By Monika Nica

Why not take a refreshing short trip with your family back in time to visit one of Fairfield County’s many historical treasures, the charming Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield?

As soon as you walk through the doubly fortified heavy front door of the impeccably maintained white building from colonial times, you enter an entirely different age from three centuries ago. It was then that 26 brave and determined families from far-away Norwalk followed narrow paths through dense woods and rich meadows to settle in an area yet uninhabited by colonists, in the midst of an unknown wilderness to start a new community that was to become the serenely beautiful town of Ridgefield.

Who says all New Yorkers go on vacation in August? We're here and we're having a fantastic time, especially since there are so many entertaining and enriching activities for families this weekend.

My family is particularly looking forward to this Saturday's Summer Streets, when we can take a leisurely bike ride through select car-free Manhattan streets. On Sunday, we're heading to Brooklyn to take advantage of Free Summer Sunday: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Prospect Park Zoo, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and other borough culture spots will be offering free admission all day. Speaking of free admission, since this is the first weekend of the month many museums have no-cost visiting hours, including the Brooklyn Museum.

Other weekend fun includes free festivals, a solar-powered carousel at South Street Seaport, a sand sculpting contest, a star-studded tribute to the late great Shel Silverstein and the annual Big Latch On.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional seasonal fun in our Summer Fun Guide and our Event Calendar.

Happy August! This is limbo month for families: We're still in leisure mode but we're already preparing (or at least thinking about preparing) to go back to school/work/the grind. Still, don't you find it odd to pass by stores with sweaters and coats in their windows when we're heading to the playground decked out in swimsuits and sun hats? We do, too. 

This week's roundup of stories reflects this transitional time. We've got suggestions for what to do this last month of vacation as well as ways to do good while back-to-school shopping. Plus: the Lego Batcave. We have no idea how that fits in, we just know it's awesome.

I'm sad to say that gone are the days I would spend rocking my babies to bliss while nursing them to sleep. I may not be able to participate in this cool event happening around the world this Saturday but I will be there in spirit as I am sure will so many other post-nursing moms. In case you didn't know, over 120 countries are celebrating World Breastfeeding Week this week (Aug 1-7) in an effort to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

in 2005 in New Zealand, The Big Latch On started as an initiative to  increase support for breastfeeding in public. This Saturday (8/6) groups of nursing mothers can come together at registered venues around the country (or the world) to nurse their babes. All the mamas and babes latched on for one minute at the set time are counted by the witnesses. The point is to try to break the world record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously! So bring your hungry babies on Saturday at 10am and take part in this important effort. Read more where you will find a list of the registered CT locations.

We’ve got some fun events to kick off your first weekend in August! Take part in storm exploring, see King Arthur acting silly or try some authentic Irish soda bread. Whatever you choose we want you to have an amazing weekend! Read on for our round up of fun, and don't forget to keep in mind the Summer Fairs and Festivals on Long Island, including the 32nd Annual Sayville Summerfest, which happens this weekend.

There's nothing we love more than cooling off in a cool culture spot. And if we can do it for free, all the better. Well this Sunday, August 7, you can do just that courtesy of Heart of Brooklyn. The nonprofit organization is celebrating its 10th anniversary by offering no-cost admission to all of its partners, including the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Museum and the Prospect Park Zoo.

In addition to free entry, many of the spots are offering special tours and activities. Plus there will be contests, raffles and a one-day-only, Brooklyn-themed mini-golf course featuring the borough's iconic landmarks. 

So on Sunday, head to Kings County to visit an old favorite or perhaps set foot in one of these institutions for the first time. (I am very embarrassed to admit that my six-year-old has never been to the Brooklyn Children’s Museum. We'll be remedying that on Sunday!)

KaBOOM! is a nonprofit with an awesome mission: to create places for kids to play. The national organization—which was founded by Darell Hammond in 1996—helps to erect approximately 200 playgrounds a year, primarily in low-income areas.

This past May, I attended an amazing playground build at East Harlem's 103rd Street Community Garden, which was co-sponsored by KaBOOM!, Disney and the New York Restoration Project. Since it's just one component of the 13,000-square-foot site's overhaul, it won't reopen until this fall. When it does, there will also be basketball courts, picnic tables, barbecue pits and a community garden. 

In addition to facilitating the actual construction, KaBOOM! provides tools and grants to help groups finance and build their own playgrounds. We've got the info on how you can help KaBOOM! construct play spots for others or in your own community.