Back in July, we wrote a post about Summer Play Streets, blocks that are temporarily closed to traffic and opened to fun in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Play Streets are a great way for kids to get out there and run around, especially in communities that don't have easy access to high-quality parks and playgrounds.

Play Streets are sponsored by various nonprofits like the Police Athletic League and the NYC Parks Department. Transportation Alternatives—an organization dedicated to reclaiming urban streets from cars for cycling, walking and playing—helps residents request Play Streets for their communities. This week, T.A. is holding free info sessions with everything you need to know to get a Play Street in your area for summer 2013.

We spent the week filling up our Fall Culture Guide and we're very excited about the season ahead of us. In addition to our roundup of the best family concerts that we published last week, we added posts about cool kids' shows and awesome harvest festivals right here in NYC.

Of course, if you want a truly authentic fall experience, considering hitting one of these huge harvest fests in New Jersey. Combine it with a trip to a NJ pumpkin patch and you've got the makings of a great fall day trip. If you're planning on going apple picking this season, we shared some easy apple recipes and crafts (better than letting them rot in your fridge).

With a four-day weekend because of the Jewish New Year and Columbus Day weekend on the horizon, be sure to check our Travel site, which just launched a comprehensive Family Guide to the Poconos with posts about the best restaurants, attractions and things to do in the area. Or how about Long Branch, New Jersey? Our NJ site posted about this often overlooked beach town that boasts lots of fun for families.

Here's what else happened this week on the NYC site.

Most NYC kids went back to school this week, including all of ours (that's my daughter and her long-time pal in the pic, both going into second grade). The energy in our schoolyard was palpable today. We hope your kid's first day was equally exciting.

Although quality family time is harder to find in the fall, there are still lots of great ways to come together on the weekends. Autumn brings fun festivals, cool kids' concerts and apple picking outings. We recently updated our roundups of the best pick-your-own-apple places on Long Island, in New Jersey and Connecticut, and we even have a post about low-spray apple farms.

Even though school has started, we continue to add handy posts to our Back-to-School Guide, like money-saving supply tips and more do-it-yourself fashion and supply ideas, perfect projects for a rainy day.

And if you're already planning your next family getaway (hey, NYC public school kids have a four-day holiday coming up next weekend!), our Travel site is doing a series of posts on the Poconos in Pennsylvania, including a Bushkill Falls Waterfalls Hike, a slide show of the adorable residents of Claws "N" Paws Animal Park and a look at the lovely Skytop Lodge.

Here's what else happened this week on the NYC site.

The end of summer always makes me feel like we're racing against the clock. My daughter and I have been running all over town enjoying last-chance summer fun like hitting local beaches and pools, and checking out soon-to-close exhibits and public art displays, like the awesome interactive Pet Sounds in Madison Square Park. (That's my kid in the photo, caressing one of the installation's funky blobs to make it vibrate and "sing.")

Lots of families are heading out of town for these last few weeks of the season. Our Travel site has a roundup of Labor Day travel deals and a list of the best things to do in Richmond, Virginia. Of course you don't have to stray too far from NYC to leave the urban jungle behind: Our Long Island site has a post about all the family fun to be had in Riverhead and over in New Jersey we've got the scoop on things to do with kids in Jersey City. Plus we rounded up 11 pick-your-own apple farms near NYC, all about an hour or less away.

We continue to add to our Back-to-School Guide. New this week: Five creative school lunches and four expert tips to start off the school year successfully.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

We soaked up a lot of sun and cool culture this week (that's my daughter posing on a giant arachnid at the American Natural History Museum's awesome Spiders Alive! exhibit). But we also started to prepare for the new academic year. We just launched our Back-to-School Guide, which includes healthy breakfast and lunch ideas, cool kids' clothing websites and even do-it-yourself back-to-school fashion and supply projects.

If you're still in vacation mode, our Travel site continued its focus on Brattleboro, Vermont with a roundup of the best things to do and places to eat and stay with kids. Closer to home, our New Jersey bloggers took a fun-filled spin around the Pole Position Raceway in Jersey City while up in Connecticut we spent a day at the New Britain Youth Museum. And if you're looking for a great end-of-summer weekend getaway, consider a last-minute trip to the Jersey Shore or hitting one of the many New York State fairs happening this month.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

We've been having a wonderful NYC staycation. That photo may look like it was taken in the country, but it's actually the Arthur Ross Pinetum, one of many hidden treasures in Central Park. This week we also spent some time exploring our neighborhood of the month, Long Island City in Queens, and we shared our favorite places to see incredible views of New York City.

On our Travel site, we featured some great family destinations in Southern Vermont including 40 Things to Do in Brattleboro with Kids, Brattleboro's Retreat Farm where kids can get up close and personal with the animals, and Bromley Adventure Park, which recently opened a brand-new Aerial Adventure section.

Closer to home, our Long Island site has a fantastic profile of Shelter Island, while our New Jersey site's got the scoop on Shark Fest at Camden's Adventure Aquarium. You can also head to the Delaware Water Gap for fishing, boating, swimming, hiking and camping. Or you can plan your own local adventure with our NYC Summer Fun Guide.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

My husband and I have been spending the summer indulging our kid and ourselves—who do you think finished off that massive chocolate cocktail in front of her? And even though break is halfway over, we're trying to be glass-half-full people by remembering that there's still a month of indulgences ahead of us. If you're looking to get out of the city, our Travel site's got lists of the best things to do with kids in Martha's Vineyard and Falmouth on Cape Cod, plus a roundup of fantastic last-minute family travel deals to places like Atlantic City, PA's Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, and even Jamaica.

Prefer a getaway closer to home? How about spending a day in Long Beach, Long Island or hit Tomahawk Lake Water Park, Point Pleasant Beach, the Keansburg Amusement Park or other fun-filled destinations in New Jersey.

Of course you don't need to leave NYC to go on an adventure. We just rounded up our favorite New York Harbor boat rides and our Summer Fun Guide is filled with great local outings like City Island, Randall's Island and Governors Island—your kids won't believe they're still in NYC.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.

Even though this summer seems to be flying by we're trying to hold on to all the great memories we've been making. Last weekend, after catching Theatreworks USA's brand-new free kids' musical, Skippyjon Jones, we hit Washington Square Park where my daughter and her pal were attacked by the biggest bubble we've ever seen (just look at the photo). Afterward, the girls romped in the play fountain. It's definitely going down in our list of greatest summer days, ever.

Our bloggers outside the city have been enjoying awesome summer days, too, and a lot of their destinations make for great day trips. Check out all of the fun to be had in harborside village of Stony Brook, Long Island or go zip-lining, rock climbing, wakeboarding or scuba diving at Connecticut's water-filled Brownstone Exploration & Discovery Parks. Prefer to visit a traditional amusement park? Our New Jersey site has a list of theme parks that offer discounted admission in the late afternoon.

Over on our Travel site, we continued our series of posts about the best travel apps for families with a roundup of apps to help you find your way around and out of problems. And if we can take a moment to brag (hey, we don't do it too often), we got a lovely mention in Thirteen's online magazine MetroFocus for our Fun off the Ferry pamphlet, which lists 101 cool things to do with kids along the East River Ferry route. You can pick one up at any of the ferry stations.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.