It's back to school time and so we are thinking about all those little details of preparing for the school year. Making healthy school lunches and snacks is a big one. We asked the moms of Mommy Poppins what their best tips for easy healthy snack options and school lunch recipes were and they came up with a bunch of really original school lunch box ideas, as well as some old standbys.

Read on to find out what we're putting in our kids' lunch boxes for school lunch and snacks:

We've asked our readers to share their awesome outings with us this summer. We'll be posting the best ones on the blog and one lucky winner will win a Flip Video Camera. Find out more details in our Summer Fun Activity Guide. Summer is coming to a close and so is the contest. We will accept submissions until Labor Day and then announce a winner the following week. So send in your story. We want to know about your awesome day.

Read this submission by Susan Atkinson about her fun day on Goveror's Island.

All aquariums have tropical fish, penguins and some sort of seal or sea lion, but what they don’t have are the amazing touch tanks offered at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey.  Nearly every exhibit has a touchable component (think sharks and jellyfish) plus they have two hippos on exhibit!

Hopefully you read our post Six Thrill-Seeking Adventures for Kids in New Jersey, especially the part about swimming with the sharks at this very aquarium.  We checked out the whole aquarium (well, not the swimming with sharks bit) last month and are certainly glad we did – it is totally worth the trip. You can trust me I have been to every aquarium in the northeast with my 5 year old sea creature–obsessed son!

The Adventure Aquarium is a great day or weekend trip for us aquarium-challenged NYers and what is more – you can get there without a car.  

Looking for something to do this Labor Day weekend? Read on for more on this great destination, what else you can do nearby and how to get there.

How can it be Labor Day weekend already? Seems like we were writing about what to do for Memorial Day Weekend! There is still time to wring the last few drops out of summer before back to school become a reality. There is plenty of fun to be had in The Big Apple and beyond – arts and crafts, a celebration of the new Cat in the Hat cartoon, storytimes, a huge parade and even a unicycle festival.

It is the first weekend of September which means there are a bunch of museum freebies to take advantage of – The Children’s Museum of Manhattan, The Brooklyn Museum and The Queens Museum are among them.  Plus as a Labor Day gift Cooper Hewitt is offering free admission all weekend, too.

I am actually looking forward to back to school. By the end of summer I am usually exhausted from running around for eight weeks and long for a return to a less hectic routine.  If you are planning your child's re-entry to the school year you may be thinking of after school activities like soccer, free after school classes, or programs for special needs kids.  And don’t miss our newly revamped and updated After School Classes Guide to find the best for your little scholar.

Read on to plan a great Labor Day Weekend.  We hope it is a great one.

Is summer really over? Do we have to trade beach towels for backpacks already? I'm reluctantly gearing up, shifting my focus from planning days in the sun to planning afterschool activities, lunches, and routines.

I've spent the last week or so updating our Classes Guide so you should find lots of great information about all kinds of classes for kids in there from Mommy and Me to preschooler classes to classes for big kids. We have a bunch more posts about cool classes coming up in September so keep an eye out for some ideas for what's new and cool in classes this Fall.

Are you looking for a last-minute labor day weekend getaway? Or maybe you are organized enough to already be planning a fall weekend trip. If Providence, Rhode Island, doesn’t immediately come to mind as a family-friendly hotspot, maybe it should. This medium-sized town is hopping with fun, arty activities that even “been there, done that” New York kids and their parents will approve. 

Providence is a three-hour straight-shot up the I-95. If you prefer to leave the driving to someone else, Megabus is launching direct service from Manhattan to Providence, starting August 25. These double-decker, WiFi-equipped buses are an eco-friendly way to travel, and the views from the top-deck should please the kids. To launch the new service, there will be plenty of bargain-priced tickets for sale over the next few weeks. 

Here are 5 cool things to do with kids in Providence, Rhode Island’s Creative Capital.

Soccer has become more and more popular with both boys and girls in New York City and luckily there are plenty of leagues for kids to join. If soccer fever is running high in your house, you may want to consider registering your son or daughter for an outdoor youth soccer league this fall. League play will teach your kids the rules and skills needed for the game. Plus children can experience the camaraderie of being part of a team versus “taking a soccer class”.  Soccer leagues generally start with kids aged 4. The youngest teams aren’t competitive and everyone gets a chance to play.  And youth leagues are easy on the wallet a season runs about $200 and includes a uniform.  No matter where you live in the Big Apple there is a league close by. Check it out.

This weekend, New York City kids can play tennis, tour a really old boat, catch great live theater and a magic show. Or celebrate their love of reading, honey or the culinary diversity of Brooklyn and check out a re enactment of the largest battle of the revolutionary war (yep, it took place here, in Brooklyn).  If you plan on spending the last few moments of summer in Central Park, check out our recent posts on where to eat and what to do in the park.

Sadly, summer is quickly ticking away but there is still enough time to have an awesome day with your NYC Kid and tell us all about it to be entered to win a Flip in our Awesome Days of Summer contest – plus you can even see your mug grace our home page!

Read on and have a great weekend.

[UPDATED 08/10] We've added some new classes to this post about free after-school programs and wanted to share it again. There are some great, high quality after school programs that are absolutely free. Here's a round-up of the best of the free after-school programs for kids and teenagers.

The end of summer means time for one last fling with fun. One last chance to lose yourself to the joys of summer. It also means time for The Fair. Just a short drive from NYC families can find themselves in 4H country. State and county fairs boast agricultural exhibits where farm kids compete for the best rabbits, chickens, goats, pigs, cows, crafts and more. It's a wonderful view into a completely different type of childhood experience, not to mention a great big petting zoo. New York County Fairs have agricultural exhibits, carnival rides, live music, and much much more. It's really a great time for everyone and kids of all ages love it.