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This Week: Last-Chance Summer Fun and New NYC Attractions

8/20/15 - By Raven Snook

How are you spending the last few weeks of summer break? My family and I are furiously crossing outings off our seasonal bucket list. We hope to still make it out to the Hamptons, Rye Playland and over to Brooklyn Bridge Park to experience the interactive installation Please Touch the Art before it gets too cold to enjoy those rooms made of water.

Of course, so many new attractions have opened recently, it's hard to keep up! The Battery's SeaGlass Carousel just started spinning, a new indoor play space in Woodside, Queens looks like a great bet for a rainy day and a Thomas the Tank Engine theme park in Massachusetts is weekend-trip-worthy for young train fans. But don't let the kids dictate all your destinations: family-friendly vineyards and wineries in nearby New Jersey offer plenty of activities for children and adults alike.

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

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Have to work the last few weeks of school break? Don't schlep the kids to the office, enroll them in one of these fun and enriching camps instead.

Boating season is also coming to a close so consider a day trip to nearby Westchester to go kayaking, canoeing or paddleboarding.

Speaking of day trips, you may want to devote a whole weekend to the just-opened Thomas the Tank Engine theme park in Massachusetts.

Of course there's plenty to keep you occupied in NYC, including destination sandboxes, a recently opened indoor play space in Woodside, Queens and the brand-new SeaGlass Carousel in the Battery.

One of our favorite annual September events, Morningside Lights, has opened its online sign up for FREE lantern-making workshops for families.

Best bets for the weekend include an art-filled block party in Long Island City, Queens, a special storytime with Clifford the Big Red Dog in Bryant Park and a vintage Volkswagen car show on Governors Island.

About the Author

Raven is a writer, editor, performer and mom, who was born and bred in NYC, just like her husband, her mother and now, her daughter. As a writer, she's contributed articles to New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The Village Voice, the New York Post, TV Guide, Better Homes and Gardens, iVillage, AOL TV and Moviefone, Parents.com, and worked as an in-house editor for ParentsConnect.com and TimeOutKids.com. As a performer, she's appeared on many downtown stages (sometimes even for pay!), a couple of obscure films and TV shows, and The Maury Povich Show as a female drag queen. She's also the founder of Hot Mama Burlesque, the world's only all-moms burlesque show. After being the NYC editor from March 2011-March 2015, she is now happy to just be a blogger as she pursues additional writing opportunities.

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