[UPDATED: February 23, 2013]  If your child loves digging in the dirt and messing around in the kitchen as much as mine does, then camps that offer planting, harvesting and cooking activities are a summer dream come true. Even for kids who are less, shall we say, dirt-inclined, these programs offer a wonderful opportunity to learn about the farm-to-table movement as they harvest fruits and vegetables right here in NYC. Here are five programs where city kids can get a literal taste of farm life.

We're gearing up for (hopefully) a beautiful spring weekend of family fun, but just in case of left-over April Showers, we have some great indoor events to entertain and exhaust your crew. There's a Magic Show, a Robot Lego League Competition, and a Mommy and Me Tea, as well as many outdoor events. Read on for our picks and for the winner of our NJ Playground Guide contest!  And remember, you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

There’s plenty of fun and free things to do in and around Boston this weekend. From the return of the Birds of Prey to the Stone Zoo and the Open Arts Day at Arsenal Center for the Arts on Saturday to the Harvard Square May Fair on Sunday, the weekend is filled with festivals and celebrations. Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.

Looking for more things to do? We have four fun crafts that kids can make for mom for Mother’s Day. We’ve also rounded up some of the great learn to sail programs that are available for kids in and around Boston.

Enjoy!

Yes, finally...The weather is suppose to warm up over the weekend! We must enjoy it while we can because it is suppose to get colder again next week. This weekend celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Earthplace with music, crafts, tacos and pinatas in Westport. Spring festivals abound. The Zagray Farm Spring Show will include all things mechanical such as tractors, plowing, farm tools and blacksmithing. There will be free wagon rides and tours of the farm museum and lots of other fun. There is a Spring Fair and Plant Sale at St. John's in Stamford. Enjoy a fire truck, bounce castle, music and dance. Don't miss the Donkey and Mule Festival at Bishop's Orchards.

For most moms, there just isn’t a store-bought gift that can hold a candle to a thoughtful gift handmade by their little ones. Read on for four craft project ideas to make at home that Mom or Grandma will be proud to display. 

It's another weekend of tough activity decisions. There are a slew of spring festivals, street fairs and outdoor fetes, like Hippo Playground's annual Spring Fair, Calhoun's annual Carnival and the NYC Irish Dance Festival, which kicks off this season of Summer on the Hudson. It's also Open House Weekend for the 40 historic NYC sites up to win grants from Partners in Preservation, and many nominees are hosting cool family programming—like Henry Street Settlement's old-school Block Party, Flushing Meadow Corona Park's Rocket Thrower Festival, and live music and hayrides at the Queens County Farm Museum—in the hope of earning your vote.

Since the forecast currently mentions rain, we also highlight plenty of indoor fun like a free Hot Peas 'N Butter concert, the New York Children’s Theater Festival's final musical, The Velveteen Rabbit, Japan's Children's Day at the Japan Society, no-cost bowling at Chelsea Piers' NYC 300 and the free new Ernesto Neto exhibit.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional ideas in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

In addition to our usual selection of school scoop—some encouraging, some not—we've rounded up links about a bunch of cool new New York City places and programs. We've got details on Cooper-Hewitt's new Harlem Design Center, the star-studded launch of a new kids' cruise, geeky fun at a new comic book shop in Midtown, a new healthy restaurant at Chelsea Piers and newly minted chess champs at a Brooklyn middle school.

If you are thinking that summer school might be a good idea for your child the first thing you must do is ask them how they feel about it. It should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience for them (and you!). For children with LD's, special interests or just a plain old love of academics, summer school can be a proactive way to spend time. We've rounded up a few options that are either day or sleep-away as well as tutoring centers. Many of these campuses offer a traditional New England boarding school experience which can be an added bonus!