Fun & Free Activities with LA Kids this weekend: Oshogatsu, Kwanzaa & Lunar New Year: Jan 4 - 5

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Whoo hoo! It's 2014, baby!  No more of that wishy-washy, so-24-hours-ago, 2013 nonsense. It's 2014 all the way. Because you are not only on top of, but in fact ahead of the curve, we can even let you in on our peek-into-the-future, best-of-what-is-yet-to-come highlights list known as our January Go List. (And for those of you who just wrote the first check of the year with a slash one-three date, all I can say is, really?  Really? SMH and RME.) 

2013 may have gone out like a wrecking ball, but 2014 is starting slow, thank heavens. (Momma needs a break after all the "vacationing" the kids have been up to!). In the meantime, maybe now's a good time to get back on track, tidy up your messes, and follow through on your resolutions. If one of your resolutions was to recycle more, we can help you off to a good start: Mommy Poppins has the low-down on Christmas tree recycling options throughout Los Angeles.

Before you know it, it will be business as usual. Martin Luther King. Jr. Day is just around the corner, and Lunar New Year events are starting to pop up, including this weekend's Oshogatsu Festival at the Japanese American National Museum (they have free pony rides!).  And that's just the beginning of what 2014 has to offer....

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for the weekend...

Weekend Fun for Boston Kids - Magic, Bubbles, and More Jan 4-5

Audrey Trieschman's picture Submitted by Audrey Trieschman on

A Nor’easter - what a perfect way to usher in the new year! With kids home from school a couple of extra days, it’s good to know there are fun things to do this weekend to get families out of the house. Kids can make bubbles with Mike the Bubble Man, see Magician Matias work his magic, visit Frozen Fenway, and more. Our best bets for the weekend are below. Plus, find additional things to do in our Events Calendar, which we add to on a regular basis. And follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest updates and more family activities.

Also this week on Mommy Poppins Boston:

Read on for details, and enjoy!

Mostly Free & Fun Things To Do This Weekend With Westchester Kids: Crafts, Animal Tracking, Family Fun Days & More, Jan. 4 & 5

Submitted by Jill Muller on

It’s that time again--the start of a new year and new beginnings. The first weekend of 2014 offers lots of family fun around Westchester. Welcome in the new year (and the close of the holiday season) by taking a New Year’s hike or learning about winter animal tracking at Westmoreland Sanctuary. Or explore Stone Barns on a Family Farm Tour.

There are plenty of places to enjoy crafts this weekend. Create unique handmade bowls as a fundraiser in Port Chester or design your own “wild” mosaic at Greenburgh Nature Center. Kids can also make a fun desk calendar at Home Depot, a knickknack key chain at Michael’s Crafts or a party mask at Lakeshore Learning. New Era Creative Space is hosting Family Fun Day with art, music, crafts and performances. 

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 in Westchester. 

Long Island Kids' Activities January 4 & 5: Peter Pan & Wendy, Rubber Band Powered Cars, Trout Birthday Party

Submitted by Jill Wolfson on

Happy 2014 Long Island families! This weekend, two new shows hit the stage. Enjoy the adventures of Peter Pan & Wendy at the Bayway Arts Center, and Dorothy Meets Alice: The Wizard Of Wonderland at Studio Theatre. Feeling more crafty? Head to the Children's Museum of the East End to make a rubber band powered car, or put those investigative skills to the test and make snow. Get in touch with nature at the South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center by discovering how birds use their beaks, or by going on a winter field walk. Ready to make a New Year's resolution of leading an active lifestyle? Then check out the Family & Fitness Open House at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family. 

Mostly Free and Fun Things to do With Kids in CT This Weekend, January 4-5: Princesses, Unicorns, and Polar Bears

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I'm a resolution maker. And the one resolution I've made every year since becoming a parent is to find fun and new activities for my kids and myself that challenge us and help us learn, grow, and enjoy our time together. Mommy Poppins has been a terrific resource for me as a reader and a contributor, and I hope it does the same for you.

Our CT Winter Fun Guide is full of skiing, snow tubing, indoor play and more options for fun this Winter. Perfect timing since we are to get a dumping of snow over the next two days! Stay safe and don't drive unless you absolutely have to.

To get the most out of the site, be sure to follow us on Facebook (make sure Mommy Poppins CT shows up on your feed by including us in your "interests list." To put a page on your "interests list," hover over the "Like" button and you'll see a pull-down menu that offers an "add to your interests lists" choice). Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and be sure to get the weekend round up every Thursday in your inbox.

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Pinterest in order to get updates on events, current contests and free giveaways. Our event calendar is updated constantly with fun activities around the state.

Without further ado, here are our suggestions for making the first weekend of 2014 a memorable one! 

Weekend Fun for NYC Kids: Thomas the Tank Engine at NYBG, Three Kings Day Celebrations, Asian American Festival January 4-5

Stephanie Ogozalek's picture Submitted by Stephanie Ogozalek on

Happy New Year and welcome to the first weekend of 2014! The first days of January are always a little bittersweet as we watch all of the holiday sights come down, recycle our Christmas trees, and return to our busy school and work routines. But on Friday, the blizzard (a.k.a. winter storm Hercules) left us with a day off from school (and hopefully work), and an official Parks Department snow day on Saturday, January 4 when you can hit one of five designated NYC locations for FREE hot chocolate, snow games and sledding.

If you're not into the white fluffy stuff, there are lots of other fun things to do as the city digs itself out. Monday marks Three Kings Day (a.k.a. the 12th day of Christmas) and this weekend brings early celebrations like Brooklyn's Three Kings Day Parade and a holiday family workshop at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Other weekend fun includes the Chinese New Year-inspired Asian American Festival at the Children's Museum of the Arts, a live owl demo at Bronx oasis Wave Hill, and Thomas the Tank Engine and his pals at the New York Botanical Garden's Holiday Train Show.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our top picks are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

NYC Restaurants Where Kids Can Play

Petek's picture Submitted by Petek on

A few weeks ago, a reader emailed us and asked if we knew about any New York City restaurants where kids could play while parents ate. As she so bluntly put it: "My almost three-year-old boy wants nothing to do with sitting quietly." We've so been there.

While there are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in NYC, when it comes to keeping kids occupied, usually all they have to offer are crayons, coloring pages and maybe a chalkboard. So we set out to find places where kids can actually play, and we were pretty shocked by what we discovered. Most of the city's eat-and-play restaurants have closed over the past few years, including Boerum Hill's Cafe Boo Bah with its giant Duplo wall and Park Slope's PSbklyn, which had an arcade on its lower level. There are still restaurants that feature kids' entertainment, like sing-alongs, storytimes and magic shows, but very few with straight-up playtime.

Before you resign yourself to dining at Dave & Buster's or Chuck E. Cheese's, we did come up with three NYC restaurants that offer good food and fun for kids—one even has multiple locations in Manhattan.

Mostly Free & Fun Things To Do With NJ Kids This Weekend Jan 4-5: Science Saturdays, Grease Sing-A-Long, Winter Walk & More!

Submitted by Sasha Muzzarelli on

Welcome to 2014! With the dizzying rush of the holidays just behind us, it’s time to relax and maybe even spend some quality time with the family without a jam-packed schedule. You’ll find some great educational outings for older kiddos like the emPOWERED: Generators exhibit at Newark Museum or the next Super Science Saturday at Morris Museum. Younger tots will love exploring and climbing at Liberty Science Center’s Bob the Builder – Project: Build It! If you’re looking to do something all together, check out the Welcome Winter Walk at Mountain Lakes Preserve or get goofy with a Grease Sing-A-Long at the Mayo Performing Arts Center! And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

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