The great thing about New York City's outdoor festivals is that everyone can enjoy them. If it's kids music, at least the grown ups can enjoy being outdoors on a lovely day or evening, relaxing. And, generally kids will put up with an outdoor concert or performance if they can run around, dance, play and picnic while you enjoy a little grown up entertainment for once.

The following (mostly) free outdoor festivals are not specifically children's festivals, but they, for the most part, each have at least one kids performance and otherwise offer great performances in great outdoor environments around NYC, making a fun day or evening out with the kids either way.

Because our emails did not go out last week, we are extending our big ticket giveaway by one day to give everyone a chance to enter to win these great ticket prizes. All entries must be in by tonight at 8pm in order to qualify. We will announce the winner tomorrow, June 16th. Good Luck!

We would also like to announce that we have added classified ads to the site. You can post ads in many categories, including childcare, toys, gear and real estate for sale or wanted. Postings have already started even before we announced them. Find our classified listings in the green tab at the top of the page. It's totally free.

Just cause the last time you sat down to read a newspaper was when "pooped out" still meant tired to you doesn't mean you can't stay up to date with what's going on. We've rounded up the top stories you don't want to miss from the NYC media this week.

A Mother's Work Is Never Done.  If you can't remember the last time your husband (or wife) did the laundry and are feeling pissed about it, this article in the Times Magazine is for you.  Any way you measure it, studies show women do about twice as much around the house as men,  here are some people trying to balance the work.

What do you pay?  Park Slope Parents conducts its first Nanny Compensation Survey and publishes the results.  

It can be hard to wow! a NYC kid. They've seen it all and can be too cool to be impressed with much. But we're giving away tickets for two shows, Xanadu, and Walking with Dinosaurs , that will make a big impression even on the most jaded New York City kid, or maybe even especially a jaded NY kid.

Xanadu, a little piece of musical heaven

During Xanadu, Melpomene, in just one of several meta comments throughout the production which make fun of the show and other Broadway hits, states that "it's like kiddie theater for 40 year old gays." Xanadu, the remake of the tragically bad 80s flick starring Olivia Newton-John, isn't made for kids, but it will appeal to them greatly.

Read on to find out the ten reasons you should go see Xanadu and find out about our giveaway for Xanadu and Walking with Dinosaurs tickets.

Look at this recipe of fun for kids:

Today we are launching a new page on the site, The Mommy Poppins New York City Neighborhood Guide for Families. This guide is a NYC neighborhood guide specifically written for families. In its pages you will find the best toy stores, parks, shopping, family friendly dining and tons of fun places to visit in each neighborhood. You'll find that each post covers its neighborhood with a unique voice that reflects the style of the community. That's because each post in this guide has been written by a NYC neighborhood blogger, parent blogger or other prominent community member who lives and breathes their neighborhood. We figured, who knows the ins and outs of each community better than them?

Whether you are looking for a fun new place to explore for the afternoon, or new digs to settle for good, we hope our neighborhood guide will excite you to explore some of the amazing neighborhoods of New York and the best places in NYC for kids.

Audra Rox

Outside of the Father's Day selections, these are the events that I thought were the most interesting and worth heading out to this weekend:

The Museum of Natural History hosts an Identification Day. Like a natural history Antiques Roadshow, bring in your backyard finds (shells, rocks, insects, arrowheads, feathers, fossils, bones, pottery, textiles) and have museum scientists tell you what it really is. FREE with museum admission.*

New York City Police Museum is hosting its 4th Annual Family Fair, a fun-filled day of activities including visits by members of NYPD Special Units such as the Mounted Unit and the Emergency Services Unit, games and prizes, face painting, and special appearances by McGruff the Crime Dog and PC the Patrol Car. Children and adults can pose for pictures in police uniforms. And, younger children can practice calling 9-1-1 on the Museum’s emergency simulator. Plus balloons, a Super Slide, hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy! FREE.

Reader, Brigette, who won our Mother and Child Portrait Session Giveaway and got all spoiled wants us to equally hook her up for Father's Day.

Brigette says:

I need help coming up with ideas of what to do with my kids for my husband on Father's Day. I can come up with gift ideas, but seem to have lost all creative ability to come up with something to do with/for dad that day.

Since I don't know what kind of Baby Daddy Brigette rolls with I figured I'd cover all the bases. Here's our suggestions for Father's Day activities for dads of every stripe. A bunch of these activities are this weekend, in case you actually just want to let dad chill on the day of, as many of our commenters suggested.

Father's Day Activities for NYC Dads of Every Stripe:

Last summer we posted a great list of the best free and cheap swimming pools in New York City for kids and toddlers. That post is one of our all time most popular posts and it's still a great list. But, there are some new pool options this year and we wanted to share them with you. Find out where the floating barge swimming pool will be docked this summer and two other beautiful brand new places to swim in New York this summer: