I'm big on getting the kids out of the house, but sometimes it's easy to get so caught up in summer vacations, holidays, and big-ticket events that we miss the small things that are just as special to our kids. Before we know it, the summer will be gone, so I'm making a point to take my kids to some of the low-key activities they love. At the top of that list are free activities like enjoying an outdoor movie and splashing at a local spray park.  Whatever you decide to do this week, don't forget to check the full Event Calendar for other fun happenings!

Keeping cool will be a challenge this week, but Frozen is back at El Capitan for an end of summer sing-a-long. If movie theater AC doesn’t do it for you, cool off with gelato, ice cream, or fro-yo, then head to the beach; we have plenty of them. At some you can even catch a free concert or movie. Another way to keep cool on a hot day is by heading indoors to an ice skating rink. Or, if you'd prefer to just read about skating, hockey lovers and the LA Kings will be spending some quality storytime together at the Brentwood branch library. And this is the last week to celebrate summer nights in the garden at the Natural History Museum. 

Finally, if you have a boy whose voice is in flux as he creeps from tween to teen, you may want to bring him to the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus auditions this week. The LACC’s Young Men’s Ensemble is one of few in the country to serve the changing male voice.

As always there os plenty more on the Mommy Poppins’ Event Calendar.

Soak up every last bit of these last weeks of summer. Kids can get creative at Long Island Children's Museum or at a Lego playdate with friends. There's also outdoor fun in Patchogue and Long Beach.

And this list is just the beginning: Our Long Island Events Calendar is packed with activities to keep kids of all ages busy, while our Summer Fun Guide has tons of cool ideas on ways to enjoy the season. Spending time out East? Check out our Hamptons & North Fork Family Guide.

Much to my entire family's chagrin, we are slipping into back-to-school mode this week, as we finish up neglected summer homework packets, do a little back to school shopping (don't forget that tax-free week in CT is August 16th-22nd), and perhaps most importantly of all, make some final summer memories. We've collected some of our favorite activities for the week from across the state, including a super fun movie by the beach in Madison, a paddle boarding class in Danbury, a fun summer campfire in Mystic, and so much more. Whatever you decide to do this week, don't forget to check the full Event Calendar for more fun things to do!

Kids love to run, jump, hang, climb and flip—and most are just as likely to tackle the playground monkey bars as they are to use their bed as a trampoline. Channeling that energy and sense of adventure through a sport like gymnastics can be a great way to enhance motor skills and encourage safe play and exploration, making it an ideal first activity for many young children (honestly, who doesn’t love a jumbo-sized trampoline or a massive foam pit?)

Whether you have an aspiring Gabby Douglas on your hands, or are jut looking to try out a new (and incredibly fun) activity, gymnastics classes may be just what you're looking for. We’ve explored gymnastics centers in Westchester; now we're taking a look at a few great options in the Lower Hudson Valley.

NYC public school students don't go back to class until September 9 this year, so what's a working parent to do? Camp of course! While many New York City camps end by mid-August, we've rounded up the ones that have availability in late August and early September (as of this writing).

So skip lugging the kids to the office, and check out one of these summer camps. Ballet? Toy building? Puppet making? French lessons? There are plenty of options, but be warned: You're not the only one scrambling to find something to keep the kids occupied for these last—challenging—days of summer, and camps are likely to book up fast.

Read on for 2015 late summer NYC camp ideas and other warm weather kid activities to try during these last days of school vacation.

In the Eastern quadrant of the state, nestled among Shenipsit State Forest, Shenipsit Lake Reservoir, and Soapstone Mountain, is the town of Ellington. Once a rural farm town, Ellington, due to its relative proximity to Hartford from Tolland County, is growing fast (it has the 6th fastest growth rate of all towns in the state). It has, however, retained much of its bucolic charm. With its beautiful public beach, airport, dwarf orchards, and handcrafted furniture at Kloter Farms, it is worth a visit if you are in Eastern Connecticut.

Are the back-to-school blues invading your home, too? Between the release of New York State's standardized test scores and a never-ending barrage of commercials for classroom supplies, I had to show my kid the calendar to prove that there are actually four more weekends to go before school starts. That's plenty of time to take a day trip to a nearby beach, water park, quaint town or kid-friendly winery (okay, that last one is mama's choice). But frankly, we'd rather just stay put in the city enjoying all the summer activities NYC has to offer—after all, who needs the country when Central and Prospect Parks are your backyards?

Another reason my child should be thankful she's summering in NYC? Kids in lots of other places have already gone back to school. Take Scottsdale, Arizona: As per our Travel site, there are many cool things to do with kids in town, but locals went back to class weeks ago. 

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week: