Seasonal fun abounds all weekend long in Westchester and due the short holiday week, we've decided to run our weekend roundup a day early. You'll find lots of fun things to do with kids around town--we've even listed a few events happening on Christmas Day! For this coming weekend, we'll highlight the wrap-up of a few seasonal events in Westchester and the Hudson Valley. Additionally, in light of all the high expenses incurred around the holidays (not to mention the exhaustion!), we’ve selectively zeroed in on activities that are FREE, inexpensive and/or restful.

If you haven’t yet squeezed in enough holiday events, get your last licks with Frosty Fest, Holiday Spirit Festival, or Mr. Dickens Tells a Christmas Carol, all of which end this weekend. Continuing this weekend (as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) is It's a Wonderful Life.

If you’re looking for FREE, celebrate the start of Kwanzaa with The Black Candle or enjoy Family Holiday Program, Lionheart Puppet Company, Spring Valley Puppet Theater, The Polar Express or Alamo Kids Camp, to name a few.

For other forms of low-key, low-cost entertainment, your kids might enjoy a comical performance by The Paper Bag Players, cheering at the Slam Dunk Tournament or getting artsy at School’s Out/Art’s In.

Read on for our top weekend picks, and click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? You can count on our Event Calendar to keep you busy, and check out our roundup of holiday mini-camps. Sign up for our FREE weekly newsletter to get top picks delivered straight to your inbox. 

We're keeping our last links post of the year brief due to the holidays. But we've got (mostly) good news to share this week, including a pair of adorable new Central Park Zoo residents, special needs ice sledding at Brooklyn's McCarren Rink, how to save money on pet adoptions and NYC culture spots, and perhaps most important, where to score FREE ice cream during holiday break.

With nearly two weeks of holiday break to fill, we'd thought we'd help you out with some activity planning. From live shows and music to model trains and crafts and more, we've got you covered.

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. And for plenty of more seasonal activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Holiday Fun Guide.

This last weekend in December brings with it the chance to sit back and relax before the new year arrives. For some indoor fun, bring the whole family to the Sing-a-Long Sound of Music in Arlington or head over to Symphony Hall in Boston to watch the Holiday Pops: Home Alone movie with live orchestral accompaniment. The Museum of Fine Arts offers Vacation Week Activities all weekend, and the Family Trees exhibit is still going strong in Concord. For outdoor family time, check out holiday light displays in and around Boston.

If you haven't yet made it to one of the holiday performances in the area, it's the last chance to catch A Christmas Carol in Worcester, the Christmas Revels in Cambridge, and Boston Ballet's Nutcracker in Boston. To experience a unique take on a classic story, bring the kids along to The Light Princess in Cambridge, the Urban Nutcracker in Boston, or Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol in Brookline.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Our guide to First Night Boston has all the information you need to know about this family-friendly celebration.
• The best of winter for families in and around Boston.
• Hand-Stamped Hankies and salt dough hand print ornaments make great last-minute gifts.
• We round up the 40 Best Winter Activities for kids in the Boston area.

If you're looking for something to do on Thursday when most places are closed, take a look at our 10 Christmas Day activity ideas for the whole family. 

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to check out the full events calendar for school vacation week fun!

Winter break is here. Kids are home from school, moms and dads have taken time off from work, and, finally, families have a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor and savor the holiday.

However, if your vision of Christmas break has nothing to do with sugar plums and more to do with the anxiety of how to keep the kids entertained, fear not! The Mommy Poppins calendar has plenty to keep everyone happy.

Nestle down by the fire with a good book, add some last minute decorations to the tree or take a family day trip. Visit Dino Days at Wilmington's Delaware Natural History Museum or All-Star Days at Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences. See The Media Theatre's Annie Jr. or Hedgerow Theatre's  A Christmas Carol as they both close this weekend. View the beautiful lights at Fonthill's Candlelight Castle Tour. Or perhaps you are ready to ring in 2015 and want to make New Year's Eve plans? 

No matter how you chose to spend the first weekend of winter break, Mommy Poppins wishes you a very Happy Holiday!

Don't see your event listed among our events? Please add it to our calendar. Thank you.