Labor Day weekend is always bittersweet - a big, barbecued symbol of the end of summer and the beginning of a new school year. This year, the festive farewell to summer brings something else new to LA families: Mommy Poppins! Angelenos can now enjoy their own edition of New York City's favorite family online guide.

To introduce you to the wonderfulness that is Mommy Poppins LA, we bring you the Labor Day Weekend Fun Guide, with suggestions galore for great ways to enjoy the three-day weekend and send summer out with a bang!

For starters - or more accurately for finishers - there are a few great summer activities that sing their swan songs this weekend; this is your last chance to ride the Marina del Rey waterbus, the last of the Music Center's Drum Downtown series, the last Concert in the Park in Manhattan Beach, and the last chance to splash in several of LA parks' free water play areas.

On the other hand, this weekend also marks the beginning of the Los Angeles County Fair, bringing with it everything from kangaroos to deep fried Twinkies.

Read on for Labor Day weekend’s best bets...

Mommy Poppins - New York City's leading resource for things to do with kids - has arrived in Boston!

Mommy Poppins Boston is a free, online resource guide for families in the greater Boston area. Parents and kids can discover great things to do and places to go, and get insights into the best activities, resources, services, schools, parks, and classes around.

On our site you'll find a daily events calendar that we are continually updating, camp and class guides, giveaways and ideas for things to do with kids of all ages. You can also sign up for our free weekly newsletter that includes a round-up of weekend events in the area. And we’d like to hear from you if you have a favorite event to share - a school fundraising fair or concert or other activity, a special story time, or a hidden gem we have yet to uncover.

Mommy Poppins began in New York City nearly five years ago, with sites in New Jersey, Connecticut and Long Island now well-established. As in these cities, we hope to help parents by inspiring them to get out and do things that will be meaningful and memorable with their children and providing level-headed, practical information on raising kids in our communities. We are very excited to be bringing our unique stripe of content to Boston.

Enjoy!

Boston Mommy Poppins readers are invited to a free advance screening of Alcon Entertainment’s Dolphin Tale at AMC Boston Common, at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, September 13.

Dolphin Tale is inspired by the true story of a brave dolphin and a group of strangers who banded together to save her life. Swimming free, a young dolphin is caught in a crab trap, which severely damages her tail.  She is rescued and transported to the Clearwater Marine Hospital, where she is named Winter.  But her fight for survival has just begun. The film stars Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Cozi Zuehlsdorff, and Kris Kristofferson. as Clay’s father, Reed.

Tickets are limited to the first 100 readers to sign up, so RSVP ASAP by filling out this simple form.

Notes: No purchase is necessary. Seating at the screening is first come, first served and not guaranteed, so winners should plan to arrive 30 minutes prior to screening time. Please print your invite and present it at the door. Find out more about the film at DolphinTaleMovie.com. Opens in theaters September 23. Movie rating: PG.

Well, needless to say, we have had quite a week here in NYC. First, we were all shaken up (literally) with that earthquake and then Hurricane Irene made some of us leave our homes, many of us buy things (hello, $30 flashlight) and all of us stop and watch the skies. NYCers, NJers, LIers, and CTers are still recovering, figuring out the damage, and, of course, talking about it. We hope you and yours are safe and sound.

While it was storming outside, it was rather calm online, except for all of the Mother Nature-related news. But, never fear, we found a few fun bits during the hours as we hunkered down–if you want to chat about something other than Irene’s awe-inspiring fury.

Labor Day weekend is no longer the sacred signal of end of summer that it once was; changes have been taking place at schools all over the Southland, making the first day of school something of a moving feast. Some families are scrambling for one more round of summer camp, while others have been knee-deep in homework for weeks already.

We’ve been avoiding writing about back-to-school anything. That’s because we’re always annoyed by all of the back-to-school craziness that seems to start sometime around the end of June, plus we don’t want to admit that summer really is coming to an end. But we can’t put off reality any longer: Come September 8, New York City public school students return to their classrooms, and some charter and private schools start even earlier.

If you’ve already stocked up on everything you need in terms of supplies and clothes—we envy you. But in case your family is like mine and you’re only now getting around to your back-to-school buying (meaning it’s too late to do it online), we figured we’d share our favorite local places to shop for inexpensive clothes and supplies year-round. We’re sure you’ve heard of some of these spots—is there a parent left in the U.S. who doesn’t know about The Children’s Place?—but sometimes one person’s “duh!” is another’s revelation. Plus, we’re giving away a Children’s Place gift card and we’ve got the scoop on a number of upcoming festivals where you can pick up free back-to-school supplies.

By Shiela Hageman

Mark Twain House and Museum
351 Farmington Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
(860) 247-0998

I still remember my first visit to the Mark Twain House as a child: the creaky floors, the shine of the old chars, the thrill of walking through the rooms where the writer of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer lived. The specialness of visiting a famous writer’s home has not worn off for this generation either.

Today, visitors enjoy daily tours of the striking home (visitation is by guided tours only), which is an example of Picturesque Gothic architecture with a dramatic grand hall, a lush glass conservatory, a grand library and the handsome billiard room where Twain wrote his famous books.

With September 11 coming up, lots of families are trying to figure out what to do that day. I know I am. My daughter just turned six, so until now, we’ve gone the escapist route: We just avoided turning on the news and acted like it was a regular day. I’m not sure we could do that this year even if we wanted to: It’s the tenth anniversary and it falls on a weekend, so reminders will be everywhere.

While I’m going to do the best I can to make sure she doesn’t see any footage from September 11 (I wish the media would stop running the Towers falling on a loop every anniversary), she’s old enough to learn about what happened that day. I want her to start to grasp the impact September 11 had on our city and the world.

There are many ways families can mark the day, remember the victims and honor the heroes. Whether you explore an exhibit, visit a memorial or volunteer to help others, here are enriching and educational things to do on September 11 with your kids.