You've signed your last permission slip, figured out teacher's gifts, and even fished the flip-flops out from the dark reaches of the closet. You give yourself a pat on the back—before suddenly realizing that you haven't figured out summer camp yet. Whether you have a preschooler or a teenager, signing kids up for summer camp is key to surviving those long, hot summer days. But, don't panic; you can still find a spot.

We've sussed out several of our partner camps with availability all over the Boston area. It's amazing what kids can do too! Think specialty camps where kids can learn to sail, act, sing, code, build robots, drones, or debate...or good old traditional camps where they do a bit of everything. There's a perfect summer out there for your kid. Don't see what you like here? Check our Boston Summer Camp Guide and Directory for more options and call for availability. Once you figure out camp, hit our summer fun guide to help you out the rest of the time. 

Summer is just about here and there’s no better time to get outside with the kids than right now. Whether you’re headed to the beach or going on a hike, outdoor fun abounds during this season. And one of the best ways to soak it up is at Boston’s many summertime festivals. The 10 listed here are all super kid-friendly and will make for a memorable summer day.

Summer has arrived, and although the season holds promise in many ways, one of our favorite features is the abundance of family-friendly summer festivals and fairs. We’ve rounded up 15 of our favorites in Westchester and the Hudson Valley—from strawberry festivals to county fairs—all of which include fun activities for kids. Although plans were still being finalized for some of this season’s festivities, we’ll be sure to keep this roster updated as summer progresses.

Looking for even more family-friendly activities? Consult our Event Calendar and sign up for our FREE newsletters!

Father's Day can be more than golfing and barbecues this year, with such a great variety of family-friendly activities happening across the state. Whether Dad prefers baseball or fishing, airplanes or amusement parks, our list of Father's Day happenings has something for everyone. Read on for our top picks for celebrating Dad this June. 

For more ways to have fun with fathers throughout the month, check out our playground guide, roundup of family festivals, and Event Calendar. And if Dad really has his heart set on golfing, there's always (mini) golf! 

Sure, you've probably visited your fair share of pumpkin, apple, and strawberry festivals. But have you been to a Podunk Bluegrass festival? Or a Sailfest? Or perhaps a Potato and Corn fest? Summer may be short here in Connecticut but it sure is jammin' with festivals from June through Labor Day. Whether you're planning to indulge in some strawberry shortcake piled high with whipped cream, check out some really cool cars at an antique car show, or groove to some reggae, there are so many family-friendly festivals happening all summer long. Grab a picnic basket and a blanket, pack your camera, and have some fun at one of these Connecticut festivals. And, be sure to check out our Connecticut Summer Fun Guide to help plan some pretty epic adventures with the whole crew this summer. 

These outdoor games and toys keep kids running, crawling, jumping, and more. Whether trying to keep them entertained at the beach, the backyard, or just at the park, parents everywhere know that an engaging outdoor toy for toddlers to teens can be the perfect antidote to the inevitable "We’re bored" summer refrain with which we’re all so familiar.

Unfortunately, just walking into your nearest retailer and grabbing the most interesting looking outdoor game off the shelf doesn’t always work out. It could end up overly complicated, not age-appropriate, break upon contact—or even worse: not hold their attention! So we at Mommy Poppins rounded up our favorite summer toys for kids from over the years, including water games, and even tested out new ones, to bring you this list of more than a dozen, inexpensive options to play with your kids this summer.

Pool days, water parks and splash pads may be the name of the game when it comes to summer - especially in Houston where any day below 90 degrees is considered cool - but sometimes you need something a little more low-key to entertain the kids. You know - an activity that involves less sunscreen, towels, wet swimsuits and sunburns and more air conditioning and sitting (relatively) still. The solution? You take the kids to see a movie. The problem? Going to the movies can get pretty pricey, especially when you have multiple kids in tow who all want popcorn and candy. But fear not, there are plenty of free and low-cost movie screenings around Houston this summer, both indoor and outdoor just waiting for you. 

Read on for lots of free flicks you can enjoy under the stars (just grab a blanket or lawn chairs) and cheap movies at the theater (think $1 or less) you can hit up during the day, and visit our Summer Fun Guide for more things to do around Houston. 

New York City will screen hundreds of FREE outdoor movies this summer, many of them just for kids and families. The popular Movies Under the Stars series, which debuted with screenings in parks and at playgrounds in all five boroughs in 2016, returns—along with many of our favorite annual series.

A few outdoor movie series, such as RiverFlicks for Kids in the West Village, are aimed specifically at children. But even grown-up series, such as those in Bryant Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park, include a few family-friendly screenings. Movies usually begin when evening falls, between 8 and 8:30pm, but plan to arrive early...the well-known series fill up fast, and many parks offer pre-movie entertainment.

Even if your local park is screening a flick you've watched a dozen or so times at home, it's a totally different experience viewing it in the open air alongside several hundred other fans. It's a thrilling, communal event, and a summer rite of passage for New Yorkers of all ages.

So grab your calendars and start plotting your FREE summer of entertainment now. And be sure to check out the other amazing seasonal activities in our Summer Fun Guide.