By Julie Ross, M.A.

Each year in Connecticut, parents pay lots of money to send their children to camp. Most children go willingly and happily. Others experience anxiety and distress. Some refuse to go, some exhibit physical symptoms like stomach pain or headaches, others become morose and withdrawn. With thousands of dollars at stake, or with no place else to put your child during the summer when you work, what should you do? Fortunately there are solutions.

Say hello to the first weekend of summer! If you're planning an all-season staycation, there's plenty to do in NYC. We've got lots of options in our Summer Fun Guide, which features roundups of free concerts, free outdoor movies and free storytimes, as well as a list of 100 free things to do this summer, with ideas for every single day through the end of August, plus anytime activities.

This weekend's no-cost amusements include Morris-Jumel Mansion’s Family Day, a pair of fishing festivals, the colorful Hunts Point Fish Parade and Festival, an outdoor concert by Erin Lee and the Up Past Bedtime Band and the South Street Seaport's annual Children’s Day celebration, starring Gordon and Elmo from Sesame Street.

Read on for this weekend's best bets and remember, the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar contains many more options.

New Jersey abounds with festivals–music, food, art–you name it. Well, here’s a type of festival that not only entertains, but also teaches history and culture. A festival that originates in the beginning of people and land: the Pow Wow. A modern pow wow involves both Native American and non-Native American people meeting to dance, sing, and honor American Indian culture. Since New Jersey’s original inhabitants were Lenni Lenape people:  the Unami (Lenape) tribe; the Minisink (Munsee) tribe and the Unalachtigo tribe–their festivals continue here, and throughout the tri-state area, today.  Take in a pow wow with the family, and celebrate history, life and spirit all in one!

Yes, you can hit a local beach or water playground to stay comfortable this season. But sometimes NYC gets so sticky in the summer, all you want to do is bask in the glory of-air conditioning.

Even if you're lucky enough to have central air, the kids won't tolerate being cooped up all day. Luckily, New York City offers lots of indoor spots where families can cool off while having a cool time.

Many of these frosty havens served as toasty destinations during the winter. My what a difference a few months make.

Summer solstice means more time outside to have fun and we like that here at CT Mommy Poppins! This weekend you can celebrate summer with luscious strawberries at a Strawberry Festival in Bethlehem. Enjoy a magical fireworks show over Candlewood Lake. Camp out at The New Canaan Nature Center's Great American Camp Out and have fun at an old fashioned Carnival and Car Show in Washington.

When you're living with a future zookeeper/artist/paleontologist/restaurant owner, almost all your excursions turn into research trips. Fortunately, my son's current passion for zoos can be easily indulged with a trip to the Cape May County Zoo. We've gone three times this year, and I'm confident more trips are in our future. I'm sure you're thinking, "Wow. They must have a lot of money if they can afford to attend the zoo that often." Want to know our secret? The reason we can indulge our future zookeeper so easily is that admission to the Cape May County Zoo is 100% free! Although the zoo is primarily funded by the county, donations are critical to its survival and growth. We usually donate at least $20 on each visit but, if money is tight, you can enjoy the zoo for free. As my husband says "Zoo for the price of none." (OK...that was a bad pun. We'll leave him out of the rest of the story.)

Everyone knows that if you plan to spend anytime outdoors under the burning sun, you better slather on the sunblock. (Your skin will thank you for it for years to come.) However, infants have extra-special needs when it comes to sun protection, particularly New York City babies, who are invariably out and about all day in strollers or slings on shadeless streets.

So where's an SPF-obsessed parent to start? As a mommy who's currently shuttling around a newborn babe, here are the five sun-care products I won't leave home without.