It's sad, so very, very sad: the kids are going back to school. Whatever will we parents do with our own free time that we can do whatever we want with now? Sure, we'll still have the weekends to fill with child-centric merriment.  Like this weekend for instance: there's a LEGO-inspired festival of bricks, a sing-a-long version of Frozen, (don't pretend you don't still know all the lyrics), two chances to learn what happened when The Crayons Came Home, and lots of free movies the kids will love.

Yes, school may have started (depending on your district), but the summer lives on! Which is really good, on the weekends, as long as the kids are in school, Monday to Friday. So go kite flying, watch an air show, look at the stars, do all manner of things that require looking up, but do them on the weekend. Because the weekdays are your time, Momma meant for your child's creative and intellectual development.

Speaking of which, you might want to consider looking into after school classes and programs. For even more Momma-me-time ways to give your kid every opportunity.

Got a few quiet moments to yourself? Why not use them to catch up on the laundry our favorite picks for this weekend....

I’m sorry, what’s that? I can’t hear you because I have my fingers in my ears so that I won’t hear the ticking clock that’s about to go off and declare the end of LIFE AS WE KNOW IT summer break. A whole bunch of our summer favorites are coming to an end: adios LevittLA Children's Concerts; on the flip side, County Fairs; see ya later, Getty Garden Concerts; not if we see you first, other free outdoor summer concert series.

What’s that you say? Plenty of summer still awaits? (Seriously, I can’t hear you, fingers still in my ears.)  Slather on the sunscreen for tons of this-weekend-only fun, like a sand castle building extravaganza (does anything say "summer" like building a sand castle?), a summer festival (which by definition proves it is summer), and a summer block party (just like a summer festival, but with sno cones and funnel cake).  There's also D23, the gathering for everything Disney, festivals celebrating crawfish, rocketry, and Echo Park, and the chance for your talented teen to audition for American Idol (or you, if you're young enough and have the pipes). 

Remember, it ain't over til the bunny sings. On the big screen. With live orchestral accompaniment. At the Bowl. Because that's what's up, Doc.

Keep reading for summer's last hurrah....

And so it begins. (Or ends, depending on how you look at it.) As early as this week, the school year begins anew for some. Beverly Hills, Glendale, La Cañada – all of them are getting ready to say adios to summer and aloha, new semester.

Except of course that it is totally still summer. Have you looked at all the sun-kissed fun that awaits you this weekend?  Open streets from the beach to Culver City (where you can soak in the sun and free theater at the same time), the county fair (in your choice of counties),  and you can look at the stars and watch a movie at the same time. And, oh my goodness, how many outdoor concerts are there this weekend?  (Many. There are many.)

If you want to go back to school, there are a few events to help you get in the mode. But I prefer a la mode (nom nom, free ice cream, dudes).

Keep reading to get schooled in our favorite picks for this weekend...

Wow. August. I don't want to freak you out about the summer being half over or anything, because if you think of it in terms of when your kid goes back to school we're well past the half way mark. We're down to weeks, people!

But the summer still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Some of our favorite summer events wait until August to begin: the Getty's Garden Concerts, for one. Kids can roll on the giant lawn, explore the grounds and the views, and dance to some seriously good music (this year's acts are Jazzy Ash & The Leaping Lizards,  Lisa Loeb, and The Not Its).

The Actors' Gang's annual kid-friendly Shakespeare production in the park is always something special. We thought last year's My Little Pony version of Midsummer Night's Dream was going to be hard to beat, til we heard this year's theme: Hamlet by way of Harry Potter. You're a wizard, Hamlet!

In case that's not enough, we've got the circus and the OC Fair,  the Special Olympics continues through the weekend, Burbank's got classic cars and the South Bay has surfers. There are books in Baldwin Hills and fish in Thousand Oaks and you should really get a move on with your back-to-school shopping because, you know, tick tock.

Keep reading for our most there's-still-some-summer-left picks for this weekend...

Here's what we learned last weekend: it does rain in Southern California, sometimes so much that they cancel or postpone things, like concerts in the park, plays… they even closed the ocean (sorta kind of).   But that was last week. This weekend, we should be back to our usual partly-sunny, no-humidity-here kind of paradise.  Go ye forth and frolic, get your dance on, and enjoy all that our beloved Southland has to offer.  (Beaches, even!)

And good timing, too, since the eyes of the world will be upon us this weekend.  The Special Olympics brings special needs athletes from 177 nations to compete in venues throughout Los Angeles.  Events are free to attend, so why not go cheer on some exceptional competitors?

Of course, in the land of the free, you can stay indoors if you really want. Indoor type? Circus, baby!  Want the sun on your back? Orange County Fair! You can learn about space indoors with a roof over your head, or with a ceiling of stars. You can enjoy the Sunshine (Band) at night in the Marina (with KC, of course!),  you can build your sandcastle in the sand,  explore Chinatown, enjoy the arts and free movies, party with the faeries, run the bases and take in the explosive finale to the 1812 Overture.  Okay, it looks like outdoors is winning this weekend, which makes sense, it being Southern California and all. (But better enjoy it while you can: an El Niño is coming this year!)

Keep reading for our most sunshiney picks for this weekend...

Everyone seems to be loving Long Beach this weekend.  The dragonboats,  Lewis Carroll,  heck there's a whole festival built around loving Long Beach.  We like to think we got the trend started, with our post dropping some serious "We heart LB" vibes.

You know what else people love around here?  The movies, and everything to do with show biz. Besides having a nearly infinite number of ways to see movies this weekend, indoors, outdoors, timeless classics, or brand new releases,  we now have an unmatched studio tour, thanks to Warner Brothers, that takes you inside the movie- and television-making process like never before. Check this out: you can sit on the couch at Central Perk. (Stuff just got real.)

But don't stop there: we've got love to spread all over town.  Love for soda.  Love for the big top.  Love for pirates and reptiles and kid-centric music,  and love for music that will get you in the mood for love.  Love for our far away favorite Pluto,  whether or not we call it a planet.  And most of all, love for spending time with our kids, no matter what it is we end up doing.

Keep reading for our most lovey dovey picks for this weekend...

Around here we're totally enjoying our summer and not even thinking of school start dates next month. Why would we?  It's July!  There's tons to do!  Summer favorites are starting up, the Circus is in town,  you have your choice of kids' summer blockbusters,  and so many opportunities to learn about the stars, which will really go over well with your kids'  teachers when school starts up next month...

... which is not what we're talking about now, because, hello, summer, enjoying our break.  More free things to do than you'll ever have time for, (what with school starting in a matter of weeks), and plenty of things that are worth the price of admission.  Comic Con is early this year, probably because they didn't want it too close to the end of summer break. Free Slurpees this weekend! Does anything say summer like an ice cold Slurpee?

So we hope you fill your days with fun and frivolity, music and movies. And if in the process your kids happen to learn about archeology and history, marine biology, life in space, the traditions of other cultures and appreciation of the Bard, well, mores the better.  After all, school starts up before you know it.

Keep reading for our most educational picks for this weekend...

August is the new September. As July unfurls before us, we have to face the fact that, in most districts, August means back to school already. Most Los Angeles area schools now start their school years smack dab in the middle of summer, though one or two districts still cling to the time-honored "wait until Labor Day" approach. All of this can make summer camp complicated to maneuver for some families, even as others are knee-deep in homework.

From West Covina's August 5 start date (really, West Covina?  Really?) to Torrance’s September 10, don't just assume you know when school starts based on last year! Check our list of start and finish dates for the 2015-2016 school year in and around LA County before booking the family vacation.