Uncle Tom stopped by this weekend with his boat in tow. This was a special treat, because it was not just any boat, but a 1948 Old Town wooden motor boat, beautifully restored and just perfect to take on the Concord River. We put together a picnic, grabbed the life jackets, and set off for a summer adventure.

The launch went smoothly, and we slowly eased into the river, past the families fishing on both shores at the boat landing. Once we were out on the river, it felt like we had entered a different world. The shore line is remarkably undeveloped, and the scenery varied. The river flows slowly, and is navigable by small motor boats, canoes, and kayaks. We passed a number of fishermen slowly trolling up and down the river, as well.

It’s not too late to plan an impromptu family getaway and enjoy  summer's last stand for a bargain price.  August is prime vacation time, but there are last minute deals to be found in the scenic mountains of New England, beach-side in Atlantic City, at a popular Lehigh Valley amusement park, in the desert resort Palm Springs and a special deal at Beaches Resorts in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos for single parent families.

Caillou and the Doodle Bops are coming to Long Island! Caillou is always up for an adventure and this energetic live show is no exception. Caillou and friends show off their fabulous footwork as they explore all kinds of wacky movements. The fun doesn’t stop there! Heeding the call of their legions of fans, rock stars (and siblings) DeeDee, Rooney, and Moe Doodlebop take the stage to sing their favorite songs, tell their zaniest jokes, and show off their funkiest dance moves.

Even though this summer seems to be flying by we're trying to hold on to all the great memories we've been making. Last weekend, after catching Theatreworks USA's brand-new free kids' musical, Skippyjon Jones, we hit Washington Square Park where my daughter and her pal were attacked by the biggest bubble we've ever seen (just look at the photo). Afterward, the girls romped in the play fountain. It's definitely going down in our list of greatest summer days, ever.

Our bloggers outside the city have been enjoying awesome summer days, too, and a lot of their destinations make for great day trips. Check out all of the fun to be had in harborside village of Stony Brook, Long Island or go zip-lining, rock climbing, wakeboarding or scuba diving at Connecticut's water-filled Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Parks. Prefer to visit a traditional amusement park? Our New Jersey site has a list of theme parks that offer discounted admission in the late afternoon.

Over on our Travel site, we continued our series of posts about the best travel apps for families with a roundup of apps to help you find your way around and out of problems. And if we can take a moment to brag (hey, we don't do it too often), we got a lovely mention in Thirteen's online magazine MetroFocus for our Fun off the Ferry pamphlet, which lists 101 cool things to do with kids along the East River Ferry route. You can pick one up at any of the ferry stations.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

There are plenty of things for families to do in and around Boston during this, the last weekend in July. Performances include the Circus Smirkus Troupers at Gore Place in Waltham and Flooky and the Beans, Boneparte and Dan Zane at the Summer Arts Festival on Copley Plaza.

The summer festival season continues this weekend, and includes the traditional Newburyport’s Yankee Homecoming Festival, kicking off with Old Fashioned Sunday, and the innovative Figment Boston, which tries again to bring large-scale art making to the Rose Kennedy Greenway (it was rained out in June).

For indoor activities, Tara offers a host of suggestions for how to make the most of a visit to the MFA. With just a little bit of planning, kids and parents can have a great time. We’ve also rounded up some of our favorite ice cream spots - if yours is not on the list, please let us know about it in the comments section!

Our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional things to do in our Events Calendar. And follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest updates from Tara’s diaries of a Camp Mommy director.

Enjoy!

Photo: Circus Smirkus, courtesy of Robert Sanson

We’re feeling the familial love this weekend at Mommy Poppins. It’s only natural, what with our out-of-town guest.  I am talking, of course, about our cousin Mary from across the pond. Perhaps you’ve heard of her, she’s a bit of a childcare expert herself. (We like to think of her as the original Super Nanny). Dear cousin Mary Poppins is in town for her delightful self-titled musical at the Ahmanson Theatre, and we couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. (You can drop our name for a special discount).

Normally, you get tickets for your visiting relatives to see a show.  But we’re so much more supercalifragilistic than that, we’re giving away a family 4-pack of tickets for our readers to see Mary Poppins! The giveaway ends Thursday July 26, so you’ll want to keep reading to get in on the action.

We’re not the only ones delighted that she’s in town.  Our friends at Kidsville are throwing Mary Poppins a party, complete with arts and crafts, snacks, costumed story readings, and a “Fly like Mary Poppins” zip line. (We’ll be there with a high-flying kite craft, so be sure to come over and say hi!)

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend,  and to get the details on the giveaway…

(Photo courtesy of Bayside Clam Bar and Grill)

Last year we gave you a list of great places to eat outdoors with your kids. Here are still more great places:

One of the great pleasures of summer is eating alfresco, and Long Island has a plethora of options to fulfill that desire. I started out thinking I would include five of my favorite locations, but as I began talking with some of my mom friends, they all had suggestions that I felt deserved inclusion as well. All of these restaurants are family-friendly, and several also offer entertainment nearby or on site. The water is a common theme for most of these selections, as they feature gorgeous views, allowing you to feel like you’re on vacation, without having to travel.  

There's plenty of family fun this weekend, both indoors and out in case storms or sweltering heat drive you inside. Head to Rockaway Beach to build your best sandcastle at the spot's annual competition or soak up some outdoor culture at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Family Day and SummerStage Queens Family Day.

If you've got to stay inside, there are two cool new museum exhibits opening this weekend: Spiders Alive! at the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art's Century of the Child: Growing by Design, a retrospective of 100 years of designs for kids.

Our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide, which is jam-packed with seasonal fun including roundups of the best NYC beaches, pools, water playgrounds and other ways to cool off.