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.

We all need to take a moment now and again for a deep stretch and some relaxed breathing--and kids are no different. Yoga is a great activity for children and teens because they can get in better touch with their bodies through breathing, balance and destressing. Yoga also teaches them about being healthy and taking care of themselves (a lesson we all can benefit from, right?)

Here are 5 studios that offer yoga classes for children. And for more kid-friendly activities on the East End, check out our Hamptons and North Fork Family Guide.