It sounds like a lot of you are sticking around for the summer and it was great to read all the interesting ideas people have for what they will do this summer in the city. Sounds pretty chill to me actually. Lots of just cruising around the city. I like Neeta's suggestion of letting the kids play in the rain.

I was recently thinking how much I used to enjoy that and how my kids have never had the opportunity to do it. I was actually just telling my son how we used to play in rain storms in the city. We used to build paper boats and launch them in the gutter and watch them float down toward the sewer. It sounds absurd now, but that was NYC in the 70s.

I loved the city after the rain because it looked so clean (the rain washed the litter and grim away) and also you'd see rainbows in the streets made by oil residue in the gutters. Again, not sure why we don't see those any more. Maybe the oils used in cars has changed.

But I digress. What you really want to know is not what a street urchin I was as a child, but whether you will soon be riding the shark boat past those Waterfalls. So here are our winners:

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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.

Lots of advice and tips this week including how to get your toddler to brush her teeth, where to see real waterfalls in Manhattan and more.

You read our post about free outdoor movie series this summer, but there are also some regular indoor movies in theaters that kids can see for free or for just $1.

The top tip for this weekend is the Governor's Island Figment 28 Festival , an incredible sounding three-day outdoor art festival with just a wild array of really fun sounding events for adults and kids.

Bring your bikes, your picnics and all your senses for a unique outdoor art experience. Hop on the free 15 minute ferry ride and it's as though you've arrived in the Berkshires at the other end, with the picturesque environment and wonderful art festival that feels a world away from NYC. I think we'll be sorry if we miss this one.

Figment 2008 Kid-Friendly highlights:

One of the most anticipated events of this summer is the New York City Waterfalls. Starting on Friday, June 26th and running through October, four spots in the East River will be morphed into 100 foot high waterfalls. It's all part of a public art project by artist Olafur Eliasson who is challenging us island dwellers to pay a bit more attention to our water.

The five 90 to 120-foot tall installations will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, and will be lit after sunset, adding a striking element to New York City’s iconic skyline. One will be by the Brooklyn anchorage of the Brooklyn Bridge, the other between Piers 4 and 5 at Furman and Joralemon Streets in Brooklyn. A third waterfall will be located in Lower Manhattan at Pier 35, and the fourth on the north shore of Governors Island.

The project uses only environmentally sustainable energy and they promise that the structures won't harm the fish, shoreline or aquatic life (yup, thats right, fish actually live in the East River).  And if your family gets really into it, you can follow up the waterfalls with trips to MOMA and PS1 where Eliasson currently has exhibits which incidentally are great for babies since they include lots of colored lights.

Bonus: Mommy Poppins is teaming up with Circle Line Tours to give 3 lucky readers a 4-pack of tickets to the Shark Boat speed boat tour of the waterfalls. What better way to get kids psyched to see some cool public art then by passing it at really fast speeds? And, learn after the jump about other FREE boat tours of the waterfalls that anyone can get tickets for!

New York City has gone nuts for outdoor movies in recent years and with good reason, there's something magical about lying back on a picnic blanket and watching your favorite movie with hundreds of other New Yorkers.

Outdoor films are also the best way for grown ups to go see kid movies because you can just enjoy being out on a nice summer evening even if you aren't that into the movie. And, depending on your kids, it can be a great way to get out to see a grown up movie without spending the college savings on a sitter, as many kids will enjoy the classic films frequently shown or will just enjoy being out at night enough to sit (or sleep) through it.  Films begin at dusk which is generally at around 8:30 and many of these series include other entertainment.

Here's a rundown of the best free outdoor movies for kids in NYC this summer:

Photo by egarc2

Ask Brooklyn parents what pools they like and you'll hear the Red Hook Pool mentioned a lot. Sunset Park is another favorite. Both of these are Olympic-sized pools and are great. But if you are lucky, you might hear mention of one of Brooklyn's hidden gems, The Double D Pool, or the DD Pool.