It has begun! Summer officially started this week and for many children this was the last week of school. We want to kick your summer off right with a great weekend lined up with some amazing events and activities! Whether it’s a puppet show, a fun summer carnival or building sand castles we want this weekend to set the tone for your entire summer... fun!

And don't miss our first Long Long Island Perk, more than 50% off at Le Play Cafe, an oasis for parents and children. Haven't been yet? This is the perfect opportunity to check it out.

This weekend is the breather between school ending, and camp and other summer activities beginning. It’s that time when we collect our children in our arms in disbelief that they are a year bigger and smarter. A lovely time for a family weekend enjoying some art, nature, Dora, and the racing pigs and fried food that is State Fair Meadowlands.

By Julie Ross, M.A.

Each year in Connecticut, parents pay lots of money to send their children to camp. Most children go willingly and happily. Others experience anxiety and distress. Some refuse to go, some exhibit physical symptoms like stomach pain or headaches, others become morose and withdrawn. With thousands of dollars at stake, or with no place else to put your child during the summer when you work, what should you do? Fortunately there are solutions.

Say hello to the first weekend of summer! If you're planning an all-season staycation, there's plenty to do in NYC. We've got lots of options in our Summer Fun Guide, which features roundups of free concerts, free outdoor movies and free storytimes, as well as a list of 100 free things to do this summer, with ideas for every single day through the end of August, plus anytime activities.

This weekend's no-cost amusements include Morris-Jumel Mansion’s Family Day, a pair of fishing festivals, the colorful Hunts Point Fish Parade and Festival, an outdoor concert by Erin Lee and the Up Past Bedtime Band and the South Street Seaport's annual Children’s Day celebration, starring Gordon and Elmo from Sesame Street.

Read on for this weekend's best bets and remember, the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar contains many more options.

New Jersey abounds with festivals–music, food, art–you name it. Well, here’s a type of festival that not only entertains, but also teaches history and culture. A festival that originates in the beginning of people and land: the Pow Wow. A modern pow wow involves both Native American and non-Native American people meeting to dance, sing, and honor American Indian culture. Since New Jersey’s original inhabitants were Lenni Lenape people:  the Unami (Lenape) tribe; the Minisink (Munsee) tribe and the Unalachtigo tribe–their festivals continue here, and throughout the tri-state area, today.  Take in a pow wow with the family, and celebrate history, life and spirit all in one!

Yes, you can hit a local beach or water playground to stay comfortable this season. But sometimes NYC gets so sticky in the summer, all you want to do is bask in the glory of-air conditioning.

Even if you're lucky enough to have central air, the kids won't tolerate being cooped up all day. Luckily, New York City offers lots of indoor spots where families can cool off while having a cool time.

Many of these frosty havens served as toasty destinations during the winter. My what a difference a few months make.

Summer solstice means more time outside to have fun and we like that here at CT Mommy Poppins! This weekend you can celebrate summer with luscious strawberries at a Strawberry Festival in Bethlehem. Enjoy a magical fireworks show over Candlewood Lake. Camp out at The New Canaan Nature Center's Great American Camp Out and have fun at an old fashioned Carnival and Car Show in Washington.