I keep staring at the calendar and wondering, how can it be August already? That old saying that time flies when you're having fun seems to be especially true in summer when the long days (and even nights) are filled with family adventures. (Already this week my kid and I saw Cirque du Soleil: Varekai at Barclays Center, ate at the legendary Brooklyn Junior's and tonight we're off to see Marvel Universe Live! in New Jersey.)

Of course a new month means a bunch of brand-new Go Lists. We've already published roundups of the absolute best things to do with kids throughout August in NYC, Westchester and Connecticut, and the posts for Long Island and New Jersey go up on August 1. If you're hoping to get out of town for a day trip, these exceptional Go List events make for great inspiration. Or just browse our regional sites for destination ideas, like these five great family campgrounds in Westchester, five things to do with kids in Bridgehampton, Long Island and the top trampoline parks in New Jersey. Or, for a multi-day getaway, consider building a trip around the recently opened Legoland Discovery Center in Somerville, Massachusetts.

We're entering the final weeks of our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE and we're gearing up to give away our grand prize: all the fixings your family needs to throw the Ultimate Summer of Play Bash including a $200 gift card for Imagine Toys, a $100 gift card for Big Dot of Happiness, and delicious organic snacks from Ella's Kitchen and Earth's Best. So keep posting playful pics on social media and you may turn out to be our big winner! If you need family playtime inspiration, we have hundreds of ideas in our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Every year around this time, I start to feel like my daughter and I are the last New Yorkers left in the city. All of our friends are away at sleepaway camp or off on exotic vacations, like Mommy Poppins founder, Anna, who stayed at the fabulous Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica this week. Not that I'm complaining. While I can't say we have NYC to ourselves (I think I've given directions to tourists every single day this week), we are still enjoying all summer in the city has to offer, including museum exhibits (the pic above is from the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney), public pools, beaches and playgrounds. And since my daughter just got a pair of hand-me-down roller skates, the two new rinks in Brooklyn are on our must-do list.

Of course you don't have to get on a plane to have an out-of-town adventure. Our Long Island site highlighted six farms where kids can feed and pet the animals, and eight family-friendly hiking trails. Meanwhile, New Jersey rounded up seven pick-your-own farms with summer berries, and spotlighted the small but activity--filled ocean-side town of Avalon. And Connecticut made a list of the top 25 things to do with kids in New Haven.

Regardless of where you're spending the season, remember to post your playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. It ends in a few weeks so start snapping today—you know you want to show off that gorgeous family of yours.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Water, water, everywhere, all over our Mommy Poppins sites. We updated two super-popular posts in our Water Fun Guide: the best boat rides for NYC families and our list of the top 20 water playgrounds throughout the five boroughs, including the brand-new Lakeside Splash Pad in Prospect Park. Plus we shared 25 water games you can play anywhere, from your local park to your own backyard.

Looking to get wet outside the the city? Our Long Island site has a roundup of the best beach playgrounds in the Hamptons, while Westchester highlighted six destination parks featuring all kinds of water fun like beaches, pools and water slides. And if your family is really up for a full-fledged water-filled adventure, our Travel site recommends the Grand Solmar Land's End Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Warning: Do not click here unless you're prepared to be jealous.

We're smack-dab in the middle of summer break and our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. What has your family been doing to make the most of the season? Share your playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes. Every week, we're giving away a KaBOOM! Go Out and Play Pack and in late August, we'll be awarding one lucky reader with an Ultimate Summer of Play Bash. So submit your fun photos and then click through all of the entries for new play inspiration.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Cool ways to beat the heat seemed to be the theme across all of our sites this week. (Perhaps it had something to do with how much we've been shvitzing.) In NYC, we rounded up our top 50 places to cool off with kids, both indoors and out. Our Long Island site highlighted five water slides worth the day trip and did a whole post on Splish Splash Waterpark, which is just 90 minutes by car from NYC.

Connecticut, meanwhile, is filled with pristine public beaches to explore as well as many cool isles situated o the Long Island Sound. And in New Jersey, you can go swimming in lakes and watering holes.

If you're looking for more than just a day trip, our Travel site just wrapped up its series of posts about Richmond, Virginia with a list of the best outdoor activities for kids. Or you could hit the amusement park, waterpark and green spaces on Southern NJ's gorgeous Long Beach Island.

