Take advantage of these balmy, glorious summer days while you still can, Jersey! The return of school and schedules will soon be upon us, so make some warm weather memories with the family this weekend: for big family fun check out the Honey Festival at Oasis Farm or the Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival. For a dose of nature in the great outdoors, round up the troops for a Family Photo Scavenger Hunt at the Haggerty Education Center, the Cape May Family Birding Cruise or Discovery Saturday at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, we hope you enjoy it with family and friends. For even more activity options, check out our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide.

With Labor Day on the horizon, you might assume things would slow down a bit on the East End of Long Island this weekend. That assumption would be  wrong.

This weekend, parents and kids can experience the glamor of the Hampton Classic Horse show, take a railroad trip back in time, catch some fish together and even race a rubber duck or two at the East End’s most recognized landmark, the Big Duck.

So start to get your last licks of summer fun this weekend. Check out our Hamptons and North Fork Family Guide for the best in local entertainment, and with back to school looming be sure to see our Long Island Classes Guide for the best in after-school programs Islandwide.

I  loved our recent bowling post because it was generated by a child’s passion and his mother’s quick response. My daughter is crazy for sea life. She never tires of a trip to the aquarium, and aquariums around these parts certainly are plentiful. While many aquariums offer hands-on opportunities for our young marine biologists, there are other ways to experience sea life in Southern California as well: the sea lions molt in Cambria; tide pools abound; the California Science Center is screening an IMAX movie about humpback whales, and–no surprise to Mommy Poppins readers–the grunion run in San Pedro. Southern California has a plethora of sea animals. This summer, I've been indulging my daughter’s fascination with the life aquatic.

Kids on Manhattan's West Side just gained a brand-new jungle gym. The playground sprung up earlier this month near the ongoing Hudson Yards redevelopment project, which is transforming a 28-acre section of Midtown West into shiny new high-rise offices, high-end shops, residences, hotels, restaurants and a public school, as well as access to the 7-train extension when completed. The development is expected to create 14 acres of open space, including multiple green spaces. The newly opened neighborhood park, which houses the newest NYC playground, is a city park operated by the Hudson Yards/Hell's Kitchen Alliance.

We've tested out the new playground, which includes a cool canopy for fending off the summer heat, so read on for our review of this new kid-friendly green space and jungle gym.

Even for those who live for summer, the heat and humidity can take its toll--and make you not want to leave the house. But the weather doesn't have to keep you from enjoying all the East End has to offer. In fact, there are plenty of ways to beat the heat here, and we've rounded up 10 of our favorites.

Need more ideas? Be sure to check out our Hamptons & North Fork Family Guide.

If school hasn’t started yet and your family has time for one last summer hurrah, take a midweek camping trip – from LA it's easy to head for forest, woods, desert, or sea. Tuesday is a day of free admission to national parks, and eleven of our parks in California are participating. For my family, school started last week, but a trip to visit to the world's first national park – Yellowstone – helped us to end our summer on a high note.

With school looming, you probably don’t want to head out of state now, but if you have the time and inclination to venture north, Tuesday's free day could be an opportunity to experience the giant redwoods of Muir Woods, the majesty of Yosemite, or the Gold Rush history of Whiskeytown Lake. Closer to LA, Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego and Joshua Tree National Park offer two extremes of our state’s natural beauty.

But there's plenty to do this week without leaving LA, too; want to do some stargazing before El Niño fills the sky with clouds? The Sidewalk Astronomers are out in Burbank. Fans of Japanese animation will want to catch the Studio Ghibli Festival, and anybody looking for small town fun in our expansive metropolis should check out the Fiesta La Ballona in Culver City.

The summer of al fresco movies and music continues, and there are lots of other listings on our Daily Events Calendar. Here are our five picks for the week.

How do you plan to top off the summer? Wrap up August with those last moments of summery fun at outdoor events like the Fair Haven Firemen’s Fair and the Somerset Patriot’s Baseball Game. Take in museum programs this week at Garden State Discovery Museum’s Movie Mondays, Morris Museum’s Yo-Yo Guy Returns and New Jersey State Museum’s Maker Space Program. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

We've collected some of our favorite activities for the week from across the state, including a Hot Air Balloon Festival, the CT Open Tennis Tournament, Stand Up Paddleboarding, and so much more. Whatever you decide to do this week, don't forget to check the full Event Calendar for more fun things to do!