There’s a crazy amount of fun happening in Jersey this weekend, so much that we could only bring you the highlights. Lots of end of summer/back to school partying with Barista Kids and Duke Farms, a weekend of wackiness called Clownfest, and you can even shave your noggin bald for a good cause. The kids deserve some fun for surviving the first full week of school, so take them out to one of these events and have a blast!

Let's face it, kids love reading about other kids being bad. Kids become giddy as they gleefully chastise their naughty counterparts in classics like "Oh, David!." Here are a few new books that celebrate naughtiness—for educational purposes only, of course.

This giveaway is over. The World Maker Faire is making its New York debut this year, and we're lucky to be able to attend this festival of creativity and ingenuity without having to fly out to Cali. Started by MAKE magazine, the World Maker Faire is a celebration of imaginative, do-it-yourself, invention. Though kids will no doubt be in awe of the life-size mouse trap and Coke Zero/Mentos fountain, this way upgraded science fair sounds like it can definitely entertain us chaperones too. And some lucky Mommy Poppins readers will be going for free! Read on to learn more about this geek-tastic event, and enter to win four free tickets.

Normally a trip to a historic home in the Hudson Valley wouldn’t be the first thing on your child’s to do list, but this Sunday, September 19, 2010, there sure won’t be any whining if you suggest a trip to Washington Irving’s Sunnyside for Children’s Book Day. A fun festival day with sixty authors and illustrators from your kid’s favorite books ready to autograph their volumes and lots of other fun goings on.  

My family and I love this event and have gone for the past three years. It is a great way to find a new favorite book, something you may have overlooked in the bookstore, and spend a day outside.  Sunnyside, the Hudson River home of Washington Irving, is picturesque and just a nice place to be, and it is just outside of NYC in the village of Tarrytown, a quick trip in the car or on Metro North.

There is a staggering statistic being bandied around on tree hugger websites lately, that each school aged kid throws out 67 pounds of garbage a year with their home packed lunch. Multiply that by the number of school kids on your block and that is a lot of plastic wrap and juice boxes going into landfills every year.  It doesn’t have to be that way. When my son started full day school last year I made an effort to pack a “waste free lunch”. To my surprise it was easy.  Cutting back on all that trash even saved me money. Now if I could just figure out how to get him to eat what I pack!  

Read on for our tips on how to build a greener and cheaper lunch.

Yes, the kids are back in school, but don’t think of it as the end of the summer, think instead that it is the start of the amazing fall season in New York City, bringing tons of opportunity for exciting experiences, fun festivals and cool culture.  

Like this weekend, there is so much going on; it is hard to decide where to start. The not-to-miss events are definitely Howl! Festival and The Brooklyn Book Festival.  While neither of them is specifically for kids, both events have special programming and areas just for kids and families. There are some smaller events that are equally as impressive around town, too.  You can enjoy the Harvest days at the Historic Lefferts House, The County Fair in Riverside Park (lots of fun and even has square dancing) or pack a picnic for the free world culture dance and music performances in Queens.  Let’s not forget the book release events, creative writing, drawing, mosaic and architecture workshops, too.

If you are in back to school planning mode, you may want to refer to our recent posts on unique after school classes, places to cook with your kids, some great new programs at the Central Park Zoo and our recently updated Classes Guide.  We also posted our favorite time saving school lunch ideas.

Welcome Back. Read on and have a great weekend!