There are plenty of things for families to do in and around Boston during this, the last weekend in July. Performances include the Circus Smirkus Troupers at Gore Place in Waltham and Flooky and the Beans, Boneparte and Dan Zane at the Summer Arts Festival on Copley Plaza.

The summer festival season continues this weekend, and includes the traditional Newburyport’s Yankee Homecoming Festival, kicking off with Old Fashioned Sunday, and the innovative Figment Boston, which tries again to bring large-scale art making to the Rose Kennedy Greenway (it was rained out in June).

For indoor activities, Tara offers a host of suggestions for how to make the most of a visit to the MFA. With just a little bit of planning, kids and parents can have a great time. We’ve also rounded up some of our favorite ice cream spots - if yours is not on the list, please let us know about it in the comments section!

Our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional things to do in our Events Calendar. And follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest updates from Tara’s diaries of a Camp Mommy director.

Enjoy!

Photo: Circus Smirkus, courtesy of Robert Sanson

We’re feeling the familial love this weekend at Mommy Poppins. It’s only natural, what with our out-of-town guest.  I am talking, of course, about our cousin Mary from across the pond. Perhaps you’ve heard of her, she’s a bit of a childcare expert herself. (We like to think of her as the original Super Nanny). Dear cousin Mary Poppins is in town for her delightful self-titled musical at the Ahmanson Theatre, and we couldn’t be prouder of her accomplishments. (You can drop our name for a special discount).

Normally, you get tickets for your visiting relatives to see a show.  But we’re so much more supercalifragilistic than that, we’re giving away a family 4-pack of tickets for our readers to see Mary Poppins! The giveaway ends Thursday July 26, so you’ll want to keep reading to get in on the action.

We’re not the only ones delighted that she’s in town.  Our friends at Kidsville are throwing Mary Poppins a party, complete with arts and crafts, snacks, costumed story readings, and a “Fly like Mary Poppins” zip line. (We’ll be there with a high-flying kite craft, so be sure to come over and say hi!)

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend,  and to get the details on the giveaway…

(Photo courtesy of Bayside Clam Bar and Grill)

Last year we gave you a list of great places to eat outdoors with your kids. Here are still more great places:

One of the great pleasures of summer is eating alfresco, and Long Island has a plethora of options to fulfill that desire. I started out thinking I would include five of my favorite locations, but as I began talking with some of my mom friends, they all had suggestions that I felt deserved inclusion as well. All of these restaurants are family-friendly, and several also offer entertainment nearby or on site. The water is a common theme for most of these selections, as they feature gorgeous views, allowing you to feel like you’re on vacation, without having to travel.  

There's plenty of family fun this weekend, both indoors and out in case storms or sweltering heat drive you inside. Head to Rockaway Beach to build your best sandcastle at the spot's annual competition or soak up some outdoor culture at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Family Day and SummerStage Queens Family Day.

If you've got to stay inside, there are two cool new museum exhibits opening this weekend: Spiders Alive! at the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art's Century of the Child: Growing by Design, a retrospective of 100 years of designs for kids.

Our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide, which is jam-packed with seasonal fun including roundups of the best NYC beaches, pools, water playgrounds and other ways to cool off.

If your kids love trains like mine do, take them to the Long Island Steamers' Open House this weekend. There's also a fair in East Hampton, Rapunzel, sponsored by Kids Club 13, in Northport, the National Circus Project at the Long Island Children's Museum, and "The Dirt about Dirt"--a fun investigation of soil--at the Center for Science Teaching and Learning, among so many other activities going on this weekend. For more ideas for what to do this weekend, check out our events calendar here.

There's been an update to this law. We've got the info here.


Kindergarten used to be optional for NYC students. Parents who wanted to keep their kids home or delay school until first grade were allowed to do so. Not anymore. Governor Cuomo recently signed legislation that makes kindergarten mandatory for all New York City five-year-olds. There are certainly benefits to this change, but some big questions, too.

Last Sunday I took my 4-year-old son to the Greater Hartford Jazz Festival, where we enjoyed seeing the Destiny Africa Children's Choir. He loved the drums, dancing and voices, and studies have shown that creativity increases in people who are exposed to different cultures. Connecticut is a diverse state with many ethnicities represented. How about introducing your family to something new this weekend?