It’s that time of year -- suddenly the nights are a bit crisper, vacations are wrapping up, and school is right around the corner. Suddenly you realize that your child, who has been running around barefoot in bathing suits all summer, can’t stuff his feet into his sneakers and her pants are up to her ankles. While the idea of shopping with kids is not always appealing, luckily there are several retail establishments in the greater Hartford area that were designed with parents in mind. At the following locations, it is possible for back-to-school shopping to be both a fun experience for the kids and productive for mom! 

Growing up, brunch was something we saved for special occasions like birthdays and Mother's Day. My sister and I would get all dressed up and head to a grand ballroom or some other lovely space and enjoy an endless buffet of every possible food (we still do this from time to time with our mom!). In my early adulthood, before kids, brunch was a leisurely, late morning weekend treat where I would meet up with friends and spend hours laughing and lingering over brunch-y foods and the occasional Bloody Mary. When kids entered the picture, brunch fell off my radar right around the time dining out with the kids became more about restaurant-crisis-management and less about eating. Now that we have the whole restaurant thing under control, I've come back around to brunch. Besides taking the kids out for pizza in Fairfield County, it's the perfect dining-out solution and, once again, my favorite weekend meal. My kids are fresh and ready for the day (no witching-hour meltdowns!), we love that there's something for everyone on the menu and it's a treat to eat good food in a nice setting. You might even discover that your favorite date night restaurant offers a family-friendly brunch on weekend mornings. Even better, brunch menus often let you sample some of the restaurant's specialty, whether it's barbecue, seafood or pizza. So instead of waiting for a special occasion, check out some of our favorite Fairfield County family-friendly brunch places.

Most of us have heard something to the tune (no pun intended) of research showing that music is to the brain what physical exercise is to the body. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to know some local music class options for your little ones. I know my child loves music, and although old school rhetoric mentions kids should not start formal lessons in music until the age of five, one has to admit, classes are a great way to nurture children and prepare them to share and learn in a class setting at any age. Here’s a quick list of music classes available for families in and around Downtown Los Angeles.  

Even though it's still a week away, Labor Day weekend seems to be on everyone's mind. So we started a special Labor Day section in our Summer Fun Guide featuring family getaway ideas, including destinations that don't require a car, plus last-minute travel deals on more far-flung excursions like Niagara Falls, Portland, Maine and even Orlando.

Our regional sites are good places to look for offbeat day trip inspiration. Just this week, Connecticut posted about the nature-filled town of Monroe, New Jersey shared a list of the top 25 things to do with preschoolers in the state, Westchester rounded up county fairs in upstate New York and Long Island has a super-detailed Hamptons and North Fork Family Guide.

If you're looking at a NYC staycation, our Summer Guide is packed with last-chance seasonal fun like water playgrounds, pools and beaches (that's my daughter at the Rockaway installation in Fort Tilden above, a must-see if you're heading to the shore over there).

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Though the end of summer is on the horizon, there's still a lot of fun happening this weekend in Westchester County and the Hudson Valley. Take your pick of large-scale fairs this weekend--the Dutchess County Fair and the Otisville Country Fair make their annual return and the New York Renaissance Faire continues. For a list of even more New York fairs, view our roundup of other fun options!

More eclectic offerings include Living History: Military Reenactment Day, Cheese Making 101, Pirate School and the return of Fairy Walk. Read on for details about these events and more happening this weekend. If something piques your interest, be sure to click through to the event listing for all the details. And remember, our calendar of events has even more ideas for fun this weekend and beyond in Westchester. 

With two weekends left in summer, Mommy Poppins has a family-friendly weekend round up that is sure to keep your brood in a good mood. Show off your ginormous homegrown tomatoes at Hicks in Westbury, yo-ho-ho along with some mateys at How I Became a Pirate or greet some turtles as they hatch at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery. And if you're looking to finish up some back to school shopping, check out our local guide.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. And be sure to check out our Summer Fun Guide.

The Farmers' Markets are hopping this weekend. The Roslindale market has free Salsa lessons for all ages, and the Braintree Market has a Kids' Day full of fun activities to get kids thinking about where their food comes from and how to eat healthy. Fans of Judy Moody can celebrate the release of the new book at Judy Moody Day. The Harvard Museum of Natural History invites budding entomologists and their families to explore the science of bugs together. If you are looking to catch a movie, Muppets from Space is showing in Arlington and Finding Nemo is playing at the Prudential Center Garden this weekend. Art lovers should be sure to check out the Watson Adventures: Cats vs. Dogs Scavenger Hunt at the MFA. And if you are looking for live entertainment, check out Sir George and the Dragon at the Puppet Showplace Theater or Gustefer Yellowgold in concert.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Tara finds great Science, Technology, Arts, Engineering, and Math (STEAM) classes is Boston.
• Think museums are just for day trips? Our list of Really Cool Sleepovers for Boston Families will make you think again!
• Stephanie wraps up the Summer of Play with ideas for Summer of Play Bash. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Summer of Play challenge and shared their pictures with us!
• Ally teaches us how to make nature wands as part of our Wee Work craft series.

Don't forget to check the calendar for a full list of events going on and enjoy your weekend!

Ah, school.  It's kind of good, isn't it? I mean because of all the learnin' and edumacating, of course. My state of near-bliss would have nothing to do with a small but meaningful number of hours during which my kid may or may not be in someone else's care under someone else's tutelage. Nope, it's all about the smartifying.

Once the homework's done, we still have time to play. This weekend offers plenty of opportunity, what with a really big rubber duck, a chance to make use of all those Frozen lyrics you've memorized, and, if you're of a certain generation, a chance to make use of all those Beatles lyrics you've memorized. You can watch dogs play in the snow (because that's totally a summer thing), or enjoy a regatta of boats made out of cardboard. (Would they even float? Because I think I just learned something. Hello, edumacating!)
 
You can also watch planes fly, get your fiesta on in Culver City, catch a bunch of outdoor movies and concerts (better hurry, the season on those is drawing to a close), learn how to talk about art, and make some art of your own. School may be in session, but you can still keep the summer fun going!

Keep reading for our most brain-expanding picks this weekend....