Even though we have a few weeks of summer break left in NYC, the back-to-school season is in full swing in many other parts of the country. That's why we're launching our big back-to-school giveaway next week. Starting on Wednesday, August 28, you can enter to win a bunch of awesome prizes including two Schwinn kids' bikes, $150 worth of personalized school supplies from My Chronicle Books, a Disney Junior package that includes bedding and a backpack, and more. Bookmark the page or keep an eye on your inbox next week. We'll be sending out an email when the giveaway launches.

Meanwhile, for New York City public school students, there are two more weeks and three full weekends (including a holiday one!) before the first day. Time to full up your calendar with free and fun things to do in NYC and beyond. We've got day trip suggestions, a list of New York State county fairs, Labor Day weekend getaway deals, house-swapping info or, if you're stuck working, a roundup of day camps running the last two weeks of summer break. Plus our regional sites have all kinds of cool out-of-town activity ideas like scenic cruises or zip-lining in New Jersey, mini-golf on Long Island (sure we have a bunch of courses in NYC but the ones on the isle are much more elaborate) and kid-friendly hiking in Westchester.

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