News Update: Please call all venues ahead of time to verify that they are still occurring. There are many cancellations due to Hurricane Irene. Sure, the back to school sales have begun, but summer still reigns, and there is still a lot of kid energy to burn off. If your child is into trains, you won't want to miss the Riverhead Railroad Festival, and we found a museum overnight perfect for any wee pirate. We've also listed some museum and festival fun, from a Scottish celebration to an Annual Seafood Festival. Have a great weekend!

The weekend before Labor Day always makes us a little sad. We think about all the summer fun we've had, and how many things we didn't get to do.

That's why we were going to use this weekend to make up for lost time. But it looks like Hurricane Irene has other ideas. So we'll have to wait until next weekend to enjoy the last blast of summer. We won't be hitting the beach, the Cyclone at Coney Island, a pool, a water playground, Governors Island (the isle will actually be closed this weekend due to the storm) or the High Line Rink this weekend.

Subways and buses will start shutting down at noon on Saturday, so you won't even be able to hit any indoor attractions. Keep these in mind for Labor Day weekend: Three wonderful interactive exhibits close in September: The New York Hall of Science's Circus! Science Under the Big Top, the Children's Museum of Manhattan's Curious George: Let's Get Curious! and Harry Potter: The Exhibition.

UPDATE: Our best bets for the weekend have, as of Friday, all been canceled. Check out our post about things to do at home while you wait out the storm!

We have another great giveaway for Mommy Poppins CT subscribers! Renowned Silhouette Artist Karl Johnson of Cut Arts is coming to CT from the West Coast! Karl will be creating hand cut silhouettes in person at two locations. Enter now to win a $25 hand cut Silhouette Portrait.  Winner can make an appointment at the location of their choice to redeem.  Click on this video to see Karl in action.

Karl is a 3rd generation silhouette artist.  His work has appeared in over 30 national publications including “The O List” in O Magazine, People, In Style, Martha Stewart Wedding, Parents, Elegant Bride, Nickelodeon, People, Country Home, Country Living and many others. 

Everyone else is screaming, "back to school!" But here we are, still in summer vacation mode.

Why not? There are still 16 days until public school starts (including today, of course!) We don't want to let the fun go. And that attitude extends to our news this week which, for the most part, is of the lighter variety.

We've got the scoop on two new American Girl dolls, an awesome discount to Coney Island's Luna Park and the financial woes of Tooth Fairies everywhere. Plus, we have a few serious tidbits, including info on an autism-friendly performance of The Lion King on Broadway.

Boston offers incredible art experiences for kids, from world-class museums to undiscovered gems. You can find everything from interactive exhibits where the youngest set can learn and explore to sophisticated showings from the hottest artists on the scene.

Read on for an overview of some of the must-see museums in Boston and Cambridge, and be sure to check our more indepth posts as well for the Boston Children's Museum, Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Museum of Science, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History.

[UPDATED: July 18, 2012]

As September approaches, New York City families are signing up their kids for extracurricular classes. As an Upper West Side mom of a very energetic two-year-old, I've spent countless hours trying out various kids' classes in our neighborhood. We've sampled quite a few, everything from music to gymnastics to art. I call it our "toddler class crawl," and it's been a great way to figure out which programs work for my son without making a major time and financial commitment to a class he ends up hating.

Here's the scoop on how our toddler class crawl came to be, and two Upper West Side tot spots that, in my opinion, stand out from the rest.

Do you know that Connecticut has its very own fortress? Gillette Castle in East Haddam looks like a decoration from a fairy tale book, a real medieval castle. Its robust, dark gray stone walls, bastions and towers hide an eccentric and surprising fantasy world of hidden doorways, tricky pieces of furniture and quirky installation. Once a property of Sherlock Holmes actor, William Gillette, the fortress is now open to the public. Its generous park mirrors the castle: its winding trails lead through arched bridges and little tunnels along the path of the castle's private 3-mile long railroad with its own Grand Central Station. So if you are ready to share something extravagantly out-of-the-ordinary with your family, plan a trip to East Haddam's Seven Sisters Hills.

The first day of kindergarten for Boston Public School students is September 12, and the organization Countdown to Kindergarten has plenty of information to help kids and families make the transition a smooth one. Highlights from its website include:

Kindergarten Days Parties - Celebrations are going on in each Boston neighborhood from now through September 9th.  They are a great way to meet other students and families from your community. Check the calendar to find a Kindergarten Days Party in your neighborhood.

Countdown to Kindergarten Celebration at the Boston Children's Museum - Join Mayor Menino, Superintendent Carol Johnson, and others at the 12th annual citywide kindergarten celebration at the Boston Children's Museum on Tuesday, August 30th from 4:30 to 7:30.

Volunteer at a local Boston Public School on the first day of kindergarten.  The first day of school is exciting and fun, but sometimes scary and overwhelming for young children.  School staff welcome volunteers to help provide additional support to new students and families as they start kindergarten. To sign up, contact Sonia Gomez-Banrey at sgomezbanrey@boston.k12.ma.us.