Discovering your child's food allergies can be a frightening experience—whether the reaction is anaphylaxis, projectile vomiting, hives, eczema, or asthma. You will visit doctors, get prescriptions, change your child's diet (and probably that of the whole family as well), work out new recipes and snacks, and finally get in the groove with a system. But every food allergy parent is faced with two situations that must be managed carefully: birthday parties and school. How can you keep your child safe? The severity of a child's allergy is key to the steps you take; but even a non-life-threatening allergy can result in missed school, doctor visits, medications, and embarrassment for your child—all of which you want to avoid.

Just like other Disney properties—errr, princesses before her, Ariel is taking a second swim around the cineplex. However, the current rerelease of The Little Mermaid has a controversial high-tech hook. Subtitled Second Screen Live, it's a two-screen moviegoing experience. You download an app to your iPad that syncs up to the flick and encourages you to engage in a variety of games and activities, from trivia to mazes to sing-alongs.

In parenting circles, the knee-jerk reaction to this concept seems to be overwhelmingly negative. And I get why. As conscientious moms and dads, we're always looking to cut down on our kids' screen time. Also, using mobile devices during movies is pretty much despised by everyone (except for all those rude people who do it! I'm sure you know one or ten). Plus, Second Screen Live is clearly another attempt by Disney to wring even more money out of its already super-lucrative franchises.

But as the mom of an eight-year-old who exclaimed, "That was awesome!" after a recent Little Mermaid Second Screen Live screening, I've got to tell you, I felt the same way. It was like Rocky Horror for families with a digital twist. (As you can see from the photo, my daughter even dressed up.) And since it's very interactive and requires kids to read directions and complete challenges, it's much more stimulating than your average cinema outing.

It's been a high-tech week here at Mommy Poppins NYC. We shared some of our favorite FREE coding websites for kids, rounded up Minecraft clubs in NYC, explored the American Museum of Natural History in a whole new way thanks to the History Hero app and tonight, my daughter and I are off to see the digitally interactive Little Mermaid Second Screen Live.

Lest you think HAL has taken over, we posted about some good old-fashioned analog activities, too, like great places to see autumn leaves in NYC and the top family shows opening this fall. Our regional sites are also chock-full of seasonal fun like fall harvest festivals in Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut and on Long Island, and family-friendly apple and pumpkin-picking spots throughout the tri-state area.

This weekend brings some of our absolute favorite annual events in NYC, including Maker Faire at the New York Hall of Science and the Queens County Fair. Plus, on Sunday Mommy Poppins is hosting a special eco-themed family cruise on Manhattan by Sail's Clipper City Tall Ship. Enjoy hands-on nature activities, sailor skills, face painting and stunning New York Harbor views. Tickets are selling fast so get yours today.

Here's what else we covered in NYC this week:

This weekend, four food inspired festivals take center stage. Head over to the Garden of Eve Organic Farm for the Long Island Garlic Festival, which is now in its 10th year. In the mood for some Mediterranean food? Then check out the Greek Festival at the St. Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church. Take a trip to the East End and feast on fresh seafood at the Greenport Maritime Festival. Embrace the late summer harvest of corn, beans, and squash at the Celebration Of The Three Sisters at Sylvester Manor. In the mood to do some shopping? Help save the planet and stock up on clothing, toys, and books at the Chicken Kidz Consignment Event. For a completely different change of pace, take a trip into Manhattan and set sail with the Mommy Poppins gang at the NY Harbor Ecology & Science Cruise. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.    

Beautiful Litchfield County is a tourist's dream during autumn. Yankee Magazine selected Kent as the top foliage town in New England last year. I live in the county next door to Litchfield, and I was surprised to hear that so many of my neighbors have never visited! 

If you would like to check it out for the first time or a repeat trip, you'll want to read our post on 13 Fun Things to do With Kids in Litchfield County This Fall. For those in Hartford County we've rounded up some great Fall Festivals and Fairs. With all of this talk about Fall we'd be remiss if we didn't mention our Halloween and Fall Fun Guide too!

I took my family apple picking last weekend and it was our unofficial kickoff to fall. Nothing tastes quite like a freshly picked apple. Confused as to where to go? Consult our Apple Picking Guide for plenty of ideas. And to plan ahead for a month full of activities, check out our September Go List .  

Our events calendar is always updated with the latest happenings, and here are suggestions for this weekend!

Sometimes too much of a good thing can actually turn boring. That even applies to cool cultural outings like going to New York City's world-class museums. My eight-year-old son has explored nearly every inch of several NYC institutions, in particular the American Museum of Natural History. Unless there's a new exhibit or a special way to experience these spots, we don't really want to go. So I'm always on the lookout for fresh ways to keep visits fun.

That's why I was excited to hear about the new History Hero app, a cool, interactive way to tour a bunch of cultural attractions scavenger hunt-style. While the app was designed with tourists in mind, it's an enriching experience for local families, too. Currently, NYC kids can use the History Hero app to explore the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. (If you're planning on traveling, there are tours of famous sites in Washington D.C., Chicago, London, Rome and Paris, too.)

A few weeks ago, I used the History Hero in AMNH with a pair of third graders and we all had a blast. We saw the museum in a whole new way, learned new things about old exhibits, and even discovered a few new-to-us galleries.

Sunday marks the first day of fall, and our weekend roundup offers plenty of opportunities to get out and enjoy the season, from RiverSing in Cambridge to Riverfest in Somerville, from Arlington Town Day to Brookline Day to Allston Village Fest, from Harbor Arts Festival in Boston to Trails & Sails on the North Shore. Our best bets for the weekend are below, but if this isn’t enough, check out our 20 Things to Do with Kids This Fall for more of our top picks.

With our kids’ team sports season kicking into high gear, Tara delves in to what it means to be a good spectator at your children’s games. And check out her special post on the best Boston locations for family photos. Plus, she has rounded up dance classes from all over the world, from Armenia to West Africa, offered to children right here in the Boston area. Fun!

Happy first day of fall.

Aarr, mateys, methinks we're not in Kansas anymore! Thar be three Oz events if thar be one, with new sea shanties, and them scalawags the flying monkeys comin' at ye larger than life. Repeat after me: thar be no place like home.

Especially when the home ye speak of belongs to the many legged beasties of the clan arachnid. The Spider Pavilion opens this weekend, and ye best take care lest the scurvy critters send ye to Davey Jones locker!

But ye need not abandon all hope! If ye have mastered the art of speaking in pirate's tongue, ye shall be rewarded with a doughy morsel fit for a king. Dress like a pirate, and ye can feed yer entire crew!

Keep reading for some of aarrr favorite picks for the weekend…