All the kids back to school? You might be taking it easy this first weekend since school has started, but in case you're still looking for family activities, there's plenty to do. There's a Fiddle & Folk Festival at Benner's Farm, Cirque du Soleil's Dralion is in town, the ChickenKidz consignment event is on in Riverhead, and there are various shows on for kids and families. Have a great weekend.

My daughter is an only child and an only grandchild on my husband’s side, so it was my mission to combat her selfishness early by getting her involved in community service young and often. There are so many great ways to get children, even very young ones, involved in community service, especially as we approach National Day of Service on September 11. Long Island has a great many charities that children can support, and starting young will help your child become ware of all she/he can be grateful for and how to give to those who are not as fortunate.

I have a confession to make. You know how the last few weeks I've been complaining about the end of summer and the incomprehensibly early start of school? Finally last week I gave in. I relented. Labor Day came and went, and even I had to admit it was time to go back to school. But then I realized...

... no one in my house is in school yet. We're still at the pre-school phase. In other words: September, Shmeptember, it's all the same to us. Which brings me to a new complaint:  what about us? Where’s the love for those of us too young to mark the passage of time by semesters?

Someone must have heard my whining musing, because this week we can point you towards events that even our youngest fans can enjoy.  There’s a G-rated movie, an outdoor concert series just for kids, and the grand opening of a Disney Store designed for the under 2 set. And in honor of Grandparents Day, there are special events that juniors can share with their favorite seniors.

There are still plenty of events for the rest of you big kids: East Hollywood Artcycle, Brazilian Day in LA, Tchaikovsky served up with fireworks,  a surfing competition in Malibu,  festivals of lobsters and tall ships, even Batman and Robin’s stage debut. So get out there and live it up this weekend, but please be quiet when you do: we're taking a nap.

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this weekend...

Most of us are in full back-to-school mode, mired in homework and carpooling to lessons and sports. However, cherished autumn events are starting to take place from the northwest corner to the eastern shore. Don't miss out on the fun this weekend!

Is it horrible for me to admit that I'm excited my son started school this week? Yes I miss him but I enjoy being able to work without him constantly asking, "When are we going to go out and do something?!" We still have the weekends for fun, and this one's jam-packed with awesome annual events we look forward to every year like the West Side County Fair, Arthur Avenue’s Ferrogosto, Wave Hill’s Honey Weekend, the Coney Island Kite Festival and the no-cost Broadway on Broadway concert. Plus, apple picking season is in full swing.

On a more somber note, families can commemorate the 11th anniversary of September 11 at Saturday's Brooke Jackman Read-A-Thon or the JCC in Manhattan’s Day of Service on Sunday.

Our best bets for the weekend are below, and you can check our Event Calendar for lots of other options.

Classes! It's September already; are your kids signed up for any classes? It's right there on your "To Do" List: Find a gymnastics class. Arrange some cheap after-school options. Figure out where on earth people take fencing. We live in LA, so you know it's all out there in volumes - you just need to find the time to do some research, right? Allow Mommy Poppins to take care of that for you: introducing our Classes, After School Programs, and Activities Guide.

It's that special time of year when school is on the brain and we're all thinking about great classes and activities in which we can involve our kids (and ourselves). So we at Mommy Poppins NJ are delighted and pumped and excited and all those happy -ed words, to introduce our Enrichment Programs, Classes and Activities Guide for New Jersey! Check out our ever-growing list of great classes in our fair state, complete with general listings and full articles about our faves. Classy!

I'll admit, I may have shed a few tears this week saying goodbye to summer. But looking ahead to this first weekend in September, you really wouldn't know that those carefree summer days were gone with all the amazing family activities going on. There's Oysterfest, JazzFeast, Hoboken Italian Fest, and the Country Fair and Harvest Festival to keep you in the fair spirit. Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.