Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time talking to educators and parents who object to their children coming home after a long day at school and tackling three or four hours of homework before bed. “There’s no time for our children to pursue their own interests: painting, sports, reading. It’s just all homework,” one father told me.

Other parents, though, are happy their children have their noses in the books. “If they didn’t have the homework, I know exactly what my kids would be doing – and it’s not practicing the piano or reading Aristotle,” a parent of three teenagers told me. “They’d be in front of the television or messing around on Myspace or Facebook,”

“What kind of example are we, the parents, setting?” asked a member of the limit-homework camp, Nancy Kalish, one of the authors of “The Case Against Homework” (Crown). “Parents come home from work and are exhausted. We barely have the energy to do anything else besides watch TV ourselves.”

In New York, compared to other large cities in America, it really does take a lot of energy — and money — to offer our children alternatives to collapsing in front of the television, especially when it’s freezing outside. In Los Angeles, there might be a pool in the backyard. In Denver, you might convince the gang to grab their skis. In Miami, you might go to the beach. In Dallas you might hop on your bikes for a quick ride. In other cities in the Northeast, whether it’s Columbus, Philadelphia, or Boston, your children might meet friends at the — gasp! — mall.

As we hole up in February with March still to come, there are some exciting winter alternatives parents can offer our city dwelling children. Here are some ideas:

Wang Chen Table Tennis Club, 250 W. 100th St., between Broadway and West End Avenue, 212-864-7253, wangchenttc.com

If you wish you could take your crew to play tennis this weekend, but it’s freezing outside and your don’t feel like shelling out the big bucks to rent an indoor court, try teaching them to play pingpong at Wang Chen Table Tennis Club. There are seven courts at this spacious club, named for its lead instructor, Wang Chen, who was a member of China’s 1997 World Championship team.

Deb’s Family Disco, Club LQ, 511 Lexington Ave., between 47th and 48th streets, 212-586-7425, familydisco.com

By the time winter Sunday afternoons roll around, most parents of young children are ready to tear their hair out. Each Sunday from 2–3:30 p.m. you and the monsters can go wild at Deb’s Family Disco. Parents, children, teenagers, babies, you name it, are welcome to enjoy the sleek club, disco ball, fun jewels and tattoos, professional dancers, and full bar. Well, only the parents can enjoy the full bar.

New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, 718-699-0301, nyscience.org

This is, hands down, my favorite children’s museum in the city. It’s bright and spacious and has more than 400 hands-on activities for children of all ages that explore technology, biology, chemistry, and physics. Your crew won’t even realize they’re learning about genomes and atoms and molecules. Even if it’s cold out, don’t miss the outdoor science playground. It is phenomenal and just as much fun and exercise for parents as it is for children.

Gallery-Hopping in Chelsea, 21st –26th streets between Tenth and Eleventh avenues

So you’ve taken the family to the Met, MoMA, and the Guggenheim. You’ve done the Whitney and the Frick. How about taking the crew gallery-hopping in Chelsea? The galleries are filled with strollers, so you won’t be going where no parent has gone before. Don’t go on an absolutely freezing day, because the wind can be brutal in Chelsea, and be ready to steer your children clear of inappropriate subject matter. Some large galleries along the way that are child-friendly, including Barbara Gladstone, Matthew Marks, 303 Gallery, Andrea Rosen, Metro Pictures, and Gagosian. Afterwards there is a great playground on 22nd Street and Tenth Avenue, as well as the nearby Empire Diner and Don Giovanni’s Pizza.

AMF Chelsea Lanes at Chelsea Piers, 23rd St. and the Hudson River, 212-835-2695, chelseapiers.com/amf01.htm

Children of all ages will enjoy bowling at the vast lanes at Chelsea Piers. There is a special ladder that very young children can use to roll the ball down the lanes and the gutters can be blocked for inexperienced bowlers as well. My children, in fact, have no idea that there even are gutters when you bowl. The food’s half-decent and if you go early enough on the weekend, there’s always a lane or two wide open.

If all fails, you can always try to cozy up to the folks you know who live in apartments with pools. Children seem to have a good night of sleep after they’ve spent the afternoon in the pool. If that plan doesn’t pan out, you can always check out the deals on Jet Blue. For less than $200 a person you can be on the beach in Florida in just a few hours.

sarasberman@aol.com