The holidays are safely behind us and the kids are back in school. You’ve filled up the calendar with fun activities and outings for the kids this month. Now it’s your turn for a fun night out sans the kids. Wouldn't it be nice to leave for a date night without your youngest hugging your legs, koala-style, screaming "Mommy, don't goooooo!"?

Well, instead of hiring a sitter for the night, why not make it a night out for the kids also? They may be more willing to let Mommy and Daddy go if they’ve got a night of fun activities ahead. It turns out that a number of local places your children may already frequent offer Parents’ Night Out services. For some, you can even arrange a night out with the staff—all you have to do is ask! Read on for details on drop-off services for your next date night. Enjoy!

Winter is here and it’s a cold one! If you’re tired of being cooped up inside with the kids, why not visit one of Union County's wonderful indoor play spaces? We’ve covered eight great choices below, including everything from bounce houses to art studios to indoor mini-golf. Keep them in mind on the next frigid day and no need to worry about going stir-crazy! For more indoor play ideas, visit our new Indoor Play & Rainy Day Activity Guide.

What…pack up and head to Florida for February break? Never!  Nope, this clan is staying put for the upcoming school vacation.  And while the idea of spending some time in Florida is tempting, I love the chance to enjoy local adventures with my kids.  These are the some of the things we’ll be doing over February break here in Fairfield County.

What do climbing, skating, swordsmanship, batting, and swimming have in common? They are all great birthday party options for kids who like to keep active. Sure, indoor playspaces are awesome locations for kids’ birthday parties, but we’ve found some unique places west of Boston that kids - and parents - just might want to consider.

Of course, they all come with all the advantages of hosting a party indoors and not in your home - plenty of space, no weather worries, no mess to clean up afterwards, and minimal preparation required for parents. Read on for details about 10 indoor birthday party places west of Boston where you can host a party and be assured that kids will be able to channel their energy and excitement in a safe, entertaining environment. And check out our Birthday Party Guide for more places to have a kid’s birthday party in MA, including our roundup of indoor birthday party places for active kids in Boston.

Before this week I thought the polar vortex was something Captain Picard battled on Star Trek. But now we know it just means winter can be really cold. The weather certainly impacted our posts this week: At first we were all about sledding and other snowy activities, but soon we were sharing fun places to play indoors as the temperatures dropped into the single digits. (Yeah, I know, let's not relive that.)

We really don't have it all that bad in NYC—just imagine if we lived in Montreal, Canada. Of course there are plenty of wonderful things to do in Montreal with kids, even in winter as our Travel site proved this week. All of our other Mommy Poppins sites were focused on winter fun, too, both indoors and out. Here in NYC, we updated our lists of drop-in indoor play spaces in Manhattan and Queens. Connecticut added a roundup of great family ski resorts to its Winter Fun Guide. And New Jersey has a slew of seasonal sports posts in its Winter Activity Guide.

And a quick plug for one last fun indoor activity for next Saturday, January 18: Join Mommy Poppins at a special performance of the cabaret-style kids' show Still Awake Still! at the New Victory Theater. There will be interactive pre- and post-show activities, plus Mommy Poppins readers can save 20% on tickets.

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

We are very excited to present our 'New Jersey Indoor Play and Rainy Day Activity Guide'! Whether it's too cold, too rainy, too hot, or just too outside outside, we hope this will help you NJ parents to find fun things like indoor playspaces, our favorite museums, indoor sports, and much more. And if you like all your information and possibilities in one chunk, don't miss our other great Guides like our Winter Fun and Activity Guide, Day Trips Guide, and the wildly popular 100 Things To Do in New Jersey With Kids Before They Grow Up. We're so happy to be to Guide you to fun, NJ!