As a child growing up in New York City with a mother involved in the arts, I was dragged to many adult art events and got to know the lobbies of all the top venues very well (as I retreated in boredom half-way through probably the some of the greatest performances I'll ever see in my life). We parent in reaction to our own childhoods so, while I do believe in the positives gained by exposing children to great art that stretches a their horizons, I think they'll get even more out of it if they're engaged enough to stay in the theater. This experience led me to do a little research to find five theater festivals in New York City this Fall that have performances specifically for kids.

From a Scottish Festival to a Hip Hop Theater Festival, BAM's avant garde Next Wave Festival to a Musical Theater Festival, there are shows for children with all tastes and all ages. Read on to learn about some of the highlights:

There’s plenty of events happening this weekend, but the big cheese is Smithsonian’s Museum Day. This Saturday, participating New York (and country-wide) museums will open their doors for you to enjoy them free of charge. Lots of your favorites are participating in every boro, like the Intrepid, Noguchi, CMOM and the Rubin, and a whole bunch of those I’ve-been-meaning-to-visit’s like the Skyscraper Museum, Museum of Tibetan Art and the New Museum. If you’re not willing to deal with the crowds (or if you find yourself in love with a particular one) check out our post on museum family memberships, and read on to see what else is cooking this weekend—from finding cheap goods, to free performances and off-the-beaten-path street fairs.

This weekend there are way to many great events to list here so make sure to check our events calendar for even more cool stuff.

[UPDATED: September 5, 2012]

You want to take the kids to every cultural institution in this city, but those family-of-four trips to the MoMA and CMOM are starting to add up. You wonder if you should get a membership, if it’s worth it, or if you should just brave the crowds and go during the free times. We did the leg work for you and created a list of the top museums in New York City that offer family memberships, what perks you get and what you need to know to figure out if it's worth it for your family.

Insiders Tip: A bunch of these museums offer free weekly programs along with admission, plus other special events, so a membership gets you in to lots of free, wonderful children's programming. Also, some memberships, at certain levels, will allow for reciprocal admissions to other museums on certain days, check websites for current details.

Did you have a good weekend? We went apple picking and tried out Pennings in Warwick, NY based on a reader's comment that they might have organic apples. Alas, they didn't and I found the place to be a bit too commercial feeling, although we did get some really nice big pumpkins for just $10, much less than they would have cost in the city.

In this week's news, find out about deals and discounts on Halloween costumes, how doing your shopping can help raise money for public schools, a behind the scenes peak at a new children's movie, interesting events fro National Parks Week, a cool coloring book, and how to see The Wizard of Oz for free.

If the chill in the air doesn’t give it away, the abundance of apples, pumpkins, corn and hay sure does: Fall is here. Though we’ve said goodbye to the beach, there’s even more to do outside this season, like playing in pumpkin patches right here in New York City, enjoying fall foods at all the street fairs and festivals, learning how to play chess (OK, not a typical outdoor activity), biking, readings, and celebrating various cultures. Get a taste (literally!) of all that this weekend offers at events like the Irish Fair, San Gennaro feast, Native American Festival, Queens County Fair, Tasty Harvest, Tour de Parc and even more.

We're back to school and it's full of surprise and promise. Inside find eco-friendly back to school tips, how to get a cool monthly surprise in the mail for your kids, where the new shake shack will be, places to take family farm vacations, the 400 top New Yorkers of all time, and Obama's message to kids (if you missed it).

Summer may be over, but the events are not slowing down at all. In fact, it’s almost as if everyone waited for summer vacation to end and planned all these absurdly cool (and mostly free) events for this weekend. From celebrating Henry Hudson’s 400^th anniversary, to county fairs, book festivals, motorcycle shows, films, and more fun on Governor’s Island (and you thought GI was done for the season…) there’s almost too much to do to fit it all into one weekend. Ease everyone's transition back-to-school by picking your favorite events and then heading out—there’s no time to waste!  
 

Don't forget we have more weekend activities in our event calendar and separate round-ups for Long Island and New Jersey on those pages. Or sign up to get our new Long Island and New Jersey newsletters.

Four hundred years ago Henry Hudson and his Dutch ship, the Halve Maen ("Half Moon") arrived at what is now New York Harbor. This week, from September 8-13, NY400 celebrates the anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage with a sea of events culminating in NY Harbor Day on Sunday, September 13th. NY400 Week gives New Yorkers a chance to immerse themselves in Dutch culture, New York history and lots of fun stuff long the way. Here are some highlights: