Sometimes a change of destination and access to new toys—ones you don't have to actually buy—is all small children and their parents need to survive the harshest months of winter.

Liddle Bites Play Cafe in Long Beach is one of the newest and sweetest indoor play spaces to open in Nassau County. With plenty of toys, costumes, and structures set up to encourage play, seating, and even snacks, it's an intimate and complete play space that helps kids stay engaged and unleash imaginations — no matter what the weather is like outside.

Does your kid love to entertain? Whether you want to tap into your child's creativity, channel new energies or emotions, encourage confidence in public speaking, or just love the idea of seeing your little one up on stage, theater classes are a great option! And with such a strong influence on the arts in our city of brotherly love, you can be sure to find high-quality programming and training for your young thespian. If acting isn't really up your kid's alley, but they still like the idea of being up on stage, check out these local dance classes as well!

Governors Island, long one of our favorite summer spots, will open to the public on Monday, May 1 this year, nearly a full month ahead of its usual schedule. Typically it opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend.

The earlier opening isn't just for weekends, either. Ferries will shuttle New Yorkers to the massive park seven days a week, from May 1 through October 1, offering access to the brand-new playgrounds it debuted last year, art, and cool festivals like Figment. Suddenly we know what we're doing for Mother's Day 2017! 

What birthday gift do you give the world’s biggest Paw Patrol fan, aka, my 4-year-old son? This year, the answer was easy: tickets to PAW Patrol Live!, the first-ever theater show for the pups of Adventure Bay.

The live show is touring nationally with stops in Boston, Connecticut, Philadelphia, and New York City this spring.

As parents we face the pressure to find the best of everything, and finding the best preschool for your little heir is no exception. Some parents jump on this task intimidatingly early, doing research and attending open houses even while Junior is still in utero. And there are so many choices: Play-based or academically focused? Montessori, Waldorf, full-time, part-time, cooperative, parochial, or secular? Media-free or media-intensive? A philosophy of "let children be children" or "teach them everything as soon as possible"? Perhaps we want our kids to learn to use their words in more than one language, to preserve their midday nap, or to spend most of their day playing outdoors in nature.

When the frigid cold sweeps in and the black snow and slush puddles begin to pile up, it can be hard to motivate for a trip into Manhattan with the kids, especially with all that winter outwear. Luckily, Brooklyn is loaded with fun children's events, museums, theater, and indoor play spaces, so you can stay local.

We've rounded up more than 50 events and activities happening in Brooklyn from January through March 2017. You'll be so busy, spring will likely be here before you know it.

Find more seasonal fun in our Guide to Winter Events and Activities in NYC, and if you have little ones, check out these Top Winter Events for Preschool-Age Kids. Remember, you can always find more daily events in our Event Calendar. Just search via "Brooklyn" if you want to stay in the borough.

Let’s face it. In Connecticut, we don’t always love the snow. It may look beautiful from inside of our homes, but then we have to shovel it, plow it, and salt it. We have to craft it into snowmen and mold it into igloos. And, when it melts, ugh. When it melts into that dirty and dingy film alongside the road, winter can seem grey, lifeless and, well, boring. To help shake those winter blues, try heading outside and check out some of these pretty fantastic outdoor winter programs in Fairfield County with your kiddos. For more winter fun, check out our guide for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Fairfield County and our winter fun guide.

If you're a first-time mom, childbirth can be scary. Heck, let's face it, if you've already done it before, it's still a little scary. Childbirth classes are essential for any pregnant woman and her partner. Seriously, I cannot stress just how important these classes are for anyone who is expecting. If it's been a while since you've had your first baby (or babies), you may even want to refresh. Maybe you're trying something new this time around- whether it's a VBAC or unmedicated birth, or you just want to make sure you know what you're doing, a birthing class can help with that. The most important things that birth classes will help you with are pain management, knowing the signs of labor, understanding the labor process, and knowing your rights so you can be in control of your birth. We've rounded up a few great places (other than hospitals) that offer birthing classes in the area. Also included in this list are breastfeeding classes, as those are essential for any new mom who plans to breastfeed.