After a long time talking about it (and readers begging for it), Mommy Poppins is proud to announce the birth of our Westchester site. Now you can find out about the best things to do, see and experience with kids in Westchester County and the Hudson Valley in posts written by local moms, as well as browse our carefully curated Westchester Event Calendar. You can also sign up for our Westchester newsletter to stay on top of all the great things going on in the region.

As the school year (and our hectic schedules) wind down, we’re definitely looking forward to lazy summer days and some family fun! June is all about festivals and there’s an outing for everyone this coming weekend, whether you want to gobble up lobster at the Belmar Seafood Festival, don your sword for Pirates Fest at the Tuckerton Seaport or help Turtle Back Zoo celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Read on for our top picks and find a listing of all NJ activities in our Event Calendar.

Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga is home to one of LA's classic summer evening activities (earning it the #10 slot on our bucket list of 100 Things To Do with LA Kids). The outdoor theater in the wooded mountains of Topanga was founded 40 years ago by the man most Americans remember as Grandpa Walton (can you get more American than those dungaree overalls?) and is still run by his daughter, actor/director Ellen Geer. The shows that play in repertory on a summer evening are mostly Shakespeare, and the rustic, idyllic setting can convert the pickiest picnickers to fans of the bard. This summer's production of Taming of the Shrew is an excellent example.

While NYC offers tons of outdoor summer activities, sometimes you want your fun to come with a little air conditioning. Happily there are a slew of new museum exhibits this season that are perfect for families, so you can soak up some cool culture while literally staying cool.

We've got the scoop on ten awesome summer installations, many of which are interactive. Find out where your kids can get up close and personal with live frogs, stand in an indoor rainstorm without getting wet, collaborate with professional artists and more this summer.

From local to national, there are many programs that provide guidance, inspiration, incentives and rewards for your kids to keep reading all summer long. The “Dig Into Reading” summer reading program at Massachusetts libraries is a great place to start. If you’re looking for more ways to encourage your child to continue reading this summer and some fabulous freebies, read on for reading programs in Boston and beyond. Check back soon for our updated roundup of free summer storytimes in and around the city. 

Why, yes, it is my birthday this weekend.  Why, yes, I would like to go out to a nice (grown up) dinner with my husband.  And why yes, it is prom weekend in my town, so all my lovely young sitters are bejeweled, bedazzled and headed out for a night on the town.   But some very thoughtful and business-minded childcare places had this very scenario in mind when they began offering Parents Nights Out, or, as I like to call them, Mom’s Night of Sanity.  Some local areas that offer this service include the following:

After this past winter, I'm so ready for summer. There's nothing quite like the first heat wave in Connecticut to make you start thinking of where you can cool off!  Now that my kiddos are a bit older, I'm excited about long days and evenings spent at the beach once summer finally arrives. Here in Southeastern Connecticut, I've rounded up some lush spots to lounge by Long Island Sound.