Break out your bathing suits! Whether the kids wear them at the beach, in the sprinklers or during the (hopefully brief) showers we're expecting over the weekend, they'll be covered.

Although spring officially has a few weeks to go, summer heat and fun has already arrived. Local libraries just launched their Summer Reading 2011 programs, many free outdoor concert series for kids and adults have kicked off their seasons, and the Parks Department has set the dates for its free swimming lessons lottery.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Step right up! The circus is in town, and you're invited to join them!

If you've ever wanted to walk a tightrope, somersault in midair or play lion tamer, your fantasies will be fulfilled at the interactive exhibit Circus! Science Under the Big Top, which opens this weekend at the New York Hall of Science.

Families can also learn all about the science behind the spectacle, including how carnie folk swallow swords and contort their bodies, and why cotton candy smells so good (at least to kids). In addition, Circus! features tons of vintage photos, big top legends and lore, and cool artifacts from the heyday of the traveling troupes.

Here are some of the derring-dos you can try (or learn about) when you step into the ring.

New Jersey’s hills (and towns) are alive with the sound of music this weekend!  Take in Celtic sounds in Cape May, rock’n’roll in Hoboken, Girlchoir in Lawrenceville and local teen bands in Berkeley Heights. Rather race? Take your pick: rubber duckies down the Passaic River or cockroaches at the Bugseum–both for charity.  You can also try your hand at museum gallery sketching in Montclair or get a jump on Father’s Day with a knot-tying fest or wallet-making workshop.  Or see “Stone Soup” as never before in a Papermill Playhouse show created specifically for children with autism spectrum or other developmental disabilities. Whatever your pick, you’ll be whistling dixie at day’s end!

It's official, we are slowly but surely getting closer to summer. Some might feel from the high temperatures this week that we have already arrived! Warmer temperatures means more outdoor fun and we got some great events and activities to get you outside to soak up some Vitamin D. Have fun exploring and learning about undiscovered parts of nature, celebrate wildlife with wolves (friendly) and butterflies or take part in a sing-a-long with a bunch of roving pirates. Yep, pirates and butterflies in the same post. Get ready for an amazing weekend!

Feel like it's too hot to leave your home? Don't worry: Come this weekend we're looking at temperatures in the 80s and showers (which, frankly, we'll take over this blistering heat!).

Besides, you can't stay home. There's too much to do! Section 2 of the High Line has finally opened, the Bronx River Festival celebrates the borough's waterfront, Madison Square Park's Big Apple Barbecue Block Party and the Lower East Side's Egg Rolls & Egg Cream Festival serve up awesome eats, and the super-cool Figment arts festival takes over Governors Island. And of course you can always hit a New York City beach, water playground or boat ride to cool down.

Read on for this weekend's best bets, and remember, the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar lists many more options. One warning: The rain may dampen some outdoor activities this weekend, so be sure to call ahead or visit the events' official websites to make sure they're still going on.

It's inevitable. I'm pregnant. It’s hot. I am officially an ice cream hunter. But, I’ve been particularly picky about the selection process. Great for local shops on Long Island that specialize in making their own ice cream, bad for my poor husband who has to go out to get it for me! But he can’t deny it either. Long Island’s ice cream shops are a true novelty. Whether it’s the fact that the ice cream is homemade, or that each morning the waffle and sugar cones are made from scratch as well, or maybe it’s the nostalgia that those mom and pop shops evoke. We’ve rounded up some of the best spots for ice cream on Long Island. Chances are, you’ll see my husband at one of these picking up yet another daily round of ice cream for me. Read on to see where to go this summer to cure your ice craving.

Summer in New York City can feel like one season-long music festival. There are an incredible number of free outdoor concert series around town, and my family and I try to hit as many performances as we can. (We never say no to complimentary culture.)

Since we often make a day (or evening) of it, some kind of meal is always involved, and as an ex-Food Network employee, I admit that I can be picky.

Some series, like Celebrate Brooklyn!, have wonderful concessionaires to complement the amazing performances. Others, like Waterside Plaza’s Music Under the Stars, leave the food up to you.

Here are five concert series that promise awesome eats or have great places to pick up snacks nearby.

If your kids like comedy and kung fu, they'll get a big kick out of Jump at New World Stages. This martial arts show from Korea has been touring the world for the past few years (it previously played in NYC during the 2007-2008 season), and it follows in the tradition of Off Broadway offerings like Stomp: wordless spectacles that leap over age and language barriers.

I admit, my daughter and I are not huge martial arts fans. (Is it sexist of me to say it's a boy thing?) Even so, we were wowed by the fast, high-flying feats, and the kids in the audience particularly enjoyed all of the slapstick humor, which is choreographed with Jackie Chan-like precision.

If you want to see this show, you've got to move fast: We just found out that it's closing this Sunday, June 12!