As parents, we all need a break from being "on" from time to time even if it's just for a few hours. Whether it's dinner with your spouse, a night out with friends, or a few hours where you just shed the role of "parent" and enjoy some alone time, we need those nights off duty. But what happens when you can't find a sitter? You take the kids to a local Parent's Night Out! Many churches, gyms, and other businesses have dedicated evenings - usually on Friday or Saturday - for parents to come drop their kids off for a few hours in a safe, supervised setting.

The kids get to play games and do crafts with other kids, and you get a few hours off; it's a win-win situation for everyone. To make scheduling your next "adults only" night easy, we've rounded up Parent's Night Out offerings across the Houston area - and even a Parent's Day Out so you can enjoy the random day date, too. 

As the country swears in a new president Friday, January 20, a number of New York City museums are opening up their doors for FREE. Many others will host American- or historical-themed events, or even protest sign making at one.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that in a city where residents overwhelmingly voted against President-elect Donald Trump, that NYC is in less of a celebratory mood than a reflective or even defiant one. Protests continue, including the Women's March on NYC, this Saturday. But the museums' outreach, a sort of taking in of those looking for camaraderie on Inauguration Day, is a welcome touch.

And in the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons, we've rounded up 11 ways to commiserate your Inauguration Day away. Whether you spend it taking in one of the city's cultural institutions FREE of charge, or in the company of like-minded friends we wish you the best on what still strikes us as a truly surreal day.

Sometimes a change of destination and access to new toys—ones you don't have to actually buy—is all small children and their parents need to survive the harshest months of winter.

Liddle Bites Play Cafe in Long Beach is one of the newest and sweetest indoor play spaces to open in Nassau County. With plenty of toys, costumes, and structures set up to encourage play, seating, and even snacks, it's an intimate and complete play space that helps kids stay engaged and unleash imaginations — no matter what the weather is like outside.

Does your kid love to entertain? Whether you want to tap into your child's creativity, channel new energies or emotions, encourage confidence in public speaking, or just love the idea of seeing your little one up on stage, theater classes are a great option! And with such a strong influence on the arts in our city of brotherly love, you can be sure to find high-quality programming and training for your young thespian. If acting isn't really up your kid's alley, but they still like the idea of being up on stage, check out these local dance classes as well!

Governors Island, long one of our favorite summer spots, will open to the public on Monday, May 1 this year, nearly a full month ahead of its usual schedule. Typically it opens for the season on Memorial Day weekend.

The earlier opening isn't just for weekends, either. Ferries will shuttle New Yorkers to the massive park seven days a week, from May 1 through October 1, offering access to the brand-new playgrounds it debuted last year, art, and cool festivals like Figment. Suddenly we know what we're doing for Mother's Day 2017! 

What birthday gift do you give the world’s biggest Paw Patrol fan, aka, my 4-year-old son? This year, the answer was easy: tickets to PAW Patrol Live!, the first-ever theater show for the pups of Adventure Bay.

The live show is touring nationally with stops in Boston, Connecticut, Philadelphia, and New York City this spring.

As parents we face the pressure to find the best of everything, and finding the best preschool for your little heir is no exception. Some parents jump on this task intimidatingly early, doing research and attending open houses even while Junior is still in utero. And there are so many choices: Play-based or academically focused? Montessori, Waldorf, full-time, part-time, cooperative, parochial, or secular? Media-free or media-intensive? A philosophy of "let children be children" or "teach them everything as soon as possible"? Perhaps we want our kids to learn to use their words in more than one language, to preserve their midday nap, or to spend most of their day playing outdoors in nature.

When the frigid cold sweeps in and the black snow and slush puddles begin to pile up, it can be hard to motivate for a trip into Manhattan with the kids, especially with all that winter outwear. Luckily, Brooklyn is loaded with fun children's events, museums, theater, and indoor play spaces, so you can stay local.

We've rounded up more than 50 events and activities happening in Brooklyn from January through March 2017. You'll be so busy, spring will likely be here before you know it.

Find more seasonal fun in our Guide to Winter Events and Activities in NYC, and if you have little ones, check out these Top Winter Events for Preschool-Age Kids. Remember, you can always find more daily events in our Event Calendar. Just search via "Brooklyn" if you want to stay in the borough.