Remember when a day off from school sounded like a good thing?

Now that we’re the grown-ups, of course, it’s a different story. And as if Monday holidays to honor veterans, presidents, and the like were not enough, our current economic struggles have also left us with a legacy of “Furlough Days” – which translates loosely as “random days when we need to find childcare.”

Luckily some enterprising local camps who know how to show a kid a good time offer fun options for school kids on days when there is no school. If you’ve suddenly discovered that tomorrow is one of those days, try checking out one of the camps below that generally have us covered on LA school vacation days - whenever they come.

When my 6-year-old son started skiing, I was advised by a former ski instructor friend to I enroll him in skiing school and under no circumstances attempt to teach him myself. She claimed that even if you are an Olympic-level skier, which I am not, it is best that they learn how to turn and stop from the pros. Plus there is the added benefit of hitting the slopes solo while your kid is in school. Heeding her advice, we enrolled him in ski school for a day during the Christmas holidays, and he loved it!

Back home in NYC I started looking for local ski resorts providing schools for weekend day trips and was surprised to find they weren’t as common as I thought they would be. Of course most ski resorts offer private and group lessons, but I was hoping for more of a half-day or full-day option for my son. After a ton of research, we've rounded up the area resorts with ski or snowboarding schools for kids, plus everything else you need to know to get them started. So grab your skis and get going!

Once upon a time, preschool was all about learning shapes, colors and the ABCs. These days, the curriculum is way more advanced, with many kids having already mastered these basics before they set foot in a preschool. So it’s no surprise that parents are looking for a place that can not only prepare their children for kindergarten, but also inspire a love of learning and encourage them to find and explore new interests. As mom to a preschool-age son, I was intrigued by our sponsor, the Brooklyn Preschool of Science, which is opening its doors to kids ages 2.5 to 5 years in Park Slope this September.

When I first heard about the school, I immediately thought, why a preschool with a focus on science? But after reading about how the school uses a variety of science-based activities and lessons to teach kids about the world around them, as well as providing a foundation to excel at math, language and more, I can see the benefits of giving little ones this kind of specialized learning experience.

We're kicking off 2015 with a new feature to help you enjoy even more fun activities with your kids. Starting this week, every Monday we'll share weekday activity picks to enjoy Monday through Friday in addition to our weekend events round-ups. We're also adding an additional newsletter so our subscribers will get the new weekday events right in their in-box Monday mornings. Not a subscriber? Sign up now!

With many people heading back to work or school this week, families might have to work a little harder to find bright spots in the dark winter days. Thankfully, there are some fantastic options for both outdoor and indoor activities to keep everyone busy.

If temperatures stay cold, skating at one of the outdoor rinks in the area could be the perfect activity to get the kids moving. Once there's some snow on the ground, snowshoeing at Gore Place is another way to enjoy the nip in the air. For those of you who prefer indoor fun, Planes: Fire & Rescue movie night or Bellydance Evolution's Alice in Wonderland could be just right for your family. Read on for our picks of the week, and find even more family activities on our events calendar.

We're kicking off 2015 with a new feature to help you enjoy even more fun activities with your kids. Starting today, every Monday we'll share weekday activity picks to enjoy Monday through Friday in addition to our weekend events round-ups. We're also adding an additional newsletter so our subscribers will get the new weekday events right in their in-box Monday mornings. Not a subscriber? Sign up now!

Happy New Year, everyone! With a new year comes a brand new feature for Mommy Poppins New Jersey: Weekday Event Picks. When my girls were toddlers, I put a lot of time and effort into digging around for activities to keep them entertained during the week. And now that they’re a bit older, I still look for the occasional activity to burn off some after-school energy. From story times to crafts to nature programs, there are tons of weekday activities for New Jersey kids to enjoy, many of which are free. Here are our picks for this week. Please see the links for more information on each activity. And don’t forget to check out our event calendar for even more weekday and weekend events.

We're kicking off 2015 with a new feature to help you enjoy even more fun activities with your kids. Starting today, every Monday we'll share weekday activity picks to enjoy Monday through Friday in addition to our  weekend events round-ups. We're also adding an additional newsletter so our subscribers will get the new weekday events right in their in-box Monday mornings. Not a subscriber? Sign up now!

Most of us return to business as usual this Monday, with school and work back in session, but that doesn't meant the fun has to stop--and it doesn't have to wait for the weekends. This post marks the debut of a new feature: a weekly roundup of our favorite events across the state, happening on weekdays.

Our weekend posts will continue, as will our monthly GoList. And the event calendar, of course, is constantly updated with new activities every day of the week.

Happy New Year! With a new year comes a new feature for Mommy Poppins Westchester--a weekly roundup of top weekday events, brought to you in a Monday morning newsletter. Similar to our weekend roundups, we'll highlight fun things to do with kids all week long. This means that subscribers will hear from us twice a week in 2015: once with weekday highlights, and once with weekend fun. If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for our FREE newsletters to stay up-to-date on the latest news, events and activities throughout Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley. 

Below, we’ve singled out our favorite event for each weekday, Monday through Friday, for the coming week. There are a lot of great roll-up-your-sleeves events and a particular hotbed of activity for tweens or teens--like Teen DIY and Poetry SLAM and Open Mic. Four of the five are FREE! Click through for event details, but don’t stop there--be sure to peruse our Events Calendar for even more events happening around town.

We're kicking off 2015 with a new feature to help you enjoy even more fun activities with your kids. Starting today, every Monday we'll share weekday activity picks to enjoy Monday through Friday in addition to our  weekend events round-ups. We're also adding an additional newsletter so our subscribers will get the new weekday events right in their in-box Monday mornings. Not a subscriber? Sign up now!

The holidays might be officially over, but that doesn't mean the good times have to end. This week, there are plenty of kid- and family-friendly activities across Long Island to enjoy, whether you're looking for something to do after school or you need to find some fun for your toddler during the day. From getting a last glance at holiday lights to making a polar bear pet to cuddle with for the long winter, your little ones have something to keep them occupied every day of the week.

And be sure to check out our Long Island Event Calendar, which is always being updated with new and fun things to do across the area.