Weekly Wrap Up: Free Summer Sports and Swim Lessons, and CSAs That Deliver

5/19/11 - By Raven Snook

Are you ready for summer? We're not just talking about summer camp (although if you're in the market for a day or sleep away program, now's the time to register your kids). We mean picnics, outdoor sports and swimming, and other seasonal activities.

Of course spring isn't quite over yet, which means we still have strawberry picking and various festivals and Memorial Day weekend trips to look forward to.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

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New York City

Time's running out to join a CSA (a Community Supported Agriculture group). We profiled a bunch of them, including a few new ones that deliver fresh food right to your door.

There are a ton of lovely picnic places in the city. We highlighted a few of our favorites in Manhattan and Brooklyn, including spots near free outdoor entertainment.

Speaking of free and outdoors, we rounded up no-cost swimming lessons and athletic programs during the summer.

We admit we've had ice cream on the brain of late. So we were excited to visit a brand-new parlor, Ample Hills Creamery, which is opening up in Prospect Heights next week.

Mark your calendar for the World Science Festival. Even though it doesn't kick off until June 1, many events are already selling out.

With Memorial Day coming up, we thought it was the perfect time to profile another family-friendly city we love: Philadelphia. It makes for a great day or weekend trip!

Our coverage of Bike Month NYC continued with our list of free and cheap bike rental spots.

We debuted our new-and-improved Party Guide, which has a party planner that allows you to search for venues and entertainers by type.

The best bets for the weekend include lots of fairs and festivals, including the Hudson River Pageant, Mamapalooza and the Fleece Festival at the Prospect Park Zoo.


New Jersey

The bloggers at our sister site have been busy this week! First, they hit the Jersey Shore to check out family-friendly beaches.

Next, they rounded up 12 mini-golf courses in the state (that's many more than we have in NYC).

If you're dying to get on a reality show, be it a home-makeover series or something more, err, salacious, we've got a guide to landing a TV gig.

Weekend event picks include spring fairs, touch-a-truck events and even a fairy festival!

Long Island

Our LI site celebrates Bike Month with a roundup of great riding trails for families.

Weekend highlights include a Fleece and Fiber Fair and World Turtle Day.

Connecticut

In honor of Lyme Disease Awareness Month, the CT site shares tips on avoiding the disease.

Weekend events include a new place space at the Beardsley Zoo and the Robin Hood Springtime Festival in Guilford.

Cool Deals and Giveaways

Have you signed up for Poppins Perks yet? Every week, we share great deals on cool activities. Plus, every bargain helps fund a project at a local public school. Today's the day to subscribe: Starting on Friday, we'll be offering huge discounts on summer camps.

It's your last day to get tickets to the Story Pirates fundraiser, starring Jon Stewart. Snag $63 seats to the show, which also boasts appearances by Lou Reed, John Oliver and Kristen Schaal.

We're also giving away a one-year subscription to the Tree Factor, an online tool to help parents supplement their children's elementary school math education.