Editor's note: The Rubin Museum will close its doors on Sunday, October 6, 2024.

As New York City museums go, the Rubin Museum of Art is just a baby, but it's definitely growing fast. The only museum in the Western Hemisphere dedicated to the art of the Himalayas (Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China and many other Far East countries and cultures), its collection is varied and vast—there are countless figures of deities, shrines, instruments, textiles and more—and the institution as a whole is surprisingly family-friendly.

We wrote about the Rubin back in 2004, but so much has changed since then, we revisited the museum as well as this post. Not only is there an impressive slate of programming for kids, including drop-in workshops and festivals, the Rubin opened an education center in the summer of 2011, which accommodates children and adults.

Next door to the museum, the two-floor center features circular stairs that mirror the main space's dramatic spiral staircase. It's a lovely addition with large classrooms and a performance area, cute cubbyholes for backpacks, and colorful kid-made art interspersed with items from the museum's collection.

The Rubin is a wonderful destination on any day: The artifacts are stunning and easy for kids to digest (a solid gold statue of a deity doesn't need to be put in context; it's just cool), and there's a cafe with delicious eats. Happily though, there are kids' activities almost every day. Here's what's going on at the Rubin for families this season.

With the weather we've been having, perhaps the last thing you want to do is pick up a book about the hottest season.

But you'll be pining for summer fun soon enough: longer days, summer Fridays, family vacations, and afternoons spent in the sprinklers and at the beach.

Even though summer isn't even half over, I catch myself feeling nostalgic for it. It's the season we always seem to measure by how close it is to being done. These ten children's books capture its big and little pleasures: the magic of keepsakes, awesome (and not-so-great) photos and the making of memories. Every one is a must for your summer reading list.

If your kids are anything like mine, they've been begging to see the reboot of The Smurfs since those little CGI blue guys (and one girl) started taking over all the ad space in the city. (They seem to be everywhere! On buses, phone booths, billboards, etc.) 

Although I was a big fan of the Smurfs back in the day and I adore NPH (a.k.a. Neil Patrick Harris, the movie's human star), I don't have the highest hopes. That said, I know where I'll be next Friday, July 29: in a movie theater enjoying the air-conditioning, eating popcorn and watching my son have a good time.

But you know what I actually am excited about? Smurf Week in NYC! NYCGo, New York City's official tourism organization, has partnered with local cultural centers like the Brooklyn Children's Museum and the New York Botanical Garden for five days of smurfy fun for families. Yes, it's a marketing ploy to get you to see the movie, which you'll probably end up doing anyway. But a lot of the activities sound super-smurftastic.

Read on for the smurfiest highlights (and we promise, no more smurfing around).

Do you know that a quarter of Fairfield County's area is covered in water? Getting out on the water in a kayak, a sailboat or on a stand-up paddle board can provide hours of summer fun.

Paddle on a neighborhood pond

Kayaking is an easy and safe water sport, especially on the calm surface of a protected pond. Nearly every town offers family-friendly and safe spots for kayaking. Most operate small boat rental places at municipality-owned lakes. The Town of Ridgefield’s Parks and Recreation Center has a little boathouse on the Great Pond in Martin Beach Park with single and tandem kayaks and paddle boats that can accommodate the whole family.

We promise we're not going to obsess on the heat. And we're not going to sing "Hot Hot Hot" or "It's Gettin' Hot in Herre" (sic) like your annoying coworkers. But man, it is boiling in NYC right now... hard to believe just six months ago we were suffering through snow days!

The terrible temperatures didn't dampen our spirits though. We still managed to have some great adventures visiting a Wild Safari, sailing on the Ikea Water Taxi and getting wet at Pier 84 in Hudson River Park.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut.

Had enough festivals yet? Of course you haven't! It's summer! Time for food on a stick and hot sweaty bouncehouses! There are fests in Hoboken, Middletown, Tenafly and the Shore this weekend, but if you don't feel like walking through ten thousand other people to get your Zeppole, you can also count fireflies for a scientific study, let your kid become a Junior Zookeeper, or watch a cool old-fashioned baseball game being played. We love summer, we really do. Food on a stick and all.

Hot weather making you stay in? Or, loving the warmth the sun is bringing us right now and want to embrace it? Well this weekend, we’ve got fun and exciting indoor and outdoor events taking place. Read on to see where to have fun in the sun, or fun inside. Don't forget to check out our post about where you can Take a Dip in Long Island Pools.

With temperatures reaching into the high nineties this month, many parents are looking for a place where their children can keep cool and have fun! Long Island local swimming pools are the answer. From gigantic watersides to fun interactive water play areas, Long Island pools have so much to offer. Read on to check out a few places in Long Island to take a dip in the pool.