Look around a theater, the next time you're there and watch their faces as all kids—even the very youngest—become entranced by live theater. You can see it happen, as they are transported by the stories, the characters, the scenes. And it’s not just fun and games; from live theater, kids learn empathy, problem-solving skills, and how to work well with others.

Want to bring your kids to see some wonderful live theater? We’ve not only rounded up the best Children’s Theaters in the country, but we also made it easy for parents to find the best live children's theaters and shows for kids taking place near you, wherever you live. You can even buy tickets to these shows right from our website, and take your kids to a show this weekend.

While many people deride February as a short, cold, miserable month, let me give you 10 reasons it's the best month of the year.

In my family, February is the month of celebrations because one year in February, I got the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten: My twins were born the morning before my own birthday. So our family of four celebrates three birthdays in 48 hours. Throw in Groundhog Day, Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and Mardi Gras—all of which I adore for various reasons—and this is the month when my family celebrates something almost every day. But even if you don't have a cornucopia of festivities, this February there is a lot to celebrate. From a new excuse to bake more cakes to the shows that will have your family glued to the TV, here's the scoop on what's cool and new this February.

Down with Omicron; we've picked ten fun and inspiring things to get excited about as we head into 2022.

Just as my kids were finishing up their last days of school before the holiday, the Omicron spike hit. Each day, I watched their spirits dip further as our Nutcracker tickets became useless, our family's traditional Christmas Eve restaurant closed, and family and friends decided it was safest to postpone getting together. When I sat down to write about the things I'm loving for January, I was stumped. Then, as I began to pile through my inbox, our Facebook pages, and the event calendars, I realized there’s actually a lot to look forward to in 2022.

Because this is what Mommy Poppins is about: treasuring the time we have with our kids and inspiring families to have amazing and enriching experiences together. Sometimes that might just be watching a great movie, snuggled up on the couch. And it turns out there are a couple of new ones this month—read on. Or it might be baking with kids; at the top of my list is a dessert that Maureen, our Chicago Events Editor, passed around to our team. My daughter also shared a couple of tips she’s picked up in her school’s yoga class, for how we can all head into 2022 with grace, peace, and joy. I hope you find inspiration in our picks below, and that we all head into the New Year safe, healthy, happy, and together.