Whether you opt to go away this weekend or stick close to home, remember to share your family's playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. We've been getting some amazing entries and we love seeing how our readers are enjoying themselves this summer.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

What's the worst thing you can do before a three-day summer weekend? Write a really long blog post. So I'm going to keep this brief since I know we're all ready to start our holiday. NYC is filled with patriotic fun in honor of July 4th from Macy's iconic fireworks to sparklers in Coney Island to a kid-friendly Independence Day parade in Harlem. If your weekend is already booked, all of our sites published July Go Lists this week so you can find out about the best things to do with kids throughout the month in NYC, Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and beyond. Many of our tri-state area family event picks are worth traveling for, like this weekend's Hudson Valley Balloon Festival in upstate New York, the New Jersey State Ice Cream Festival on July 19 and the Ice Cream, Blueberries and Bluegrass Bash on July 20 at Connecticut's Fort Hill Farms, which is also a great place to pick your own blueberries.

If you're looking for summer vacation destinations, check out our Travel site. This week we shared brand-new posts about the best attractions for families in Yosemite, California; Richmond, Virginia's top-notch children's museums and historic Maymont mansion; and a roundup of summer family travel deals all over the country.

And no matter where you spend this July 4th weekend, be sure to share your family's playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE, our season-long initiative encouraging families to spend quality time playing together.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This has been a week of transition as our SUMMER OF PLAY begins. Our Mommy Poppins bloggers have been all over the map, dropping off their kids at camp or going camping as a family, and flying off to far-flung destinations like the Caribbean and Europe.

If you're looking at a season-long NYC staycation don't worry—my family is, too. That's why we've been furiously updating all of our popular summer posts like our favorite public pools (which open for the season this Friday) and readers' top 42 outings in and near NYC, along with our list of FREE things to do every day through the end of August, including a bunch of anytime options.

Speaking of FREE summer fun, we kicked off our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE this week with a list of 100 ways to play with kids this season anytime, anywhere. We also launched a great SUMMER OF PLAY giveaway encouraging your family to share your playtime fun on social media to inspire others while simultaneously vying for prizes.

And we have two other giveaways going on this week: Enter to win tickets to this Sunday's Everything Kids Expo at the Aviator Sports and Events Center and like this Facebook post for a chance to win a Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band prize pack, which includes CDs and tickets to see the L.A. kid rockers perform at the Bronx Zoo. Enter ASAP: Both giveaways end this Friday.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Even though the beginning of summer is an exciting time, I always find the end of school to be bittersweet. Yes, the kids are psyched about going to camp and traveling to fun places, but they're also saying goodbye to their friends as classes change, or heading off to a new school entirely. And for us parents, it's another milestone that reminds us that our kids are growing up—fast.

That's one of the big reasons we try to make every summer the best one ever, and there are plenty of ways to do that in NYC and beyond. Beautiful beaches beckon like Short Beach Park in Connecticut and Cape May in New Jersey, as do fun-filled festivals like the New Jersey State Fair at the Meadowlands, which kicks off this weekend. Or how about a day trip to a nearby theme park like these family favorites on Long Island or New Jersey's brand-new Diggerland USA? If you're looking for a longer getaway, Pennsylvania's Dutch Wonderland, which recently opened a new Exploration Island dinosaur attraction, is a great weekend trip and Asheville, North Carolina makes for an awesome vacation destination.

Speaking of dinos, seeing Walking with Dinosaurs - the Arena Spectacular at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in July is also on my family's list of must-do summer activities. This week, we're giving away a family four-pack to the show and even if you don't win, we've got a discount on tickets to select performances, too.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

Summer is right around the corner, which means it's your last chance to sign the kids up for enriching seasonal programs. Our June deals post features discounts on all kinds of cool camps where kids can enjoy performing theater, playing chess, learning languages and even sailing on the Hudson. Plus, snag a great Central Park Conservancy Family Membership deal, and save on an all-kid production of Seussical, preschooler classes and even personal training sessions for mom and dad. If you see a bargain you can't pass up, act fast: Many of these deals will expire before the month is out.