Just in time for summer, we have lots of great seasonal news, including the addition of the first-ever water fountains on Governors Island, the reopening of a long-closed Staten Island beach and the scoop on tickets for one of summer's most sought-after concerts for kids. Plus, New York Comic Con expands, autism-friendly theater and an important heads up about hours for NYC public school students.

As a new parent I devoured books about babies, trying to understand the tiny new life in my charge. How far can he see? What is going on in his little mind when he is playing with that toy? And then I started to wonder how all these experts on babies knew anything. So when I learned that many of Boston's universities recruit parents and their kids to participate in research studies, I thought it would be fun way to engage in science with my little one.

Summertime is for lazy days and sleeping late. There is nothing quite like staying out on a school night - especially when there is no school the next day. If you’re not a night owl, be sure to check Mommy Poppins’ event calendar. There is plenty to do during the day: toddler sing-a-longs, clubs for kids, and story time at the bookstore. If you are up for resetting the family’s circadian rhythms, here are few ways to enjoy our glorious summer evenings.

Even though summer should be a time to forget about schedules, to-do lists and responsibilities, it can be too easy to let these sweet, steamy days go by without truly slowing down for some good, old-fashioned, unstructured play. That's why we've teamed up with KaBOOM!, the nonprofit dedicated to bringing play to all children, to promote a SUMMER OF PLAY.

All summer long we'll be sharing hundreds of ideas for play, plus some fun tips and tools in our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE. On Monday, June 23, we'll be posting the ultimate summer play list with 100 great ways to get started. Then once a week we'll share more play ideas and add them to the guide.

To help make sure you never run out of inspiration, we've created a SUMMER FUN LIST GENERATOR, a cute way to save your summer fun bucket list visually in your home. That way it's always there when you need an idea and you never forget to add a little play to your day.

Temperatures are on the rise in Westchester and if your kid is lucky enough to have a summer birthday, why not throw an awesome pool party to commemorate the occasion? Nothing beats a pool party for fun-in-the-sun summer memories--the smell of chlorine, the hot scratchy pavement on wrinkled toes, the endless games of Marco Polo. If you don't have a pool in your backyard, no need to fret! Three of the hottest water play locations in Westchester County are also some of the best places for  summertime pool parties!

School’s out for summer! Now that the kids are home full-time, it can be somewhat challenging to find new ways to keep them busy every day. Yes, there’s always the playground and the beach, but those looking for something different this summer will find that New Jersey is full of surprises. How about visiting the six-story tall elephant in Atlantic County? Or getting up close and personal with wolves in Warren County? Here’s the scoop on seven of New Jersey’s most unique destinations…there are plenty of fun ways to occupy everyone until September rolls around! And for even more summer awesomeness, check out our New Jersey Kids Summer Activities Guide.

Even though the beginning of summer is an exciting time, I always find the end of school to be bittersweet. Yes, the kids are psyched about going to camp and traveling to fun places, but they're also saying goodbye to their friends as classes change, or heading off to a new school entirely. And for us parents, it's another milestone that reminds us that our kids are growing up—fast.

That's one of the big reasons we try to make every summer the best one ever, and there are plenty of ways to do that in NYC and beyond. Beautiful beaches beckon like Short Beach Park in Connecticut and Cape May in New Jersey, as do fun-filled festivals like the New Jersey State Fair at the Meadowlands, which kicks off this weekend. Or how about a day trip to a nearby theme park like these family favorites on Long Island or New Jersey's brand-new Diggerland USA? If you're looking for a longer getaway, Pennsylvania's Dutch Wonderland, which recently opened a new Exploration Island dinosaur attraction, is a great weekend trip and Asheville, North Carolina makes for an awesome vacation destination.

Speaking of dinos, seeing Walking with Dinosaurs - the Arena Spectacular at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in July is also on my family's list of must-do summer activities. This week, we're giving away a family four-pack to the show and even if you don't win, we've got a discount on tickets to select performances, too.

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

Celebrate the Summer Solstice this weekend with a wide array of fun events for families in and around Westchester. The big headliner of the weekend, and one of our top picks for June, is the annual Clearwater's Great Hudson River Revival—the first since the death of beloved founder Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi. Other fairs and festivals this weekend include the Palisades Fair, the Holy Rosary Church Annual Bazaar and the African American Heritage Celebration.

Two performances this weekend allow optional audience participation: Bring your own brass to jam with Latin Meets Jazz Workshop and Jam Session, and teens can perform in an annual Teen Talent Show. Even if performing isn’t for you, both of these events are equally suitable for spectators.

More of our top picks are below. For more details, click through to the event listing. Also, don't forget to check out the other great weekend events we’ve captured-–plus tons of weekday events--on our Events Calendar. And if you haven't done so already, sign up for our weekly newsletter--it's FREE!