The summer season is filled with all kinds of free fun—not just beaches and pools but no-cost culture, too. The best part? A lot of free kid-friendly concerts and performances are outside—you can even find cool alfresco art exhibits.

We've rounded up cool public art installations on view in Manhattan this summer that we think kids and grown-ups will love. Most of them are near parks, so you can check them out on your way to play or see them all in one day on a DIY public art tour. From colorful knotted ropes in Madison Square Park to steel monoliths on Park Avenue to reinvented NYC landmarks, here are eight public art displays to capture your imagination.

Our month-long spotlight on Washington Heights and Inwood wouldn't be complete without a look at Swindler Cove at Sherman Creek Park, a true oasis that few outside the neighborhood know about. But you should. Formerly an illegal dumping site, this five-acre patch of green along the Harlem River underwent a multimillion-dollar transformation and now features lovely tree-lined wood-chip paths, a children's garden, a boathouse, a beach, wetlands, native plantings and a freshwater pond. Clean and meticulously maintained, Swindler Cove at Sherman Creek Park is a secret hideaway begging to be explored. It's a great place to commune with nature in the city and hosts a handful of special events for families. My son and I recently spent a day exploring all the green space has to offer.

Peaks Island is located in Casco Bay, three miles from downtown Portland, ME. For such a small place (just 720 acres), the island has quite a story to tell - from its early days as a fishing village, to its era as the “Coney Island of Maine” in the late 19th century, to its time as a WWII outpost, when concrete bunkers and observation posts were set up to help protect Portland in case of German attacks, to its current role as a haven for day trippers and those looking to get away from it all for a week or the entire summer.

For New England families looking for a perfect summertime destination with kids, a 20-minute ferry ride is all that separates them from Peaks Island and the simple pleasures of island life - biking and walking, swimming, kayaking, sailing, beach combing, and even just relaxing.

Read on for our recommendations of the best things to do on Peaks Island.

Although Fête Paradiso isn't on Governors Island for summer 2014, it's supposed to return in 2015! By now you may have heard about Fête Paradiso, the summer-long installation of vintage French carnival rides and attractions on Governors Island. Everyone's been writing about it, including us, but we wanted to experience it in person to see if it really was as awesome as it sounded. So despite the threat of rain, my seven-year-old daughter and I went on opening day and I can say without reservation that it's the most fun we've had this summer.

With its Victorian houses, lush lawns, lack of cars and old-time vibe, Governors Island is already a fantastic seasonal destination. Fête Paradiso makes it even more magical and if you click through our slide show, it's easy to see why. When you get off the ferry, just follow the spray-painted merry-go-round horses on the ground to Nolan Park where you'll find meticulously restored carousels, flying swings, swing boats and other rides from the 19th and early 20th centuries. But the rides aren't its raison d'être: Fête Paradiso is all about atmosphere and it transports you to old-world Europe with mimes, musicians and French cuisine.

Before you hop a ferry back in time to Fête Paradiso, we've got some insider tips that will help you make the most out of your visit with kids.