(In photo:  Jake Sokoloff as The Mad Hatter and Jenna Kavaler as Alice
Photo Credit:  Peter Lanscombe, Theatre Three)

Children develop a personal connection to the characters they meet in fairy tales and story books.  They sympathize with Cinderella and Snow White in their plights with their wicked stepmothers, they relate to a child who can’t say no to just one more cupcake and they revel in the thought of a little boy who can fly. This summer children will be dazzled to see the beloved characters they’ve connected with in books come to life on stages across Long Island. We’ve rounded up some summer stage adaptations of popular children’s stories sure to entertain and likely to inspire even a reluctant reader to reread the story after the final bow.

I'm talking at the Apple Store in SoHo today about the best family travel apps. It's a free event and if you are in the area I hope you'll drop in and check it out. I've got a ton of information to share on apps that will help you save money as well as help solve some of the toughest problems of family vacations.

The event is at 11am today, Saturday, July 14th at the SoHo Apple Store (103 Prince Street), which is re-opening for the first time after a huge renovation, so you'll get to be one of the first people to see the new store as well.

Next week I'll be posting a Best Family Travel Apps Series all week long. So check the site for those too.The topics in the series will be on the best apps for saving money on hotel and flight bookings, road trips, finding the best places to eat and things to do, navigating your destination and more.  

As we approach the halfway point of summer, you moms and dads have probably been to the beach, downed a good amount of ice cream, been doused at some water parks, and cooked enough hot dogs and hamburgers to feed an army. How about a change of pace for your grill? Take the kids to catch some dinner! With New Jersey’s miles of coastline, a day out on a fishing boat sounds like a welcome change of pace. Good luck! Catch some for us!

If your child is a budding Picasso or simply loves crafts, an art class or camp might be an excellent way for her/him to spend time this summer.  Long Island has many options to explore with several art camps beginning this week or next.  Many programs have rolling admissions, or welcome walk-ins, so for those of you who prefer a less structured art experience, there are classes for you as well.

If your musical child is into jazz they won't want to miss the Litchfield Jazz Camp this summer. Nestled in the Litchfield Hills on the beautiful Kent School campus, the Litchfield Jazz Camp is one of the most highly regarded jazz summer programs in the nation. Its music director, saxophonist, composer and educator Don Braden, is a major figure on the jazz scene. Braden has played with jazz greats Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, and Betty Carter and composed for Bill Cosby’s projects. He has headed the program for 15 years. Camp faculty includes renowned performers.

Getting wet and staying cool seemed to be our theme this week. We launched a brand-new NYC Water Fun Guide, which included two posts we published this week: an in-depth review of Brooklyn Bridge Park's brand-new Pop-Up Pool on Pier 2 and a roundup of private pools that sell day passes. As part of our month-long focus on Williamsburg, we also took a look at the attraction-filled McCarren Park, including its recently reopened public pool.

If you're thinking about taking a weekend trip, our Long Island site has a great guide to family fun on Fire Island, while our New Jersey site rounded up the best kid-friendly restaurants at the Jersey Shore, a great companion post to our original best Jersey Shore beaches. If you're looking for day trip ideas, our NJ site also has a list of 50 free things to do this summer with kids while our Connecticut site has 15 things to do in New London, CT. And if you still need more vacation inspiration, drop by the Apple Store in Soho on Saturday morning to hear MommyPoppins' founder, Anna Fader, talk about the best travel apps for families.

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

Boston families will find plenty of fun and free things to do in and around town this weekend. Take advantage of the great outdoors and head to the Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Festival - the largest of its kind on the East Coast, Circle the City festivities at Franklin Park, or the WGBH FunFest in Boston. Indoor events include Boston Children’s Theatre’s Legally Blonde the Musical, Jenny the Juggler’s performance at Barefoot Books in Concord, and the CBACT Festival, a full day of theater workshops and performances in Newton.

Looking for more things to do? We have some ideas of great places to play mini golf in the Boston area. And for more indoor fun, add Puppet Showplace Theatre to your list - read Tara’s review here.

Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.

The Tractor Pull and Show, a favorite of some Mommy Poppins writers, is at Hallockville Farm this weekend. You and the kids can also enjoy a show from the National Circus Project at the Long Island Children's Museum, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at Country Fair Park in Medford, or Sharkfest at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum. For more ideas about what to do this weekend, or any time of the week, check out our events calendar all week long.