Normally I put strict limits on my nine-year-old son's screen time, especially in summer when he should be outside playing and experiencing the world. But when I catch him playing Habitat, I make a screen-time exception. The brand-new FREE app encourages kids to go outside and explore nature (which is what I want) while simultaneously challenging them to a fun, save-the-environment game (which my son loves). No wonder he's been obsessed with Habitat since we were invited to try it out at the Central Park Zoo earlier this month.

Just in time for summer, we have lots of great seasonal news, including the addition of the first-ever water fountains on Governors Island, the reopening of a long-closed Staten Island beach and the scoop on tickets for one of summer's most sought-after concerts for kids. Plus, New York Comic Con expands, autism-friendly theater and an important heads up about hours for NYC public school students.

As a new parent I devoured books about babies, trying to understand the tiny new life in my charge. How far can he see? What is going on in his little mind when he is playing with that toy? And then I started to wonder how all these experts on babies knew anything. So when I learned that many of Boston's universities recruit parents and their kids to participate in research studies, I thought it would be fun way to engage in science with my little one.

Summertime is for lazy days and sleeping late. There is nothing quite like staying out on a school night - especially when there is no school the next day. If you’re not a night owl, be sure to check Mommy Poppins’ event calendar. There is plenty to do during the day: toddler sing-a-longs, clubs for kids, and story time at the bookstore. If you are up for resetting the family’s circadian rhythms, here are few ways to enjoy our glorious summer evenings.

Even though summer should be a time to forget about schedules, to-do lists and responsibilities, it can be too easy to let these sweet, steamy days go by without truly slowing down for some good, old-fashioned, unstructured play. That's why we've teamed up with KaBOOM!, the nonprofit dedicated to bringing play to all children, to promote a SUMMER OF PLAY.

All summer long we'll be sharing hundreds of ideas for play, plus some fun tips and tools in our SUMMER OF PLAY GUIDE. On Monday, June 23, we'll be posting the ultimate summer play list with 100 great ways to get started. Then once a week we'll share more play ideas and add them to the guide.

To help make sure you never run out of inspiration, we've created a SUMMER FUN LIST GENERATOR, a cute way to save your summer fun bucket list visually in your home. That way it's always there when you need an idea and you never forget to add a little play to your day.

Temperatures are on the rise in Westchester and if your kid is lucky enough to have a summer birthday, why not throw an awesome pool party to commemorate the occasion? Nothing beats a pool party for fun-in-the-sun summer memories--the smell of chlorine, the hot scratchy pavement on wrinkled toes, the endless games of Marco Polo. If you don't have a pool in your backyard, no need to fret! Three of the hottest water play locations in Westchester County are also some of the best places for  summertime pool parties!