With winter’s chilly days and even colder nights, it’s tough to get any outdoor play time. We know cabin fever is bound to set in…soon. Your mission: Get the kids out of the house. Now! You could swing by a library, see a movie, enjoy some indoor play or even ice fish or you could choose something off our list of ideas to break cabin fever. So get climbing, get inspired, get swinging or get laughing -- just get out! And remember, this weather won’t last forever. Daylight savings is only 44 days away (who’s counting?!)

Got a budding chef in the house who loves to help with the cooking? Can’t get your kid out of the kitchen? Then a cooking party might  just be the perfect way to celebrate your child’s birthday!

We've found 4 culinary adventure parties for kids in and around Boston. Whether you're looking for a chef who will come to you or you'd rather go someplace where everything you need is already there, we've got the 411. Read on for all the details. (Warning: Reading this post may make you hungry, or possibly even cause you to drool.)

It is rare for parents and children to be able to see a play together without one or the other of them feeling that they are performing an act of self sacrifice. Achieving this delicate balance is just the challenge that 24th Street Theatre has given itself as a directive for its new resident company. The theater celebrates its 15th season with a pledge to produce cutting edge theater that can be enjoyed on different levels simultaneously, by adults and children alike. If the current production, Walking the Tightrope, is an indication of what is to come, LA theater lovers have a lot to look forward to.

Sometimes you want to go where no one knows your name, but alas, you have to take the kids with you, so why not have some fun! Going away in the winter is a lovely diversion from the routine that seems all the more routine when it’s dark and cold, and I do love the time away with my sweet family, even if I still have to wipe noses and cut up their meat. The conversations are often more lively, the whining more specific, the happy faces more frequent. It’s a good life.

That Angelina Jolie - what's she's got, 42 kids? And still she looks like Lara Croft. And all those A-list moms who weepingly thank their toddlers during their Oscar acceptance speeches - please! How could they possibly get into those dresses a year after giving birth? The truth is we know the answer: It's good old-fashioned childcare. While those red carpet mamas are going to their daily Pilates and hot yoga classes, someone else is changing their kids' diapers and making their dinner. Taking fitness classes together with our little ones is wonderful for family bonding, but when it's time to get back into our old jeans, we need gyms with childcare. And that's what all of the gyms below have.

The only thing worse than having to go out in the cold is hearing people complain about it. So we're not going to do that. Instead, we'll tell you about our favorite places to play indoors, not just preschooler play spaces but an indoor skatepark and rock climbing gyms that appeal to older kids.

Of course, by the weekend it's supposed to be a balmy 30 degrees, much better weather for outdoor winter activities. Take a day trip to Fairfield, Connecticut to go ice fishing, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and of course there are great snow tubing and downhill skiing spots all over the tri-state area. And if you really want to fantasize about getting out of the city (or need to plan a spring break getaway), our Travel site has a review and slide show of the all-inclusive resort Azul Beach Hotel in Cancun, Mexico.

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