Public school students have a four-day holiday thanks to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. If you're celebrating, L'Shanah Tovah! Even if you're not, there are lots of exceptional family events that will make this weekend feel special, including eight of our top picks of the month! Five of them are 100% FREE: the super-interactive Dumbo Arts Festival, Brooklyn's largest street fair Atlantic Antic, the Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park, the Morningside Lights illuminated procession in Morningside Park, and Bay Ridge's 48th annual Ragamuffin Parade. Plus, the New Victory Theater kicks off its season with the wonderful rock-folk tale The Old Man and the Old Moon, the Whitney is hosting a Jeff Koons Family Day and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is throwing its annual Chile Pepper Festival.

Though most of our best bets for the weekend take place on Saturday and Sunday, you can find lots of ongoing fun in our Fall Fun Guide and our Pick Your Own Guide featuring apple- and pumpkin-picking places within an hour of Manhattan by car—some are even accessible via public transportation. And check out our Museum Guide for the inside scoop on cool kid-friendly exhibits like the Museum of the Moving Image's Chuck Jones retrospective and the brand-new Sesame Street installation at Lincoln Center.

These are just a few of the great things going on this Rosh Hashanah weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar.

We finish up our spotlight on Midtown East with a roundup of the best family-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood. Since the area is full of office buildings and tourist attractions, it overflows with quick lunch places and gourmet eateries that cater to business types and visitors. But if you go further east into the residential communities of Murray Hill and Tudor City, you'll find cozier, casual spots where families can enjoy a leisurely meal without worrying that your tots' cries will interrupt the next big corporate merger.

As longtime residents of Murray Hill who eat out frequently, my family and I have tried all of these restaurants personally. Frankly, it was hard to pick my favorites since there are so many wonderful diners, burger joints and other low-key, non-exotic eateries where even the pickiest kids (like mine) will find something to please. When I first started researching this post, I had two pages of possibilities! But, with my son's help, I've pared it down to the top ten places to eat with kids in Midtown East.

You can find kid-friendly restaurants all over NYC in our Family Restaurants Guide.

For some children, making friends and speaking up for themselves doesn't come easy. Seeing a child struggle at making friends or a connection with others can be heartbreaking for parents, but there are several social skills programs and classes around Long Island that can help their children break out of the shells and master steps that will help them to become more self confident around their peers. Here is a list of some of the programs offered around LI--for children both on and off the spectrum. And for other enrichment programs, be sure to check out our Long Island Classes Guide.

Autumn is officially here New Jersey! These next couple of months will be filled with cooler sweater weather, pumpkins & apples and best of all, plenty of festivals and events to keep families busy and happy. Check out one of the many seasonal festivals our state has to offer, like the Bergen County Harvest Fest & Craft Fair or the 33rd Annual Harvest Festival at Trailside Nature Center. And if you want to keep the back-to-school learning momentum going, bring the kiddos to check out airplanes at Teterboro Airport’s Open Cockpit Day, hear a story from a famous children’s author at the Morristown Festival of Books or sit back and enjoy a vibrant Indian dance performance at the NJ State Museum. And remember, you can check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

With bouncy houses parties taking over the birthday scene, why not opt for an out-of-the-box idea? Farms across Long Island host kiddie birthday parties, complete with hands-on animal encounters and farm-life experiences. Take a look at our list of family-friendly farms that will give your child a hee-haw happy birthday. For other great ideas, check out our Long Island Party Guide.

It’s understandable that applying to preschool is nerve-racking: It’s one of the first decisions you make for your child’s education. But at Mommy Poppins, we believe that applying to preschool can be a sane experience, and we want to do what we can to dispel some of the anxiety. So we're sharing the inside scoop from our recent preschool fair where we interviewed a number of top NYC preschool directors, administrators and teachers for their tips on the admissions process. After all, who knows it better than the people who make the decisions?

Like every mom, I hate when my boys get sick, but it’s a fact of life, especially now that school is back in session and kids just love passing germs around to one another. Couple that with the cooler weather on its way, and... you get the idea. When illness hits my house, seeing the pediatrician is usually the best option. But there are times when it’s not possible (like at 2am), or I’m unsure if that runny nose or low-grade fever is worth a trip to the doctor’s office.

Believe me, it’s not that I’m too lazy to take them—it’s more like I’m scared about what’s waiting for us once we get there. Last year, I took my older son to the pediatrician with a cough (with my younger, healthy son in tow) and we sat in a jam-packed waiting room for nearly 30 minutes. It turned out it was just a cough—but a week later they both came down with a nasty virus. I know, they could have picked that up anywhere, but I'm pretty sure they were exposed to it there. So you can understand my resistance to run to the doctor for every little ailment. That’s why I was definitely intrigued by our sponsor, LiveHealth Online, which offers video chats with a real-live U.S.-based doctor 24/7, all year.

We all know the drill: You’re excited at the thought of not having to cook 3-4 meals to satisfy the choosy eaters in your bunch, only to pay $10 for a plate of food at a restaurant they barely touch. The frustration of throwing money (and perfectly edible food) into the garbage practically ruins the night out. Well, not at these Long Island eateries. Several restaurants offer kids eat free promotions that are sure to please the pickiest of palates. And for more cheap eats in the area, check out our original post, Long Island Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free.