The world-renowned Litchfield Jazz Festival highlights the weekend slate, and Mommy Poppins CT is proud to be involved! We are sponsoring the Kids Zone at this year's Litchfield Jazz Festival in Goshen on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a mural artist, magician, hoop dancers, stilt walkers and a circus act. Lots of interactive things for the kids to do as well. Come out and join us! Kids 12 and under are free.

Our suggestions on things to do this weekend are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our guides to CT Beaches and Water Fun, Swimming Holes in Hartford County, CT Day Trips and Indoor Play Guide. Our CT Go List of activities is a monthly round up to help you plan ahead for the remainder of August. 

This weekend, learn all about the art and science behind bubble making at The Whaling Museum and Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor. Got a teen at home who longs to be a beauty queen? See how pageant life unfolds at the Miss Long Island & Miss Long Island Teen Pageant at the Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts. Feeling more outdoorsy? At Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, hone investigative skills and search for hidden treasure. Go on a high-tech trek at the South Shore Nature Center. Also on tap: Family Art Day at Stony Brook Village Center, and Our Lady Of The Assumption Annual Feast in Copiague. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

Several of our August NYC Go List picks take place this weekend, including the colorful Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, SummerStage Kids' final Family Day of the season in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park and a pair of offbeat FringeJr shows for kids in the East Village. I'm personally looking forward to cycling through the second installment of Manhattan's car-free Summer Streets on Saturday with my family.

Last Sunday, we had a great time meeting some of our readers and their children on our Mommy Poppins Family Cruise on Manhattan By Sail's Clipper City Tall Ship. We're hard at work on our next pirate-themed sail on Tuesday, August 20 when kids can learn how to walk, talk and act like buccaneers during David Engel's interactive Pirate School! solo show. Tickets are selling quickly so book yours today.

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

Take advantage of the beautiful weather and warm breezes while you still can! New Jersey is packed with fun this weekend, so get out there and make some summer family memories. Check out the Peach, Princess & Pirate Party at the Camden Children’s Garden, head to the Butterfly Festival at Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed or squeeze in an educational outing at Morris Museum’s Money Madness event. And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.

The first day of school has been creeping farther and farther back in recent years, cutting deeper and deeper into summer. For many schools, August is part of the school year now, while other districts still cling to the time-honored "never before Labor Day" approach. All of this can make summer camp complicated to maneuver for some families, while others are knee-deep in homework.

From Glendale's August 12 start date to Torrance’s September 6, don't just assume you know when school starts based on last year! Check our list of start and finish dates for the 2013-2014 school year (and all days off in between) in and around LA County...

Family movies aren't the only big things opening for kids this month (though we are really excited about Planes.... the 3D One Direction flick? Not so much). There are also three tasty kid-centric businesses making their debuts in NYC this month, including a cake pop mecca in Park Slope, a new allergen-friendly treat shop on the Upper West Side and a delicious creperie in Soho. We also bid goodbye to a few old favorites, and look at a few exciting upcoming play projects, Plus, ELA and Math Assessment scores are about to be released and one Queens restaurant is serving up FREE pancakes for kids! (From what we hear, after you see the scores, you may need a carb binge.)

From a very young age, I learned that some of the most rewarding experiences come as a result of doing for other people.  More specifically, giving your time or energy to a project or cause without expecting anything in return.  Since my parents instilled this valuable bit of life knowledge in me at a young age, I wanted to do the same with my kids.  It's paid off for the folks we've helped and for our little family ten-fold.  Not sure where you can donate your time with the kiddos?  There's a few places in need right in Eastern CT. And if you are looking for opportunities in Hartford, Fairfield, or Litchfield Counties we have that covered too.

My kids have visited enough museums in their short lives that they now actually look forward to exploring new exhibits, taking part in scavenger hunts, workshops, guided tours and the like. So when I brought up the idea of learning about art but also staying outside and playing, they were more than game. The good news? Accessible, diverse, entertaining (and mostly free!) exhibits can be found throughout the Boston area, all appropriate for visiting with children.

The beauty of looking at outdoor, public art with kids is that, depending on your child’s mood, you can stop and investigate or just take it in at a glance as you pass by. For insights on making any public art encounter with children a good experience, Mommy Poppins Boston spoke with art expert Wyona Lynch-McWhite, Executive Director of Fruitlands Museum in Harvard. Read on for Lynch-McWhite’s thoughts as well as places in and around Boston where parents can take children for a great public art experience.