Major cultural events collide this weekend, which brings Groundhog Day, the Lunar New Year and the Super Bowl across the river in New Jersey. And there are lots of ways for families to celebrate them all right here in NYC, including FREE Chinese New Year Parades in Chinatown and Brooklyn, the activity-packed Super Bowl Boulevard in Times Square and a weather report from Staten Island Chuck, who'll let us know how much more winter we have in store.

There are also some great kid-friendly shows opening this weekend like the Thunderbird American Indian Dancers Annual Dance Concert and Pow-wow and the quirky The Wong Kids in the Secret of the Space Chupacabra Go!, plus a reunion concert by the original members of Rockapella, the beloved a capella group from PBS' kids' show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

Those are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. And if you want to plan out your entire month, check out our brand-new NYC Go List highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout February.

Hello February! You might think the beginning of this chilly month doesn’t have much to offer but there’s plenty of fun to be had with two great winter holidays. Celebrate the Chinese New Year at Newark Museum and cross your fingers for a quick end to the cold weather at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum’s Groundhog Day Festival. And if you need a little pre-game Super Bowl excitement, head to Liberty Science Center and check out the last few weeks of the awesome Gridiron Glory exhibit. And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

Parents are always searching for family (and budget) friendly activities and places for the kiddies to blow off steam. Play places make for a good time--and so is the great outdoors (when it's warm enough)--but you can also find out-of-the-box fun at your local library. We looked into libraries across Nassau County that have over-the-top children's rooms and extraordinary activities to keep your family engaged and entertained. And don't worry about being silenced by the librarians here!

For other kid-friendly activities, check out our Inside Activity Guide and Long Island Events Calendar.

Children of all ages from toddlers to tweens love getting together with friends for playdates. And you love hosting them—except when the kids complain about being bored (yes, even with all those games and activity kits spilling out of the closet). The next time your child asks to have pals over, consider organizing a simple and fun service project that can be done at home to help people in need. It's a great way to keep the kids entertained while teaching them the importance of giving back to their community—and reminding them of how lucky they are to have a room overflowing with toys!

Whether you connect the project to something personal, like your child's birthday, or highlight a difficult social issue like homelessness, a service-focused playdate is a gentle way to incorporate helping others into your everyday lives. And of course, doing it with friends makes it feel all the more special.

Here's a list of easy projects for all ages that can be done at home, as well as charities that would love to accept your donations. Always remember to include a handmade card—a sweet personal message from a child can brighten anyone's day.

So far this month, we've told you about the best museum exhibits for kids, family theater shows and children's film festivals happening this winter. Now we wrap up our winter culture coverage with a list of the top 12 kids' concerts this season.

It's quite an eclectic roundup for music fans of all ages, even grown-ups. Preschoolers can get their sillies out grooving to interactive kindie rock groups like the Dirty Sock Funtime Band, and David Weinstone and the Music for Aardvarks Band. Older kids can learn about jazz great Dave Brubek and enjoy the offbeat Songs for Unusual Creatures. Meanwhile parents can take a nostalgia trip courtesy of a Rockapella reunion (of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego fame), and Macaulay "Home Alone" Culkin's pizza-themed Velvet Underground cover band (no, I didn't make that up—I only wish I were that creative). Here are a dozen cool concerts to catch with kids this winter.

I went back to work full-time this year after several years of working part-time as a high school teacher, and I spent the first few months feeling pretty inadequate at basically everything. By November, I started to feel a little more on top of things, just in time for cold, cough and stomach bug season. Here are some tips and ideas I wish I'd had back in August. (Note: I consider being a stay-at-home mom of young children full time work, so many of these tips are applicable whether you work in or outside of the home.) You might also want to check out the Poppins Parents profile on recent-blogging-award winner, yogi-extraordinaire Kristin Quinn for some inspiration (!) and tips on juggling work and family.