It looks like the long Columbus Day weekend will bring some sunny and classic fall weather so take advantage and get outside! Grab the bikes and go green at Maplewood’s Green Day Fair or learn all about a family of beavers who live at the Plainsboro Preserve in Cranbury. There are fall festivals galore this weekend so take your pick: farm-themed at VanThun Farms in Monmouth Junction, a historic Halloween at the Historic Village of Allaire in Farmingdale, or Native American-style at Rutgers Gardens in New Brunswick. On Columbus Day itself, kids can see a live animal show at Trailside Nature Center in Mountainside, spend the day at NJ Devils Kids Day with a special Silly Bandz giveaway, or go pumpkin picking or apple picking at a local farm.

Northern Brooklyn has hit the play space jackpot lately with not one or two, but three brand new play gyms opening up. Talk about going from zero to 60. Williamsburg's Klub 4 Kidz is the newest addition and offers a different type of experience than most of the play spaces in Manhattan and Brooklyn with a giant play structure, climbing wall, plus spaces for classes and birthday parties. The unique thing about Klub 4 Kidz is that it's as good for 10 year olds as it is for 3 year olds, whereas most play spaces are really designed for the preschool and younger set.

Even if you don't live in Brooklyn, you'll be surprised how easy it is to get to Klub 4 Kids by train from Manhattan or car from Queens and there are lots of great restaurants and boutiques in Williamsburg to make it a fun day trip. So read on:

I remember when my son was born, a friend of mine with much older kids, said to me “you don’t have to listen to kiddie music just because you had a baby. He can listen to your music.” But now, after nearly six years of listening to the emerging genre of kid rock, there is no good reason that I can think of not to introduce kids to their own roster of rock stars. Especially being in New York City where we are surrounded by talented musicians who regularly perform live for children. “Kiddie” music, if you want to call it that, is for the most part top notch not to mention age appropriate and speaks to kids about things they care about (something my music just can’t do.) My son has plenty of time in the future to dig through my record collection, but for now I am happy to dig through his. This fall there are so many bands and artists rocking out in family shows all around the city, read on to find out our favorites:

Adventure abounds in NYC museums this fall.  Lots of new exciting (and educational) exhibits will have families crash landing into Oz, patrolling the city with the NYPD, going nose to nose with a real woolly mammoth, learning all about the brain and even climbing up a tree.  Once your kids hear about these fun exhibits they will be begging for a museum visit.  Here is our round up of the must-sees that we think the kids will really dig.

[UPDATED: September 8, 2012]

Spend a Saturday or Sunday visiting small, family-owned farms, no car needed.  You can get back to nature without increasing your carbon footprint.  Metro-North has teamed up with Dutchess County to offer family-friendly daytrips that include stops at a sustainable agriculture farm, a kid-friendly vineyard for tours and tastings, a charming village and an apple orchard for picking and pies.  These trips are super popular with families, so the kids should have lots of company. And it's a great way for kids to gain some first-hand understanding of the farm-to-table connection. Kick back and enjoy the ride, we've got the details for you here.

This Halloween treat your trickster to something a little different than the usual holiday fare. Kids' Night on Broadway, the popular night on the Great White Way just for them, is back, and this year it’s on October 31^st.  Kids can see a free Broadway (or even Off Broadway) play, participate in special Halloween events, plus there are more fun surprises and special deals in store for ticket holders.  Read on to find out what is playing and how to get your ticket (hurry - tickets are going fast!)

Our city’s parks are humming with activity this weekend.  In Central Park visit with live birds of prey or check out the enormous Ultimate Block Party for tons of inspiring fun and games.  In Brooklyn Bridge Park build a sand castle with the playground associates or visit the Botanic Gardens for a fiery festival. Harry Potter fans won’t want to miss the awesome Medieval Festival in Fort Tryon Park! If you want to do that fall thing and want some farm fun, there are plenty of harvest festivals to check out – right here in the city!  

You can also opt for some inside activities, too, there are many to choose from in our events calendar, like the Tom Chapin or Laurie Berkner concerts. It is also the first weekend of October which means many area museums will be offering special periods of free admission - including the Children’s Museum of Manhattan – why not go see the new Wizard of Oz exhibit?

Read on to plan your weekend and we hope it's a great one.

So similar and yet so different… NJ has two tea parties (American Girl and Grandma and Granddaughter) and two ‘stock' events this weekend, not to mention a fitness fair, a self-portrait painting workshop for kids and something marvy called The Ultimate Block Party, which just might make a trip into the Big Apple necessary. Good times, folks, good times…