This Week: New Public Pools, Pay for the Day Private Pools, Free Summer Play Streets

7/12/12 - By Raven Snook

Getting wet and staying cool seemed to be our theme this week. We launched a brand-new NYC Water Fun Guide, which included two posts we published this week: an in-depth review of Brooklyn Bridge Park's brand-new Pop-Up Pool on Pier 2 and a roundup of private pools that sell day passes. As part of our month-long focus on Williamsburg, we also took a look at the attraction-filled McCarren Park, including its recently reopened public pool.

If you're thinking about taking a weekend trip, our Long Island site has a great guide to family fun on Fire Island, while our New Jersey site rounded up the best kid-friendly restaurants at the Jersey Shore, a great companion post to our original best Jersey Shore beaches. If you're looking for day trip ideas, our NJ site also has a list of 50 free things to do this summer with kids while our Connecticut site has 15 things to do in New London, CT. And if you still need more vacation inspiration, drop by the Apple Store in Soho on Saturday morning to hear MommyPoppins' founder, Anna Fader, talk about the best travel apps for families.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

We kicked off the week with a roundup of our favorite Brooklyn shoe stores for kids.

If you've always wanted to try one of those pristine members-only pools, you're in luck: We found six private pools that offer day passes for adults and kids.

The new Off Broadway Harry Potter parody Potted Potter is good fun for young Muggles.

Our coverage of Williamsburg continued with a post on the lovely McCarren Park, including its new pool.

This edition of our biweekly links roundup included news about a new literacy screening program in elementary schools, the launch of Operation Backpack and a scathing piece in the New Yorker about American children.

We went to Coney Island to review the New York Aquarium's new interactive exhibit A-Maze-ing Water, which includes info on water conservation and a very cool kid-size zip line.

The Police Athletic League's Summer Play Streets program kicked off this week with free outdoor fun for kids.

We checked out Brooklyn Bridge Park's brand-new Pop-Up Pool at Pier 2 and we've got lots of tips for visiting this awesome oasis with kids.

Best bets for the weekend include lots of free festivals, like City of Water Day and the Come Out & Play Family Field Day, both on Governors Island, and the annual Bastille Day celebration on the Upper East Side.