Sports, sprinklers, sing-alongs and lots of summer fun are all on tap for the weekend, the second to last one before the kids go back to school. Two of our top picks for the month take place this weekend. On Saturday, head to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for FREE tennis clinics, games and face time with pros at the annual Arthur Ashe Kids' Day, or catch the last weekend of family-friendly FringeJr theater shows.

Other cool options include NYC Audubon's annual Shorebird Festival in Queens and a Volkswagen show on Governors Island.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide. Before heading out on your adventures, be sure to download our FREE Mommy Poppins Kids on the Go app so you can find the best family destinations wherever you happen to be in NYC.

September may be just around the corner, but we still have a few summer weekends left to squeeze in warm weather outings! Don’t let the month of August go by without checking out one of the great festivals in NJ, like the Canal Day Music & Craft Festival or the Long Branch Jazz & Blues Festival. Duck indoors for a few hours and take in a production of the kid-friendly musical Willy Wonka Jr. at the Surflight Theatre or soak up all you can of the great outdoors with Bats for Beginners at Tenafly Nature Center or a Guided Hike at the NJ Botanical Gardens. Also, you can check out the full list of weekend activities on our Event Calendar and don't miss our Summer of Play Guide with 100s of ideas for a fun, playful, and tech-free summer!

Wave goodbye to summer with an eleventh hour family getaway.  Check out hipster-haven Portland Maine, the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls or the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  Big Texas has deals in charm-filled San Antonio and cowboy-crazed Fort Worth.  If you’re looking for a tropical location, Curaçao, Aruba and Puerto Rico are dishing up legitimate savings. Myrtle Beach usually stays warm well into fall, and this year brings special savings.  Florida bound vacationers will find deals in Orlando and Captiva.  If you’re headed to Europe, Airberlin is auctioning upgrades to fly business class.

Even though summer officially continues through late September, Labor Day weekend is your last chance to enjoy fun like beaches, pools and water parks, which all close for the season on the holiday. The three-day weekend is also a great opportunity to get out of the city for a quick family getaway before school starts.

In previous years, we've rounded up car-free Labor Day getaways and day trips by region. This year, all of our ideas are organized by theme. So whether you're looking to get your adrenaline pumping, cool off, romp in the country, enjoy face time with animals or soak up some history, we hope to give you plenty of destination inspiration.

Summer is winding down and the back-to-school season brings all kinds of educational news, including the release of the standardized test scores and questions from the spring, plus updated info on new hours for about 450 public schools! Plus, we've got the scoop on upcoming auditions for the TADA! Youth Theatre Resident Ensemble and the Young People's Chorus, how to register for the NYC Parks Department's FREE after-school program, and news about a few sad NYC closures. Since time is short these last days of break, we're keeping this one brief!

Even if your kids haven’t seen Night at the Museum or read The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the appeal of staying overnight in a museum or zoo seems to be universal. These favorite destinations, within an hour’s drive from Boston, make the fantasy a reality. For a night your child will be talking about for a long time, read on and start planning your family or group slumber party among science exhibits, with nocturnal animals, on a battleship, or in a baseball stadium. 

The U.S. Open is just days away.  School is about to start.  Tennis, anyone?  As affluent as Fairfield County is, It's no shock there are several tennis centers here.  Whether you have a youngster who wants to start, or are a parent who'd like to pick up the game again, there are lessons, leagues and tournaments available.  For parents of young children, there seasonal leagues operating during the school year -- some even offer free child care for preschoolers, and waive membership fees.  Court fees are split among dozens, so it can break down to $150 or so a month to have consistent play -- a far cry from the thousands it can cost for a club membership.  Point being, shop around to make sure you're getting precisely what you want.