While there's plenty to do in NYC with kids on any weekend including Memorial Day, lots of families like to celebrate the unofficial start of summer with a fun-filled day or weekend trip out of town. In the past, we've rounded up Pennsylvania getaways that are far enough away to feel like bona fide vacations without the plane ride. But there are lots of closer destinations in New Jersey that are just as engaging but with less time spent cooped up in the car/train/bus.

From nearby spots like Jersey City's enriching Liberty Science Center, which you can do in a day via public transportation, to relaxing multi-day jaunts filled with sand, surf and rides on the Jersey Shore, we've got the goods on where to go in the Garden State this Memorial Day or any summer weekend.

You can find more vacation inspiration in our NYC Day Trips Guide and on our Travel site.

Finding the perfect birthday party place takes a lot of planning and consideration. How many children can they accommodate? Is it unique enough? Does it interest my child? Several Long Island museums offer customizable kids' party packages that are engaging, educational and energizing. For other cool ideas on where to host your child's party, check out our Long Island Party Guide.

With all of the amazing things there are to do with kids in NYC, it's no wonder that a slew of children's books are set right here in the Big Apple. We've written about a bunch of our favorites in the past, and even rounded up kids' books about NYC museums to help families get excited about visiting MoMA, the Met and the Guggenheim.

However, in honor of Children's Book Week (coming up May 12 to 18), we decided to write a new post featuring five history-filled NYC picture books that we hope will inspire enriching family outings. Three of these titles recount real-life NYC events. The other two, though fictional, give a peek at what life was like on the Lower East Side and Upper East Side circa 1900 and 1960, respectively. All are wonderful jumping off points to spark your own NYC adventures.

Barbeque is, in my opinion, one of the best and easiest meal options for kids. It’s messy. It’s eaten with your bare hands. It comes with French fries and mac and cheese and, in many cases, it is soft and saucy and perfect for outdoor gatherings.

We are constantly on the lookout for the best places to eat with kids throughout Westchester. Now, in anticipation of Memorial Day, Mommy Poppins has scouted out six of our favorite BBQ restaurants in the county. Whether you’re eating in, carrying out or looking to avoid leaving your lawn chair, these restaurants have got you covered.

Whether you believe it's important to discuss the events of September 11, 2001 with your children or wish you could shield them all together, kids learn about 9/11 at school, from the media and their peers. So the question is, what can we as parents do to help our children process and learn from the events of 9/11?

For children born around or after 2001, 9/11 probably seems like something abstract—a tragedy that happened in history. Visiting the 9/11 Memorial can, perhaps, help make it feel more real. So, what's it like to visit the 9/11 Memorial with children? What's the security like, and how do you get tickets? I took my nine-year-old this weekend and I'll share our experiences.

Big Sunday Weekend (May 1-3, 2015) is a time for residents all over Southern California to come together to serve the community; more than 50,000 volunteers are expected to participate. The weekend offers a fabulous opportunity to introduce children to volunteering; even toddlers and preschoolers can help weed, pick up trash, draw cards for troops, and feel the joy of helping others. And you could check off #61 on our list of 100 Things to Do in LA With Kids Before They Grow Up by helping out on a beach clean-up as a family! The weekend is special—spirits are high; people are excited; a huge variety of projects is available for all age groups (see a small sample below), and work is done. And if you've ever noticed people wearing Big Sunday t-shirts in past years, that's because everyone who volunteers gets a free tee.

It's been a very exciting week here at Mommy Poppins, and not just because Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday. On Tuesday, our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app was highlighted on The Katie Couric Show as one of the best apps for busy moms. We also shared an inspiring video shot at our kids coding workshops last weekend featuring girls as young as age 6 learning how to program. And our media blitz continues this Friday, when Shari from our New Jersey site will appear on Fox's Good Day New York to chat about all things mom.

But that's enough screen time for us—the spring weather means we're all spending as much time as possible out and about. If you've been looking for day trip destinations, our Long Island site just posted about pick-your-own strawberry farms and family-friendly campgrounds. Westchester rounded up 30 fun things to do with kids in Yonkers, home to the Legoland Discovery Center, the Hudson River Museum and the Science Barge. And New Jersey continued its series on great small towns with a profile of the quaint seaside community of Stone Harbor. Want to go a little further? Our Travel site has a list of spring travel deals that includes Universal Orlando, Disney and even Hawaii.

Our giveaway has great odds this week: We're giving away 100 family tickets (good for two adults and up to four children) to the annual New York Baby Show, which takes place next weekend in Midtown West.

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