From nature talks and fun runs to festivals and puppet shows, there is no shortage of family fun on the East End of Long Island. Two of our favorites happening this weekend include the Riverhead Fire Department commemorating the 80th anniversary of its drill team with a two-day celebration, and the sweet corn festival at Harbes Family Farm.

Of course, you can find even more activities on our jam-packed events calendar. And for other ideas on what to do in the area, check out our Hamptons and North Fork Family Guide.

We at Mommy Poppins Boston have discovered another great spot to bring your kids during July: the Street at Chestnut Hill. You can find great activities for kids every Tuesday afternoon through the summer (pictured), as well as one-time events like the upcoming Table Tennis Tournament. Also starting on Tuesday, look for some events around town to celebrate the New Horizons flyby of Pluto. Young scientists aren't going to want to miss out! For those with their feet firmly on Earth, there's no shortage of fun summer festivals this week, whether music or art is your cup of tea. Have a great week, and don't forget to check out the full Event Calendar!

New York City is brimming with things to see and explore with kids, from world-class museums to the great outdoors. No wonder our town is called the city that never sleeps! And yet sometimes you fall into a rut, visiting the same old favorites over and over, never leaving your comfort zone.

Well, it's time to break that habit. We've rounded up 10 new-to-NYC destinations that are worth putting on your family's summer fun bucket list. Get ready to trade the familiar for the fresh!

For my family, seeing Theatreworks USA's FREE seasonal kids' musical is as much a rite of summer as hitting the beach or the pool. And why not? For 27 years the national family theater company has been presenting high-quality productions every summer in a real Off-Broadway theater and given the tickets away!

This year's show is Skippyjon Jones Snow What, based on one of Judith Schachner's popular picture books about a quirky Siamese cat who goes on pretend adventures as his alter ego, Skippito Friskito, a sword-wielding, Zorro-like Chihuahua. Back in 2012, Theatreworks USA adapted the first title in the series to great acclaim so the troupe reassembled the same creative team for this sequel of sorts (it's not like you need to have seen the original show or even read the books to enjoy it). Although my jaded tween daughter is older than the target audience, Skippyjon Jones Snow What is so clever and jubilant that by the end she admitted it was the cat's meow. We've got the scoop on how to snag FREE tickets to this fun (and air-conditioned!) musical.

Hey Queens parents: Do you have a kid who's pleading for dance lessons but you dread the thought of schlepping to Manhattan or Brooklyn? That was my worry when my preschooler started begging for ballet. But after doing a little research and talking to many of my fellow Queens moms, I was happy to discover that I don't need to leave the borough to find quality dance studios for children. Bonus: Dance classes in Queens tend to be significantly less expensive than their Manhattan and even Brooklyn counterparts, and many offer scholarships or sliding-scale tuition for those who qualify.

Some Queens dance studios are local favorites that have been serving their communities for years, like Landrum in Whitestone and Heavenly Bodies Dance Studio in Ozone Park. Others, like Astoria's Sol Dance Center, are part of the wave of new kid-friendly businesses opening up throughout the borough. And if you have a dance-loving boy, don't worry: Most of these programs offer classes for boys, including ballet and hip-hop.

Here are 12 Queens dance studios offering classes for kids and teens who are serious about ballet, tap, modern and other dance styles. You can find other enriching programs in our Classes Guide and Directory Listings.

The summer’s heating up, and creatures of all kinds are taking the stage this week. Slither on over to Turtle Back Zoo for World Snake Day, celebrate everything crabby at Crabulous Crab Day or catch the buzz at  Great Swamp’s All About Bees. It’s a big week for free movies at Jets Movie Night and the State Theatre’s Free Summer Movie. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

Hard to believe, but we are halfway through the summer. The weeks are packed full of movies, concerts, and theater. Just take a look at our Event Calendar, if you don’t believe me. Minions opened this weekend; your kids are definitely going to want to see that. While “entertainment” has its place (especially here in Hollywood), we sometimes want our children engaged in activities that are educational: still fun, but maybe with a little learning thrown in. In Studio City, kids can learn about coding at the library; and in Santa Monica, the Pier Aquarium is hosting a live talk with a scientist from Pasadena’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in honor of NASA’s flyby of our dwarf planet Pluto and its largest moon, Charon. Neil deGrasse Tyson would surely approve, especially since the connection between Deep Sea and Deep Space continues next week.

Teens may be interested in the Frontline Movie about Nelson Mandela that is screening for free at the California African American Museum. Race is a heated topic these days, and sometimes a movie is a good way to get the kids talking and thinking. And in case you haven’t made it to a Grunion Run yet, the Cabrillo Beach Marine Aquarium hosts its final program of the summer this week.

July is a great month to be in Connecticut with kids. You'll  find great summer activities this week including free jazz, butterflies and tin making.  There are also lots of free events at the libraries which you can read more about in our event calendar.  Have a great week full of summer fun!