We love that there are so many options for enrichment outside of school for our kids. From music to art to robotics, Boston has it all. What we don’t love is how difficult it can be to choose from all those options. We definitely don’t relish the idea of blindly committing to several weeks of a class when we’re not even sure who the instructor is or what our kids will actually be doing in the class. Really, if you can sample ice cream before deciding on a flavor, shouldn’t you be able to try a class before you register? We think so, and luckily, so do the places on this list.  Some are hosting open houses where you can check out programs and meet the instructors, while others offer a free trial class – try before you buy, so to speak. 

Due to expected heavy rain on Saturday, some outdoor events may be canceled or rescheduled. Before you head out, check the event's official website for updates. Forget school—this weekend is packed with outdoor summer-style fun. Four of our top picks of the month take place this weekend, the FREE West Side County Fair in Riverside Park South, Madison Square Park's FREE old-fashioned bicentennial fair, and a pair of outdoor performances: the campy antics of Circus Amok: At the Crossroads and the Mettawee River Theatre Company's folksy The Dancing Fox.

Other highlights include Arthur Avenue’s treat-filled Ferragosto in the Bronx, a Soap Box Derby in Park Slope and two celebrations marking the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. And if you're up for a day trip, apple picking season has arrived!

These are just a few of the great things to do this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar. If you're looking to plan out your entire month, check out our new NYC Go List highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout September.

So we're back in school. We're packing lunches, going to PTA meetings. and overseeing homework. And we're probably starting to wrap our minds around figuring out some enrichment classes to fill in the gaps and/or add some sparkle to the process. Your child might attend a school with a great onsite, low-cost after-school program, which takes care of half the question already; on the other hand you might be trying to figure out the shortest distance between your house and a place to constructively use those ballet shoes. Open houses and free trial classes make the hunt for great classes a little more do-able, which is why we offer this list of 10 great places that offer chances to try it out for free, either in the coming weeks or - in many cases - all year long.

Nominations for the Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest are now closed. We'll announce the winners onstage at the Boston Kids Really Rock music and arts festival at 5:15 on Sunday, October 5th at the Lawn on D. We hope to see you there!

Do you know a kid who is doing great things for the community? A kid who goes way out of his way to make a difference - organizing food drives, raising funds for a local nonprofit, volunteering with a charity organization, dishing it up at a soup kitchen - in short, a kid who really rocks? NOMINATE THAT KID NOW for our Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest!

Mommy Poppins Boston is proud to partner with the Kids Really Rock music and arts festival to sing the praises of some very special Boston kids who are making a difference in their communities through service. We are searching for young Bostonians who exemplify the spirit of kindness, community, and creativity celebrated by the Kids Really Rock festival - a spin-off from last year's remarkable One Family Music Festival. The awesome kids selected by the editors of Mommy Poppins and dubbed “Boston Kids Who Really Rock" will be featured, along with the charities they are passionate about, in a Mommy Poppins Boston article. Five Finalists and one Grand Prize Winner will also be invited to appear on stage at the Boston Kids Really Rock music festival, where we will make a $500 donation to the Grand Prize winner's 501(c) charity of choice and another $500 donation to the festival's not-for-profit partner, Cradles to Crayons. You know Boston kids ROCK; now prove it! Read on for contest rules and regulations and information on how to nominate a rockin' Boston kid. 

The start of September can feel like a whirlwind of school, classes and adjusting to new schedules, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun. The weather is still warm, so why not take a break and see what Jersey has in store for this weekend? The month is full of great festivals so check out the Asbury Park Oysterfest down the shore, stuff yourself silly with moussaka at St. Demetrios Greek Festival or learn about butterflies at Pyramid Mountain’s Monarch Festival. You can also get muddy with a Pond Study class at Liberty State Park, take your pooch to the canine friendly end-of-season event at Morey’s Pier Water Park or celebrate the High Holidays early with the family as you taste apples and hear the Shofar at Liberty Science Center. And remember, you can check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

With all the press about the mom who got arrested for leaving her nine-year-old child unattended in a park, and the resulting outrage, it’s raised the question across the country: What's an appropriate amount of freedom for kids, and what is not? Growing up in NYC in the '70s, my friends and I played outside and roamed around independently from an early age even though the city, in general, was not as safe as it is now. We learned street smarts and independence that, undoubtedly, spilled over into other areas of our lives.

For many reasons, parenting seems different today. There's a lot more pressure to constantly supervise children, even older kids. It can be hard to imagine that our "babies" will ever be ready to go out into the wide world alone. But with the start of a new school year, the reality is that many children will begin traveling on their own or with a group of friends. With my kids—a teenager who is fully independent and a tween who is just learning to navigate the city on his own—I've modified the '70s-style hands-off approach to include today's more safety consciousness to develop a training course my kids must complete before being allowed out on their own.

Here's how I taught my own kids to be street smart city kids from an early age:

The big news for many NYC families this week is, of course, the first day of school for more than 1 million public school students. But as you ease back into your old routine, we've got some fun news for you, like FREE rides at Coney Island's Luna Park, eye-popping art in unexpected places (you'll need to look up) and nature volunteering opportunities for teens. Plus, we've got the scoop on a handful of notable openings and closing on the NYC family scene, and a few other tidbits.