Ah, August in the city! You've probably got your routine down pat at this point: art exhibits, subway-accessible beaches, and Summer Streets are all regulars in your summer schedule. As are trips for cool treats. If your neighborhood ice cream shop is feeling a tad too familiar at this point in the summer, it's time to step it up—and step it out of your 'hood.

We’ve rounded up 10 over-the-top ice cream establishments that are a little more under the radar than say Black Tap, but are the perfect way for you and your kids to enjoy before summer's over. Get ready to be blown away (and say goodbye to Mister Softee, for now): There’s rolled ice cream, innovative soft serve, make-it-yourself ice cream, and cutting-edge ice cream sandwiches. Go forth and enjoy, and check out our NYC Restaurant Guide for more great family eats.

The wait is over for Muppets fans! The long-anticipated permanent exhibit showcasing the late Jim Henson and his beloved characters will open in July at The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria.

A successful Kickstarter campaign, along with generous donors, including Henson family members, will bring it to fruition at last. Although the exhibit offers something for everyone—nearly 300 artifacts—kids will probably be most excited about the 47 original Muppets, which include Kermit, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, Elmo, and other favorites. Other material on display at MoMI, including sketches, storyboards, scripts and costumes, will highlight the process Henson followed to bring his visions to life.

While there are plenty of great cooking classes for kids in New York City, the League of Kitchens offers a special experience in which the learning goes beyond culinary education.

These classes, aimed at ages 13 and older, teach teens how to cook. But perhaps more importantly, young people discover other cultures by taking classes in the homes of immigrants. It's a genius idea, even in this diverse city, where we often don't take advantage of chances to learn from our neighbors. 

Sensory gyms are a great resource for children with special needs or a developmental delay or concern. The specialized play equipment entertains as it provides treatment, and it's often a supportive environment for families, too. While there are many activities parents and children can do at home, a sensory gym offers equipment not usually available in a New York City apartment. Some facilities even offer time with trained therapists. 

Queens doesn't have as many sensory gyms as Manhattan or Brooklyn, so it can be difficult to find quality classes or even an indoor play space where kids can play safely with other youngsters. It does, however, have a growing number of well-equipped gyms run by experienced therapists; we rounded up six for you below.

Mummies, a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, is an exciting glimpse into the ancient past made possible through modern technology. The exhibit—on loan from The Field Museum in Chicago—showcases 18 mummies from ancient Egypt and Peru, many of which have been in storage since the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Yes, that's right—more than 100 years ago. Amazing. Kids will be fascinated by the mummies, while parents will find the science that made it all possible equally enthralling. (More on that later.) The exhibit, which opened Monday, March 20, gives a sense of who the mummies were, what their lives were like, and even what several of them looked like. 

Cat cafes are big in Japan, and it only makes sense that they're catching on in New York City, as well. After all, cats are the ideal apartment pet, and in a big, sometimes anonymous city, it can be comforting to spend some time with feline companions. If your kid is cat-crazy, but you can't commit to ownership, cat cafes may be the ideal solution.

And even if you already own a feline or two, cat cafes are still a fun place to explore your inner cat lady (or cat man). It's a great option for a family winter outing, especially for mature kids, tweens, and even teens, and we've got the scoop on three cat cafes that call the Big Apple home.

Really crazy for cats? Check out the upcoming Cat Camp, an adoption and conference about all things feline happening this March in Chelsea. You might even get to meet the internet famous Lil Bub.

New York City Children's Theater's latest production for school-age kids, Love That Dog, is a one-actor play that manages to be both entertaining and poignant. Jack is a 10-year-old boy whose class is learning about poetry in school. He's not thrilled, to say the least, but as he listens to and writes poems he becomes caught up in the magic of words, eventually sharing his story with the audience.

It's one of our top picks for children's theater this winter in NYC. Find out why.

All your favorite sci-fi tropes are on display in a new exhibit at the New York Hall of Science. Science Fiction, Science Future is a fun, interactive display that draws from sci-fi movies and books, as well as scientific research, to create a hands-on experience for kids of all ages—and their parents!

Read our review of this STEM-focused new children's museum exhibit with plenty to engage science and technology enthusiasts.