The problem with giving various groups a designated month—Black History Month, Women's History Month, Gay Pride Month, etc.—is that after 30 or so days the topic is unceremoniously dropped and not mentioned until the next year. Well, we're not going to fall into that trap. While National Hispanic Heritage Month officially runs from September 15 to October 15, there are lots of ways to celebrate Hispanic culture all year round in New York City. (Not surprising since, according to the most recent census report, more than 2 million people of Hispanic descent live in the Big Apple!) Here are some of our favorite places to explore and learn about Latino culture with kids in NYC during National Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond.

We've been working hard on our Classes Guide, updating old posts and adding new ones. Reading about awesome and enriching kids' classes is always fun... until you get to the prices. That's why we reached out to some of our favorite programs and asked them to extend deals to our readers. The result is seven excellent offers for kids that you won't want to miss, from babies through tweens. Save big on classes like chess, music, animals, animation and more. Act fast! These deals are too hot to hang around long.

In the early 1940’s, a first grade teacher dreamed up a story about four orphaned children who set up house in a boxcar. It became a book called "The Boxcar Children," published in 1942. The teacher and author, Gertrude Chandler Warner, went on to write eighteen more books for the series.

Fast forward 70 years, to today. There are 130 books in the series, graphic novels, e-books, audio books, and a forthcoming animated film. In celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Boxcar Children series, a prequel written by Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain & Tall) has just been released, and there are events galore scheduled in New England. To get in on the action, read on for Boxcar Children-related activities and happenings in the Boston area and beyond, all the way to the hometown of Gertrude Chandler Warner in Putnam, Connecticut. 

Back in July, we wrote a post about Summer Play Streets, blocks that are temporarily closed to traffic and opened to fun in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Play Streets are a great way for kids to get out there and run around, especially in communities that don't have easy access to high-quality parks and playgrounds.

Play Streets are sponsored by various nonprofits like the Police Athletic League and the NYC Parks Department. Transportation Alternatives—an organization dedicated to reclaiming urban streets from cars for cycling, walking and playing—helps residents request Play Streets for their communities. This week, T.A. is holding free info sessions with everything you need to know to get a Play Street in your area for summer 2013.

We spent the week filling up our Fall Culture Guide and we're very excited about the season ahead of us. In addition to our roundup of the best family concerts that we published last week, we added posts about cool kids' shows and awesome harvest festivals right here in NYC.

Of course, if you want a truly authentic fall experience, considering hitting one of these huge harvest fests in New Jersey. Combine it with a trip to a NJ pumpkin patch and you've got the makings of a great fall day trip. If you're planning on going apple picking this season, we shared some easy apple recipes and crafts (better than letting them rot in your fridge).

With a four-day weekend because of the Jewish New Year and Columbus Day weekend on the horizon, be sure to check our Travel site, which just launched a comprehensive Family Guide to the Poconos with posts about the best restaurants, attractions and things to do in the area. Or how about Long Branch, New Jersey? Our NJ site posted about this often overlooked beach town that boasts lots of fun for families.

Here's what else happened this week on the NYC site.

Fall is in the air; can you feel it in the mornings and evenings? Long Island is in the swing of it, hosting lots of fall festivals and celebrations. There's a fall festival at Hallockville in Riverhead, the 2012 East End GreenFest in Mattituck, and it's Cow Harbor Day in Northport. As always, be sure to check our events calendar this weekend and every day for lots more activities. It's going to be a beautiful weekend; get out and enjoy it!.

As a mom who started letting her own nine-year-old son take the city bus home by himself in fourth grade (and received quite a bit of flack for it from other parents), I've been a longtime fan of Lenore Skenazy, the blogger behind Free Range Kids who gained notoriety for doing the same. For years, Skenazy has encouraged NYC parents to let their kids get out and run around by themselves—and now she's suggesting parents pay for the privilege.

This week, Skenazy launched a series of unsupervised playdates for kids. For $350, she won't watch your kids as they romp around Ancient Playground in Central Park one Wednesday a week after school through November 7. How's that for a bargain? Can you hear the outraged cries from where you are?