If you're a parent of a child in public school, you live by the school calendar. Even many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule. As the first day of school in NYC approaches (Wednesday, September 5...but who's counting?) you'll want to bookmark the New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2018-2019 school year.

Keep this list handy as you start making next year's family vacation plans! With the exception of the occasional unplanned snow day or case of the sniffles, these are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school.

What if there were a lake in Los Angeles County big enough to accommodate swan pedal boats, fishing, and kayaks? What if it were home to dozens of ducks and geese, and there were playgrounds and a 1.3 mile jogging path? What if there were cherry blossom trees and even a Japanese tea garden? Sounds nice, right?

One of my greatest priorities in raising a young girl is to give her a strong foundation, so that she has a positive self-image and feels empowered to be herself. Part of that work involves seeking out girls-only spaces across the city where she feels heard, valued, and has the opportunity to meet strong-minded, brilliant female role models.

There are more than enough opportunities to keep kiddos busy in the city, but girls-focused programs are specifically designed to allow girls to explore their world freely. From STEM to sports, many of these programs are run by women who, of course, know what it’s like to be a young girl coming into her own.

We've rounded up our favorite activities, camps, and programs that pack major girl power. Be sure to click through to the listings for all the details, including times, locations and recommended ages. You can search through dozens of classes by type or location in our Classes Guide and Directory Listings as well.

We love our local library, but sometimes we find a book that we love so much that it just has to be purchased and added to our at home collection. Big retail stores can be fun to explore when shopping for books, but there is something to be said for getting lost surfing the shelves of a local shop. Personalized service, author readings, and storytimes make shopping at a local bookstore a delightful experience to share with little ones. These stores are unlike any others in the city. You never know what you might find tucked away in the shelves or what local author you might bump into at these quaint shops. 

Whether it's your first child or your third, finding the best daycare option for your family comes with its share of challenges. Most parents are looking at factors like cost, hours, location, safety, and child-teacher ratio, but of course, another major requirement is an environment that's warm, inviting, and family-friendly. While trying to find the perfect daycare can make any parent anxious, the relationships and beautiful memories you'll create as a family will make all the effort worthwhile.

To help guide your search for the right daycare, we reached out to childcare program directors, Mommy Poppins editors, teachers, and professional moms to collect their stories and consolidate their advice. These daycare veterans have had time to reflect on their choices, and are ready to share their wisdom and lessons learned, which, together with your area's Daycare Listings, can help you pick a daycare that you actually love.

It’s not officially autumn yet, but it will be soon and that means it’s time for fall festivals. There are so many in the Boston area that it can be hard to know which ones are good for families. We took the guesswork out of it by narrowing the field down to our favorites. You’ll find good food, fun activities, music, performances, and much more at these 10 fall festivities in Boston that are perfect for both parents and kids.

School has started, but that is no reason to stop having family fun-time. In fact September marks the beginning of a ton of autumn fun! There are festivals, carnivals, free museum days, and other memorable happenings. To get the full fall picture, check out our fun Fall Guide.

As the carefree days of summer draw to a close, NJ families can look forward to plenty of fun in the Garden State this fall. Explore nature at the NJ Wild Outdoor Expo, chow down on delicious seafood at the Atlantic City Seafood Festival, or listen to some exciting tales at the NJ Storytelling Festival.

Check out the 13 awesome festivals below, and visit our Events Calendar for more fabulous fall ideas! And sign up for our FREE newsletters to get the best local events and reviews delivered right to your inbox.