The weekend before Labor Day always makes me a little sad. I think about all the summer fun I've had with my family and, inevitably, all the things we didn't get a chance to do. That's why we try to make the most of the last two weekends before fall unofficially arrives.

Families can help kick off the US Open with free kids' tennis clinics at the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, celebrate the back-to-school season and snag free supplies at the Bronx Museum of the Arts' family fest, enjoy tunes and tasty eats at Hudson River Park’s Blues BBQ and groove to family bands at the J&R Jr. Kids Music Fest.

Beaches and pools aren't the only attractions set to close in early September. Many wonderful kid-friendly exhibits also shutter in a few weeks, including the Children's Museum of Manhattan's hands-on NYC Design Studio, PS1’s Wendy by HWKN, the Bronx Zoo’s Wild Forest: Lego Safari, A-Maze-Ing Water at the New York Aquarium, New York Hall of Science's Animation, MoMA's awesome Material Lab and Charles Long's interactive Pet Sounds installation in Madison Square Park.

Those are just a few of the fun things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide.

Summer may be winding down, but thankfully your weekend fun doesn't have to (unless you're already busy with your children's fall sports, like me)! There's a slew to keep your crew  outside this weekend; like the County Caper game, the Chocolate and Vanilla Family Festival, a Fiddle Contest on the Farm, a free Starfish concert and even Shakespeare in the park! Read on for all our top picks and remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

Are you ready for some good news? How about lots of it? In this edition of our biweekly links post we've got nothin' but happy tales, including the scoop on the New York Aquarium's fancy upcoming shark exhibit, water-conserving playground sprinklers (about time!), a free night of comedy and cocktails for NYC moms, and the strange world of denim jeans for mamas—a must-read before your next fall shopping trip.

4 hours and $200 for 18 holes of golf in Fairfield County? Who’s got the time or money for that? Nope, mini-golf is where it’s at. Truth be told, we have only recently discovered how fun mini-golf is…and now that we have, our girls can’t get enough.

Try out some of these area courses before they close for the season:

The back-to-school season is filled with all kinds of chores like things to buy, lunches to pack and clothing to label. But what really stresses elementary schoolers (and, let's face it, their parents) out is the prospect of transitioning into a new grade or going to school for the very first time.

Is it any fun at all? Will I make friends? How much homework will I have? Those are just a few of the questions kids have as the first day of school looms. A great way to ease their anxiety is to read a picture book about what it's like to go to school. So for this month's Little Lions post, Stephanie Whelan, the senior children's librarian at the New York Public Library's Stewart Park branch, shared her favorite kids' books that help kids transition into kindergarten or any new elementary grade.

The Appalachian Mountain Club recently launched Kids Outdoors Boston, a free online community designed to help parents get their kids outside. The site is packed with over 100 thoroughly described, close-to-home trips, which include maps, driving and public transportation directions – making planning a breeze for moms and dads.

Kids Outdoors Boston is based on a guidebook recently published by AMC, Outdoors with Kids Boston. Today in partnership with the AMC, we highlight five picks from the book, chosen by the author’s daughter.*

I'm the worst mother on the planet (well, maybe just in NJ), because I basically packed the same school lunch for my daughter 180 days in a row: PB & J, cheese stick, juice box, fruit and 2 cookies.  So, after looking at Mommy Poppins' great school lunch article from last year, Get Packing!, and our terrific Back to School Guide, I decided to try some new stuff. This year when my daughter opens her lunch box, she'll be in for a surprise!