Because I have never been a big Halloween fan, our house has minimal Halloween decorations.  By minimal, I mean that we currently have 3 small, uncarved pumpkins adorning our front porch.  But this year, my kids have brought on the Halloween pressure.  In fact, they’ve started a “best decorated Halloween house” contest with the kids in the neighborhood.  We are losing.  By a lot.

So clearly I need to step up our décor game with the basics: scarecrows and jack-o-lanters!  Fairfield County offers plenty of design inspiration for those who are not skilled in the pumpkin and scarecrow arts. So roll up those sleeves, its time to get covered in pumpkin slime and scarecrow innards! 

There's plenty to do and see on this island of ours, and just because summer has come to an end, the weather is still nice enough for a little day trip to the end of Long Island. No, we're not talking about Montauk. Orient Beach State Park is located on the eastern tip of the North Fork of Long Island and boasts sweeping views of Gardiner's Bay. From beach to boats, this park offers up day-long adventures and fun for the entire family. If you already have an Empire Pass, entry is free, otherwise there's a vehicle use fee. The park opens at 8am for you early risers.

For more fun day trips, check out our Day Trip to Greenport post for a must-do list. In addition, peruse our Hamptons & North Fork Family Guide for more ideas on how to enjoy life on the East End.

Salem Haunted Happenings is a month-long Halloween celebration of costume parades, haunted houses, ghost stories, candlelit tours, and live music. While many of the activities go for the big scare factor, there are plenty of kid-friendly events to choose from, too.

What? The kids just got used to being back at school and then they got a three day weekend! For others, this will be the first week of school after a leisurely summer. Either way, the kids at home still need something to do, and Mommy Poppins has a few ideas. Reading about dinosaurs at the library is fun, but seeing life sized ones in action is super cool. And for budding master builders this is the week to get to the Lego store for a free mini model. Speaking of free, it’s the first week of the month, so be on the lookout for no charge opportunities.

The US Open is here and in full swing. We've already told you about about fantastic public tennis centers in lower Westchester and in the northern part of the county. However, for tennis enthusiasts of all ages, Westchester also offers several private tennis clubs, offering everything from lessons and leagues to special family events. 

These clubs, offering varying levels of membership, offer fun opportunities and wonderful amenities to introduce even the youngest players to the game or sharpen the skills of more seasoned athletes. Read on for details on these family-friendly tennis clubs. Also, be sure to check out our Classes Guide and Class Directory for even more ideas for classes of all kinds, from athletic and enrichment to performing arts and more. 

Another Labor Day, another chance to honor hard work by taking a few days off—like our NYC editor, Raven, who is away in Martha's Vineyard celebrating the end of summer. Even without her here, Mommy Poppins can lead the charge away from labor this holiday weekend, and toward all that is fun, festive and/or FREE this week, in easy reach of the city. Feel free to bury your heads in the sand for one more weekend before facing the back-to-school music.

Care to escape the city for, say, Elizabethan England? It's never too late (or at least not until late September); the New York Renaissance Faire is still going strong in Tuxedo Park, including the holiday Monday. Or spend a few corny hours in Sleepy Hollow for Philipsburg Manor's CORNucopia celebration in Westchester.

If you're headed for the Hamptons this weekend, there's a Pow Wow worth stopping in on, and our New Jersey team has several suggestions for day trips in the Garden State (or you plan-ahead types can take a look at upcoming September festivals in NJ). Connecticut has fairs and festivals popping up all over this holiday weekend, including a life-affirming Labor Day parade in Newtown.

And wherever you spend this holiday weekend, make sure you take a minute to enter our Cinderella ticket giveaway. One lucky family will win four tickets to see the musical on Broadway!

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

Labor Day weekend is here and it is time to say a fond farewell to summer. This is the last weekend to enjoy some of the special programming on the Boston Harbor Islands, including  kids' tours of Ft. Warren, kite flying, and field day games. Stone Zoo and Franklin Park Zoo will both close up their summer exhibits this weekend, so if you haven't seen Birds of Prey or the Butterfly Landing yet, now is your last chance. You can celebrate Labor Day by laboring like a sailor at the USS Constitution Museum or watching fireworks over Boston Harbor. Club Passim celebrates summer with the Campfire Festival, capturing the feeling of playing music together around a campfire. King Richard's Faire opens this weekend with jugglers, acrobats, and dashing tales of lords and ladies (costumes optional, but fun).

As you make your plans for fall, don't forget to check out our September GO List with the best family activities happening in the Boston area next month (and a sneak peek at a very special event in October). Fall also means back to school; we've got ideas for DIY fashions and supplies and how to shop for school on a budget.

Also on Mommy Poppins this Week:

• Kristin gives tips for browsing the SoWa market with kids.
• Tara shares her top 25 Things to Do with Kids in Portsmouth, NH.

Be sure to check the calendar for more fun happening in and around Boston and enjoy your weekend!