The smell of freshly-sharpened pencils and the feel of crisp notebook paper – it’s time for school again! For kids starting school for the first time (or even a new grade) the excitement can also be peppered with some feelings of anxiety. Being separated from mom and dad can be stressful, but books can be a great way to communicate with your kids. From children starting preschool/daycare to kindergarten or first grade – here are some of our favorite books to ease the transition for your NJ kids.

The end of summer always makes me feel like we're racing against the clock. My daughter and I have been running all over town enjoying last-chance summer fun like hitting local beaches and pools, and checking out soon-to-close exhibits and public art displays, like the awesome interactive Pet Sounds in Madison Square Park. (That's my kid in the photo, caressing one of the installation's funky blobs to make it vibrate and "sing.")

Lots of families are heading out of town for these last few weeks of the season. Our Travel site has a roundup of Labor Day travel deals and a list of the best things to do in Richmond, Virginia. Of course you don't have to stray too far from NYC to leave the urban jungle behind: Our Long Island site has a post about all the family fun to be had in Riverhead and over in New Jersey we've got the scoop on things to do with kids in Jersey City. Plus we rounded up 11 pick-your-own apple farms near NYC, all about an hour or less away.

We continue to add to our Back-to-School Guide. New this week: Five creative school lunches and four expert tips to start off the school year successfully.

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

(Photo: Old Westbury Gardens)

Summer may be winding down in terms of the number of days left on the calendar, but it's still in full effect on Long Island this weekend. The Island is celebrating with Kidstock at North Hempstead Beach Park, a Beach Blast at Overlook Beach for Town of Babylon residents, a Scottish Festival at Old Westbury Gardens, an Italian Festival in New Hyde Park, I Love America Night at Riverhead Raceway, and Turtle Hatch Day at the Cold Spring Fish Hatchery.

It's going to be a beautiful weekend, y'all; get out and enjoy it!

While school, for many, may be just around the corner, there’s still plenty for families to do as they savor the last glorious days of August, from Saint Anthony’s Feast in Little Italy to Take It Outside Play Date at the ICA to the last weekend of the Marshfield Fair. Here's our list of best bets for the weekend. And check our calendar for more activities.

We also have 5 great places for ‘tweens to enjoy an outdoor adventure, thanks to our friends at the Appalachian Mountain Club for their help in putting this information together. And continuing our Back to School theme, we’ve rounded up some of the best consignment shops for kids - high fashion at affordable prices!

Enjoy!

Summer lovin’, had me a blast… yes, I fell in love this summer, with the many fun, family-friendly, and frequently free summer series of movies, plays and concerts and other assorted summer goodness. I got used to having them around, but like most summer loves, they grow colder* and that’s where it ends. 

This is the weekend we say goodbye to our new loves,  to the Star Wars edition of the Tempest, the Dreamworks-themed projects at Lowe’s, the free shows of Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz at the Santa Monica Playhouse, the Free Family Film Festival at Rave Cinemas, 25 Cent Family Flicks, Auntie Angelica Root's Fairy Garden (the indoor version of A Faery Hunt), and Cinemalibu.

Don’t worry, summer.  We’ll always be friends.

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend...

We are fortunate to have lots of corn fields in Connecticut. We are even more fortunate to experience corn mazes that are works of art! Beginning September 1st at Lyman Orchards, it's Yankees vs. Red Sox! Play Ball! Go Get Lost in their Baseball Days Corn Maze! Enter our giveaway for your chance to win 4 tickets to experience this fun way to enjoy a Fall activity with the family. The winner will also receive a $20 gift voucher to be used at the Lyman Pick Your Own Orchard. Have fun picking apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, squash and pumpkins after finding your way through the maze.

The weekend before Labor Day always makes me a little sad. I think about all the summer fun I've had with my family and, inevitably, all the things we didn't get a chance to do. That's why we try to make the most of the last two weekends before fall unofficially arrives.

Families can help kick off the US Open with free kids' tennis clinics at the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, celebrate the back-to-school season and snag free supplies at the Bronx Museum of the Arts' family fest, enjoy tunes and tasty eats at Hudson River Park’s Blues BBQ and groove to family bands at the J&R Jr. Kids Music Fest.

Beaches and pools aren't the only attractions set to close in early September. Many wonderful kid-friendly exhibits also shutter in a few weeks, including the Children's Museum of Manhattan's hands-on NYC Design Studio, PS1’s Wendy by HWKN, the Bronx Zoo’s Wild Forest: Lego Safari, A-Maze-Ing Water at the New York Aquarium, New York Hall of Science's Animation, MoMA's awesome Material Lab and Charles Long's interactive Pet Sounds installation in Madison Square Park.

Those are just a few of the fun things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide.

Summer may be winding down, but thankfully your weekend fun doesn't have to (unless you're already busy with your children's fall sports, like me)! There's a slew to keep your crew  outside this weekend; like the County Caper game, the Chocolate and Vanilla Family Festival, a Fiddle Contest on the Farm, a free Starfish concert and even Shakespeare in the park! Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.