Save Big on Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular at Barclays Center with Our Exclusive Discount

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Here they come again! The amazing, life-size dinosaurs that took Manhattan by storm in 2009 and 2010 return for a limited engagement at Brooklyn's Barclays Center this July. Inspired by the BBC's super-popular television series of the same name, Walking with Dinosaurs is the closest you can get to traveling back in time as you meet 20 prehistoric creatures in a thrilling spectacle that's entertaining and educational.

I always regretted that my son and I missed the previous tours of Walking with Dinosaurs but we won't be making that mistake this time around. I've already scored tickets to opening night and we expect to be blown away by the enormous, realistic-looking dinos. Since there are only nine performances, tickets are going fast. So get yours today and save some money with our exclusive discount for Mommy Poppins readers.

Flag Day Parades and Events in New Jersey

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Nestled between Memorial Day and Independence Day is a salute to the stars and stripes – Flag Day. Although not a federal holiday, June 14th is an official celebration honoring our American patriotic symbol, Old Glory, and commemorated with small town parades, school essay contests, and veterans’ ceremonies. Check out these upcoming New Jersey events and for other fun this month, try our June GO List.

This Week's Picks: Magicians, Reptiles, and Distant Galaxies, June 9-13

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Sunday June 15 is Fathers' Day; hopefully your kids are hard at work brainstorming ways to make this a special day for him. For help and inspiration check out the card making events at the Robertson Branch library and American Girl Stores. My kids’ dad loves a good outing, but he hates to be in charge of the planning. Give him a list of choices: a day at the museum, a hike out of town, or a picnic in the park and he’ll be thrilled.

The week needn’t be all about dad. There are plenty of other things to do now that school is out - many of them at the local library:

Best Museum Exhibits for NYC Kids Summer 2014: 10 New Installations for Families

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While summer is the season of outdoor fun in NYC, sometimes you need a break from the parks, beaches, sun and sweltering heat. Going to a kid-friendly museum exhibit is an engaging and enriching way to spend a humid afternoon so you can soak up some culture along with cool air conditioning.

Not only are almost all of the exhibits we highlighted for spring still on view, there's also a brand-new batch of kid-pleasing installations opening, many with interactive elements or creative stations. We've got the scoop on where kids can get up close and personal with live spiders, learn about the science behind Marvel's Avengers, climb up the side of the Empire State Building, and hone their engineering and design skills this summer.

Captain's Cove Seaport, Bridgeport - A Seaside Spot

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If every day this summer was like this day at Black Rock Harbor, our minds and bodies might just fully heal from the obnoxious winter we endured here in Fairfield County.  (I’m still occasionally looking over my shoulder for snow).  For 90 minutes, it actually felt like the kids and I were on vacation — strolling harborside, angling for our next ice cream cone and playing in the sun.  Captain’s Cove Seaport at Black Rock Harbor is an utter departure from the busy neighborhoods in the shadow of 95 that surround it.  You'll feel lost*  ... and then you'll feel like you're about to drive into an industrial zone ... and then charm will smack you in the face in the form of a colonial-era icehouse replica. 

Juneteenth: A Celebration of African-American Emancipation

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On June 19th, 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation theoretically freed all the slaves in the Confederate States, federal troops arrived in Texas to enforce the Proclamation and free the slaves of Texas.  Dubbed "Juneteenth," June 19 has been celebrated as Emancipation Day in Texas since 1866 and has since spread to most of the United States, including Massachusetts. Whether you attend one of the special Juneteenth events, plan a visit to one of Boston's African-American museums and historic locations, or spend some time reading books with your family, Juneteenth is a great time for all of us to reflect on what freedom, and its absence, really means.

This Week: Free NYC Culture Festivals, Awesome Day Trips Ideas, Best Things to Do for Families in June & Beyond in the Tri-state

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If you're a fellow NYC public school parent, I know you share my stress this week. Between the half day on Tuesday, the whole day off on Thursday, Monday's upcoming half day and all of the end-of-the-school-year events, we're so busy we need to schedule time to breathe. But the (comparatively) lazy days of summer fun are coming, and there are plenty of memorable experiences to be had in NYC and beyond.

If getting out of town is at the top of your list, our Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut sites all rounded up the best family events this June, and many of them make for great getaways like this weekend's Fol de Rol County Fair in Armonk, NY, the New Jersey Renaissance Faire in Bordentown and the Strawberry Harvest Festival in Chester, NJ. Or how about a trip to the amazing Adventure Park at the Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT or the 42-acre outdoor art installation Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ? And don't forget, we have an entire guide dedicated to the Hamptons and North Fork if that's where you're headed.

Of course you don't need to leave the city to go on an adventure. This weekend brings some of our favorite annual family outings including the Figment arts fest on Governors Island, which feels like a day trip. And a few of NYC's major FREE summer performance festivals kick off this week including SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn! and we highlighted the best bets for kids. Plus Friday is National Doughnut Day, which means FREE treats at participating doughnut shops.

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

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