Diners are right up there with all of the things you’d expect to find in NJ, like boardwalks by the beach, saltwater taffy, shopping malls and great views of Manhattan. And it goes without saying that diners are probably some of the best joints to visit with kids – loud, crowded, cheap and charmingly unsophisticated. Plus, diverse menus mean that everyone can order exactly what they’re in the mood for (which basically means less complaining and whining for tired parents!)

So how do you distinguish a great diner from a so-so one? All of the joints below stand out from the pack for a number of reasons. Maybe they’re family-owned and operated (doing everything with just a little extra love), maybe they take the time to make everything from scratch or maybe the food is just that darn good! Read on for our pick of diner favorites for NJ families:

I can still remember the thrill when I first saw Jurassic Park, the whole new world that first time that Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs out of the past and moved them around on a screen for us in a way that did not look remotely animated. It was breathtaking and would have been an amazing thing to show a child - if not for all of the violent death and destruction brought on by Spielberg's intensely PG-13 plot. If only there were a way to bring dinos to life with that same impact, but in a way that little ones could better handle - perhaps even learn from. And with that, we bring you Walking with Dinosaurs.

Sporting events in NJ are kid-friendly! Yes, New Jersey parents, you can take your kids to a college or professional sporting event--you can even tailgate with them! With so many little ones starting to play organized sports at a young age, college and professional teams are making their games more fan- (and kid-) friendly to increase attendance and encourage kids to stay interested. So brave the crowds and the face painters and enjoy the game--and enjoy our tips for the tailgating par-tay before!

Back to school is upon us and with it comes the dizzying to-do list—school supplies, new clothes, pressed uniforms, meeting new teachers, coordinating carpools and more. If, through this hustle and bustle, you've managed to also get extracurricular activities in order and your kids signed up, you're a step ahead of many of us that haven't yet signed our kids up for classes. With so many wonderful class options throughout Westchester, how do you decide?

You can start by attending an open house at one of the many class offerings in and around Westchester. Some host only one open house while others offer multiple dates. There are many coming up and we've gathered up the details for you. Take a look; you just might find your kids' next great passion. For more options, peruse our Class Directory. We'll continue to update our listings so check back often. Better yet, sign up for our FREE newsletter to stay up to date on everything Westchester has to offer families and kids.

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.

Facebook has been a seemingly endless stream of adorable back-to-school pics this week. We even posted some first day pics from our Mommy Poppins bloggers and are encouraging readers to share their photos in the comments. (We can't get enough of those spiffy outfits and backpacks.) In addition to getting back to the books, we've been prepping for fall, updating our apple picking posts and our roundup of September fairs and festivals, and compiling lists of FREE trial classes for enriching kids' programs in NYC, New Jersey and beyond.

All of our regional sites also published brand-new September Go Lists highlighting the best things to do with kids throughout the month in Westchester, New Jersey, on Long Island and even further afield. With the Rosh Hashanah holiday weekend coming up (public schools are closed Thursday, September 25 and Friday, September 26, in case you didn't know), you may have time for a Go List-inspired day trip or a weekend getaway. Our Travel site just did a lovely post about Lake George in the Adirondacks, which is a wonderful destination for fall foliage.

And we have a great giveaway going on: Enter to win four tickets to see the long-running smash Blue Man Group. It's one of our top five Off-Broadway shows for families.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

It may be back to the grind at work and school, but for recreation in Westchester, the party is still on this weekend, including three events we highlighted on our September Go List. Celebrate the Hudson River at the Yonkers Riverfest, the Annual Take Me to the River Festival or the Croton Yacht Club Hudson River Day. For a jazz theme, take in theWhite Plains Jazz & Food Festivalor theJazz Ensemble Performance by the NAACP Youth Organization.

Also this weekend, the NY Metro Reptile Show returns to White Plains, the Leukemia Cup Regatta is raising money for cancer research and Greenburgh Nature Center hosts its annual Harvest Party. And, of course, you can still check out the New York Renaissance Faire.

For those of you who don't know, this Sunday is Grandparents Day and Legoland Discovery Center is celebrating with FREE admission for grandparents all weekend. Visit our event calendar for more ways to celebrate Grandparents Day, plus lots of other fun events happening around town.

Read on for the best events happening this weekend in Westchester. If you see something interesting, click through to the event listings for full details.

While the kiddies all went back to school this week and the calendar turned to September, summer weather is still lingering. Take advantage of the warm temps and sunny days by heading outdoors this weekend.

Fall fairs start this weekend, such as the East Northport Festival and the Fiddle & Folk Festival in East Setauket, as do several other weekly activities, such as the Explorer Family Backpacks at Hofstra University, The Butterfly House in Smithtown and the Seatuck Family Nature Club in Islip.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. And be sure to check out our Long Island Classes Guide for some after-school programs that might interest your child.