As a mom who started letting her own nine-year-old son take the city bus home by himself in fourth grade (and received quite a bit of flack for it from other parents), I've been a longtime fan of Lenore Skenazy, the blogger behind Free Range Kids who gained notoriety for doing the same. For years, Skenazy has encouraged NYC parents to let their kids get out and run around by themselves—and now she's suggesting parents pay for the privilege.

This week, Skenazy launched a series of unsupervised playdates for kids. For $350, she won't watch your kids as they romp around Ancient Playground in Central Park one Wednesday a week after school through November 7. How's that for a bargain? Can you hear the outraged cries from where you are?

Doesn't it seem like just last week we were talking about the end of summer and now all of a sudden it's New Year's. Wow. Where did the time go?  I need to hire a sitter, book a reservation, and ...oh.  The Jewish New Year,  Rosh Hashanah. That's different. Well, bring on the apples and honey, because we've got some great ways to celebrate the holiday with your kids. (And some camps for them if the school holiday has left you in the lurch).

But this weekend is not just about Rosh Hashanah. If you're thinking less honey cake, more baklava, we've got the Pasadena Greek Festival for you. If your calendar says Independence Day (as in Mexican), head on over to Olvera Plaza for Fiestas Patrias. Scandinavian and Thai cultures get feted this weekend as well, and you can take a musical trip 'round Russia way at World City. You can even pay tribute to our coastal friends the lobsters (ingestion is the sincerest form of flattery after all).

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

The kids just went back to class and already public school students are looking at a four-day weekend thanks to Rosh Hashanah (a.k.a. the Jewish New Year). If you're celebrating, L'shanah tovah! If not, there are plenty of fun-filled activities to keep your kids happy, like Little Italy's annual Feast of San Gennaro, the sweet Honey Festival in Rockaway Beach, Brooklyn's Flastbush Frolic and a giant Soccer Fest on the Upper West Side.

This weekend also brings offbeat cultural experiences like outdoor shows by the politically-charged performance troupe Circus Amok, a free music workshop in conjunction with the Czech Center's interactive Orbis Pictus - Play Well exhibit and a concert by one of our faves, Gustafer Yellowgold.

And we're very proud to announce that one of our special needs writers, Alison, is giving a free talk about her favorite apps for children with special needs at the Upper West Side Apple Store on Thursday night. The timing is perfect since we just launched our Special Needs Guide.

That's just a bit of all the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar.

By three my daughter was ordering decaf Earl Grey with milk, accompanied by a chocolate chip cookie, astounding waiters with her sophisticated palate. She and I have enjoyed the ritual of high tea since she was a toddler, and although we love setting up our own tea set, or using my grandmother’s bone china, we also love to explore new tea shops. To our delight, there are many on Long Island that specialize in the tea experience.  Several also cater to children, with special menus and miniature teacups and plates for their small hands.

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins on September 16 at sunset, and lasts until September 18 at sunset. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and on this holiday apples and honey—which represent ‘a sweet new year’—are generally enjoyed, along with a rounded challah which represents the circle of life. This was one of my favorite holidays as a child, and still is--and not just because I have a sweet tooth. To me, Rosh Hashanah feels like a new beginning, for myself and my family.

Although it’s a time when many of us are preparing for our winter hibernation, fall is also a time for new beginnings, like the start of the school year, new TV shows, and football season. Performing arts seasons also begin in the fall and new exhibits open at local museums. We at Mommy Poppins are especially excited about the latter, and we think you will be too when you take a look at the new museum exhibits we’ve rounded up for the fall. Read on for places around Boston to see exotic haberdashery, a genuine space capsule, artwork that heals or that you can literally step into, graffiti as high art, and replicas of massive mammoths. 

The Upper East Side is one of the swankiest neighborhoods in all of New York City. But that doesn't mean you need to take out a loan in order to afford fun kids' activities in the area.

Yesterday, as part of our month-long spotlight on the Upper East Side, we shared our favorite indoor play spaces in the nabe—all awesome and all relatively pricey. But today we've got the scoop on indoor UES spots where your kids can play, lounge and learn for FREE. From megastores kids love to play in to activity-packed branches of the New York Public Library to a hidden gem in Central Park, here are our top 11 no-cost indoor activity spots on the Upper East Side.

Hold onto your Pumpkin Lattes, folks, there will be plenty of time for fall, but this weekend you can still hold onto the last remnants of summer with some great summery events!  You'll find the Atlantic City Seafood Festival, Clownfest 2012 in Seaside Heights, Festival by the Sea in Point Pleasant, and a Family Day celebrating Georgia O'Keefe at the Van Vleck Gardens. Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.