Unleash your little Shakespeare and help them harness their dramatic energy with theater classes on Long Island. Several performing arts centers and theaters offer summertime classes and mostly culminate with a production. From musical theater to scene study and stage direction, these programs help give your child the tools to help transform into various characters on stage or screen. And be sure to check out our Summer Fun Guide for other ideas to keep your kids engaged, energized and enthusiastic this summer.

Almost all of our NYC news is good news in this edition of our biweekly links post. We've got the skinny on a couple of cool new children's stores, a kids' discount at Luna Park, a kid reporter contest at Time for Kids and the return of an old childhood favorite. Plus, the latest on pre-K admissions, FREE coding classes for kids and a tearful goodbye to a 20-foot-long NYC legend.

When the grass turns green and the temperatures warm up many New Jersey moms and dads grab their golf clubs and hit the links.  This summer, why not get the kids in on the fun?  The game of golf teaches skill, logic and honesty, and it happens to be a great way for kids to pass the time during the summer months.  With some of the best golf courses in the country, New Jersey is the perfect place to introduce kids to this fantastic sport.  Start them swinging by enrolling them in one of these great kids golf programs.  Check out our post on the Best Miniature Golf Courses in New Jersey for more fun golf options this spring and summer.  

Nestled between Memorial Day and Independence Day is a salute to the stars and stripes – Flag Day. Although not a federal holiday, June 14th is an official celebration honoring our American patriotic symbol, Old Glory, and commemorated with small town parades, school essay contests, and veterans’ ceremonies. Check out these upcoming New Jersey events and for other fun this month, try our June GO List.

Sunday June 15 is Fathers' Day; hopefully your kids are hard at work brainstorming ways to make this a special day for him. For help and inspiration check out the card making events at the Robertson Branch library and American Girl Stores. My kids’ dad loves a good outing, but he hates to be in charge of the planning. Give him a list of choices: a day at the museum, a hike out of town, or a picnic in the park and he’ll be thrilled.

The week needn’t be all about dad. There are plenty of other things to do now that school is out - many of them at the local library:

On June 19th, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation theoretically freed all the slaves in the Confederate States, federal troops arrived in Texas to enforce the Proclamation and free the slaves of Texas.  Dubbed "Juneteenth," June 19 has been celebrated as Emancipation Day in Texas since 1866 and has since spread to most of the United States, including Massachusetts. Whether you attend one of the special Juneteenth events, plan a visit to one of Boston's African-American museums and historic locations, or spend some time reading books with your family, Juneteenth is a great time for all of us to reflect on what freedom, and its absence, really means.

There are so many fun activities to do during the summer months on Long Island, and many families enjoy a good picnic. Fortunately, there are many beautiful spots to bring some food and drinks, and enjoy time with the kids. Many are also near the water or have a playground on-site. And for more options, be sure to check out 7 Perfect Picnic Places on Long Island.

If you're a fellow NYC public school parent, I know you share my stress this week. Between the half day on Tuesday, the whole day off on Thursday, Monday's upcoming half day and all of the end-of-the-school-year events, we're so busy we need to schedule time to breathe. But the (comparatively) lazy days of summer fun are coming, and there are plenty of memorable experiences to be had in NYC and beyond.

If getting out of town is at the top of your list, our Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut sites all rounded up the best family events this June, and many of them make for great getaways like this weekend's Fol de Rol County Fair in Armonk, NY, the New Jersey Renaissance Faire in Bordentown and the Strawberry Harvest Festival in Chester, NJ. Or how about a trip to the amazing Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT or the 42-acre outdoor art installation Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ? And don't forget, we have an entire guide dedicated to the Hamptons and North Fork if that's where you're headed.

Of course you don't need to leave the city to go on an adventure. This weekend brings some of our favorite annual family outings including the Figment arts fest on Governors Island, which feels like a day trip. And a few of NYC's major FREE summer performance festivals kick off this week including SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn! and we highlighted the best bets for kids. Plus Friday is National Doughnut Day, which means FREE treats at participating doughnut shops.

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