If a trip to Japan is just slightly over your budget, but you're still crazy—or curious—about Japanese culture, the newly reopened Hello from Japan! exhibit at the Children's Museum of Manhattan is a perfect, albeit petite, alternative. This exhibit—the third in the Upper West Side museum's Global Cultural Exhibition Series, following exhibitions on Ancient Greece and China, and preceding the ongoing Muslim culture exhibit—originally graced the museum in 2015 and has returned for another run, offering an immersive experience for NYC's youngest art and museum fans.

Here at Mommy Poppins, we are always striving to give Houston parents the best resources for living it up in the Bayou City. And what better way to do that than recommend some local blogs that highlight Houston hotspots, fun and easy DIY projects, and fashion tips (lord do I need those fashion tips). And we want to hear your favorites! Send us an email to houston@mommypoppins.com to let us know where you get your daily dose of parenting blogging goodness. And without further ado, and in no particular order, here are 10 local bloggers to start following right now:

It's probably obvious from my posts that I'm all about free activities for my family, especially when trying to keep kids entertained all week. While I'm planning to fill up most of our schedule with some of those free picks, there are also tons of cool activities that are worth the money this February break. We certainly won't be able to hit all of these, but I'm going to do my best to narrow it down to a favorite or two and make our plans now (some activities require advance registration or tickets). Good luck choosing, and have a great school vacation week!

A new trend in group entertainment has hit LA, and it may be one you haven't wrapped your mind around yet: escape rooms. Certain assumptions would seem obvious from the moniker (you need to escape, right? From a room?), but in fact most of my friends seem to know very little about them. Personally, I was curious. And beyond my personal curiosity, I was even more interested to know whether an escape room might be an adventure to be shared with bigger kids who enjoy a little challenge and mystery. Well, it turns out that yes, yes it is a totally and utterly cool thing to do with kids. So get ready for the thrill of locking your kids in a room, and then watching them try to get out. For an hour.

Jump Off! Trampoline Park and Fun Zone in Stratford is just one of the many terrific trampoline parks in the area, with a twist! It's one of the great area play places that offers times for special needs kids to enjoy adaptive activities. For more great ideas on things to do in Connecticut (inside and out), check out our guide to fun Winter Activities.

There’s a class for just about every interest in Westchester, and creative writing is no different. Whether your children love to pen poetry or scribble essays, they can hone their craft at one of these local writing workshops. 

Looking for more things to do? Consults our dedicated Classes Guide and sign up for our newsletters. 

Delicious, steaming hot cocoa topped with pillowy marshmallows is a kids staple during the winter months, warming little hands from the very first sip. You can make it at home, of course, but foodie Brooklyn offers a multitude of independent chocolatiers, coffee shops, and cafes serving up rich, creamy and inventive hot chocolates.

We recently covered the best spots to get hot chocolate in Manhattan, as well as Queens, but Brooklyn, home to the city's artisanal food scene, has plenty to offer, too. Read on for 10 of our favorite spots to pick up a cup of hot chocolate with the kids in this family-oriented borough.

Warm, sunny days are not required to tee up with the kids at Monster Mini Golf, a spooky-themed, indoor mini-golf course and arcade with four locations in New Jersey. Featuring glow-in-the-dark decor and recently upgraded arcade games, Monster Mini Golf brings some Jersey-style boardwalk fun indoors.