We hope you're enjoying our new weekday edition of the Mommy Poppins newsletter, now in its second week of sniffing out fun activities that go beyond the weekend.

This week starts a new month and the beginning of summer. School is wrapping up, but there's still plenty to do with the little ones while their siblings hunt for overdue textbooks and add finishing touches to their final homework assignments. It's a good time to catch up on culture. Many local museums offer free admission days the first week of the month. Be sure to check out The Page Museum, The Craft and Folk Art Museum, The Huntington, and The Natural History Museum. And if art isn't your thing, here are 5 more ways to make this week different:

1. Ford Jam - Monday
The Ford Theater on Cahuenga Blvd. has a free international music and movement jam session every Monday at 7pm this summer. Monday's interactive program features al fresco African dance and drumming. Your rhythmic rugrats will end the day on an upbeat beat.

2. LEGO Store Monthly Mini Model Build- Tuesday
A free opportunity for young master builders to make a mini model and take it home with them while supplies last. Session starts at 5pm. June features a cool jet ski. Ages 6-14.

We are generally NOT a family of outdoorsy folks.  Our idea of connecting with nature is bird/critter watching, in the woods surrounding our home, from the comfort and safety of our deck.  However, as my kids have gotten older, they've expressed more of an interest in "adventuring", as they call it, traversing through the woods, hiking, and the like.  Even though a fellow Mommy Poppins writer wrote about ziplining at Catamount, as a bona fide city gal myself, I've balked and defaulted much of these activities to my husband.  But, very recently, at the strong urging of my family, I found myself en route to The Adventure Park at The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport, CT, to enjoy a day of fun in the great outdoors.  I had no idea just what excitement, thrill and fun I was in for.  But I soon found out!

Although some New York City outdoor music and performance series are created specifically with children in mind, there are lots of grown-up ones that families can enjoy, too. At these wonderful alfresco events—most of which take place in parks and plazas—families can pack a picnic, stake out a spot, lay down a blanket and soak up some culture at no cost. Don't worry if the kids aren't totally into it; sit along the perimeter and let them run around, dance and play and they'll be happy.

While many series including SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn! and Lincoln Center Out of Doors host dedicated family days, it's worth browsing their full schedules. There's no minimum age to enjoy jazz, classical or rock, right?

We've rounded up NYC's best FREE outdoor music and performance series and highlighted the events we think will be of particular interest to families. You can find even more family fun in our jam-packed Summer Guide.

This page will be updated as the info for 2015 becomes available. So far this summer, we've rounded up free sports programs, free concerts, free movies and free things to do every day over school break. Now we've got the scoop on the free Summer Play Streets program, which kicks off on Monday, July 7. New York City kids in all five boroughs can enjoy old-school supervised outdoor activities at no cost, courtesy of the Police Athletic League.

Confession:  I have never chaperoned a school field trip.  It’s been 29 years since I set foot on a yellow school bus.  Given the choice of a group tour or a month without chocolate, I’d forego the sweets.  Our kids go apoplectic at the suggestion of any outing not involving electronic entertainment, so you can imagine my trepidation at accompanying a class of second graders on an educational trip to the Sterling Hill Mining Museum in Ogdensburg.  Forget enjoying this day, I was just hoping I’d come out alive.

In the final post of our epic five part series covering the City of Yonkers, Mommy Poppins is looking at the best places to take the kids for family friendly meal. From breakfast to dessert, fancy to fast, Greek to Cuban, there is plenty to choose from on the busy streets of Westchester's largest city. If Italian food is what you're looking for, you're definitely in luck. Not far from Bronx's Arthur Ave, Yonkers is known for its generous pizza slices.