By Dawn Schwartz and Tracy Fernbacher

Two feet of snow on the ground and you find yourself thinking, "Maybe it's not too cold for the park? Perhaps junior should break in that snowsuit!"

Cabin fever can be caught by the best of moms and dads-- and winter's shorter days and frosty weather can leave us all, big and small, feeling a little trapped.

So when it's cold outside, pack up the kids and head for the great indoors. Hoboken and neighboring cities have a lot to offer families experiencing the winter blues.

In Hoboken, trek to The Hoboken Historical Museum www.hobokenmuseum.org. Learning your community's history is fun and educational. The museum is currently exhibiting Macy's Studio-The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. This exhibit highlights drawings and models of the giant floats and balloons. Bright, fun and festive, it runs through February 24th.

Swim in winter?! Why not. The local YMCA (201-963-4100) has a pool and offers children's swim classes and family swim times, in addition to other children's programs throughout the winter. The Hoboken Public Library children's department (201-420-2348) is on the third floor of a radiator-heated nineteenth century building--it's toasty warm up there! They schedule weekly reading, music and craft activities for children age 6 months to 6 years.

You can keep those little bodies warm and busy at one of Hoboken's many scheduled children's classes: Art at Echo of Art (201-795-9333), music at Music Together (201)865-5833 or movement at the Monroe Movement Space (201-222-8033).

Or heat up the car--just outside of Hoboken in Jersey City is The Liberty Science Center www.lsc.org. This innovative child focused science museum makes learning about nature, humanity and technology fun for the whole family. One exciting exhibit running through May 5th is the Experiment Gallery. It features a collection of two dozen hands-on activities that teach the basic principles of electricity, light, mechanics, and weather. Also at the science center, don't forget a visit to the ever-popular IMAX Dome currently showing Ocean Oasis and Journey into Amazing Caves.

Your family will have hours of indoor fun and learning at the New Jersey Children's Museum www.njcm.com. Located in Paramus, the museum has over thirty different exhibits in 15,000 square feet. All are designed for specific age groups, from the special Baby Nook and Housekeeping for two's and toddlers, to the challenging Science and Technology for first graders.

Enjoy some of the "natural" fun Winter has to offer by ice skating at Floyd Hall Arena www.floydhallarena.com. About 2O minutes from Hoboken, this indoor rink has rentals available for all sizes. Also, "ice walkers" are available for kids just learning to skate. Kids take them on the ice, and hold them in front of them for support and balance.

Just across the river you can spend an exciting day in New York City. A winter wonderland of fun and adventure is just 15 minutes away by ferry, PATH or bus. Feel like a kid again at Chelsea Piers www.chelseapiers.com. At 23rd Street and the Hudson River, this 3-acre sports center is filled with things to do for kids 1 and up. They have year round ice skating, soccer, basketball and volleyball courts, dance, karate, gymnastics, golf, batting cages and 40 lanes devoted to bowling. One of the gyms even offers soft climbing structures with playtime for toddlers.

Uptown at West 83rd Street is the Children's Museum of Manhattan www.cmom.org. With five floors bursting with unique exhibits and daily programs for family fun, you may forget it's winter altogether. WordPlay is the first stop for parents of newborns and toddlers. It's one of New York's most exciting environments for children 1 month-4 year olds. Currently on exhibit is Celebrating 60 Years of Curious George: The Art of H.A. & Margret Rey and Where The Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak In His Own Words and Pictures. The museum's feast of creative workshops, classes, and special events will give kids skills to stave off the wintertime doldrums. Flubber and clay sculptures, colorful collaborative quilts, kid-zines-- it's hard to leave empty-handed, and impossible to go home without creative new ideas. For the very young (age 10 months to 3 _), the Wee Artist Drop-In program offers storytelling, paints and Play-Doh galore.

Whether you want to experience the origins of the universe in the Rose Center, travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs, or take a trip to the Antarctic in the IMAX(R) Theater, there's something for everyone at the American Museum of Natural History www.amnh.org. A winter favorite is The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter. Enter a lush environment filled with hundreds of live free-flying butterflies fluttering in tropical warm bliss--you may never want to leave. The exhibit is open through May 27th.

Many of NYC's finest art museums feature programs and offerings for children. For example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org offers Family Guides to find an exhibit for every interest. Arms and Armor Around the World takes you on a quest through the ever-popular Arms and Armor galleries. All that Flitters spotlight gold objects in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries. And In and Out: Doors and Doorway at The Met takes you all over the museum. In addition, The Met has a sizable menu of children's programs to choose from throughout the week and on weekends such as the Young Art, Look Again!, and Art Evenings for Families and a film series called Weekend Family Films.

If your kids prefer movies to museums, check out The New York International Children's Film Festival www.gkids.com. The festival runs March 1st through 31st and features new film and video for ages 3 to 18. Feature films, shorts, animation, documentaries, and experimental works from around the world will be showcased-- plus a special presentation of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial: 20th Anniversary Edition.

The possibilities for winter fun are endless! Still need inspiration? Try these sites: www.gocitykids.com.com, www.92ndsty.org, www.MoMA.org, www.intrepidmuseum.org, www.newyorkphilharmonic.org. For more inspiration, check out these great resources: The Hoboken Reporter, Big Apple Parent, The New York Times, Time Out and New York. Get out indoors and go have some fun!