It seems like all anyone can talk about this week is the blizzard and the cold, but after all, it is the dead of winter in NYC. And not everything about it is bad. The freezing season brings snow days (though not this week for New York City public schools, which sparked much controversy not to mention a brief tantrum from my eight-year-old). Plus sledding, skiing, great winter travel deals, and crazy hats and headgear, like the horse head in the pic. (I couldn't help but sing the Mister Ed theme when I saw that kid... I don't think he or my daughter had any idea what I was doing.)

There are also plenty of great indoor activities to check out this season. This week we rounded up the best family theater shows opening this winter, profiled a Queens restaurant with a playroom and published our first full week of WeeWork activity posts so you can enjoy family fun without having to leave your home—a nice option when it's in the single digits!

We also have a great giveaway going this week: Enter to win a family four-pack to Sesame Street Live Elmo Makes Music at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Even if you don't snag the prize, we've got an exclusive discount code so you can save 25% on tickets to select performances. All the info you need is right here.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This weekend, take a trip to the East End and make a stop in Bridgehampton. There’s plenty on tap for nature lovers at the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center. Hone investigative skills and learn about beach erosion, master the art of knot tying, or go on a walk to observe seals. For crafty fun, head to the Children's Museum of the East End. Listen to a story and create a bird feeder, or put those culinary skills to the test and make Belgian waffles. For those in Nassau County, celebrate the release of the upcoming Lego Movie at Barnes & Noble, or make kooky kaleidoscopes at the Long Island Children’s Museum. As always, check our events calendar every day for activities for the family.

With the arrival of another polar vortex, you may not feel like leaving your house. If you have run out of ideas to keep the little ones busy, Mommy Poppins is here with WeeWork Kids Craft Series; Free Daily At-Home Projects . We hope these simple, free crafts and games will inspire some bonding time and help the days go by a little faster. You can subscribe and  get WeeWork delivered to your inbox. 

Once you feel like venturing out, we've got you covered with plenty to do. For starters, check out our CT Winter Fun Guide , Indoor Play Places for Big Kids in Hartford County, and guide to Winter Break Activities in Fairfield County. 

We continue to explore the state, bringing you the best recommendations of activities. Want to visit a new town? Consult our posts on 25 Things to Do and See with Kids in New Canaan and Simsbury. We also have neighborhood guides for West Hartford and Ridgefield. These towns are CT treasures and chock full of fun! 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and you'll receive the weekend round up every Thursday. Follow us on Twitter and Pinterest to get updates on events, contests and free giveaways. Our event calendar is updated constantly with the latest happenings.

Here are some suggestions for this weekend. 

The last weekend in January is here and if you’re looking to get out of the house and find some fun for the family, Westchester has it. Celebrate the Chinese New Year at the Pelham Art Center with family friendly activities or make a Chinese New Year Dragon Puppet at Lakeshore Learning to ring in the Year of the Horse.

It’s the last weekend to catch Shrek The Musical put on by The Players Theater in White Plains. Westchester Community College is hosting The National Player’s in their version of the Odyssey. Throughout the weekend, visit St. Matthew’s Church in Bedford for The 41st Annual Art Show.

There are always plenty of activities available for the nature enthusiasts. This weekend let the family get some fresh air and check out It’s A Hoot, Waterfowl and Eagles, Tracks and Scats, and Winter Walk. If you’re looking to send your children to camp this summer, check out the 32nd Annual Westchester Camp and Activity Fair at the Crowne Plaza in White Plains to see what options are available for your family.

Read on for our top weekend picks. If you see something that piques your interest, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond.

We continue our month-long focus on Battery Park City with a look at the best places to play in the neighborhood, both indoors and outside. This tiny sliver of southwestern Manhattan is just 92 acres but 36 acres of that is parkland, mostly along the Hudson River. It's no wonder BPC is famous for its parks and playgrounds, like the attraction-filled Rockefeller E. Nelson Playground, Teardrop Park's grotto-like water play area and massive slide, and the stunning Esplanade, which runs the whole length of neighborhood along the waterfront.

BPC is also home to lots of indoor places where kids can drop in and play, including Manhattan's first green library, a pair of museums with frequent kids' programs, and the Winter Garden at Brookfield Place. If you're looking to spend a day romping around, BPC is the place to be.

It appears that we may break out of the teens this weekend (!), but even if we don't, there're plenty to do with kids in and around Boston, inside and out. From the opening of Wheelock Family Theatre’s production of Hairspray, the Musical on Friday to a Wingmasters Birds of Prey demonstration on Sunday, we’ve got you covered.

Families can enjoy other events like the Rock ’n’ Romp Rock Show and International Film Festival on Saturday and a chocolate festival in Harvard Square on Sunday. Read on for all our picks for the weekend, and visit our Events Calendar for other events.

Also this week on Mommy Poppins Boston:

• Chinese New Year celebrations begin this weekend;
• A heads-up about Classes and Camps for Boston Kids during February Vacation;
• Learn all about Visiting the Museum of Science with Kids;
• Catch Olympic fever with special events hosted by several area museums; and
• We’ve launched our Wee Work Series with four fun, simple projects for parents and kids to do together - let us know what you think

Enjoy!

I can't put my finger on it, but there's something different about you. You seem somehow...craftier. Hey, you've been dabbling in our WeeWork projects, haven't you! What's been your favorite so far? The Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dream Mobiles? Indoor bowling? I'm guessing it's not the ice lanterns, unless, to quote my favorite snowman, you wanted to finally learn what frozen things do in summer.

If you’re craving more inspiration, a score of Los Angeles area museums are free on Saturday. Seriously, the Hammer, the Skirball, the Pacific Asia Museum. Free, free, and totally free. You know what inspires me? Free. (Word to the wise: only those museums that are on the list are free. Don’t try waltzing into any other ones without paying. That’s called breaking and entering.)

Frankly, I don’t know how you can get any more inspired than by watching the exaltation of the human form that is the latest edition of Cirque du Soleil: TOTEM. (And it even gets bonus points for being spitting distance from Santa Monica Pier.) Leave the kids home if you have to. (You don't have to; they'll love it. But you might "have to." Because, you know, kids turn into pumpkins if they stay out too late. Or something like that...)

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend, none of which will turn your kids into a winter squash...