If you're in town this weekend you could score free admission to a hip museum and get your and the kids' hands dirty in some art, make instruments, build a kick-butt sand castle in the beaches of NYC, enjoy free boat rides, learn about life in the City pre-Mr. Hudson, hang with some batty creatures, or watch an old-fashioned (and super cheap) circus. And if you are looking to flee, here are our top 30 day-trips  to get you started. 

We also have weekly listings for Long Island events and New Jersey events on their respective pages (whether you live there or are looking for a day trip). And of course, our event calendar is jammed with even more things to do, and don't forget to enter to win a dinner for 10 in our Summer Activity Guide.

We love state fairs. With all the animals, games, rides and junk food, they are full of old-fashioned fun for the entire family. While we've written about all the New York State and County Fairs and that post is in our Summer Activity Guide, but we also love the New Jersey State Fair, which is opening in the end of July.

The NJ State Fair was started in 1821 and retains an old-fashioned charm today. Just one hour’s drive from NYC, the NJ State Fair is filled with a slew of animals rivaling Noah, a fairway full of rides, pig races, butterfly exhibits, bee-keeping exhibitions and a food court offering everything from home-made baked-potatoes to blooming onions and corn-dogs—your kids’ll be enthralled.  And did we mention a wine-making competition and a beer tent?  And there's even free parking.

It's that time of year again when parents with children of a certain age need to start panicking about getting their kids into preschools. Find out about resources to help you get through it, plus this other news: Parents can't pay for classroom aides, Celebrities are giving City tours, how to know if your child's back pack is too heavy and what can you do about it. And there's some fun contests going on that could win you a free birthday party or some cash. And of course, don't forget to enter our Dinner Party Giveaway. We've given away three dinner parties for 10 and we've got 7 more to go!

We recently visited the newly renovated Sony Wonder Technology Lab and by the end of the visit this great venue had shot up to the top of our list of must visit spots for kids in New York City. The Sony Wonder Technology Lab has always been a great find, with free movie screenings and a fun children's museum with interactive exhibits. But the new renovation and exhibits leap-frog the Sony Wonder Technology Lab to the forefront of NYC children's museums for kids.

New York is full of great children's museums, but the Sony Wonder Technology Lab does one thing really, really well that none of the other children's museums in New York City currently do: it teaches kids about the stuff they want to learn about most, technology.

If you have a Harry Potter fan at home, these are some pretty exciting times. What with the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie out now and the final book in paper back. But for New York City kids, of course, there are always more ways to get involved in any passion than just viewing it through mass media. If you are a Harry Potter fan in New York, Harry Potter can come to life for you in lots of fun ways.

Here are some upcoming events for Harry Potter fans:

Imagine a New York where people flock to visit not for skyscrapers and luxury shopping, but gorgeous sand and beach front fun; a New York where "staycation" really takes on a new meaning. This weekend, you can get a glimpse of that version of the City with the City of Water Day festival--a celebration of our waterfront's potential. But until we rival the beaches of Capri (hey, it could happen), there's other things to keep us occupied, like turning the streets into a drawing canvas, saws making music, fishing contests and kid-friendly Shakespeare.

We also have weekly listings for Long Island events and New Jersey events on their respective pages (whether you live there or are looking for a day trip). And of course, our event calendar is jammed with even more things to do, as is our Summer Activity Guide.

Another circus is coming to Long Island, Brooklyn and Staten Island. We just heard about the Cole Bros. Circus – which is surprising since it has been around for 125 years. So we did a little research and found it's something you might want to check out.

Since this is their 125^th Anniversary, they are celebrating with a special performance reprising legendary circus acts of the past along with showcasing the talents of cirque nouveau artists.  There is a 7-man pyramid on the high wire – these acts always amaze me as I really feel for the guy on the bottom holding all these people on a high wire no less; also gymnastic routines, circus daredevils (with “the Globe of Death and Giant Gyro Wheel”) and of course clowns for a little comic relief.  And,  no circus would be complete without the animals, and there are elephants, camels, dogs, ponies and a mule. It is a fast paced two hour show – with something for everyone.

Summer in the city takes a unique type of alchemy to make it go smoothly. Little tricks like putting the juice boxes or water bottles in the freezer the night before and taking a clean, used yogurt container to the playground for collecting and pouring water are the little tricks that seem so obvious once you know them, but help make long, hot summer days go just a little easier. We've gathered up some of the things we think are essential to having the best summer in the city: