Kids love just being outside, and they love exploring in nature. We are so lucky that greater Los Angeles has so many different types of natural environments and plant communities—coastal, mountain forest, chaparral, and wetland—with so many opportunities for our kids to explore and learn. If your kids are super active and just want to get out and hike, our Hiking Guide offers specific hike info, as well as lists of great places to hike with toddlers, strollers, and more. But do your kids love learning about nature in an organized way? Know what's close by, inexpensive, safe, and geared toward kids' programming? Nature centers! There are nature centers throughout LA and OC. These are small museums with a variety of displays that focus on the local area and typically have nature trails as well as regular scheduled kids' activities. Any of these locations gives kids the chance to learn something new and have fun in a place that's neither overwhelming nor huge. 

Every year around this time, I start to feel like my daughter and I are the last New Yorkers left in the city. All of our friends are away at sleepaway camp or off on exotic vacations, like Mommy Poppins founder, Anna, who stayed at the fabulous Andaz Peninsula Papagayo Resort in Costa Rica this week. Not that I'm complaining. While I can't say we have NYC to ourselves (I think I've given directions to tourists every single day this week), we are still enjoying all summer in the city has to offer, including museum exhibits (the pic above is from the Jeff Koons retrospective at the Whitney), public pools, beaches and playgrounds. And since my daughter just got a pair of hand-me-down roller skates, the two new rinks in Brooklyn are on our must-do list.

Of course you don't have to get on a plane to have an out-of-town adventure. Our Long Island site highlighted six farms where kids can feed and pet the animals, and eight family-friendly hiking trails. Meanwhile, New Jersey rounded up seven pick-your-own farms with summer berries, and spotlighted the small but activity--filled ocean-side town of Avalon. And Connecticut made a list of the top 25 things to do with kids in New Haven.

Regardless of where you're spending the season, remember to post your playful pics on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. It ends in a few weeks so start snapping today—you know you want to show off that gorgeous family of yours.

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

This weekend is all about cultural events in Westchester. Families can take in the two-day Peekskill Music Festival, which includes way more than just music, as well as a Jazz Festival that includes performances by up-and-coming young artists (including a 12-year-old piano virtuoso!).

Other cultural events this weekend include Midsummer Day, an afternoon-long immersion into all things Icelandic in honor of an ongoing exhibition of Icelandic art as well as a FREE performance by the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company.

Three recurring events this weekend are worth noting because each weekend features a different focus. For Arts in the Amphitheater: Movie Nightsthis week’s showing will be of Dirty Dancing--and includes a special added feature! Puppet Shows in the Amphitheater returns with a new performance, and the Art & Science Workshops has kids working with water. Best of all, all of these are FREE!

Read on to learn more about the above, and click through the links for full details. Let Mommy Poppins help you keep your kids busy this summer--not only this weekend, but every day! Our event calendar is loaded with diverse ways to keep kids busy, and many of them are FREE. Also be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter to keep current with our latest posts, news and events.

Yee haw! Treat your family to something different this weekend with a good old-fashioned Barn Dance at Hallockville Museum & Farm in Riverhead, or explore Rainbows & Bubbles at South Fork Natural History Museum & Nature Center in Bridgehampton.

Pack a picnic for outdoor movie night in Long Beach Saturday night. On Sunday, bring the entire family out for Children's Day at Eisenhower Park--it's free!

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Music lovers have a lot to celebrate this weekend: Summer Arts Weekend comes to Copley Square with dozens of live musical acts, including family favorites Steve Songs, the Gizmo Guys, and Debbie and Friends; both Lowell and Duxbury have folk festivals this weekend; and Tim Kubert performs as part of the Regattabar Kids' Series.  There are lots of movies to choose from this weekend too: The Lego Movie, My Neighbor Totoro, and Hoodwinked Too are all playing for free, plus check out a special sensory-friendly screening of Planes: Fire and Rescue.

If you are looking for live entertainment, don't miss Circus Smirkus performing in Waltham. Our parent review tells you just what these kids from Vermont can do. There are also stage performances of Finding Neverland and The Pirate, the Princess, and the Pea this weekend.

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• The Appalachian Mountain Club shares Five Perfect Picnic Spots around Boston.
• Roberta takes us back in time with 10 Outdoor Games from the 70s. Don't forget to share your favorite family games with us in our Summer of Play challenge!
• Tara highlights the top 25 things to do with kids in New Haven, Connecticut.

Stay cool this weekend, have fun, and don't forget to check our calendar for all the great things going on in Boston.

Whatever you do this weekend, DON'T GET OUT OF TOWN!   There’s another one of those Carmeggedon, Carpocalyse things happening, and they’re calling it … the Century Crunch. I know, I know, it doesn’t have much gloom and doom sound to it, but it’s right at the airport.  They’re knocking down a bridge, road improvements yadda yadda traffic nightmare. And probably zombies. Just stay home, play in your backyard, or if you have to, venture downtown. (They have toys.)

Think you're safe if you're heading to San Diego for Comic Con? Ha! You and half a billion other people!  Do they even have enough oxygen for all those people?  No,  you'd better stay right here in the beautiful City of Angels. And what a weekend it will be!  We have National Dance Day, the circus, and the OC Fair, Dragon Boats and Malibu Arts and Summer Fest at Venice Beach. Kids can build sand castles, run like heroes, cheer for cowfolk, boo the bullies and sing with Cinderella.  Best weekend ever!

Or you could always go to New York.

Keep reading for our conveniently located in LA picks for this weekend ....

It's looking like a lovely mid-summer weekend and there are lots of fun and FREE things to do together as a family. Try classic outdoor games at Brooklyn Bridge Park's Family Field Day, work up a sweat at the Get Up & Go Family Adventure Race on Staten Island or hit the Scholastic Store in Soho for a magical Harry Potter birthday party.

Two of our top picks of the month take place this weekend and they're both FREE. Enjoy an eclectic lineup of music and dance performances at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Family Day and catch Theatreworks USA's brand-new musicalization of The Lightning Thief in the West Village.

However you spend the weekend, remember to share photos of your family's adventures on social media for a chance to win great prizes in our SUMMER OF PLAY CHALLENGE. If you need playtime inspiration, we have hundreds of ideas in our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide.