Big changes to Governors Island Let's start with the exciting news. Formerly a weekend-only destination, the activity-filled isle will be open seven days a week from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September in 2014. More good stuff: There will be 30 acres of new park and public spaces to explore, like a Play Lawn with ball fields, and Hammock Grove. Other attractions in the works include a day spa, a school and artist studios. The bummer news? Expanded access comes at a price. It looks like the formerly free ferry will now cost $2 round-trip for adults and half-price for seniors. Children will still ride at no cost and morning ferries will continue to be free to all, assuming the Trust for Governors Island's plan is approved. As much as we love FREE things, this seems like a small price to pay—literally.

Ice, ice baby The last of NYC's brand-new outdoor ice-skating rinks is set to open for the season this month. After many years of construction, Lakeside in Prospect Park—which includes two rinks, one open-air, the other covered—will debut on Friday, December 20. Built on the old Wollman Rink site, Lakeside boasts 32,000 square feet of skating surface, and in summer, the rinks will transform into a roller rink and water play area. Hours, admission and more info can be found in our roundup of outdoor ice-skating rinks.

Apply for FREE summer camps now A pair of FREE camps are currently accepting applications for summer 2014. Wingspan Arts on the Upper West Side is a FREE audition-only conservatory program for middle and high school actors, vocalists and artists. The first step is to submit your application before January 17. Meanwhile, teens born between June of 1998 and 2000 can apply for Louis August Jonas Foundation's FREE Camp Rising Son, an international leadership program that promotes personal growth and intercultural understanding. It accepts participants from around the world and is highly competitive. Applications are due February 2.

Hoop dreams We just got word that Fastbreak Sports, which we mentioned in our basketball programs post, opened its three-floor, 8,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art flagship location on the Upper East Side earlier this fall. Classes are offered for children as young as age four. Pity they can't teach the losing Nets and Knicks a thing or two.

Wave goodbye We have a few sad impending closures to report. After 32 years in business, one of our favorite places to eat with kids near the American Museum of Natural History, Popover Cafe, will serve its last meal on January 5 due to losing its lease. It's also your last chance to catch one of our top Off-Broadway shows for families: Fuerza Bruta is set to play its final performance on January 5 after a six-year run. Broadway's Annie also closes that same day. Finally, we just found out that Harlem tot spot Kidberry closed earlier this fall.

Getting schooled Last year, there were so few Gifted & Talented spots available for the thousands of children who qualified that parents actually filed a lawsuit. (It ended up being dismissed.) How's this for irony? Multiple G&T programs are now reporting that they have empty seats because some students just never showed up! Yet parents trying to register their children for those underutilized programs are being rebuffed by the Department of Ed, which claims the deadline for transferring has passed. It's a Kafkaesque world out there.