Just like last week, there’s another random holiday breaking up the normal public school routine. It’s a Wednesday, which means Broadway matinees are an option if you feel like spending some bucks. (You may be able to snag discounted seats. Check out our guide to scoring cheap theater tickets.) Let’s hope for the same kind of fabulous weather we had on Election Day, so we can spend the day outside. But if your brood (or you) get tired of the playground, here are a few free activity options.

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Most people don’t embrace their 40th birthday as enthusiastically as Sesame Street (guess monsters age really well). Then again, few humans get an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, a restospective book and a best of DVD in honor of the occasion. Today, google is also marking the milestone adding Big Bird’s bottom half to its logo. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

It seems like NYC’s gone nutty for Sesame Street. In honor of the iconic kids’ show’s 40th season (do you feel as old as us?), there’s an upcoming exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, prominently featuring the new book, Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street; a new Sesame Street Live stage show hitting MSG in February; and a retrospective DVD, Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days, chronicling four decades of top-notch edutainment. Time Out Kids is getting in on the celebration with two cool giveaways: Enter to win a family four-pack of tickets to see Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up and try to snag one of five copies of the new Sunny Days DVD. Nothing better than free stuff to chase “the clouds away…”

We’re currently updating our roundup of the best ice-skating rinks in the city and we’re sorry to say that two spots that were just unveiled last season won’t be back. Although the websites for the American Museum of Natural History’s Polar Rink—which featured a recyclable synthetic surface in lieu of ice—and Seaport Ice have not been updated with this info, the folks answering the phone confirm that neither rink will reopen this year. Thankfully stalwarts such as Rock Center, Wollman and Chelsea Piers aren’t going anywhere!

We’re always surprised that there aren’t more special events planned on the random days that public schools are closed. Election Day is a holiday and yet there don’t seem to be any special kids’ matinees or festivals (perhaps we’ll throw one next year!). It’s supposed to be mild weather-wise, so you can hit the parks after you vote (make sure you read our take on the candidates first). But if your brood tires of playing, here are a number of free activities to keep them busy and you on budget.

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Not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’ve been offering some pretty great giveaways of late. Today, for example, you can enter to win tickets to Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up, the Imagination Movers in concert or a $50 Children’s Place gift certificate. Back in the spring, we did what we consider to be the coolest contest so far: In conjunction with the annual Kids Comic Con, we gave the child of one lucky Time Out Kids reader a chance to appear in an Archie comic. An adorable girl named Summer won and, after months of work (the artist, Dan Parent, not only drew her likeness, Alex Simmons the writer made sure to capture her personality as well), the issue is almost here. Archie & Friends #139 Summer Spring Show will hit comic book shops on January 13, 2010. According to the press release, the plot is as follows: “Betty and Veronica babysit Summer. It soon becomes apparent that everyone’s favorite comic book teens are in for a really big show… and they’re the stars! Summer is a ’showbiz kid’ with a flair for the theatrical, and she literally shines the spotlight on Betty and Veronica as she engages them in interactive skits, songs and more.” We admit we’re totally geeking out right now…we may be even more excited about this than Summer.

My mother insisted on plying my daughter with Baby Einstein DVDs and other products throughout her infancy, much to my chagrin. A few years later, the (obvious) news came: the company’s videos were simply entertaining, not educational. Today, MommyPoppins reports via CoolMomPicks that Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has convinced Baby Einstein to compensate parents who had bought the company’s DVDs under false pretenses. So if you’re dissatisfied with any Baby Einstein DVDs that you purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009, click here for details on how you can exchange them for a different product or receive a full refund. There’s one catch: The company has set a limit of four refunds or exchanges per household.