it is a great month with St. Patrick's Day and March Madness. There are plenty of activities this weekend: maple sugaring, Rapunzel and Winterfest so start scheduling some family fun!

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Here are some suggestions for the weekend ahead! 

Temperatures rise a bit this weekend (woo-hoo!), just in time for both outdoor and indoor fun happening in and around Westchester!

This weekend kicks off the maple sugaring season in Westchester. Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make just one gallon of maple syrup? Learn more about this fascinating production process at hands-on events like Maple Sugar Tours or Sugarhouse Chat.  

Chinese New Year celebrations also abound this weekend. To kick off the Year of the Sheep, celebrate with Lunar New Year Celebration, Chinese New Year Celebration or another Lunar New Year Celebration.

High-caliber performances take the stage this weekend: The Amazing Max earned the praise of several noteworthy reviewers for his entertaining, interactive magic show, and the Paul Taylor Dance Company graces the stage right here in Westchester, having been widely regarded internationally for decades.

February is American Heart Month, as well as “Go Red for Women” Month, when public-education efforts are stepped up regarding the prevention of heart disease and the lesser-known risk to women. Paint the Mall RED offers a mother-daughter experience to get informed--while getting pampered.

That's not all--check out our Event Calendar for even more great activities every single day!

This weekend is a real multiculti mash-up with a pair of kid-friendly St. Patrick's Day parades, Lunar New Year celebrations and Purim carnivals all on tap. You can also mark Dr. Seuss' 111th birthday at the Children's Museum of the Arts, whip up healthy dishes at the annual Kids Food Festival in Bryant Park and catch offbeat family flicks at the opening weekend of the New York International Children's Film Festival.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Winter Fun Guide. And if you're looking to plan ahead, check out our brand-new March GoList, which highlights the absolute best things to do with kids throughout the month.

When did planning a kid's birthday party become so stress inducing? Every year, parents feel a certain amount of pressure to find the perfect birthday party place for their child's celebration. After all, you probably don't want to have it at the same venue as last year--or at the same place his friends have already had their parties.

Luckily, there are party places popping up all over Long Island. If you're looking for someplace fresh to host your child's birthday this year, check out these six locations. Whether it's new in town or just new to you, these places offer a variety of birthday fun. From fashion and princesses to painting pottery and sports, we've got you covered. 

And for more birthday party ideas, view our Long Island Party Guide.

Hello, March! As we bid freezing February goodbye, let’s hope the coming days bring milder temps and melting snow! The last few weeks of winter bring some neat activities, so check out all the family fun to be had in Jersey. Celebrate the end of maple sugaring season with the Sugar Maple Celebration at Duke Farms and the Maple Sugaring Fest at Reeves-Reed Arboretum. Or take a hike in the snow during a Family Nature Walk at Basking Ridge Environmental Education Center and build a Winter Gourd Birdhouse at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. And if the thought of the chilly outdoors has you shivering, we’ve got you covered! Take in a new musical retelling of a classic story and see If The Shoe Fits: A Cinderella Story, get zany at Liberty Hall’s Dr. Seuss Birthday Breakfast or channel your inner engineer during the Kids Create workshop at the Roebling Museum. For even more weekend fun, check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

When it comes to birthday parties, I am all for the spirit of inviting the whole class. There is no worse feeling than being excluded or not making the A list, and encouraging our kids to be inclusive is surely the right thing to do. However, public school class sizes being what they are, this can sometimes be an unmanageable proposition. And most of our kids have lots of other friends from other places, too, like pre-school or extracurricular activities. If you approach your child’s party with the good intention of inviting everybody, the guest list is likely to have at least 20-30 kids on it. So, if you don't have an acre of rolling lawn behind your family estate, how is this remotely feasible on a budget? We've got 10 great ideas that don't cost a bundle.