All of NYC's a stage, and all the men and women (and especially children) merely players. Today's news roundup includes details on three awesome theater deals, including two-for-one tickets to Broadway shows, info on the brand-new playground in Fort Washington Park, a new aerial arts program for kids and the scoop on a soon-to-open board game lab in Park Slope. Plus, the end of an era for horse-drawn carriages in Central Park and a look back at all the small businesses that have closed in NYC since 2001.

Kids love candy (and so do their parents). Though we usually try to keep candy to a minimum, we know it's fun to indulge in sinfully delightful sweets. And if you're going to indulge, might as well make an experience out of it. While little ones may be content with a packaged treat in the checkout aisle, why not go big at one of Westchester's local sweet shops?

We've mentioned several of Westchester's awesome ice cream shops, however, maybe a good old fashioned candy shop is more your speed. If you're looking for a candy fix while you're out and about checking out the fun family events in Westchester, be sure to check out one of these local sweet shops that go above and beyond to satisfy any sweet tooth!

We don't want to say that dads are the new moms because that sounds like some line you'd see in the ads for that awful new Fox sitcom. But fathers certainly are everywhere you look these days, beaming at ballet class, wiping boogers at the playground, and not just on weekends, either. New York City is definitely a hands-on dad kind of town every day of the week.

But just like moms, dads need support, too, whether just to hang with their peers or something more formal. Here are some great resources for New York City fathers of all stripes.

As the New Year approached, a number of our readers emailed us asking if we knew of any New York City gyms with childcare. With a gym seemingly on every corner in Manhattan, it's no surprise that a bunch of them do offer childcare services.

So whenever you resolve to get in shape (January or otherwise), don't sweat it. Here's a list of NYC gyms that allow parents to work out without shelling out big bucks for a private babysitter.

Boston is home to several great museums, the New England Aquarium, and Zoo New England, providing educational and entertaining experiences for families with children of all ages, but the price of admission can be discouraging. Fortunately, most of the area public libraries have agreements with the museums and other attractions that allow library patrons to check out passes for free or discounted tickets.

My kids used to pick pennies up off the ground. These days I catch them trying to grab those small colorful Rainbow Loom rubber bands that seem to be scattered all over the place: sidewalks, school hallways (except where they're banned) and living room floors. It's a fad of course (remember Silly Bandz?) but one I can get behind. Crafting those intricate bracelets, necklaces and rings is fun and even challenging (have you tried some of those stitches?), and kids are even becoming entrepreneurs by selling their Rainbow Loom creations. Plus this hot hobby crosses the gender line: lots of boys are as into it as girls. (Heck, it was invented by a dad!)

While children as young as 5 seem to be able to master simple stitches as quickly as they do new apps on your smartphone, more complicated creations often require hours of experimentation or watching YouTube tutorials. So it's no wonder that local craft shops are capitalizing on the craze by offering Rainbow Loom classes, meet-ups and even birthday parties. Even if your kid can figure it all out on their own, it's a fun way to turn the obsession into a social outing.