Ease into this back-to-school week with our low-key weekday event picks for NYC kids. Whether you skipped town with the kids for the Labor Day holiday, or hung around NYC this long weekend, you’re likely worn out and looking forward to a quieter week.

Not to fret. The Mommy Poppins event gurus have you covered. Our weekday event picks for Tuesday, September 8-Friday, September 11, err on the side of helping your family gain a little Zen back and recharge for the fall. And when you’re ready for more? Check out the September GoList picks for best kid bets all month long, including the Brooklyn Book Festival’s very first Children’s Day and the STEM-fueled Maker Faire, or the top NYC fall festivals.

Acute angles and interceptors, vertex and trapezoids, being a kid isn’t easy! Many children do not get excited about math, and some outright dread the subject because they find it difficult. Thankfully, the Hartford area offers plenty of options for securing additional help.

Ready those toothbrushes! Dylan's Candy Bar opened a new outpost in Union Square September 1, and it's full of sweet temptations for NYC kids—and adults. 

The store is laid out on a single floor, measuring a little over 3,000 square feet, making it smaller than the sweet spot's three-floor Upper East Side flagship. While it lacks the square footage and bar of its uptown sibling (yes, Dylan's makes a mean martini), this boutique version has a fun downtown flare that fits right into the neighborhood.

Back-to-school season isn't just about returning to the classroom. It's also a time we look to enroll our kids in extracurricular activities, and whether you're looking for athletics, arts or academic classes, after-school or on the weekends, New York City offers an overwhelming number of options. The real challenge isn't finding a class, it's finding the right program for your child.

One of the best ways to do that is with a free trial or demo class. Throughout September (and sometimes beyond), many popular NYC children's programs offer no-cost sessions so kids and parents can decide firsthand which classes are worth their time and money. We've rounded up FREE trial classes for a variety of children's programs. Click on the titles for additional details about each class.

You can find even more programs in the Mommy Poppins Classes Guide and our Class Directory, which allows you to sort listings by age, interest and neighborhood.

The end of summer could make a grown man cry, let alone your kids.  So, before you pore over your options for After School Computer Coding classes, or become slave to the AYSO calendar, consider that, if you let it, summer could have one last blast.  Take advantage of that September sun, with one or more things from our list ...  you technically have until the 21st before it ends! The Enrichment Classes Guide will be here when you get back.  We promise.

New York City kids are privy to some of the best museums in the world, and this week, the city's cultural institutions seemed to be trying to outdo one another with great family programming.

The New York Hall of Science launched a suite of apps poised to bring STEM-inspired fun straight to your iPad, while the Staten Island Museum's new location at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center prepares for a grand-opening, Lincoln Center expanded free family programming to the outer boroughs and the Metropolitan Opera kicked off its late Summer Festival lineup.

In other news, don't pack away your sunblock just yet. For the first time in decades, NYC beaches will remain open past Labor Day! With additional funding for lifeguards and other beach workers, New Yorkers can now enjoy the city beaches through Sunday, September 13. NYC public pools, however, still close on Labor Day.

Read on for more news throughout the five boroughs.

Summer can't last forever, although that certainly would be swell. It's Back to School time and for many kids, that also means "Back to Cool." As in, what styles for boys and gals are cool and hip for the new academic year? We rounded up the best independent clothing stores in New Jersey--both storefront and online--and asked what kids under 10 are shopping for this days. (We also learned Montclair dominates the indie fashion scene for kids!) Here's the feedback; and be sure to check out our September GOList to make this the best month ever.

Summer is touted as the best season to enjoy the great outdoors, with its barbecues, pool parties and sunshine. But I personally think autumn is the perfect time to venture outside - the air is crisp and the leaves are changing to vibrant hues of yellow, red and orange. We're at that sweet spot of the year where the heat has subsided but temperatures aren't cold enough to keep us indoors. You can pick pumpkins, stargaze, or head to an NJ park to look at the brilliant fall foliage.